A New Year's resolution to do some wild fishing, having had a few months "Stockie Bashing", and with our local still water being iced up, Noeyedeer managed to convince me to get the waders on and try for Grayling on the Hodder near Slaidburn. With my new 5wt set-up and my best approximation of a Czech nymphing rig I set about discovering the meaning of 'sacrificial', steadily working my way through my very small selection of weighted Grayling bugs. the water was low, and every pool contained a dead or dying Salmon (plus the odd lively one). I found a deep hole under some tree roots and thought it worth further investigation. After a few attempts my indicator bobbed down in a part of the run I knew to be deeper than my point fly so I lifted into what I thought must be a specimen Grayling as my rod arched dramatically. I saw a flash of Silver in the tea coloured water and realised it was well over a foot long. It was virtually under my rod tip so in no time I got a better look at it, how well I recognised that magenta stripe along the flank, a two pound Rainbow , no doubt an escapee from Stocks a mile upstream. I had no net with me so we parted company before I could get a hand on her.

A few minutes later Noeyedeer appeared grinning from ear to ear. I thought he'd come to hear about my 'wild stockie' but he'd been 100 yards upstream having a one-sided tussle with a spent Salmon. It was still far too powerful for his 4wt rod.

At one stage I was bugging a shallow run with a sick Salmon less than a rod length upstream, in about a foot of water. It was mottled like a Koi carp and I got the impression of an aquatic labrador sitting at my feet.

After lunch we took a tip from some more experienced hands and tried dries. Noeyedeer had a couple of small Grayling at last. I blanked, perhaps for want of a Klinkhammer, I'd left mine at home in another fly box so I could carry everything in my vest. My size 20 F-Fly didn't tempt them.

I learned a lot in six hours on the water. I'll go again, better equipped, when there's more water running.

SharkeyP

I have to ask the question, if the pools are littered with dead and dying salmon what the hell are you doing wading? those fish have returned to the pools to spawn, then you come marching through in your size 12's and disturb the redds any river that contains spawning salmon shouldnt be waded in..

__________________

Ouch! I never realised. I'd have stopped in an instant had I known. My first time wading in a river and I literally put my foot in it. Humble apologies for my lack of river craft. I will NEVER do it again. There was no advice from the lady who sold us the day ticket, and none of the anglers I saw expressed any disapproval of what i was doing. Had I managed to catch and kill the Rainbow I would at least removed one alien predator from the equation.
In my defence very little of what I stepped on could be described as gravel, most of it was cobblestone sized so hopefully I didn't do too much damage. I presumed the fish had retreated downstream from their spawning beds, and become stranded as the riffles became too shallow between the pools.

Never again, I promise.

SharkeyP

sounds like you had some fun!!!
must be strange seeing a salmon at your feet!!!

A bit harsh Ickypimp? Sounds like these on the whole were spent fish on their way out, rather than spawning fish. Sharkey will be more careful wading and give them a bit of space next time.

Salmon spawn in fairly large gravel that's up to fist sized at least. If you're wading through the shallow aerated water and see any disturbed rocks that may well be a redd.

To be honest it sounds like the fishery management should have given advice or guidance here.

It's always sad to see those fungus infested Salmon - strange how rapidly they get that white fungus growth.

One from the Dyfi in West Wales.
Anyone know what that fungus is?

It's always sad to see those fungus infested Salmon - strange how rapidly they get that white fungus growth.

One from the Dyfi in West Wales.
Anyone know what that fungus is?[/QUOTE]

.
.........................................................................................


Salmon, both in the wild state and in fish farms, are vulnerable to bacterial and viral diseases, and also to infestation by parasites, particularly sea lice.

A common bacterial disease is Furunculosis. The furuncles or boils, which are usually fatal, are most likely to appear in wild fish in warmer months when river levels are low and fish collect in pools while waiting for more water to allow their upstream journey to continue. It has been controlled in salmon farms by vaccination.

Ulcerative Dermal Necrosis (UDN) was rife among wild fish in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although the causative organism has never been identified, it was almost certainly a virus. It showed itself first in the appearance of small bleached areas on the head, back and tail, which were then covered in a slimy bluish-grey growth. The affected areas were vulnerable to ulceration and infection by fungus.

Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) is another viral disease to which wild fish are vulnerable; it has been endemic for some years in salmon farms in Norway, and was first detected in a number of Scottish farm sites in 1998.

Sea Lice, which can only survive in salt water, are naturally occurring parasites whose presence in small numbers indicates that a salmon in the river is fresh from sea. However, they multiply exceedingly when large numbers of farmed salmon are concentrated in sea cages, and can infest wild salmon smolts encountering them in inshore waters during their seaward migration, with highly damaging results. Sea trout smolts and adults are even more seriously affected because, unlike salmon, they spend much of their life at sea close inshore.

Gyrodactylus salaris is a skin parasite on parr. Endemic in the Baltic, where native salmon stocks are immune, it reached Norwegian rivers via local hatcheries which had received Swedish fingerlings, with devastating results, and has since been detected throughout much of continental Europe. The parasite can live for some time in damp conditions, and stringent cleaning and disinfection of fishing tackle and clothing used abroad are necessary to prevent its ingress into the United Kingdom.





the top one in red is probably the cause in the pic,the bottom one in blue is the one we all hope we can keep out of here or at least try and contain it ,if not it will have devastating effects !!!!!

__________________
WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

I fully understand the need to protect the salmon reeds from wading.
My question is when is it safe to do so?
Is it once the eggs have hatched and the fry are free swimming?
When exactly is this?
I believe that the salmons eggs take 90 "degree" days to hatch.
Water 2 degrees, 45 days etc etc.
Now some of our salmon river re-open for business mid jan.
If the salmon are spawning after the first of Dec, at 2 degrees, nobody should be wading.
The salmon boys will be tit deep on the Tay opening day

What are your thoughts,
Cheers, Graham

__________________
It is in truth not glory,nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting,but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life.(Declaration of Arbroath, 1320)

All of our 'wild' Pacific Salmon (and Steelhead) "free spawn" in river/creeks. You get used to the idea of looking for a 'circle/oval' of clean rocks on the bottom of the river. Odds on ... it's a Redd. Bigger the clean patch, probably the bigger the initial fish, or number who've used the area.

Polaroid sun or 'shooting lens (yellow or bronze) for over-cast days are a must!

fae

Thanks for the info on the fungus. Expanded my knowledge no end! I've seen the same white fungus on rainbow trout in stocked ponds - nasty looking. That's the sort of thing that really puts me off stocked fish.

dunk,

your welcome mate !!!

__________________
WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!