The Spey continues to be the river to fish with good catches on the Gordon Castle Beats, Orton and Delfur. Those clever enough to have booked fishing here this spring are now realising what they have been missing on those lower beats over the past few years, with most having had some really good sport, and some fantastic fish.
Just in time for my own week [next week]! Unlike the last few years, fish are holding all over the Castle and Brae with fish holding and being caught in many of the pools. I'm looking forward to Monday and Tuesday when I'll be fishing beats 4 and 5. Gutted that I'm missing the remainder of the week but am afraid work takes precedence over play, although it shouldn't really! A show and teaching in Austria means, this year, I miss the tail end of my favourite week of the year! And, during a year where there are lots of fish to be caught. GUTTED. Never mind, I'm sure my mates in the A Team will rub this well in when I get back!
I have news of a 32lb fish caught on the Spey. Have a feeling it may make the front page of a certain magazine next month!
World Champion Speycaster, STANIC, AAPGAI, Advanced Double Handed Fly Casting Instructor, Ian Gordon is also known by many as being an authority on Salmon and Sea Trout Fishing in Scotland. His Company – Spey online, provides a complete resource for all connected with Salmon Fishing home and abroad as well as Double Handed Spey Rods in General.
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
The Changing Aspect of Our Fisheries
In 1999 I wrote an article on the changing aspects of your fisheries and the effect of environmental change [See summery below]. Now 13 years later I find what I had written back then very interesting.
The Changing Aspect of Our Fisheries
Although It may appear odd given global warming, But the North West Atlantic has become colder recently. Over the past 20 years the UK has experienced some of the mildest winters on record. However, those mild winters have been caused by a persistent westerly airflow across the North Atlantic which means that when we have had it mild; the western Atlantic is cooled by very cold winds blowing off Arctic Canada. Linked to its more famous cousin El Nino, or southern oscillation, The North Atlantic Oscillation [NAO] would seem to be the culprit for those fluctuating weather patterns. As this cooling is most severe in the north-western most part of the Atlantic, it may come as no surprise that it is our MSW salmon, fish which migrate much further into the Atlantic than Grilse, are currently doing so badly.
Spring salmon numbers were exceptionally high from around the 1940s to the 60s, a period when winter and in turn sea surface temperatures in the North Western Atlantic were unusually warm, with Europe and the North Sea very cold. The exact opposite of what we have seen during the 1980s and 90s The 1930s and 40s saw some of the coldest winters on record, this trend carried on until the late 1960s, the winter of 63 being particularly memorable. During this 30-year period, the Spey, along with many other rivers, was producing Multi Sea Winter [MSW] Spring Salmon as its main stock component. This abundance could almost certainly be put down to the fact that the warmer waters of the north western Atlantic were providing an abundance of food for fish migrating to this area.
However, the same thing cannot be said for the 1980s & 90s, as the North Western Atlantic [Davis Straits] has cooled, our [European] winters have, generally speaking, been milder. The North, Norwegian and Barents Sea have all warmed up during this period, thus providing fish migrating to this area with better feeding. Is it any surprise that now, at least 50% of the entire stock-component are now Grilse, fish that are known to feed much closer to home!! Here on the Spey, the 1980s and 90s saw a high percentage of any early running MSW fish, heading straight to the upper beats, because, we are told, this is where all spring fish spawn. But is this where they have always spawned?? Of course not! This might be the case in the 90s, but it was not always the case.
One spring day in 1957 saw three rods fishing the Brae Water [A beat only 5 miles from the sea] landing 44 Salmon, [no sign of all the fish running to the top of the river at this time]. One of the main reasons for this was said to be the very low water temperatures, the cold snow water providing a natural barrier which slowed up the progress of fish. So, it would seem, not only do cold winters have an effect on feeding at sea, but also on the habits of fish when they return to the river. Talking to old Ghillies/Guides who remember those times of plenty Springer’s and breaking ice to fish for them, can help us understand the differences between 1950s and the 1990s spring salmon. The success or failure of everything wild revolves around our naturally fluctuating weather [The management of Grouse another obvious example]; we can make anything as complicated as we like but ultimately this is the case and thankfully it is something we have no control over.
