Fishery
1. Fishing Seasons
Salmon – February 1st to October 15th.
See rules 2, 3 and 4 for full guidance on 2018 regulations for salmon angling on the River Ness.
Sea Trout – March 1st to October 15th. Brown Trout – March 15th to October 6th.
All sea trout and brown trout under 10 inches must be returned unharmed to the water.
2. Catches
For season 2018 the Scottish Government has introduced legislation which, for conservation purposes, makes it illegal for anglers to kill any salmon & grilse anywhere on the Ness System between 15th January and 30th June. During this (Category 3) period an angler caught in possession of a dead salmon or grilse faces prosecution which may result in a criminal conviction.
From 1st July to 15th October only one cock fish weighing 8 pounds/69cm/27 inches or less may be retained per angler per week with a maximum of two being retained per per angler per season.
All hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 8 pounds/69cm/27 inches must be released. All coloured and unseasonable fish must also be released.
This new law does not apply when you catch trout or sea trout.
3. Returns
Every angler who catches a salmon or grilse must register their catch within 24 hours by sending a text to 07831745394 or by sending an email through the Club web page to:
http://www.invernessanglingclub.co.uk/report-catch with the following message – 001,1,12 where 001 is the anglers permit number, 1 is the number of fish caught and 12 is the weight of the fish to the nearest pound. Where more than one fish is caught the text would show 001,3,9,11,13 where 001 is the anglers permit number, 3 is number of fish caught and 9,11,13 are the weights of the fish in pounds.
4. Fishing Methods
Fly and spinning are allowed throughout the season.
As part of the Ness Conservation Policy, as agreed with the Scottish Government, worm fishing is only permitted between 1st July and 31st August.
Fishing from bridges, abutments or boats, and bait fishing with natural shrimp or prawn (and the possession, on the river bank, of these baits and associated tackle), are strictly prohibited.
The use of gaffs, tailers and knotted mesh landing nets is prohibited under Scottish law.
5. Order of Fishing
Anglers arriving at either side of a beat will begin fishing in order of arrival at a beat post and move down two yards at every cast until either terminating fishing or reaching the next beat post. When an angler has moved down 30 yards, the next angler will follow. On reaching the next beat post, an angler must cease fishing if other anglers are waiting to fish but may continue fishing if no one is waiting.
An angler at a beat post who is not ready to fish will lose his/her turn and take the next place.
A waiting angler will not commence fishing if an upstream angler is within 30 yards of the beat post but must wait until the other angler reaches the post and leaves the water.
After landing and releasing a salmon or grilse an angler must leave the water and take his/her place behind those waiting at a beat post. An angler who loses a fish may continue fishing.
5 Note for Visiting Anglers.
All visiting anglers must submit a return of their catches showing the number and weight of fish caught and released and caught and kept and whether they were salmon or sea trout. All returns should be made following the instructions shown in 3. returns above or by posting to Graham MacKenzie,President, Inverness Angling Club, 53 Ardness Place, Inverness. IV2 4QJ.
Inverness Angling Club welcomes visiting anglers to the Ness and wish to see them return. Although it is not a particularly difficult river to wade it is recommended that anglers always consider their own and other's safety by wearing a life preserver when fishing.
River/Area
Given an overall trend for decreasing catches in the Ness district, it is essential that the exploitation of salmon is limited to protect the long-term future of the fishery. Consequently, the Ness District Salmon Fishery Board's Salmon Conservation Policy for the 2019 season will contain the following key elements:
Catch and release of all salmon caught before the 1st July as a ‘spring' conservation measure;
From 1st July to the end of the season, all hen fish of any size and all cock fish over 8 pounds (69cm/27 inches) must be released to protect summer and autumn multi-sea-winter salmon;
Only one cock fish weighing 8 pounds (69cm/27 inches) or less may be retained per angler per week (even if fishing multiple beats), with a maximum of two per season;
All coloured and unseasonal fish must be released, providing protection for ‘spring' salmon throughout the season; and
Anglers should not fish with worm anywhere in the district before the 1st of July or after the 31st August as fish captured using this method are more likely to be deeply hooked (reducing their chances of survival on release).
