Dalbeattie AA

Fishery conditions.

Dalbeattie Angling Association extends a warm welcome to all its visiting anglers, and encourages visitors to ask Members for advice and guidance if required. There are a number of Rules and Guidelines, designed to promote safe and sensible angling, and we would respectfully ask visitors to abide by these.

1. Your Permit is not transferable, and must be carried at all times - on demand it must be produced for inspection by the Water Bailiff or any Member of Dalbeattie AA.

2. The Water Bailiff or any Member of Dalbeattie AA has the right to inspect your bag or fishing tackle whilst you are visiting Dalbeattie AA waters

3. Spinning is only allowed if the Spinning Marks are covered - the location of the Spinning Marks is clearly shown on the Map

4. Worm Fishing is permitted on the Craignair Beat, between 1st April and 30th September, but not in Raikes Pool, Stone Pool, or between these pools, unless the spinning marks are covered.

5. Worm Fishing is permitted on Firthhead/East Logan beats, between 1st June and 30th September

6. Worm Fishing on all beats only by using Circle Hooks, maximum size no. 4"

7. No Prawn or Shrimp Fishing at any time

8. No Float fishing at any time.

9. All Parr, Smolts, Kelts, Gravid (coloured) fish and any fish under 8 inches in length must be returned to the water immediately and All Salmon/Grilse caught before 1st June must be returned unharmed.

10 . All Salmon/Grilse over 27" or 67cm in length must be returned unharmed and a maximum of two Salmon/grilse may be kept per rod per season.

11. All Seatrout over 20" or 51cm in length must be returned unharmed and a maximum of 3 Seatrout may be kept per rod per season.

12. No Rod Rest or any form of Set Line fishing is permitted. Bait fishers must give way to fly fishers

13. Any angler seen attempting to take fish by means of Rake, Drag Hook, Snatching, Stripping or otherwise Poaching will have his/her Permit withdrawn and will face prosecution. Any fish inadvertently foul-hooked must be returned to the river

14. No angler may carry or use a Gaff

15. Dogs are not allowed on the riverbank, under any circumstances.

16. No fires may be set in the vicinity of the river

17. All anglers, when fishing, must keep on the move and must not monopolise a pool or position therein if other anglers are following.

18. Anglers must take their turn when fishing any pool on the river, and must not start fishing a pool immediately downstream from any other angler.

Transgression of Rules may lead to suspension of your Permit! ANGLERS FISH AT THEIR OWN RISK, and are advised to provide their own Buoyancy Aid, eye protection, hat and wading staff when fishing the river. Anglers should remember that the river is tidal below Craignair Bridge, and familiarise themselves with the times of High Tide.

Catch Returns must specify details of all fish, pool location, weight, and whether returned or retained. (We require this in order to comply with Fisheries legislation).

GYRODACTYLUS SALARIS Gyrodactylus salaris (GS) is the single greatest threat to wild salmon in the UK's rivers and lochs, including the River Urr. GS is a parasitic freshwater fluke originally confined to rivers in parts of Russia, Norway and Sweden, where salmon evolved a degree of resistance to it. However, GS gradually has spread to other rivers in Norway, also to Denmark, Germany, France, Spain and Portugal where native salmon have no resistance, resulting in mass mortality of juvenile fish - if left untreated, this will result in total 'wipe-out"of an infected rivers salmon population within 5 years. The only "approved' treatment is to poison infected rivers to remove all fish hosts, thereafter erecting barriers to stop any salmon entering the river to spawn and generating more hosts. Even this radical treatment cannot guarantee against reinfection, and would render the infected river obsolete as a fishing resource for an absolute minimum of 10 years, more probably 15-20 years. The most likely cause of GS arriving in the UK is via imported live fish, for instance Rainbow Trout and Carp, but since GS can survive for 5 to 7 days in damp conditions (eg. angling clothing, waders, wet reels, lines or landing nets), it is vitally important that anglers take precautions to prevent accidental introduction. If you have fished in a location outwith the Urr catchment within 7 days prior to fishing the River or Buittle Reservoir, then potentially you could be carrying the GS parasite and be capable of introducing it into our waters!! (GS introduced into the Reservoir will reach the river within a few weeks, via the outlet stream!) Currently the UK is entirely GS--ree, but if it did enter the UK it is calculated that it would spread throughout the whole country within 3-5 years. The economic and ecological consequences of GS entering the country would be catastrophic. Please do your part to prevent GS from decimating the UK's and the Urr's wild salmon by taking appropriate measures, as detailed below - wherever possible, BEFORE FISHING Note: This is a "rolling" requirement, i.e. if you fish the River Urr (Dalbeattie) or Buittle Reservoir regularly during the season, you are requested to consider whether you need to DISINFECT before each visit; (the most effective "remedy' is simply to get into the habit of routinely taking anti-GS measures, as detailed overleaf, after each and every occasion when you may have been in an "at-risk' situation).

DISINFECT BEFORE YOU FISH The most effective practical disinfection measures are as follows:

• 1. Drying equipment / clothing at 20C or more for at least 2 days
• 2. Heating equipment / clothing at 60C or more for at least 1 hour
• 3. Deep freezing equipment / clothing for at least 1 day
• 4. Immersing equipment / clothing in a Saline Solution (minimum 3% Sodium Chloride or equivalent) for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Note: This is a "rolling" requirement, i.e. if you fish the River Urr (Dalbeattie) or Buittle Reservoir regularly during the season, you are requested to consider whether you need to DISINFECT before each visit.