Trying to enhance spring fish stocks in the 90s, with climatic conditions and lots of other things against it, seems to me to be a waste of resources, and it seems to me we are tinkering with nature in trying to do so. We must just be patient and wait until nature decides to give us Springer’s again. Until that time we should be content with what we have, warmer winter’s summer salmon and grilse.
[Ian Gordon 1999]
The past few years have seen what I believe is the beginning of a change in the “Salmon Cycle”. This change is natural and has happened at regular intervals since the last ice age. Rivers change from producing spring fish to Grilse, from Grilse to Autumn Fish, The time of year at which a salmon enters the river to spawn is, I believe, governed solely by environmental factors. It is unusual, in the same season to see a strong run of both Grilse and MSW fish, with 1978 and 80 being the exception. Interestingly, winters prior to both these seasons were NAO Low [see chart], almost the only time this has happened between 1970 and now. Understanding more about this phenomenon [NAO] should lead us to a better understanding of particular runs of fish, and to some extent, what we may expect during future fishing seasons.
The period between 1999 and 2005 has seen, in the UK, a general decline in numbers of Grilse, as well as a slight, but obvious, increase in MSW fish. It is beginning to look very like, as it did in the past, the cycle is beginning to change in favour again of Multi Sea Winter [MSW] fish again. It may be that over the next ten or twenty years, the summer will be no longer the time providing the best sport on the middle Spey! We may see an upturn in Spring Fishing! It must be said however, it is unlikely that this change will take place over-night. I believe we are seeing is a change, a different phase of a cycle that, in all probability it will take another 20 years or more to complete. Never the less, based on what I have observed here on the Spey, and on other rivers, I firmly believe that the tide is without question beginning to change in favour of MSW fish and possibly later running Grilse. Will we see a return to the hay-days of the 50s and 60s? I would think in the short term the answer would have to be no, but in the longer term, if salmon could be afforded more protection [from man] at sea, then the answer should be yes. Although some may herald this change, if it happens, as a great thing for the river, for middle and upper beats here on the Spey, I’m not quite so sure, the jury remains out!!
Ian Gordon 2005
Now we find ourselves in 2012, the pattern developing over the past few seasons has reinforced the ideas I mentioned above. Pro Rata, this spring has seen higher than normal numbers of 3 Sea Winter [3 SW] fish present in our river, another obvious change being the fact that those fish, irrespective of water height and temperature, are now very happy to stay in the lower half of the river, at the expense, it would seem, of those beats higher up the system. Whilst some will still put this down to cold, low water conditions [we certainly have had one of those this spring, but not both], for those who study the river closely, although cold and low water can influence, they are certainly not the main drivers. Studying the river over a long period of time has taught me a couple of things for sure –
1. Come hell or high water, if a salmon entering the river wish to go somewhere particular in the system, as the Spey has no natural temperature barrier, NOTHING, or certainly no particular water condition, will stop them!
2. The timing and abundance of salmon entering the Spey has always has been in a state of constant cyclical change; change linked to fluctuating weather patterns and the species insurance policy of having their off-spring returning to the river to spawn over a seven or more year period.
So when people ask me - Why are all those fish suddenly now staying and being caught in the lower, and not the middle and Upper River? With a degree of certainty I can say that it’s linked to the weather and the salmon’s insurance policy; but neither I, nor anyone else will ever give you the definitive answer. What I can say for sure however, is, the habits of our salmon will continue to adapt/change and 100 years from now people will still ponder over the same questions.
I feel for those people intent on finding the answers to the above. Instead, they should really just go and enjoy salmon fishing!! [Ian Gordon 2012]
I have another blog page focusing more generally on the Spey at - http://speyonline.wordpress.com/
The Changing Aspect of Our Fisheries
Although It may appear odd given global warming, But the North West Atlantic has become colder recently. Over the past 20 years the UK has experienced some of the mildest winters on record. However, those mild winters have been caused by a persistent westerly airflow across the North Atlantic which means that when we have had it mild; the western Atlantic is cooled by very cold winds blowing off Arctic Canada. Linked to its more famous cousin El Nino, or southern oscillation, The North Atlantic Oscillation [NAO] would seem to be the culprit for those fluctuating weather patterns. As this cooling is most severe in the north-western most part of the Atlantic, it may come as no surprise that it is our MSW salmon, fish which migrate much further into the Atlantic than Grilse, are currently doing so badly.
