Big Salmon

[jimthefish]

salmonking said:

wich beat were you on jimthefish,i was on milnegraden week before last,and the fish seemed to be bomming through down there,
i had 1 good belt and that was it,the rest of the rods struggled as well,higher beats are doing well as expected this time of yr.

The Lees at Coldstream (as a guest for the day).

[wilson]

I'm fortunate to fish the Grand Cascapedia in Canada for a day or two every June and though it's "legal" to kill large salmon like that one I doubt any regulars would. Most of the guides won't take a fish like that out of the water. If the sport wants it they'll whack it for him or her but it's frowned upon. Frowned upon mind you not because of some pious C&R mentality, but because they have lost and rebuilt that resource once already. The runs were down not that long ago and had to go C&R for a while. Now the rule is 2 released and you're off the water. I was lucky this year and came across a pod of active fish and was done by 11AM.

The Bonaventure a little to the East is going through a similar cycle. You can take your fish, and a lot of people do, but now the whole run is iseverely depressed and the fisheries managers are making some changes. The Petite Cascapedia is total C&R and they have lost the native run completely which used to be very large fish.

I think it's going to have to be up to the anglers to pressure the fisheries managers on this issue. If the Alta run is healthy then there's no reason not to take a few fish. I don't know how many fish like that they have, maybe a size limit?

Taken out of the gene pool or not that's a remarkable fish. Must have been one hell of a fight and would like to hear about that.

-Chris

[scotty]

salmonking, why is it a crime to take a salmon then give it away? i do this evey year.

[storlaks]

The Bonaventure a little to the East is going through a similar cycle. You can take your fish, and a lot of people do, but now the whole run is iseverely depressed and the fisheries managers are making some changes

Do you honestly think that anglers taking fish is the reason for depressed runs?? It's conicidental. The real reason must be something else and only when that is addressed the runs will start to increase. C&R may help in the short term but it's not the answer. The other thing is, if the river goes 100% C&R, like what happened on the River Dee in Scotland, then it's questionable whether it will revert back, even if the runs improve, like they have on the Dee. Owners want their cake and like to eat it as well, if you know what I mean.

Got to say the 2 fish limit and then get off the river is another crazy rule. If I pay for a days fishing, that's what I expect to get. What you're paying for here is the privilege to catch 2 fish. Not for me I'm afraid. Let's hope some river boards in Scotland don't implement that one.

Salmon runs on rivers systems will always go through peaks and troughs. It's been happening for thousands of years and will continue long after we are all gone. Our environment and climate are changing and this has serious impacts on our fishlife and the foodchain. Anglers need to do their bit, for sure, and we should we show restraint regarding killing fish but all I'm trying to say is let's get it in perspective. Killing an odd fish or an odd big fish will not seriously impact our salmon numbers nor should it be frowed upon.

Just back on the big fish thing. 2 years ago while fishing in Norway one of our party was fortunate enough to catch a 43lber on the fly at night. He woke me up at 3am, while I was sound, and told me to come downstrairs. Bleery eyed I stumbled downstrairs and outside. Lying in the boot of his car was this enormous fish. The car boot wasn't actually big enough for the fish to lay flat. What a sight and something I'll remember for ever. He was still shaking with excitement while we took some photos. Now, had he not been able to kill that fish, which was his biggest ever, (he had lost 4 monsters prior to this one) and bring it back for all to see and witness and share his experience, it would just have been another story for his memory only, which is not the same. Fishing is an experience and it's great to share that experience, especially when one has acheived something remarkable.

Ok, enough ranting now. The thought of close season is starting to get to me already

[salmonking]

everyone has there own veiws and ideas,i guess i think i maybe have too much respect for my quarry just to be given away,i was really referring to the fishmongers who take 3 or 4 fish to sell on,maybe im over protective of the sport.
just my opinion.

[salmonking]

jimthefish,there was a good fish taken at babyhouse,opposite bank,yesterday,over 20lbs,
im told,i know the lucky fellow,unless its a wind up,did you hear?

[hardygem]

I don't mean to criticise the guy who killed the 52lb fish he obviously had the right to do it given the local rules and apparent local culture and i'm sure he thought it was the right thing to do at the time but i wonder if he has since questioned his decision to bang on the head instead of electing to watch it swim away.I have caught a few fish this year and have killed two both cock fish one at 7lb and one at 8lb one from the Annan and one from the Tay. I have three more days fishing planned before the end and have already decided not to kill any more fish (unless necessary). This is my choice, i make it based on what i feel is right for me ,i know that me taking another fish would make no real difference to salmon stocks in the river i fish but as far as i'm concerned that isn't the point.It gives me tremendous pleasure to catch a fish return it safely and watch it swim away.It also gives me a sense of well being ,something that weilding the priest doesn't ! . I like nothing better to eat than a lovely fresh salmon and when i do it feels special, because i have caught it ,killed it and cooked it all on the same day (i never freeze my fish ).It wouldn't be special if i had it more often .I do not think that i would ever want to kill a fish that size ,what would be my motives ? i think i would get more satisfaction from releasing it .I enjoy my fishing and the decisions i make are to further my own enjoyment and satisfy my own conscience they are not based on any high morality or holier than thou attitudes.I do what i do, what other people do is a matter for them and their conscience.