It is hoped that these measures will allow us to protect and enhance the diversity of salmon populations in the Ness district, whilst permitting the sustainable exploitation of a limited number of fish and maximising the economic benefits of the fishery. The full ‘2019 Salmon Conservation Policy' can be found on the boards website, this page
FishPal
1. Once you have booked you cannot change your dates or number of rods (the only exception is when you book through the help desk, have notified us of any mistakes within 7 days of the date of making the booking, and provided proper evidence that the mistake is the help desk's and not your own).
2. If you need to change your rod or days, they can be booked separately if you need extra ones and they are available. If you need less rods or days, or decide not to come after all, then we can try to relet them for you, but cannot guarantee to do so. There is a £10 + VAT charge for trying and if successful a further 10% letting fee + VAT.
3. You cannot sublet the fishings you book without our permission and then only by private arrangement and at the same prices and conditions as for this booking. No agent other than ourselves or the fishery manager may be used to help obtain a sublet.
4. Rods may not be shared on any one day without prior permission of the ghillie or fishery manager, which is often refused and should never be relied upon.
5. In Scotland it is illegal to fish without written permission, so you must bring this confirmation, or a copy of it, with you when you fish.
6. Charges: All bookings are subject to a booking charge which will vary according to the amount being booked. The exact charge will be clearly displayed on the very first booking page once you have set what you are wishing to book. There are no charges for processing debit cards. Credit cards can not be used unless you confirm that you are a non EU angler and will be surcharged by 2.5%.
7. Please note that in line with general practice, we cannot give refunds for fishing spoilt by inclement weather or poor water conditions.
8. You must ring the ghillie, or other contact set by the fishery, at least two days before you come, so he knows that you are coming and that you know where and when to meet him.
9. You must report full details of any fish caught to the ghillie or other contact provided by the fishery promptly.
10. We have asked fisheries to provide lifejackets or buoyancy aids of a design that will not impair your ability to fish in comfort. We strongly advise you to wear one when using a boat or when wading in strong or deep water. If you don't, you are doing so at your own risk. If you are not happy with the equipment provided, or any other safety issue, please ring us immediately, so that we can arrange for the situation to be rectified. A general guide to safety can be seen by going to this page
11. If you have any problems with the standard of service provided on the fishery, please tell the ghillie or fishery manager straightaway and if you don't get a satisfactory response, please contact the office immediately, so we have time to act before you leave. Failure to do so will severely hamper any chances of us obtaining fair redress for you.
12. To help prevent an outbreak of Gyrodactylus Salaris which has had catastrophic effects on some foreign rivers, all rods fishing must complete a Gyrodactylus declaration on arrival at the fishery. This states that either you have not used your fishing tackle abroad in the last three months, or you have done so and had it properly sterilised, or you have done so and NOT had it sterilised. In the latter case, you must agree to sterilisation taking place before you start fishing, and accept that there may be some delay in getting this organised. A copy of the declaration form can be seen by going to this page and more information on Gyrodactylus by going to this page
13. All bookings are also subject to the conditions set by the relevant fishery.
14. The booking system and its management are at all times acting only as an agent for the fishery. All letting contracts are therefore between the fishery and the person taking the fishing.
15. The system management and/or the fisheries reserve the right to immediately withdraw fishing without compensation from anyone who breaks these or associated conditions, or flouts normal standards of behaviour or fishing etiquette.
16. You need to bring your own fishing equipment (rods, reels, lines, flies etc) unless you have specifically agreed with the fishery well in advance that they supply this for you.
17. You need to be reasonably healthy and mobile to access most fishings. If you are not, you must notify the fishery or ourselves before you book, to ensure that you can be looked after safely and properly.
18. Anglers are reminded that parking of cars should be in designated parking areas and is always at the anglers own risk.
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