Spey - River management

River Management

The Spey Fishery Board

The Spey Fishery Board was established under the 1862 and 1868 Salmon Fisheries legislation. This was subsequently amended and presently stated in the Salmon Act 1986 and the Salmon Conservation (Scotland) Act 2001. This legislation has more recently been amalgamated under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003. There are 42 District Salmon Fishery Boards around Scotland, of which the Spey Fishery Board is considered to be one of the “Big Four”, alongside the Tweed Commission and the Dee and Tay District Salmon Fishery Boards. The Board is empowered under the legislation to take such acts as it considers expedient for the protection, enhancement and conservation of Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout stocks and their fisheries.

The Spey Foundation

The Spey Foundation is the research branch of the board, its main remit being to provide the Board with scientific evidence to assist with their management decisions.

The Spey Foundation, like its predecessor the Spey Research Trust, is administered by a Research Committee which was set up under a Deed of Trust in June 1982, and is a charitable organisation.

The Foundation’s main role is to undertake research in a range of topics and provide scientific evidence to the Board which they can use to base management decisions on. The Foundation staff carry out surveys and projects which are aimed at producing results and evidence for what the river needs to be a healthy and supportive environment for the many species that live in and around it. Regular monitoring work includes the annual electrofishing surveys, which we use as a way to check the population of juvenile salmon and trout in the river. During the spring we run smolt traps on tributaries to assess the number of juvenile salmon and trout migrating to sea. Although the marine phase of salmon and sea trout is largely out with our control, our aim is to ensure we are fully aware of the threats and what can be done to mitigate them, as well as ensuring the river is producing the maximum number of smolts possible, and thus contributing to the returning adult stock. Education is a further important part of our remit, covering a wide range of subjects which work with the Curriculum for Excellence in schools, and give pupils the chance to learn new and exciting information relevant to their local community.

 

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Collectively, the Spey Foundation is, or has been involved in a wide range of activities:

• Electro-Fishing Surveys & Monitoring
• Scale Reading & Data Collation
• Fish Counter operation – acoustic counter on mainstem at Delfur and a vaki counter on the Dullan; adult traps on River Fiddich and mainstem at Spey dam
• Catch Data Analysis
• Smolt Trap Operation
• Habitat Management
• Education – “Salmon in the Classroom” and general presentations on aquatic wildlife
• Thermal Discharge Monitoring for Distillers
• Water Sampling/Monitoring for Wind Farm developments
• Preparation and Implementation of Fishery Management Plans, including for Wind Farm Developments
• Collation and Preparation of samples for the FASMOP Genetic Analysis project
• Bio-security Planning for Invasive Non-Native Species
• Co-ordinator for the Scottish Mink Initiative in the Spey catchment, aiming to eradicate the non-native species American mink

Do support this local Foundation by making a donation to the Trust when you book through www.fishspey.co.uk

Fishing regulations

Scottish legislation requires that all salmon caught before the 1st April must be released. In order to protect the integrity of the Spey stock and to maximise their spawning potenial, the Spey Fishery Board’s policy is that all fish caught up to and including the 31st May should be released alive. From the 1st June the policy set out below will apply.

The Board considers the Conservation of Fish entering the river before the end of May to be of the utmost importance.

The Board urges all anglers to release these fish if at all possible. Most of the larger fish arrive in the river in the early months and these are the fish which have the potential to make the most significant contribution to successful spawning and are likely to be the fish which spawn in the upper reaches of the catchment. The Board will continue to monitor the success of the Conservation Policy and further consideration may be given to a recommendation for total Catch & Release in these months in the absence of signs of further restraint.

 

SALMON

• Each angler must return the 1st, 3rd, 5th etc... male fish caught
• All hen salmon and hen grilse must be released
• Throughout the season all stale or unseasonable fish must be released e.g. gravid, kelts.
• Escaped farmed salmon must be retained.

Spey Fishery Board Sea Trout Conservation Policy

• Finnock: Release all fish of 16 oz. / 35 cm / 14” or less
• Sea Trout: Release all fish of 3 lb. / 50 cm / 20” or more
• Bag Limit: 1 Sea Trout of takeable size per calendar day. Anglers are also encouraged to release their first fish and take the second of takeable size.

