Below is a blog I wrote in 2013 but I found interesting given the initial findings of the Missing Salmon Project. Why can I not find salmon fishing on the River Spey? An interesting question and using the River Dee as an analogy, one that’s fairly easy to answer! Prior to the “perceived” collapse of rivers run the 1990s, irrespective of social background, or anything else for that matter, the chances of fishing those classic beats of the River Dee during prime time, at best,

After years of trying to tell those running our rivers what going wrong, finally, they're beginning to listen to the people who know. Th

The end, or a new beginning for the “Business” of salmon fishing in Scotland!? Back in the 1990s, I began to see the decline in salmon numbers having an impact on the people who fished for them here in Scotland. Factors such as the growth of Salmon fishing in unspoiled places like Russia, greater disposable income, less holiday time, and cheaper travel began to have an impact, so gradually, potential income began haemorrhaging from the economy of Scotland. Turn the clock forw

Kyle Young – Stocking works, but is detrimental. The green numbers relate to the time frame on the you tube clip where Kyle refers to the particular point. No doubt that, if carried out in the right way, stocking works! 10.45 No doubt that if carried out in the wrong way, it doesn’t work! 15.59, 16.40 Both in the wild and in hatchery - 10% of spawners = 90% of the adults. Just as 10% of the anglers catch 90% of the fish! Suggesting only one in every ten wild fish picks the co

How Tackle and fewer Salmon has changed fishing.

A recent comment left on one of my film clips on You Tube interested me greatly as to what exactly it is people are looking for when visiting the Spey and other Salmon Rivers. In relation to the River Spey they wrote - "Overpriced and over-rated river like the Tweed, that sucks your money dry"! I found myself thinking, Is the Spey over-priced and over-rated? Well, I'd say that it really depends on your own personal expectations. Personally speaking, some of the best days fish

The correlation between weather and food in the ocean and the effect on Atlantic Salmon.

The good old days “I remember when we used to caught 20 before lunch”, “aye and 15 of them were over 20lbs”. All my fishing life I have heard stories like these and thought, the fishing must have been fantastic at that time, I was born 50 years too late! The period they were talking about was the 1950s, 60s and, to a certain extent early 70s. This really was the heyday of Salmon fishing on the River Spey, and indeed most other Scottish Rivers. There were more fish spawning

Pink Salmon – Much discussion has taken place over the past few months regarding the appearance of a certain strain of Pacific Salmon which, due to a number of factors, have turned up throughout the North Atlantic in what would seem, bigger numbers than before?. So why? What is the catalyst for this invasion? Invasion! Just think of the word and think of every invasion you have heard, or read about? Remember too, although much higher up the food chain, we are animals with