Completing catch returns - how to do it

[Inchlaggan]

Ness and District Salmon Fisheries Board require an annual return of all fish (salmonids) "caught", including those released- which is encouraged. This applies to those with salmon rights but includes brownies in the reports. It has long been my understanding (though I am open to correction) that failure to make any return to the Scottish Keeper of Records over a certain period of years meant that the (salmon) rights reverted to the Crown.
A comprehesive returns system is something I do not wish to be involved with, but it has to be admitted that had such a system been in place over the years it would be easier to determine the history of a water and resolve debates as to whether the water contained pike, had been stocked or bucketed.
Estate game records are a valuable resource for those who have management of our wildlife and environment. Sadly they are used, selectively, to support the cause that the possessor supports, not enough are open to public scrutiny.

[Traditionalist]

In a lot of cases it is in the terms of the lease;

QUOTE
What information do you require?
Only general information about catches will be made public, including:

- the number of fish caught

- the size of fish caught

- the type of fish caught

- the date of capture

- whether they were released or killed

- what bait they took
UNQUOTE

http://www.allenvalleyanglers.co.uk/catch-returns

Virtually all clubs here have it as a condition of membership. Failing to submit a return would be grounds for expulsion. "Nil" returns are also mandatory, but if you keep getting nil returns from the same people, ( as is often the case, I know I used to assess them), then you know something is up.

If somebody has fished ten full days on a good water and caught nothing, ( here you are obliged to kill every sizeable and otherwise legal fish you catch), then he is either absolutely useless or a liar. Quite apart from making any sensible assessment impossible.

Every visit to the water must be logged on your return form BEFORE you start fishing. Every fish caught and kept must be logged IMMEDIATELY.  Other statistics may also be required.

TL
MC

[Malcolm]

It's a perverse situation where compliance by fishermen can mean increased fishing costs. Especially for,say, a club taking over a short lease in fishing. If all club members put in a true return the costs to the fisherman goes up whereas a partial or spoiled return means lower costs.

[myotis]

Thanks everyone, some interesting and insightful points.

Graham

[Traditionalist]

It's a perverse situation where compliance by fishermen can mean increased fishing costs. Especially for,say, a club taking over a short lease in fishing. If all club members put in a true return the costs to the fisherman goes up whereas a partial or spoiled return means lower costs.

On the face of it that would seem to be true, but in fact generous allowance is often made in an admittedly futile attempt to compensate for dishonesty.  The dishonesty begins with the angler not filling out or falsifying returns.

There are no short leases here, the minimum lease term for a piece of running water, (the lessee must also be in the public interest and prove he can manage the water), is twelve years.

TL
MC

[Wildfisher]

It's a perverse situation where compliance by fishermen can mean increased fishing costs. Especially for,say, a club taking over a short lease in fishing. If all club members put in a true return the costs to the fisherman goes up whereas a partial or spoiled return means lower costs.

I heard, through a very unreliable grapevine growing over a shed, some years ago, that a salmon syndicate on a certain nameless river I know quite well were not recording their catches accurately for those very reasons.

[Clan Ford]

I heard, through a very unreliable grapevine growing over a shed, some years ago, that a salmon syndicate on a certain nameless river I know quite well were not recording their catches accurately for those very reasons.

I think I'm correct in saying that the Tay salmon board levy is £30 for a Salmon and £15 for a sea trout, regardless of whether the fish is killed or returned it must be paid by the owners of the fishing.  It is a legal requirement for catch returns for migratories to be submitted, in writing, to the government by the board, by a certain date at the end of each season.  So this responsability is cascaded down to the various owners of the fishing. 

The "levy" is a real problem for my angling club.  A good year sees us subsidise the fishing as the cost of caught fish is more than the income from members and daytickets.  We made the situation a bit easier by simply ammending the date for the end of the sea trout season to finish at the end of August as most of the fish caught after that date are coloured.  As they are no longer "in season" they don't need to be declared!

Trout are different but basically we ask for two numbers - fish returned and fish killed.  Visiting anglers are very poor at returning any catch returns.

All our catch returns are done on weight so there is plenty of guesstimating goes on (all my trout weight 8oz!).

Norm

[Highlander]

On the Abercorn club that manages the lower reaches of the River Gryffe we like Clan Ford's club & indeed any club that has Salmon & Sea Trout in the catches are obliged to submit returns at the end of the season as some of our leases are through directly or indirectly Crown Estates.
Now our wee river whilst primarily a Brown Trout venue has been seeing good runs of migratory fish over the last 10 years.
In days past the river was classed
Brown Trout, Grayling & occasional Salmon.
Now I can sympathise with clubs when indeed if they do give accurate returns & in doing so find that they pay more for their fishing & worse case scenario that the riparian owners that we rent for go for the fast buck & rent it out to the highest bidder so I can see why a club might "cook the books" so to speak.

Tight Lines

[Wildfisher]

Now I can sympathise with clubs when indeed if they do give accurate returns & in doing so find that they pay more for their fishing & worse case scenario that the riparian owners that we rent for go for the fast buck & rent it out to the highest bidder

Exactly Alan. Be honest and some owners will simply shaft you.