Unseasonable Fish: 

• Release all unseasonable fish.
• Release all stale or coloured fish
• Release all unseasonable fish (smolts, kelts, over-wintered finnock)

 

Biosecurity

This is a parasite which infects the skin, gills and fins of salmon, trout and some other types of fish in fresh water. It is less than half a millimetre in size, so small that it is barely visible to the naked eye. Despite this, it can cause serious damage in some strains of Atlantic salmon.

Why should I worry?

The effects of the disease are so serious that salmon stocks have now been lost completely from many Norwegian rivers, with the particular races of salmon in the affected rivers being lost forever. Gyrodactylus salaris does not occur in UK rivers but experiments carried out in Norway have shown that our salmon, like those of Norway, are killed by the parasite. It is therefore essential that the parasite is not introduced into UK waters.

Can it be eradicated?

To eliminate Gyrodactylus salaris from affected rivers, all types of fish capable of harbouring the parasite must be removed, so restoration of salmon stocks in affected Norwegian rivers has involved poisoning whole catchments. Such remedial work is destructive, difficult, very expensive and likely to take many years. It may also not be successful.

Where does it come from?

Gyrodactylus salaris occurs naturally in the Baltic rivers of Finland and Russia (possibly also eastern Sweden). The native fish of these rivers, including Baltic salmon, are tolerant of the parasite and normally the infection causes them no harm. However, Atlantic salmon in areas where the parasite does not naturally occur have little or no tolerance of it. Some years ago, Gyrodactylus salaris was accidentally transferred for the first time to some rivers of the west coast of Sweden, to Norway and more recently to some rivers in northern Finland and northern Russia.

Is it a notifiable disease?

Gyrodactylus salaris is a listed notifiable disease and legislation is in place to prevent the transfer of live salmon and trout (the main hosts for the parasite) to British waters. This has now been supplemented by EU legislation that recognises the special status of the UK as being proven free of the parasite.

 

What can I do?

This parasite is very hardy and may be inadvertently introduced by fishermen. It is capable of surviving for several days in damp conditions such as plastic bags, wet angling equipment (e.g. bags, waders, landing nets, lines) and the wet surface of dead fish (e.g. bait fish). The parasite can also survive on other fish species including the eel.

Care needs to be taken at all times to ensure that movement of these other species takes place strictly in accordance with statutory fish health requirements. As the parasite has a direct life cycle and reproduces very rapidly, it is possible that even a single specimen imported by accident to a previously unaffected river would be capable of starting an epidemic in a very short time.

Prior to arrival in the UK, anglers travelling from areas which are not designated as free of Gyrodactylus salaris, and in particular from those areas known to be infected, such as Scandinavia, should take the following precautions to ensure that their equipment is not contaminated.

All fishing equipment should be thoroughly cleaned and then treated to kill any parasites by either:

• Drying at a minimum temperature of 20°C for at least two days, or
• Heating for at least one hour at a temperature above 60°C, or
• Deep freezing for at least one day, or
• Immersion in a solution suitable for killing Gyrodactylus salaris for a minimum of ten minutes. Chemical solutions which have been used successfully include Virkon* (1%), Wescodyne* (1%), sodium chloride (3%), sodium hydroxide (0.2%).

* these chemicals are available from agricultural chemical suppliers. The use of trade names is for illustrative purposes only and does not signify endorsement of any particular product. REMEMBER IT ONLY TAKES ONE INFECTED FISH TO START AN EPIDEMIC

Catch and release

This is where a fish is caught but returned to the water to help preserve fish stocks. Many rivers make this mandatory at particular times of year so you should check the situation when booking.

This page is to give advice on best practice to increase the chances of the fish surviving

Playing the fish

If you are 'playing' a salmon you can significantly help its chances of survival by applying the information below. It is worth bearing in mind that less than 7% of smolts return as spawning adults, therefore, it is vitally important that the angler who is planning to return his catch is able to tackle this with success and confidence.