[jimthefish]

salmonking said:

jimthefish,there was a good fish taken at babyhouse,opposite bank,yesterday,over 20lbs,
im told,i know the lucky fellow,unless its a wind up,did you hear?

Small world. I was wading Dado Mouth at the back of 3pm when I saw the opposition boat get into a fish in the Babyhouse below me. The boat went ashore and the ghillie made ready with the net. Next thing the ghillie jumps back in the boat & starts rowing upstream after the fish. Eventually the fish is netted & it is a big silver fish. They were a fair bit away from me but I could see that it was a good fish and yes it could well have been over 20lbs.
Nice end to that story is that my mate wanders down about 3.30pm & says that he has seen 2 or 3 fish in the Glide. He is going down with our ghillie to fish the Bags so I wander up to the Glide and take two silver beauties just after 4pm. Ya beauty!!!

Well said Hardygem. How's the HMH ?

[hardygem]

Hi jimthefish,
well done nice result with the two fish , the HMH is great thanks, i've been using it a fair bit since i got it it's such a pleasure to use. cheers ;D

[williegunn]

speyvalley said:

its not a dating agency application form ;D

Is that how he met his beautifull wife?

I knew it wasn't his good looks

[wilbert]

I would have probably put it back, not because I think its wrong to kill a fish of such size more the fact that the bloody thing would not fit in the freezer. Seriously though my family could never eat that much salmon so what would be the point of killing it, 2 grilse would make better eating anyway. I would make sure that I got all its measurements and 3 or 4 photos so that I could have a good quality cast made and then would have to put an extension on the back of the house so I could have a wall big enough to hang it on.

[jimthefish]

speyvalley said:

jimthefish said:

Now that I am in my mid sixties but in my dotage,

"Fish" I will crack the jokes its not a dating agency application form ;D

Speyvalley.....stop misqouting me ya caa.....nt !!

[wilson]

Storlaks, like it or not the etiquette in Gaspe is 2 released and you're back in the lodge. 1 if you take it from the river. The Pavillion water on the St. Jean is 1 released, and they're booked because it's the finest dry fly water in all of Canada. My view is that I pay for the experience and I'm blessed to be there, I don't pay to stab as many fish in the river as I can.

I clearly believe that you cannot keep taking many of the large spawners from a river system and expect to have consistent returns, I posted it. Now I don't believe that's the only thing that's going on with the Bonnie, but what exactly is up to the biologists. There are changes in store for that river for 2007 (of which I know very little) so I'm not the only person that feels that angler behavior modification is needed.

I'm not getting all high and mighty "C&R only" here, it's just that I believe is that harvest should match returns. In Gaspe there are mid-season counts on most rivers and several times in recent history some rivers have had C&R imposed on them. They never had the next years season affected until that years count was peformed.

-Chris

[macsalmo]

I normally kill two fish a season (on average) one for myself and one to keep the mother-in-law happy for baby sitting duties

About 4 seasons ago when I first got into voluntary C&R a friend and myself were fishing the river Stinchar when he caught a cracking 15lb. We photographed it weighed it and then my friend was just about to read it its last rights when I asked him the main reason he was taking it.

He said to show his kids,
I said is that a good enough reason?
He replied no and promptly returned it

We could all argue all day about this subject, but my thoughts are; I dont see any harm in taking a fish or two as long as they are for the right reasons.

[stalker]

I agree that the mentality in Norway is to take the bag limit if possible, but they dont understand the mentality of C&R because Salmon & Sea Trout are so plentiful in Norway its accepted. Even though I dont agree with taking all fish is a large part of their diet, and historically they have always harvested fish as it's just a part of the culture. They dont understand "Kiss and Release" as they call it, fish is food.

A few individauls are respecting the beauty of C&R and their are greater offendors than the Norwegians for being bag limit mad.

With ref to the buy outs of the nets in Trondheims Fjord, contributors do include individual fishermen although not so many. In addition the cost is being passed on with licensing fees and it will increase. Not all the nets have been bought out as some farmers prefer the "Black Money" as they call it, untaxable basically. Its hard to track how many are declared but no's have been pretty big in some cases and in size too. Personally I'm not happy about the fact that this is leading to land owners to rethink charges as only a small amount have contributed and the amount contributed is only a small percentage of what extra they are making on the back of it. The effort to buy out the nets is correct but some see this as an opportunity to be greedy, that i dont like. The Norwegian principal is that fishing and hunting should be available to all but I'm afraid commercialism meens money talks. Anyway there are plenty of other rivers running in to Trondheims Fjord that are no commercialised still presenting good size fish and good returns, and thats just one Fjord system.