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Latest News.
Above is pictured Stéphane Wuidar from Belgium who caught this 13lbs salmon in the Auckernack Burn Pool on the 11th June. Stéphane caught his heaviest salmon to date, on fly and returned it to the river. I am very grateful to Stéphane for sending us a number of pictures including this one.
Update: 11:45hrs, Thursday 29th July 2010.
Thirteen salmon have been declared since my last update. However, to qualify this figure, most are late reports from last week. Five have been caught this week.
Nine sea-trout have been declared for this week.
The river is currently running about 5 inches have dropped one inch overnight.
My last weather prediction seems to have been somewhat inaccurate. We have suffering from some dull showery weather this week, so far. Today looks to be very much the same, however my barometer is rising. The forecast for tomorrow is showers / light rain moving in from the west which should arrive here by early afternoon. Saturday should be showery.
I think that's about it for the moment. If I hear of any news, I'll post it here for you.
In the meantime, tight lines and best wishes.
Jimmy Mitchell.
Click the weather symbol for the BBC 5 day forecast for Grantown.
This link will give you a more detailed 3-day Grantown forecast.
Click on the above link for information from FishSpey.
Update: 09:30hrs, Monday 26th July 2010.
Yes, I'm back from my travels and I have much news to report.
I am pleased to be able to inform you that 71 salmon/grilse and over 200 sea-trout have been declared since my last report! Of course, it has been a full month since my last update!
There was a great deal of action last week when some decent rain lifted to river level to over 3 feet. Ten salmon were declared on the 22nd July, most of which were landed from the far bank of the Long Pool.
More good news is the number of sea-trout. The declared number stands at about 462 for the season, so far.
The scales from the 27lbs salmon landed at Bridge Pool in May have gone missing in the post. So, I'm afraid that we will never know the history of that fish.
Whilst I was enjoying my break, Shaun our River Watcher has been ill and unable to update catches on the FishSpey website and so I apologise for that. Anyhow, I'm back with you now and you can be assured of at least two full reports each week on this page.
Weather reports for this week suggest that it will be reasonable pleasant with a risk of showers on Wednesday. Early indications suggest that we may receive some heavy rain on Friday.
The river is running at 8 inches this morning having dropped 2 inches during the last 24hrs.
Update: 13:15 hrs, Friday, 25th June 2010.
Eight salmon/grilse and a whopping sixty-seven sea-trout have been declared since my last report. All of the salmon were under 9lbs. That's very encouraging news about the sea-trout!
As with the rest of the country, we are in need of some rain. The river level is now at only at 1 inch above summer level.
I'm afraid that there is no immediate sign of heavy rain. We may experience some showers as we head through the weekend but that's the best we can hope for. Temperatures seem to be steady at a summery 18 to 21°C.
You may recall the 27lbs salmon which was caught and returned at Bridge Pool in May and which is pictured lower down this page. Well, Philip Butcher who caught the fine specimen has found some scales from the fish which he is sending to us. We will ask the Spey Fishery Board scientists to have a look at these in the hope that they can tell us something about the history of the fish.
A matter with which you should all make yourselves aware of is the potential problem of tick bites and Lyme disease. With the kind assistance of local member and GP, Dr Boyd Peters, I have produced an information report dealing with the facts and health risks associated with ticks and Lyme disease. Importantly, it contains information about when to seek medical assistance. This short and easy to read report, including photographs, is in pdf format and can be downloaded by clicking here.
Finally, it's that time of year again. I've worked so hard that I am going to have a wee break. Shaun, our river watcher, will be keeping the declared catches up to date on the FishSpey website. Click here to be taken to that page.
Remember that there are links to the local weather situation and river levels below.
Update: 09:40hrs, Tuesday 22nd June 2010.
We have now past the longest day and it's all down hill from here! But seriously though, it's a beautiful morning in Grantown and I expect that temperatures will rise to the mid 20's. I understand that there is just a possibility of a spot of rain later tomorrow but the remainder of this week should be dry.
Now, to the fish report. Seven salmon/grilse have been declared since my last report. The largest weighed 15lbs and was caught at Poll Clach on fly.
