As it would seem the case throughout the whole of Scotland, fishing on the Spey during April can only be described as abysmal.   Personally I have never seen anything quite as bad as this before.   However, as we always say, records are there to be broken, but I’m sure if someone digs deep enough they will come up with a season which started equally as badly as this one. Total catch to date will be a lowly 200 or so fish, a far cry from the average of nearer 700. 

Between all the doom and gloom, anglers fortunate enough to have caught salmon have enjoyed some truly wonderful fish.   It all started with the lovely 25 pounder caught on Delfur and finished with a 28lb fish caught on Delagyle.   I know of seven others of over 20lbs during April. Mr Andy Kelly, one of the fortunate anglers, landing a 21lb fish in the Turn pool, No1 Brae.   The fish took a No 8 Cascade and gave Andy a real tussle for nearly half an hour.   The fish was finally netted by Ghillie, Mr Blair Banks much to the relief of Andy. 

Another was caught in the Tail of Polarder, Lower Pitchroy, by Mr John Veitch.  This is a classic glide/draw, where over the years I have seen many fish come right to the surface to take a fly. This thrill was to be experienced by Mr Veitch, when stripping a sunray shadow he saw the water bulge, which was followed by that heart stopping second, before he was met by that wonderful sensation of the line tightening up.   A great struggle ensued before the fish was landed and released. 

The river Spey is blessed with many glides/draws which can offer this type of excitement, a fly-fishers paradise! A good friend once summed that “heart stopping” moment over dinner – He said, “Aye, there’s only one other feeling more exciting than hooking a salmon”!   Inevitably, one of the females would ask, “Oh yes, and what’s that”?   Well, parachute jumping of course, or perhaps were you thinking of something else!!?? 

For the first time in many years, the last week in April saw the middle of the river fishing better than the lower.   Whilst beats between Craigellachie and Orton struggled, the majority of fish were taken between Aberlour and Carron.   I will be very interested to see if this trend continues, or, it will be nothing more than a flash in the pan. 

Another positive is the fact that Sea Trout seem to be more evident in the river again.   These wonderful fish can provide so much fun if targeted properly.   Personally I would fish for these before salmon.   For me, nothing is more exciting than the sound of a pool wakening up in the evening, well almost nothing, and I don’t do parachutes!   I have been asked many times how they compare to salmon, my answer is – One’s a Ferrari with a small fuel tank, the other a Bentley with a large one!   It depends what floats your boat!   One thing for sure, on a season where salmon may be scarce, rods fishing the river during June and July can have lots of fun with those fish in the evening.   Because evening is also a good time for salmon, I tend to fish them with a small double handed rod.   I will never forget one guest playing a salmon on a 9 foot rod taking an hour and a half to land it.   Mind you, it was 22 lbs.   However, with much sea trout fishing time lost, this episode taught us both a valuable lesson. 

Should the high proportion of 3SW, averaging over 20lbs give us any cause for concern?  Older Ghillies felt this was generally a bad sign.   In all probability they were right, as in the spring at least, due to the fact these fish are good takers, catch data will roughly reflect the total number of fish in the river. 

Given this very poor return of 2SW spring salmon during 2010 and Grilse during 09, The SFB are encouraging visiting anglers to show even more restraint; their feeling being and quite rightly so, that “every fish is now needed on the spawning grounds”.   Having said this, there is much published scientific material which states to us and importantly to politicians, that – Very few fish are actually needed to produce enough smolts.   Problem, what problem!   Exactly what any politician will say when looking at the evidence placed in front of them, and unfortunately they are the only people who can protect salmon properly. 

For many years now, almost every Ghillie on this wonderful river has talked about the lack of Juvenile fish; “visually” there appear to be fewer smolts!   Could it be that the “eyes and ears” of the river, as they are often referred to by the SFB, may have been right all along!? 

I would like to leave the reader with a couple of thoughts - 
The first goosander bred in UK in 1871, prior to this there were none.   A non native bird, their numbers have steadily increased and are now thought to be around 3000 breeding and 16,000 wintering pairs.   One bird will eat between 20 and 40 salmon or trout parr every day.   Are our rivers now producing the same number of juveniles? 

At the turn of the 20th century it was said Grey Seal numbers around the UK coastline were put at around 500.   That figure is now said to be somewhere between 150 and 250,000.   For a few years I have heard people talking about the salmons problems being mainly at sea! Imagine if each of these seals ate only one salmon!!!!

Jimmy Gray, superintendent of the SFB for many years once told me - Salmon need only 3 things to survive and reproduce in sufficient numbers – Clean water, clean gravel and protection!   Seems to me the “King of fish” is now the “Pauper of the Palace”, the people charged with protecting it powerless to do so and quickly running out of options! 

More information and reading on this subject can be found on my Blog at the address below.