Spring salmon numbers were exceptionally high from around the 1940s to the 60s, a period when winter and in turn sea surface temperatures in the North Western Atlantic were unusually warm, with Europe and the North Sea very cold. The exact opposite of what we have seen during the 1980s and 90s The 1930s and 40s saw some of the coldest winters on record, this trend carried on until the late 1960s, the winter of 63 being particularly memorable. During this 30-year period, the Spey, along with many other rivers, was producing Multi Sea Winter [MSW] Spring Salmon as its main stock component. This abundance could almost certainly be put down to the fact that the warmer waters of the north western Atlantic were providing an abundance of food for fish migrating to this area.
However, the same thing cannot be said for the 1980s & 90s, as the North Western Atlantic [Davis Straits] has cooled, our [European] winters have, generally speaking, been milder. The North, Norwegian and Barents Sea have all warmed up during this period, thus providing fish migrating to this area with better feeding. Is it any surprise that now, at least 50% of the entire stock-component are now Grilse, fish that are known to feed much closer to home!! Here on the Spey, the 1980s and 90s saw a high percentage of any early running MSW fish, heading straight to the upper beats, because, we are told, this is where all spring fish spawn. But is this where they have always spawned?? Of course not! This might be the case in the 90s, but it was not always the case.
One spring day in 1957 saw three rods fishing the Brae Water [A beat only 5 miles from the sea] landing 44 Salmon, [no sign of all the fish running to the top of the river at this time]. One of the main reasons for this was said to be the very low water temperatures, the cold snow water providing a natural barrier which slowed up the progress of fish. So, it would seem, not only do cold winters have an effect on feeding at sea, but also on the habits of fish when they return to the river. Talking to old Ghillies/Guides who remember those times of plenty Springer’s and breaking ice to fish for them, can help us understand the differences between 1950s and the 1990s spring salmon. The success or failure of everything wild revolves around our naturally fluctuating weather [The management of Grouse another obvious example]; we can make anything as complicated as we like but ultimately this is the case and thankfully it is something we have no control over.
Trying to enhance spring fish stocks in the 90s, with climatic conditions and lots of other things against it, seems to me to be a waste of resources, and it seems to me we are tinkering with nature in trying to do so. We must just be patient and wait until nature decides to give us Springer’s again. Until that time we should be content with what we have, warmer winter’s summer salmon and grilse.
[Ian Gordon 1999]
The past few years have seen what I believe is the beginning of a change in the “Salmon Cycle”. This change is natural and has happened at regular intervals since the last ice age. Rivers change from producing spring fish to Grilse, from Grilse to Autumn Fish, The time of year at which a salmon enters the river to spawn is, I believe, governed solely by environmental factors. It is unusual, in the same season to see a strong run of both Grilse and MSW fish, with 1978 and 80 being the exception. Interestingly, winters prior to both these seasons were NAO Low [see chart], almost the only time this has happened between 1970 and now. Understanding more about this phenomenon [NAO] should lead us to a better understanding of particular runs of fish, and to some extent, what we may expect during future fishing seasons.
The period between 1999 and 2005 has seen, in the UK, a general decline in numbers of Grilse, as well as a slight, but obvious, increase in MSW fish. It is beginning to look very like, as it did in the past, the cycle is beginning to change in favour again of Multi Sea Winter [MSW] fish again. It may be that over the next ten or twenty years, the summer will be no longer the time providing the best sport on the middle Spey! We may see an upturn in Spring Fishing! It must be said however, it is unlikely that this change will take place over-night. I believe we are seeing is a change, a different phase of a cycle that, in all probability it will take another 20 years or more to complete. Never the less, based on what I have observed here on the Spey, and on other rivers, I firmly believe that the tide is without question beginning to change in favour of MSW fish and possibly later running Grilse. Will we see a return to the hay-days of the 50s and 60s? I would think in the short term the answer would have to be no, but in the longer term, if salmon could be afforded more protection [from man] at sea, then the answer should be yes. Although some may herald this change, if it happens, as a great thing for the river, for middle and upper beats here on the Spey, I’m not quite so sure, the jury remains out!!