Interestingly, the sea-trout numbers are reasonable with twenty-five fish declared since the last report. This includes one fish of 6lbs and one fish of 5lbs.
The river is running at a relatively low 3 inches this morning and has been at this level for the last 48 hours. There is still some snow on the Cairngorms which is helping to keep they Spey that little bit higher than other rivers.
Interestingly, the ski-tows were running and there was skiing yesterday on Cairngorm. I think that it was more of a symbolic gesture to ski on mid-summer's day than brilliant conditions. However, that has never been done before in June and it is indicative as to just how much snow we had to suffer during last winter.
Update: 09:10hrs, Friday 18th June 2010.
A total of eight salmon / grilse have been declared since my last report, the heaviest of which weighed 15lbs and was caught at Slop Thomas on fly.
Twenty-two sea-trout have been declared for this same period.
At this point last year, our declared salmon catch was about 130. It is currently 103. However, it seems that the sea-trout numbers are up.
The river level is running steady at 5 inches this morning and has been so for the last 24 hrs. There is still a reasonable amount of snow on the hills, the melt-water of which is helping to keep the Spey that little bit higher than all other Scottish rivers.
Weatherwise, it turned warm and bright yesterday and it is set to stay that way, at least until Tuesday.
One last matter. If you're travelling north to Grantown on the A9, do be very careful. It can be a very dangerous road at the best of times and has claimed many lives over the years.
Above is a fresh 8lbs salmon landed and photographed by local member, John Gray. The fish was caught at 11:30pm in the Dulnain Mouth Pool on Thursday 20th May whilst John was fishing a 2 inch needle tube fly for sea-trout. The fish was returned to the river. Thanks for the photo John.
Update: 14:15hrs, Tuesday 15th June 2010.
Sorry about the slight delay with this report - I've been busy with my day job!
Anyway, thirteen salmon/grilse have been declared since my last report. The heaviest of these weighed 13lbs and 14lbs and were both caught at Auckernack Burn Pool on fly on different days.
I am informed that twenty-one sea-trout have also been declared for this same period.
The river is currently running at 7 inches having dropped one inch overnight.
Update: 12:00 noon, Thursday 10th June 2010.
For those of you who are not living locally, we have experienced a dull, cool and wet week. It has been more like the end of March than mid-June. It would be nice to have a bit of summer weather!
Anyway, enough of my moaning. Surprisingly only four grilse have been declared since my last report. They have all been around the 5lbs mark. However, twenty-one sea-trout have been declared during this same period with two fish at 5lbs and three at 4lbs.
The river did rise with our rain and peaked at just over 2 feet yesterday afternoon. It has been falling steadily since and is currently 1ft 7 inches and on its way down again.
Weatherwise, it will remain cool and dull today but may brighten this evening. It should be a little brighter and more warm tomorrow but Saturday looks cool and grey; Sunday will be wet.
You may recall the salmon of 27lbs which was landed at the Old Bridge Pool on the 17th of May by visiting angler, Philip Butcher. The length of the fish was about 41 inches and so the weight of the fish was estimated. Philip sportingly returned the fish to the river. We have been sent some pictures of the action and the fish which are displayed below. Thanks very much Philip.
Update: 09:45, Tuesday 8th June 2010.
Eight salmon, including some reported grilse, have been declared since my last report. Eight sea-trout have been declared for the same period.
As a consequence of yesterday's rain, the river rose to 1 foot 6 inches during the night. It remains at this level as I type.
Weatherwise, expect more rain later today and tonight. It should be a little more dry tomorrow and become brighter in the afternoon. The remainder of the week will remain cool with bright spells. It is supposed to get a little warmer by the weekend.
Update: 10:00hrs, Friday 4th June 2010.
Eight salmon and four sea-trout have been declared since my last report. All of the salmon weighed under 10lbs and were caught throughout our waters.
The river is running at a steady 6 inches this morning having dropped 1 inch from yesterday.
Weatherwise, it's warm and bright with some high cloud. There is just the chance of a shower later today. Tomorrow there will be more chance of showers but it will still be warm. The temperature will drop from Sunday with frequent showers.
