Fishing websites

[iainjay]

On page 4 of the Tweed thread,stoater talks of doing some research on beats that don't subscribe to Fish-Tweed.How would you go about finding info on beats that don't participate in Fish-Tay,Fish-Spey,Dee,Tweed etc.etc? Is it a case of trolling thru different sites or is there some other kind of directory that lists beats on a particular river with contact details etc?
Don't know too much about it but for example I'm thinking there must be quite a number of beats that are not listed on Fish-Spey.Any info...?

Cheers

[salmonscotty16lb]

try a google search for "salmon directory" this might help
lists beats from most rivers in Scotland and i think the UK.
think this is a fairly new site
sorry cant Post link don't no how to

[williegunn]

iainjay said:

Don't know too much about it but for example I'm thinking there must be quite a number of beats that are not listed on Fish-Spey.Any info...?

Cheers

Watch this space, Fishspey will either flourish within the next few weeks or wither and die.

Agreat deal of work has been going on in the background.

Ian Gordon has a list\of contacts on his site www.speycaster.co.uk/index.htm

[williegunn]

salmonscotty16lb said:

try a google search for "salmon directory" this might help
lists beats from most rivers in Scotland and i think the UK.
think this is a fairly new site
sorry cant Post link don't no how to

salmondirectory.com/

[robmason]

The salmon directory is not really any more complete than the fishxxx websites. I can tell you all the Tweed beats not included if your interested.

Malcolm, lets hope the Spey and Findhorn sites flourish, even at the current level of participation they are a useful tool.

[salmonking]

id sure like to know rob,if you dont mind?

[peter]

Hi Rob i would like to know that info as well,cheers

[magpie]

Me too

[iainjay]

Thanks for all that info.

Rob,put me down as well,sounds extremely useful.

Malcolm

Really hope Fish-Spey flourishes,I heard recently there was a danger of it going down.I think it would be tragic if that was the case.I probably speak for a lot of members who appreciate the hard work being carried out by some people up in your part of the country to make it a success,benefitting us all. Good Luck!

Cheers

[stoater]

Firstly, I do think it good that not every bit of fishing on Tweed is available at the click of a button. Not every Beat owner needs or wants to advertise. It is not a secrecy thing. But some folk believe they have automatic rights to get onto any beat, any time, with no prior effort or input into the Rivers' heritage. Recently I had a most unbecoming PM from someone who wanted all my hard gathered Tweed access info.at one fell swoop. Thankfully he has been banned now from this Forum, not for his demands to myself I hasten to add!
Why is FISHSPEY in probs.? I thought all these sites came under the FISHSCOTLAND banner, run by James Leeming at Kelso. Always seemed a professional and well-run operation to me.
Or, are the sites sub-let to other more local-to -the-river people?
Would be a shame if such a fine access and info. point folded.

[robmason]

I can tell you the names of the beats not listed on fishtweed. Contacting them may be a different matter.

(Think I may have opened my big mouth....... )

[kercock]

I did hear from an informed source a couple of months ago about the possibility of the Fishspey site folding.The scary bit was,if the fishspey site folded the whole Fishscotland organisation would fold. The same source said that the fishtay site cost £24,000 a year to run, paid by The Tay Salmon Fisheries Board ! Who can say that's wrong ? Perhaps it needs all the sites to make it viable financially .

[storlaks]

I don't understand the relationship between FishSpey folding and the whole FishScotland site folding. FishSpey is only one part of the whole FishScotland organisation. From an outsider looking in it would appear that beats/owners up and down Speyside don't see the value of this type of e-marketing or advertising. Even some of the beats currently using the site don't use it to it's full potential, which is a shame. It's really a pity that one of the major rivers in Scotland isn't fully endorsing this great tool.

Let's hope the good work pays off Malcolm!!!

[jock]

Is FishScotland about to disappear? While I have booked through it and I find it very useful, I'm not convinced it is totally a good thing. If large sums of money are being diverted away from Fishery boards e.g. the £24000 quoted for the Tay, it only makes sense to do so if the extra income this generates exceeds this and can be used to the benefit of improving salmon stocks.

I'm frightened that an online booking site makes it too easy to book and ends up serving, neither the angler, the owner, local people, ghillies, or the salmon. I have no experience of the effects of FishScotland on others, my fears are therefore unfounded, but somehow or other something tells me its loss might not be a bad thing.

Nothing is perfect, but if I have to use info. from friends, T&S, websites, you lot ;D etc. to find contacts for my planned fishing, phone and speak to people it will be no great hassle. Indeed it is all part of the pleasure.

Cheers,

Jock

PS Hello friends any suggestions for my spring fishing in first half of April ?

[toucan]

The subsidiary FishScotland sites are operated on a franchise basis. If the franchisee can't recover enough of its fee from the beat owners then the individual river site will fold. Mr Leeming will then lose his revenue from that river. His decision to run the business on a franchise basis presmably stems from a belief that a strong local interest (e.g. a fishery board) is vital to get sufficient commitment from the riparian owners. He, of course, has a long history as an agent letting fishings on Tweed and I doubt the FishTweed site is threatened in any way.

The success of FishScotland can't be doubted, especially in letting days that were hard to let on a year by year basis, e.g Upper Tweed at any time; Lower and Middle Tweed in early spring and summer; Middle and Upper Dee outside outside May and June; spring on the Tay. Proprietors are getting a significant return for their investment in these examples (I can't comment on whether it is significant enough but perhaps Willie might have a view).

Where letting fishing is not a problem (e.g. the major Spey beats from April to September; middle and lower Tweed from September onwards) the benefits are not so obvious, although it may be a sensible defensive marketing tactic.

Personally, I think the sites bring a real benefit to the rivers they serve. Certainly my life would be poorer without them even if vicarious fishing isn't as good as the real thing.

Mark

[storlaks]

Any news on FishSpey flourishing?

[kercock]

I'm told that soon,very soon tha Tay salmon fisheries board will charge a 10% booking fee which previously they charged nothing,booking agents took the 10% for doing almost nothing. That is about to change. What will happen then I have to ask will there be a drastic drop in the number of beats taking online bookings with the beats still showing on the website but the bookings being done via the agents where you have to click on to a link to the agencies. Be sure that it will cause some changes in the present system perhaps not for the good of the site though. Could this be the end of angling agents as we know them?
In booking early in the year through the websites every penny is paid upfront, with the agents generally it's 50% upfront and the balance at a later date. In many cases this can add up to a serious bundle of pound notes. which way will it go?....time will tell.