One of the major talking points during April was the fact that – Countrywide, there seems to be a distinct lack of early running spring salmon.   Everywhere I go people are talking about the same thing - Where are the Springer’s?   Here on the Spey, although in my opinion, far from being a disaster, the talk is much the same.   With the exception of a handful of beats, most are now down on the corresponding time last year and the doom merchants are beginning to appear from the closet.   Yes, it’s true to say the river has produced less than it had this time last year, and its also true to say, generally, there are far fewer fish everywhere, but lets get this into proportion and look at things more closely here on the Spey. 

Firstly, at the time of writing this there has been little if any rise in the river level for more than three weeks, and low and behold, the lower end of the river seems to be doing better than this time last year.   During April 08 the river run at around 2 feet above summer level for the entire month before finally dropping back during May. 

Mr Bill Lassiter was certainly one angler who had no complaints, landing and returning a fish estimated by the Ghillie at 24lbs on the Lower Ewe Pool, Beat 3 Brae Water. Rods fishing beat 2 have also had a good month with around double the number of this time last year, including four fish estimated at around 18lb.   I am also informed by Gordon Castle Ghillie, Mr Ewan Reid that fish are now holding in the Bridge Pool, testimony to this was a nice 7lb fish taken in the said pool by Mr Les Stuart.   Not long after this was landed, Ewan hooked and lost a fish in the same pool. On the whole, both the Brae and Castle water will be slightly ahead of last year, but given the lack of rods fishing here one would have to say, potentially could have done much better.   It never ceases to amaze me, given their potential, why these beats are so lightly fished when it has to be said, over the past few seasons, pro rata, they have performed equally as well, if not better than many others further up-stream. Contact information for these beats can be found here.

Beats between the Brae and Aberlour have for the most, fished every bit as well as last year. Fishing at Rothes has been very good, with catches above that seen last year. Again, this has produced some quality fish, notably the one caught and released by Dr Loxton fishing the Geantree.   The lovely 25 pounder was the envy of the party.

Easter Elchies had an average April, with 37 fish and although this was not quite the 53 caught during April 08, it was, never the less, above the average over the past five years.   Fishing at Craigellachie continues to be on a par with that of last year also, only when we get above here do things start to go a little downhill. Fishing above Aberlour has certainly not been as good as last year but over the last day or so [5th May] I have heard of sea liced fish being caught in the Abernethy area. So what does that tell us about the season so far? 

My own thoughts are – I have seen this type of start to the season five times before.   One season in particular springs to mind where we had only five fish on Lower Pitchroy to the end of May and ended the season with a very respectable 278.   The fact of the matter is, no two seasons are ever quite the same but the Spey, other than years of drought, will normally provide very good sport at some point of the season, if not spring salmon, then Grilse or autumn fish.

Salmon are probably one of the most adaptable creatures on God’s planet. All this talk of mandatory catch and release smacks to me of people who should no far better, pressing the panic button far too early!   The implications of such measures would be very wide reaching indeed, none more so than to that their own jobs, as the measures put into place by them in the past, will very publicly, have seen to have failed!   Fishing over the past five years, on the whole, has been very good.   Voluntary Catch and Release has been embraced by so many people and has led to 70% or more fish returned on all major rivers with obvious benefit to the species at this time of lower salmon numbers.   Salmon numbers have, and will always naturally fluctuate; such measures should only be talked about when a real crisis looms, not after three months of the season.

I would suggest the architect of this particular piece of nonsense should forget about salmon fishing and concentrate on his day job, which one can only hope is nothing too important!!

Prospects for June
Given the main run of salmon do not normally appear on the Spey until around mid May, only time will tell whether or not the merchants of doom are in fact right with regard to this season. My own thoughts are – By the time this goes to print, other than if we have a drought, anglers can expect to be catching many more fish throughout the river system. 

Ian Gordon
Speycaster