Ensure your rod is strong enough to subdue a fish quickly 1 minute per pound weight is a reasonable suggestion for time for landing a fish. To avoid exhausting the fish it is prudent to use 15-20lb leader material where possible. Salmon are not renowned for being cautious about leader visibility. When playing the fish it is the anglers aim to move the salmon out of the fast current into quieter water and have the angler positioned slightly below the fish.

By being below the fish you are able to ensure the salmon is battling the current as well as the anglers tackle whereas if the angler is upstream of the fish the angler is fighting the current and the fish. The fight time is therefore lengthened, perhaps un-necessarily. Make sure you pick a safe place to bring the fish to land. Once the fish is subdued bring it quickly to the bank for hand or net capture.

Landing the fish

Research has shown that exposing a salmon to air for even a short period, for example to take a photograph, can significantly reduce its chances of survival. Keep the salmon in the water at all times. Do not at any time lift a salmon up by the tail as this can damage the tendons in the tail of the fish. Later in the season as the salmon nears spawning time, lifting a salmon by the tail can cause the egg sacs in females and milt sacs in males to rupture into the body cavity which can kill the fish in extreme cases thereafter. At all times support its belly whilst handling the fish in the water.

Use a large Gye-type landing net with knotless mesh which reduces damage to the fish's scales. It is wise to avoid beaching the fish as this again can remove protective mucous and scales from the fish which can lead to fungal infection. The salmon that is being returned cannot be gaffed or tailed by mechanical tailer, as both implements cause considerable damage to the fish and were used historically when fish were being killed by the angler, in the days before the catch and release initiatives, that are currently in place through out many river systems in the UK.

Always handle the salmon with wet hands, or put on soft cotton gloves which need to be wet, when removing the hook from the fish's mouth or body if accidentally foul hooked. This prevents removing the fishes mucous which is the fish's first line of defence against disease and parasites.

It is very important that the fish is kept in the water after being captured and the fish should be supported from beneath, with the hook gently removed either by hand or by means of long-nosed forceps or hook releasing tool. If a hook is deeply embedded and cannot be removed, the leader should be cut close to the hook, as fish released with the hook attached will generally survive, and try not to squeeze the fish too hard, and never hold it by the gills at all times.

Reviving and releasing the fish

After removing the hook, or cutting the leader and leaving the hook or fly in the fish, then we should ensure that the salmon will be supported in the water, facing into the current to allow oxygen uptake by the fish's gills, and given sufficient time to the fish for it to recover. Hold the fish gently until it is capable of swimming away strongly, you will know it is time when you feel it starting to pulse and kick softly. If you release the fish and it turns 'belly up' then quickly capture the fish and support it again for a while facing into the current to allow more oxygen to be absorbed. When the fish is being fought there is lactic acid produced in the muscle tissue which creates oxygen debt and the muscles cannot function adequately Indefinitely.

Avoid weighing the fish if at all possible and if you have to then weigh the net with the fish enclosed in it, a Maclean net is suitable for this. A tape measure or a marked off wading stick can also be used to take the approximate length while keeping the fish in the water.

Alternatively, to accurately measure a big fish capture, an angler can run a length of monofilament or fluorocarbon from a spool, measuring from the fork of the tail to the nose of the fish and tie a knot. Continue to run the mono round the girth of the fish and tie another knot. By cutting the mono just above the second knot the angler has a length that he/she can measure against a tape measure later. Ally Gowans has a calculator for predicting the size of fish which is available on the internet here.

I am sure anglers will find this advice most helpful. Perhaps one day beats may supply this information to visiting anglers on small laminated leaflets with beat conditions. Survival rate is greater at water temperatures below 20°C so be aware of the necessity to quickly subdue and return the fish during the summer months.

Survival chances of released salmon

There has been research carried out by a number of fishery trusts that has shown that the survival rate of salmon caught and released may be close to 100% when we apply the above guidelines and practice.

Spawning success and viability of eggs may be unaffected in salmon caught and released in late autumn using the above guidelines, and they can recover within twenty four to forty eight hours of being captured and are able to spawn successfully.