Fishing for the truth about angling in Scotland
THE wild fish lobby can huff and puff as much as it likes, but the latest spat over coastal salmon netting around Scotland demonstrates just how divided the warring factions are and illustrates pointedly Government dithering about how to solve the issues.
Continue ReadingRELATIONS between wild game fishing interests and the Scottish Government over fish farming controls have suffered another reverse with the collapse of a key agreement set up to try to establish peace between the salmon industry and anglers.
Continue ReadingIT SEEMED, on the face of it, a fairly innocuous conversation. We were sitting in the conservatory of the Borrodale Hotel on South Uist enjoying one of the chef’s substantial stomach-lining breakfasts in readiness for what was likely to be a fairly challenging day ahead. Outside, the wind gusted to 35 mph and huge droplets…
Continue ReadingSALMON, wild and farmed, crept on to the menus two of the Sunday papers this week. The Sunday Herald’s environment editor Rob Edwards reported on an alleged pesticide incident in which it was said that thousands of farmed salmon had been killed by an accidental overdose on a Shetland site. The story claims environmental protection…
Continue ReadingTHE LAWYER behind the recent high-profile success of Fish Legal in campaigning against fish farm escapes and Scottish Water pollution incidents has been hired by the Salmon & Trout Association (S&TA) to lobby the Government and politicians in the on-going battle for sustainable aquaculture.
Continue ReadingFURTHER evidence of healthy grilse and salmon runs emerges from Sutherland where the Oykel produced a record-breaking return for July with a staggering 730 fish. In a month of fluctuating spates producing near-perfect conditions, 12 rods accounted for 286 fish between July 12 and 17 alone. Richard Donkin’s entertaining blog has more details. Of course…
Continue ReadingTHERE WERE encouraging signs from the Tay system last week of greatly improved salmon runs. The recorded catch total of 211 was nearly treble the previous week. Water levels dropped back steadily and the lower river produced more than half of the total catch. Almondmouth and Coupar Grange topped the returns with 44 and 31…
Continue ReadingMY STORY earlier this week commenting on shark tagging in the drive to increase our knowledge and understanding of endangered fish species, has prompted an interesting response from one of the founders of the new River Clyde website. John Blair says that Clyde pike are soon to be the target of a tagging programme. He…
Continue ReadingIT’S THE dry season for news. Those summer holiday dog days when newspapers up and down the land trawl through the cuttings and weekly newspapers for a useful story to follow up and fill all those gaping empty column inches. So readers of The Times – at least those who still pay to read it …
Continue ReadingFED UP with the mealy-mouthed political wrangling in the big election debate? Take the increasingly cynical view that it’s all a bit of a waste of time? Well if you have ever enjoyed a day’s salmon or sea trout fishing on a Scottish river, and think politics doesn’t really matter when it comes to having…
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