Ian Gordon 2005
Now we find ourselves in 2012, the pattern developing over the past few seasons has reinforced the ideas I mentioned above. Pro Rata, this spring has seen higher than normal numbers of 3 Sea Winter [3 SW] fish present in our river, another obvious change being the fact that those fish, irrespective of water height and temperature, are now very happy to stay in the lower half of the river, at the expense, it would seem, of those beats higher up the system. Whilst some will still put this down to cold, low water conditions [we certainly have had one of those this spring, but not both], for those who study the river closely, although cold and low water can influence, they are certainly not the main drivers. Studying the river over a long period of time has taught me a couple of things for sure –
1. Come hell or high water, if a salmon entering the river wish to go somewhere particular in the system, as the Spey has no natural temperature barrier, NOTHING, or certainly no particular water condition, will stop them!
2. The timing and abundance of salmon entering the Spey has always has been in a state of constant cyclical change; change linked to fluctuating weather patterns and the species insurance policy of having their off-spring returning to the river to spawn over a seven or more year period.
So when people ask me - Why are all those fish suddenly now staying and being caught in the lower, and not the middle and Upper River? With a degree of certainty I can say that it’s linked to the weather and the salmon’s insurance policy; but neither I, nor anyone else will ever give you the definitive answer. What I can say for sure however, is, the habits of our salmon will continue to adapt/change and 100 years from now people will still ponder over the same questions.
I feel for those people intent on finding the answers to the above. Instead, they should really just go and enjoy salmon fishing!! [Ian Gordon 2012]
I have another blog page focusing more generally on the Spey at - http://speyonline.wordpress.com/
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
How long can sea lice stay on salmon in fresh water?
I have been asked this question so many times on the river and have to say, I’m not really sure can answer this. Some say 24 hours and others 48 and some will say even more than this.
I had an interesting phone call recently from one of my clients whom I had arranged fishing for. He caught a salmon on Beat 2 of the Brae Water on the river Spey, which, due to the ghillie marking the fish, they knew for a fact it had been caught on the adjacent beat the previous Monday and now, after 4 days in fresh water, the fish still had sea lice attached to its body!!
The above tells us for certain that Sea Lice do in fact can remain attached to their hosts for some time longer than the 24 or 48 hours previously thought by me and many others.
Monday, 23 April 2012
bluecharm-themovie Trailer
After a brilliant show at the EWF, I'm still in Germany about to start a two day casting course with on the Isar river. Engoy the trailer for my new film about how to fish a small, medium and large Scottish river. It covers the basic and most important elements of six different flycasts and fault finding. However, this is not a casting movie, its a fishing movie also, I cover simple fishing tactics using some graphics to highlight key points in reading and fishing a salmon pool. The movie will be available to buy in July.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Never say Never!
Never say never; A statement highly applicable to salmon fishing!
Trusting one’s own instincts, whether it be size, speed or depth of fly, or, whether to fish in the first place, is always a good thing to do. So, having read all the negative garbage on the internet and been told there is little or no chance of a fish because the weather’s too bright, or the water too low, a good thing to remember is, until you hook them, the salmon are neither on line, nor do they read books and articles about why they don’t take a fly!
Following your instinct and remaining confident is the key to success in this game of salmon fishing. All too often, especially in those days of very quick transfer of information, as a salmon angler, you are given no chance before you even start, thinking, well, there no fish being caught, or none on the beat, so I’ll not bother.
A favourite saying of my old boss, Sir David Wills, was, “there’s always an enchanting moment”! And how true also was this statement, so many fish I have seen caught in adverse conditions by thinking a little more about what you are doing. No matter how much doom and gloom, and what the “experts” say, following this simple statement, inevitably, will put a smile on your face as you add that difficult fish to your diary whilst sipping your well earned dram at the end of the day.
Howard Croston with a nice wee springer form the Dee in conditions he was given no chance. Interestingly, one of three contacts.
Something to be said for enjoying your fishing for things other than catching fish. However, everything is much more rewarding when difficult to find i the first place.
