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Post by flytier on Sept 20, 2008 18:37:56 GMT
I was having a look at the various sites of Angling, Clubs, Associations and beats on the rivers It really amazes me that very few of them actually indicate how many fish are returned or killed. Understandably that with the e.g Tay recommendations in force that certain fish will be returned but are they!!!!! I used to be an advocate of detailing this information when I was involved with catch returns - makes me wonder why others do not indicate what number of fish are returned and what is not Another concern is the number of photographs of anglers with their fish out of the water and the angler holding the fish by the tail and belly - not good practice as touching the skin damages it and is a inviting host for infection and damage.
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Speyducer
Advisory Board
Release to spawn another day
Posts: 4,123
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Post by Speyducer on Sept 20, 2008 20:34:21 GMT
It's mostly about education....
As the individual rivers must submit official 'returns' for the year, and it is noted that the Scottish stats for '07 (and for any year) will only be published in October '08 - some 11 months after the '07 season end, including the rod caught totals, and within that those fish 'retained' and those returned to the water, I see no real reason why clubs / associations don't have such a breakdown. On many of the beats I have been priviliged to fish, the book is usually marked as fish caught-returned or kept, as well as fly/lure etc against the lucky angler's name and date.
Whilst there is nothing obligatory for the clubs to record in their book, their official returns to the FRS (and presumably the EA in England & Wales) must detail whether fish are kept or returned, so someone must have that original information before it can be passed to the FRS with any degree of accuracy.
As for handling of fish for photos, I think there may be any even longer way to go in terms of education of those lucky anglers posing for such pictures of their captured specimens.
Such education is a slow process, and fora such as these do help that process, IMHO.
Mike
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Post by speyghillie on Sept 21, 2008 17:17:15 GMT
As far as the Spey is concerned, I'm positive that the association beats do keep account of the number retained and released, however whether they publish such information, I wouldn't really know. Perhaps they feel that total catch figures generate more interest.
Like you flytier, I can see no logical reason why detailed accounts are not maintained; at a guess, perhaps the beats in question are currently not too proud of their release figures.
With regard to the photo's. I'm sure that the vast majority of anglers do take great care when taking pics and at the very least wet their hands before handling the fish. Like Speyducer has stated, it's a matter of education, however in my view, the fish have a slightly better survival rate after a poorly taken photo (perhaps like my avatar) than being whacked with a priest.
It's not that many years ago that all fish, whatever colour were routinely taken, so our Salmon education system, although slow at times is certainly going in the right direction.
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Post by flytier on Sept 22, 2008 16:05:48 GMT
Yes. At the end of the season the number are correctly accounted for. I just don't understand why they don't show people how good they have been by releasing fish.
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