A flick through this month's T&S has brought back into focus a nagging doubt I have about the validity of catch and release as an atlantic salmon conservation tool.
I used to do a bit of sight fishing for back end grilse on the upper Lune and for a while made a habit of returning to the river in November to look through and see how stocks of pairing up fish were looking. On more than one occasion, a fish I had caught off a certain lie a few weeks before was still in residence in exactly the same spot - despite there having been adequate running water in the interim period. I began to wonder if the energy the fish expended in the fight (which of course cannot be recovered by a fish which takes on no nutrition in fresh water), had contributed to its reluctance - inability? - to move up into the spawning beds....especially considering the river thereabouts is punctuated by chutes of white water and stepped cascades.

Now I read of one angler's account of catching 23 fish in one day on the Tweed - the majority from one repeatedy fished pool. All returned to 'contribute to the procreation of the species'.
Then I read of a huge fish found dead on the Kirkaig - estimated 40lb+ - which was lost by an angler after a 40 minute battle the day previous. An otter is feasting on its milt sacs, approx 1 mile downstream of the place it was hooked on this fierce, white water river.

I find it hard to square this. I gave up salmon fishing long ago, but as a practitioner of catch and release when trout fishing, I have to concede that it is this aspect - so clothed in virtue as it is - which I think undermines the ethics of our sport most damagingly.


What do you lot think? Give me some counter arguments I can use if I ever get accosted by a bearded Liberal apologist.

ATB,
M

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The sun pushed dark spokes of melt and sparkle
Across the fields of hoar. And the river steamed -
Flint-olive.


http://northcountryangler.blogspot.com

Crumbs. That's really worrying. Should we just leave the poor buggers alone then?
It does seem to me that this is yet another reason to make this government crack down more on what happens out at see and in estuaries and in rivers which is the cause of the decline in the first place. In the meantime, heaven knows..

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The usual chestnut is "dead fish don't spawn" Matt. Though it is painting the picture with a particularly broad brush I'm afraid it's just a case of the lesser of two evils. Chapped fish will not spawn, returned fish 'may' spawn, the only other option is to not fish for them at all, how unpalatable would that be to a devoted salmon angler.

There are always going to be some casualties in C&R for salmon.but I'm convinced that It works perfectly well In most instances.
My coinscence is clear on this matter.
If you use the Priest,then there is no chance of it spawning.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

This is an interedting thread which will raise a few eyebrows.
I personaly find it interesting,amazing and fascinating at the catch report for last seasons salmon returns for the Tweed.
I find it amazing that so many fish are being cought from one river,april alone saw 276 salmon.may saw 78 for the first week.

imho we need to look at what the tweed river management and surrounding environment are offering for such a large no of fish to be cought when were told that they're on the decline,there must be something else going on and the bigger picture needs to be looked at.

nca makes a fair point,catching a fish expelling its energy reserves which it needs to spawn,returning it for the greater good only to find out coincidentally the stored energy used to fight the angler is used to keep it alive and it cant make the travel.

FishPal - Scotland - Tweed - Reports

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All my life I've had one dream, to achieve my many goals

The counter argument is that many beats are under pressure to reduce prices as so many of the salmon are repeatedly caught artificially inflating the beats catch statistics as salmon anglers re returning the fish, then being penalised for doing so with higher rents.

Can't be both, and as the tagged fish are being caught repeatedly, the evidence is plainly there, I'd conlcude that most salmon are released OK.

That said my mate caught a salmon and released it after a heroic fight, spent ages nursing it, and I found it dead downstream shortly afterwards. I kicked it back downstream to avoid upsetting him as he would have been devestated, he went to great lengths to do everything right, always does.

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I think it's beyond argument that there are some seriously dodgy practices going on re inflation of catch stats - a sad reflection on the market?

I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts on this thread. It's not a new debate, far from it. And there certainly isn't a satisfactory answer. I'm not generally an angler bothered by conscience (anyone who is should consult Catlow's fine book 'Confessions of a shooting fishing man'), but the nearest I ever came was when I walked away from salmon fishing after watching those fish on the Lune.

__________________
The sun pushed dark spokes of melt and sparkle
Across the fields of hoar. And the river steamed -
Flint-olive.


http://northcountryangler.blogspot.com

Hi All,
Interesting indeed .....
Salmon feed during their migration,right up until they reach the estuarine waters of their birth river.
Sustenance from there in is drawn from energy reserves stored within the fish's body..ie:natural body oils stored in the tissue and calcium absorbed from the scale layer.

Obviously the trials and tribulations of running a river heavy with falls and white water can only rapidly deplete energy levels !
When you consider the forces of nature that are against a salmon's advancement upstream the distances travelled and the sheer effort and determination required to conquer these natural obstacles...
Does playing a fish on rod and line endanger their energy levels to the point of endangering life itself ?
Exhaustion can be a killer and all fish stress out remarkably quickly this too can kill.
Playing a fish 'by the book' until it rolls onto it's side exhausted prior to being drawn over the net is acceptable.
Aiding the fish in it's release by holding it's head into the current to allow it to 'get it's breath back' is acceptable.
We have all felt that Strong Kick as the fish shoots from our hands disappearing into the depths.

I firmly believe that a well played salmon returned with care in the prescribed manner will survive and go forth to procreate.

It is not uncommon for salmon to rest up in an individual pool for days lf not weeks on end..Undoubtedly a prime reason for this behaviour is to re-cooperate and sustain as much energy as possible...These resident stale fish are often found mid stream occupying the best lyes and in well oxygenated water with adequate cover.
{read more about holding/resting pools at....OF HILL AND LOCH
Irrelevant of whether or not they have been caught and released.

As responsible anglers returning fish must be beneficial to the species in general..Most will survive the fight on rod and line-a few will perish through the consequences of such action.
At the end of the day Nature's way can only be summed by that old cliche

''Survival Of The Fittest''

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Sorry,but as far as the Anglers are concerned,there is no chance of Anglers inflating their catch returns in Scotland .we have to pay a levy per fish caught
Whether killed or C&R(how's that for an own goal )
And were not talking about 10p a fish.(I wish)So it is not in out interest to inflate numbers (far from it)So your premise is a no go.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

I wasn't referring to Scotland Jim

__________________
The sun pushed dark spokes of melt and sparkle
Across the fields of hoar. And the river steamed -
Flint-olive.


http://northcountryangler.blogspot.com