Trusting one’s own instincts, whether it be size, speed or depth of fly, or, whether to fish in the first place, is always a good thing to do. So, having read all the negative garbage on the internet and been told there is little or no chance of a fish because the weather’s too bright, or the water too low, a good thing to remember is, until you hook them, the salmon are neither on line, nor do they read books and articles about why they don’t take a fly!
Following your instinct and remaining confident is the key to success in this game of salmon fishing. All too often, especially in those days of very quick transfer of information, as a salmon angler, you are given no chance before you even start, thinking, well, there no fish being caught, or none on the beat, so I’ll not bother.
A favourite saying of my old boss, Sir David Wills, was, “there’s always an enchanting moment”! And how true also was this statement, so many fish I have seen caught in adverse conditions by thinking a little more about what you are doing. No matter how much doom and gloom, and what the “experts” say, following this simple statement, inevitably, will put a smile on your face as you add that difficult fish to your diary whilst sipping your well earned dram at the end of the day.
Howard Croston with a nice wee springer form the Dee in conditions he was given no chance. Interestingly, one of three contacts.
Something to be said for enjoying your fishing for things other than catching fish. However, everything is much more rewarding when difficult to find i the first place.
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Review of Double Handed Rods from Hardy&Greys
How gratifying it is to be part of the team which has taken to the market one of the most versatile ranges of double handed fly rods. After 3 years in the planning and hard work, to finally bring our new Double Handed Rods to the market feels very nice indeed.
Both Hardy Zenith and Artisan have been constructed using Hardy and Greys unique and world-beating Sintrix resin system, whilst Marksman S and T along with Greys XF2 rods have been specifically designed and engineered to compliment what we know are the most common styles of casting a double handed rod, thus providing our customers with exactly what they require.
It would seem we are not the only ones excited about those products. Of the three rods reviewed in Trout and Salmon, the UKs premier fishing magazine, all received what can only be described as, more than favourable comments.
Well done to the whole team at Alnwick and beyond for bringing such a fantastic range of rods to the market. Whilst some feel the product should be made exclusively here in the UK, there is no doubt in my mind a great deal of the success of this product comes down to the input from our overseas partners, all of whom, just like those at our Alnwick factory are very much part of the well-oiled cog which makes the product shine above others.
The line rating system on all of those new rods, I hope will be the precursor to, getting rid of, once and for all, the totally confusing AFTM rating on double handed or Spey rods. For those buying and looking to match a line, I would urge you to forget the obsolete AFTM rating and follow the new system found just above the handle on each rod. Hopefully most will follow or hopefully even better this system.
Click here to visit the hardy home page and the full range of Double Handed Products.
Both Hardy Zenith and Artisan have been constructed using Hardy and Greys unique and world-beating Sintrix resin system, whilst Marksman S and T along with Greys XF2 rods have been specifically designed and engineered to compliment what we know are the most common styles of casting a double handed rod, thus providing our customers with exactly what they require.
It would seem we are not the only ones excited about those products. Of the three rods reviewed in Trout and Salmon, the UKs premier fishing magazine, all received what can only be described as, more than favourable comments.
Well done to the whole team at Alnwick and beyond for bringing such a fantastic range of rods to the market. Whilst some feel the product should be made exclusively here in the UK, there is no doubt in my mind a great deal of the success of this product comes down to the input from our overseas partners, all of whom, just like those at our Alnwick factory are very much part of the well-oiled cog which makes the product shine above others.
The line rating system on all of those new rods, I hope will be the precursor to, getting rid of, once and for all, the totally confusing AFTM rating on double handed or Spey rods. For those buying and looking to match a line, I would urge you to forget the obsolete AFTM rating and follow the new system found just above the handle on each rod. Hopefully most will follow or hopefully even better this system.
Click here to visit the hardy home page and the full range of Double Handed Products.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Brilliant Victory for Salmon in a European Court!
Dear Friends of the Salmon (and all other migrating species),
Wednesday, February 8 was the verdict of the highest court in the Netherlands (The 'Council of the State' in The Hague) in the lawsuit of Sportfishing Netherlands and the Meuse Angling Club (VVM) against the minister of Waterways (Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment) about the license given by this ministery for the construction of an hydro power station in the Meuse at Borgharen (Maastricht).
And we have won this appeal case!
We had already won the case in the Court of Maastricht, last year.