Update: 11:30hrs, Wednesday 2nd June 2010.
I'm back after my short break and I'm pleased to say that there has been some action down on the river. A total of seventeen salmon and thirty-two sea-trout have been declared since my last report. These totals include one salmon of 18lbs and one sea-trout of 10lbs.
The river peaked at 1 ft 9 inches on Sunday and is currently running at 7 inches having dropped one inch from yesterday.
Weatherwise, it will be pleasant and dry today and tomorrow and getting warmer towards the end of this week. Expect some showers of Friday and Saturday.
Update: 11:30hrs, Wednesday 26th May 2010.
Three salmon (grilse?) have been declared since my last report including one fish of 4lbs and one of 5lbs.
Six sea-trout have been declared for this same period.
As I mentioned during last season, it is essential that all sea-trout catches are declared. If we are not told, the Fishery Board will think that there are less sea-trout in the river than there actually are - consequently this might lead to further restrictions.
This same week last season saw a virtual bonanza with many salmon caught - it doesn't appear to be looking so good this season, but time will tell.
Weatherwise, as forecast, it is still cool and showery - I witnessed a hail shower at Nethybridge this morning and there is a dusting of fresh snow on the hills. It is forecast to stay this way through to the weekend but there is a glimmer of hope that temperatures will be rising by Monday. (Let's hope so.)
Now, I am sad to have to inform you that this will be the last update for one week. I'm having a short break but will be back with you on Wednesday 2nd June.
Update: 11:30 hrs, Monday 24th May 2010.
Six salmon and six sea-trout have been declared since my last report.
The river is running at 10 inches this morning having dropped a couple of inches since yesterday.
Weatherwise, it's cool and showery and is forecast to remain like this for the whole of this week.
I'm afraid this seems like a rather short report but I have no 'fishy stories' to tell you about.
So, I think that's about it. If I hear of anything exciting, I'll let you know.
Update: 09:30hrs, Thursday 20th May 2010.
Four salmon have been declared since my last report. They were caught throughout our waters, weighed between 8 and 12 lbs and were all caught on fly.
A decent sea-trout of 4lbs has also been declared.
I have heard of a fish of 36lbs which was landed downstream at Delfur last Saturday. I am also aware of several fish in excess of 20lbs which have been caught just downstream of our waters earlier this week.
The river has risen 2 inches since yesterday morning and is now running at a very pleasant 8 inches.
Weatherwise, it's warm and is currently a little dull. I expect that we will see some sunshine as we go through the day. It is a warm forecast through to Monday but we may just catch the odd shower.
Above is pictured George Oliver, a regular visitor, who landed the first salmon on fly on our water this season. The fish weighed 10lbs and was caught in the Long Pool on the 14th April.
Update: 10:00hrs, Tuesday 18th May 2010.
A fresh cock salmon, estimated to weigh in the region of 27lbs, was landed at the Old Bridge Pool yesterday. The fish took a fly and was caught (and duly returned) by regular visiting angler, Mr Philip Butcher. The fish measured 41 inches long. I understand that a photograph was taken and am hopeful that we will be able to post it on this page in due course. Congratulations to you Mr Butcher!
Surprisingly, only two other salmon have been declared since my last report.
The river has been running steadily at 6 inches for the past couple of days.
And now for my weather report. After a slight frost during the night, today looks as if it will be the warmest we have had this year. It's a beautiful sunny morning and it's already 15.3°C. If it stays clear, it could even hit 20°C - wishful thinking perhaps. There is a suggestion of light rain for tomorrow but we are told that it should remain dry and reasonably warm for the rest of this week.
Anyhow, the days are now considerably longer than the nights and so things should be warming up. There is still a lot of snow on the Cairngorms and there are even a couple of small pockets of snow on the Cromdale Hills. That is indicative of the winter that we have just suffered!
o O o
We have had a new brochure produced which now includes a detailed map of our fishings on the Rivers Spey and River Dulnain. If you would like a glossy A3 sized copy, please send us your details via the contact us page. Alternatively, our brochure can be downloaded and viewed/printed from the three pdf files as follows. (Remember to set you printer paper orientation to 'landscape'.)
