Which of these salmon would you take home?
The first 2 are good fresh fish that any angler would be happy with.
The third is showing some colour, but most anglers would probably be happy to take it (... but this one went back)
The forth will be getting controversial, it is darker and developing a kype (hooked jaw). Some anglers would feel strongly that this fish should go back. Others would be happy to take it, and it is a cock fish.
Anything much darker than the forth fish should go back.
Anglers have their own views. What do you think?
The first 2 are good fresh fish that any angler would be happy with.
The third is showing some colour, but most anglers would probably be happy to take it (... but this one went back)
The forth will be getting controversial, it is darker and developing a kype (hooked jaw). Some anglers would feel strongly that this fish should go back. Others would be happy to take it, and it is a cock fish.
Anything much darker than the forth fish should go back.
Anglers have their own views. What do you think?
Messages to Salmonid Anglers.
The times they are a changing - like it or not. There are less fish in our rivers, and the sport of angling is under pressure. SCRT believes that anglers can best serve their own interests by being open, responsible and environmentally aware.
Taking fish for the table is an integral part of game fishing. However if you kill a hen salmon you are reducing the number of eggs laid down; and eggs in redds are the future of game fishing.
SCRT would like to encourage all anglers who fish in South Cumbria to behave in responsible ways so as to assure the future of our sport. There is nothing wrong with taking wild salmon and sea trout for the table. For many anglers this is the prime reason for fishing as the significant reduction in rod days when catch and released is introduced clearly demonstrates. However exploitation must be kept at a sustainable level; this is of paramount importance.
The following guidelines are suggested.
The times they are a changing -
Taking fish for the table is an integral part of game fishing. However if you kill a hen salmon you are reducing the number of eggs laid down; and eggs in redds are the future of game fishing.
SCRT would like to encourage all anglers who fish in South Cumbria to behave in responsible ways so as to assure the future of our sport. There is nothing wrong with taking wild salmon and sea trout for the table. For many anglers this is the prime reason for fishing as the significant reduction in rod days when catch and released is introduced clearly demonstrates. However exploitation must be kept at a sustainable level; this is of paramount importance.
The following guidelines are suggested.
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Be sensitive to the number of fish you kill. Local clubs are increasingly introducing an annual limit. In general no one angler should take more than say 6 salmon a season, and on rivers were stocks are under pressure this should be limited to 1 or 2. |
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Please do not sell your fish, this is incompatible with angling as a sport. |
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Return as many hen fish as possible. |
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Only take clean fish that will make good eating. See the pictures below. |
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Barbless hooks will make it much easier to release fish unharmed, and they do not significantly increase the chance of loosing a fish (OK - |
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If fishing with worm, consider using circle hooks. These do much less damage as deep hooking is avoided, and fish can easily be returned. |
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Be as secretive as you like with other anglers about how and where you caught your fish. However at the end of the season please do make a full and accurate return to the EA, plus your local club if they collect catch statistics. Data on fish caught is a vital tool for managing our fisheries and assuring a future for the sport. There is nothing clever or useful about under or over stating your catch. The EA monitor the health of the salmon population of our rivers using a statistical model that takes into account number of fish caught and number of days fished. If the data received is understated and inaccurate, the results of the model will be inaccurate; and unnecessary restrictions may be applied. |
The reason that it is so important to make a full return to the EA covering both fish caught and number of days fished is that the EA produce statistical models for spawning & egg deposition based on this data. If a river fails to meet it’s targets then limits or catch and release restrictions may be imposed. Thus if anglers fail to report fish caught, this may result in unnecessary restrictions being imposed or maintained.
The current EA models for our rivers are available. They are a bit complicated, but worth looking at.