North Esk Rules. DANGER,DANGER.

[kercock]

A friend of a friend fishing on the North esk earlier in the week, caught a salmon,tried his level best to revive it ,no joy,he put the fish in his car. A bailiff arrived later,had a wee chat about this n that.Guy said he'd caught one but could not revive it.Bailiff asked what he had done with the fish,guy told him ,well I put in the car,no point in chucking it in the river is there.? Result.........Confiscted tackle,will certainly be going to court,who knows what the outcome will be. the thing is that the returning of fish on the Esk is NOT a recommendation,it is LAW. I'm told it is to do with the old netting laws in the Montrose basin area . Perhaps someone out there will know the details etc. much better than I.

[storlaks]

kercock, I spoke to the very same Bailiff last Saturday. I was fishing at gallery, just upstream of Morphie and he came down to see us. Just wanted to make sure we were adhereing to the rules...barbless hooks and all fish returned etc. (This is a law passed by the Scottish executive, not a recommendation by the fishery board) When I told him we fish the Dee alot and had just came from Deeside the week before and were therefore quite used to these kind of rules, he was OK. However, he then went on to tell me about the situation with your friends friend and confirmed what you have said. Aparently you must call the bailiff before you knock the fish on the head, if it's bleeding that is. We didn't know this! He then decides the outcome of the fish. He may advise you over the phone...i don't know. Bloody strange policy if you ask me.

Out of curiosity I asked what happened to the fish in situations like this. We bury them, he said. I had to get him to repeat that bit!!!! He said this avoided any confusion/conflict regarding who has the right to retain the fish. Good policy.. eh? Aparently it's the head bailiffs decision.

What the **** is going on on this river. Not only is it a disgrace that our most prized salmon, the springer, can be dispersed in this way, but I'm sure not many people will know what to do when they have a bleeding fish, thus could run the risk of being charged.

I won't be back fishing on this river again. Between the bloody d**e at Morphie, all the politics surrounding the nets and now this, it's not for me.

[williegunn]

In order to stop the early season netting the river board decided to go down the statutory rather than advisery route. ( same as Englandshire)
Hence no fish can be removed from the river.

From Fishesk.
. Fundamental legislation requires anglers to have written permission to fish for salmon and sea trout. The use of shrimps and prawns are banned throughout the district. The season extends from the 16th February until 31st October.

FISHING REGULATIONS
The conservation of Salmon (Esk Salmon Fishery District) Regulations 2005.

From the opening of the season in 2005, the following regulations apply:

No person shall fish with a hook other than a single or double hook without barbs.
No person shall retain any salmon caught by rod and line.
These regulations apply to the Esk salmon fishery district between the 16th February and 31st May, both dates inclusive, in each year. These regulations shall cease to have effect at midnight on 15th February 2010.

Furthermore, it should be noted that:

"Retain" means not to return a fish at once to the river or other waters from which it came with the least possible injury.
"Rod and Line" means single rod and line with such bait or lure as is lawful.
Salmon include sea trout.

Controls on salmon netting:
The close season for netting has been extended to the effect that there will be no netting in the Esk salmon fishery district until 1st May. Netting effort during May is also controlled to ensure that exploitation is not increased. This regulation is for 5 years.

Currently the Board:

Encourages anglers to fish by 'catch and release' especially with regard to early-running salmon and any coloured fish taken in the autumn. To achieve the safe return of salmon barbless hooks are encouraged.
Recommends fly fishing as the method of choice.
Insists that all tackle which has been used abroad is disinfected to prevent the accidental introduction of Gyrodactylus salaris.

[kercock]

Encourages anglers to fish by 'catch and release' To achieve the safe return of salmon barbless hooks are encouraged. Encouraged is VERY different when the Board means to take you to court if you don't ! The phraseology should be rearranged to include the word Mandatory, (Or yer gettin it !) A very strange way of doing things,but then that board has always operated in strange ways.to say the least.

[sealicer]

Surely this guy will not be prosecuted! He has only done what virtually all of us would do in the same position. The fishery board is going OTT. Total f****** nonsense!

[zeolite]

Actually having heard what happened to the guy in England last year I would put it back bleeding and let it take it's chances. Last thing I need is a court appearance.

[fenton]

My own experience of fish I have caught, and fish I have seen others catching, is that there are few fish caught on flies or spinners that could not be returned. I would be interested to hear others guestimates of the proportion of fish caught which should be despatched on realistic welfare grounds. Also my own experience is that method (spinning vs fly,) has little influence on the incidence of bleeders. I saw a cracking 12lb summer hen fish despatched despite the rod's hopes to return it, as it had taken a tiny ally shrimp very deep and was bleeding.
I have also seen bleeders returned, only to find (presumably the same fish) dead the following day.

Personally, the issue of returning bleeders is a very difficult one. Professionally I make daily judgements on animal welfare, and am bound to alleviate suffering. Certainly if I were ever presented with an animal in a comparable state to a deeply hooked or bleeding salmon I would be morally and professionally obliged to euthanase it.

However, following the case that Zeolite refers to, it is clear that we must abide by the letter of the law, even if it appears illogical. I guess the otters will clear up any stragglers?!

F

[Fruin]

I think that Graham is correct that any board wishing to impose total catch and release should allow anglers to kill fish without the risk of prosecution, but in the full knowledge that they will not be allowed to keep the fish for themselves. This means that all anglers will do there best to revive fish, and there is no incentive for chapping them on the head.

That said, I'm against total catch and release unless it is fully and honestly necessary for conservation reasons, rather than political or marketing reasons.

[storlaks]

I already mentioned this to the head bailiff that day i.e. fish going to the estate, but he said it wasn't the general rule because it couldn't be policed properly. Remember not all beats on the N Esk have ghillies so it's hard to police what gets returned and/or killed and then retained by the estate. Bottom line is, when a fish has to be killed then it should certainly not be put in a hole in the ground as a means of dispatch. Give it to and old folks home or something.

Like many of you I don't agree on the mandatory C&R thing.

[texxa]

Is it not a bit ironic that treatment regarding one fish can be so onerous while netting stations are allowed to plunder the stocks largely unabated?

[kingfisher]

went a walk down the north esk near edzell today-saw loads of salmon with fungus and several dead at sides of the river
I reckon in any other river these fungus-infected fish would have been taken out by fishermen, dont know where the dead ones came from-prob fish that had been caught and then released

[munro]

Slightly off topic but if you really want an example of a bizarre C&R policy try the Teith.There the private beats are C&R till 1 June and a limit of 2 a day thereafter. Callender town water (further upstream) issues 5 tags per angler to last the season i.e.
5 fish a season limit but can include springers.
Just in case somebody feels sorry for the hard done by town water anglers, they can also obtain a Stirling Town water permit for another 5 fish per season. So in effect they can take 10 fish per season INCLUDING SPRINGERS .
This means that any springers which make it past Stirling and which the private beats catch and return can swim three or four miles upstream to Callender, get caught, and then knocked on the head!
So much for conservation! (Maybe time for an Esk type Order? Is there anybody from the Forth District Fishery Board reading this??)