Click on each of the three images above to download our new brochure.
o O o
Some slightly older news.....
A major threat to the juvenile salmon population in the Spey system is that of the Goosander. They are reckoned to eat their own weight in fish every day and are being seen in ever increasing numbers on the Spey. I have seen many families of 8 or more Goosander throughout our waters last year. The Spey Fishery Board are given an annual licence to cull some of these birds, but as the licence only ever specifies very small numbers, (ie. 14 or so), and as this licence invariably arrives after the breeding season, this cull is having little impact. For your information, the male and female Goosanders are pictured below. (The male is black & white).
o O o
In Autumn 2008, I was very fortunate to be invited to join the Spey Fishery Board, (SFB), as they went about their work. Naturally, I took my camera along and took a few snaps. I have singled out ten photographs, ( now on our Photo Gallery page), which should be of interest to you.
You will be aware that, amongst other things, the SFB net and strip some salmon of their eggs and milt and then fertilise the eggs under artificial conditions, (in a bucket!!). This process results in a success rate of over 98% of the eggs being fertilised . This is a whole lot of fertilised eggs when you consider that a hen fish produces over 500 eggs for every pound that she weighs. Of course, this process is far more successful than in the wild where less than 2% of all eggs are reckoned to get fertilised!
The 'donor' fish are always returned to their river of origin after scale and DNA sampling and they are always 'tagged' for future reference.
The fertilised eggs are held in irrigated holding tanks at the SFB Hatchery until they hatch as alevin and are then 'planted' into pre-determined areas of the river of their parents' origin to preserve the genetic integrity of the salmon stocks for that particular river. The SFB release millions of healthy young alevin into the Spey system every year.
Here's an interesting fact for you. The Spey Fishery Board stocked direct tributaries of our own SAIA water in 2008 with 105,000 salmon fry. This was part of the re-stocking programme last year in which they introduced 1,560,000 fry to the Spey and its tributaries!
o O o
Incidentally, there is no need to book your permit, just call into Mortimer's in Grantown's High Street and pick it up. To keep our costs down, it can only be paid for with cash or cheque.
Please read the important information, (below), about a parasitic fluke, Gyrodactlyus salaris.
Gyrodactlyus Salaris.
There is grave concern about a parasitic fluke, Gyrodactlyus salaris, (GS), which lives on freshwater fish. It is less than 1 mm long and is barely visible to the naked eye. It can be carried by brown trout, rainbow trout and other fish but is lethal to Scottish Salmon.
GS is native to rivers in Sweden, Finland and Russia where local salmon have evolved a resistance to the parasite. During the 1970's it was accidentally spread to rivers in Norway, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France and Portugal. The U.K. is currently GS free.
GS rapidly infests juvenile salmon causing mass mortality. In Norway, infected rivers lost 98% of their salmon within 5 years. Fishing in infected rivers becomes unfeasible due to lack of fish and restrictions on anglers' movements.
GS is most likely to be introduced to the U.K. by the movement of live fish from the continent. GS can survive for 5 to 7 days without a host, (fish), in damp conditions. The parasite could survive on wet angling clothing, nets, waders or other equipment or on canoes, rafts or boats.
Once a river is infected, all fish must be destroyed to remove potential hosts. The Spey could easily be infected by anglers carrying the parasite from infected countries on their damp clothing or equipment including waders and nets.
If you have fished or canoed on the continent, please, please take the following precautions before visiting the Spey.
You will be asked to declare yourself GS free before you fish on the Spey.
......and finally, some older news.
An article from the Atlantic Salmon Trust deals with the catch and release policy and mortality rates of fish which have been released. It acknowledges that salmonoids are more susceptible to injury/damage than other fish when removed from water - if you can keep your fish in the water whilst removing the hook, the more likely it will be to survive.
Also, older style landing-nets with 'knotted' type nets are believed to harm fish in that they damage and remove scales. This leaves the fish prone to infection. So, if you are treating yourself to a landing-net, make sure that it's of the 'knotless' type.