But both the firm who wanted to build the hydro power plant and the sportfishing organisations appealed. We appealed because we had lost on some important points like the wrong implementation of the European Water Framework Directive and the Benelux treaty on migrating fish species of 2009.
The minister of Waterways reluctantly followed after the parliament applied some pressure to appeal and uphold the license.
In the verdict of February 8, the Council of the State upholds the earlier verdict of the Court of Maastricht that nullified the license given by the minstry of waterways for the construction of the hydro power station. The council agreed with the Maastricht court that the mortality caused by the two existing hydro power plants in the Meuse River is already too high, so there is no room for a third hydro power station. But the Council of the State added some new arguments.
We won the point that the ministry should have made an Environmental Impact Report to weigh the (enormous) damage caused to the fish populations by the hydro power station against the production of (very little) renewable energy. The ministry should at least have proven that such an Environmental Impact Report was not necessary. They did not succeed in convincing the council of that.
The Council of the State found that especially recent research on the delayed mortality of salmon smolts and silver eels was not taken into the account.
Another important argument that the Council of the State added, was the fact that the European Water Framework Directive was not implemented in the right way. Especially they did not sufficiently examine if the quality of the Meuse River deteriorated in such a way that it did not stay within the class where this water is now attributed to.
The arguments of Sportfishing Netherlands and the Meuse Angling Club were very well supported by two scientific reports. One by Dr. Jörg Schneider from Germany and one by two equally brilliant fish scientists from Belgium (Ovidio and Philippart).
As our lawyer noted: "By this verdict water is no longer a free-for-all and beyond the law"
She thought this was an important victory.
We lost the point of the bad implementation of the Benelux Treaty on Migrating Fish Species, but we are still considering to bring this point to the European Court. Because a non-functional fish guidance system and a less effective fish ladder can not be considered as 'mitigating' or 'compensating' measures as meant by the Benelux Treaty!
With kind regards,
Wednesday, February 8 was the verdict of the highest court in the Netherlands (The 'Council of the State' in The Hague) in the lawsuit of Sportfishing Netherlands and the Meuse Angling Club (VVM) against the minister of Waterways (Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment) about the license given by this ministery for the construction of an hydro power station in the Meuse at Borgharen (Maastricht).
And we have won this appeal case!
We had already won the case in the Court of Maastricht, last year.
But both the firm who wanted to build the hydro power plant and the sportfishing organisations appealed. We appealed because we had lost on some important points like the wrong implementation of the European Water Framework Directive and the Benelux treaty on migrating fish species of 2009.
The minister of Waterways reluctantly followed after the parliament applied some pressure to appeal and uphold the license.
In the verdict of February 8, the Council of the State upholds the earlier verdict of the Court of Maastricht that nullified the license given by the minstry of waterways for the construction of the hydro power station. The council agreed with the Maastricht court that the mortality caused by the two existing hydro power plants in the Meuse River is already too high, so there is no room for a third hydro power station. But the Council of the State added some new arguments.
We won the point that the ministry should have made an Environmental Impact Report to weigh the (enormous) damage caused to the fish populations by the hydro power station against the production of (very little) renewable energy. The ministry should at least have proven that such an Environmental Impact Report was not necessary. They did not succeed in convincing the council of that.
The Council of the State found that especially recent research on the delayed mortality of salmon smolts and silver eels was not taken into the account.
Another important argument that the Council of the State added, was the fact that the European Water Framework Directive was not implemented in the right way. Especially they did not sufficiently examine if the quality of the Meuse River deteriorated in such a way that it did not stay within the class where this water is now attributed to.
The arguments of Sportfishing Netherlands and the Meuse Angling Club were very well supported by two scientific reports. One by Dr. Jörg Schneider from Germany and one by two equally brilliant fish scientists from Belgium (Ovidio and Philippart).
As our lawyer noted: "By this verdict water is no longer a free-for-all and beyond the law"
She thought this was an important victory.
We lost the point of the bad implementation of the Benelux Treaty on Migrating Fish Species, but we are still considering to bring this point to the European Court. Because a non-functional fish guidance system and a less effective fish ladder can not be considered as 'mitigating' or 'compensating' measures as meant by the Benelux Treaty!
With kind regards,
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