Noticing a huge difference this year compared to last autumn, very few salmon appearing at the usual spots we do our photography. Buchanty Spout on The Almond, The Lunan, The Wqestwater, been lots of times in perfect water conditions and hardly seen a fish. Anglers met at Buchanty moaning about the lack of fish on The Almond and even a lack of parr in the rivers over summer - something I can certainly confirm where I fish. Is it the same everywhere? These are East Coast rivers, so we can't blame salmon farmers.
I see that The Lanrick Castle fishery on the Teith was selling days at half price and there was a lot of availability ! The last time I tried to get a day there was a good few years ago but it was pretty expensive and there was practically zero availability. I've also been hearing that the Nith has been very poor.
A least you don't have to pay to take photos of no fish. :lol:
Quote from: Roobarb on October 22, 2017, 05:38:36 PM
Is it possible that lots of high water has taken the fish over the falls in dribs and drabs over a period of time so you are not seeing one big run?
Could be and there is time yet. I'll have a few more trips yet so we shall see.
It could be down to the higher temperatures we have been getting this Autumn. Once the temperatures drop the runs will start when it gets to the right temperature.
2 years ago not many eggs made it to hatching due to the high winter temperatures throughout the UK. This year has had an increase in the amount of fry in the systems but is still on a 5 year low in this area. Fish are also running late here too.
http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/170925-FMS-briefing-on-grilse.pdf
The above sums it up quite well.
Given that we have had decent water for a while, most of the earlier running fish will now be where they need to be.
Interesting. If this is indeed a trend (and it might not be - there were lots of fish last year) I wonder how it will affect rivers like The North Esk where the pricing structure is designed to financially exploit the big back end runs?
At least they finish at the end of the month. Think of the Tweed, where there has been no meaningful run since the summer. Anglers are deserting the river in the back end, preferring not to pay daft money to fish over spawning fish.........check out the availability and prices on Fishteed!!
https://www.tweedbeats.com/news/22_october_2017__news_editorial
This editorial, and previous ones written by ADH, are worth reading if you want an informed opinion on the current changes in salmon run timings.
That is an excellent editorial and an even better video. Everyone should watch that video. It's an eye opener.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DjuyMzxpt4&ab_channel=tweedfoundation
Some of our members are saying the Bervie is loaded with fish this season, maybe a return to the good old days, no barriers for you to sit with the camera like the Lunan.
Quote from: admin on October 22, 2017, 09:45:07 PM
That is an excellent editorial and an even better video. Everyone should watch that video. It's an eye opener.
It is certainly very interesting though as with all these things it is so hard to know if you are getting all the facts and data or just the ones that support the argument. Certainly it seems to sit with what I've seen over the last while as we are getting some tiny grilse now and older folks I've fished with don't consider that "normal" so it does look like the average size of our grilse is falling. It is also the case that I think I was seeing more salmon this year than in previous years but, of course, I'm merely making this judgement based on size and my memory is very short and unreliable. The spring fish I had was, as you'd expect, a multi-sea winter fish based on scale readings. All I can say is that I've seen nothing in my personal experience to contradict the basic content of the video.
It's an interesting watch and certainly many valid points, so less fish for foreseeable future but the ratio of grilse n salmon will swing in direction of the sammies
http://www.fishpal.com/Scotland/Esks/Catches.asp?dom=Esks
Some fish over 20lbs last week as well, so the anglers are finding a few.
Two of my friends spent 5 hours at the falls on the West Water yesterday; much more patience than I have!
Perfect water levels - they spotted 6 fish leaping over the 5 hours. Last year at this time we were spotting 6 fish every 10 minutes. :? Not good.
Been one of the worst back ends I can remember in 40 years of Salmon fishing, one fish from the end of August...20 pounder mind you.
Conversely one of my best ever springs, 6 days on our beat on the Tay with 8 crackers landed between 11 & 19 pounds, 2 getting their first fish including my brother who was fishing with me at the time.
Not a bad return really and even with the disappointment at the tail end I'll be champing at the bit come January.
Hoolet.
George, that sort of ties in with Laxdale's early season on The Conon and what The Tweed Foundation is saying. Next question might be will there now be a pricing restructuring that reflects the collapse of the autumn runs? Who in their right mind will knowingly pay an arm and a leg for back end fishing if the main runs are in spring or summer?
A couple of Tay ghillies were saying the Tay season was over by July. There were very few new fish coming in after that.
October salmon fishing, just about everywhere in Scotland nowadays, is all about pestering gravid hens and crocs.
I gave up locally after getting a Laxay fish in the first week of October that I felt sure would spawn before the end of the month.
Exactly the same for me, The biggie I had was on the Teith and in full spawning regalia, There's a photo on the sff titled River Teith Crocodile, If I knew how to convert photos I'd post it here too,
Fought like a demon and went back strongly I'm pleased to say.
The interesting thing was that the beat was stuffed with fish moving the whole day and we never saw a fresh one among them but I did land the freshest and best looking Seatrout I've ever seen with scales coming off in my hands.......might do a bit more late evening work next year!
Hoolet.
Bet it was not as fresh as the trout I had today sea angling. Sea trout run timing seems to have gone wonky too.
http://www.fishpal.com/Scotland/Esks/Catches.asp?dom=Esks
Some more fish this week, no idea on the condition as I'm not fishing the rivers now, Cod are calling.