WOULD YOU RETURN A SPRINGER?

[1canohworms]

In answer to question, yes,no prob.doing that.
I am aware that rod caught salmon,over a season,take a small o/o of fish,running the rivers,but, with the quality,and numbers of fish being what they are, a total catch and release would'nt do any harm,in fact the stocks over say a five year period,may improve,but with all the changes required to be put in place, eg,reduce the number of seals,stop the hoovering up of the natural food that salmon eat, not to mention the work required to be done to the little burns ,etc.and spawning areas for these fish,allowing them to do the ''business'' themselves,
they are much better at it than hatcheries. need I say more!!! The future of salmon fishing
is in our hands,we all enjoy the sport,lets make sure our grandchildren,have the same pleasure ,and that there will be salmon to fish for !!!

[donnieW]

Yes - have done several times,including my biggest ever fish. It's a great feeling watching them go after a cracking good battle. That's not to say they all go back though - nothing wrong with keeping the odd one. I wouldn't hold it against anyone who killed their first ever fish.

[jimthefish]

donniewhiteford said:

Yes - have done several times,including my biggest ever fish. It's a great feeling watching them go after a cracking good battle. That's not to say they all go back though - nothing wrong with keeping the odd one. I wouldn't hold it against anyone who killed their first ever fish.

Is that THE Donnie Whiteford that returned a 25.5lb springer on the Tummel last month ?

[donnieW]

The very same!

[jimthefish]

donniewhiteford said:

The very same!

Well done and welcome to the Forum.

As a matter of genuine interest, how did you get the weight to the exact half pound ?
On one of the beats on the Dee I fish the ghillie has a net with a weighing scale built into the handle. Ideal for accurate weights.

[donnieW]

I went by the length (39 inches) and used a table that was in T&S a while back in the "Salmon fishers Surgery" column (The heading was "what did he weigh?) I am guessing that it is quite widely used but would be interested to know how other people estimate the weight from the length. No! I do not carry a measuring tape when I'm fishing- I measure fish against the rod and get the length later.

[salmondan]

donniewhiteford said:

I wouldn't hold it against anyone who killed their first ever fish.

Neither would I but I read some interview recently with somebody or other who said one of the things he wished he'd done was to return his first ever salmon. I sort of took this to heart (ahh sentimental git) and think I will do the same, just as a sort of "thank you" for making it all worthwhile.
Seeing as this thread is about springers and the first trip of the season is for springers then the answer has to be yes for the first one and then see how it goes for the rest of my visit. If there are loads of fish about then I don't think it would be too much of a burden on the population to take one for the table. However, if everyone says that ....

[hardygem]

[Neither would I but I read some interview recently with somebody or other who said one of the things he wished he'd done was to return his first ever salmon. I sort of took this to heart (ahh sentimental git) and think I will do the same, just as a sort of "thank you" for making it all worthwhile.
Seeing as this thread is about springers and the first trip of the season is for springers then the answer has to be yes for the first one and then see how it goes for the rest of my visit. If there are loads of fish about then I don't think it would be too much of a burden on the population to take one for the table. However, if everyone says that .... [/quote]


I returned my first ever salmon and have never regretted it I got a lot of satisfaction from it ,more so than i ever get when wielding the priest .Even though There is nothing i like better than the taste of a fish that i've caught myself that day

[ibrox]

wouldn't have a problem returning a springer as i return 99.9% of my fish anyway. Have no problem with anyone keeping the odd fish for the table.

AA

[akflyrod]

if you ever want fish returns to be as they were many years ago,
or even come to the standards of the countrys you have to pay big bucks to go fish, then a manditory 5 year catch & release program would help and somesuper restrictions on your oceans,
only then will you have the fishing you all crave,
after all its called fishing , not killing
if you had a goal and new you could have a 60 fish hook up in a day would it not be worth it

[kercock]

I think mandatory catch and release will come to Scotland in the near future,bringing us in line with the rule over the border.no bad thing. The reason other countries have catch and release is so as they can and their childrens children can continue to fish. Putting the first one back should't even be an issue.

[akflyrod]

i posted my opinion it was here yesterday but gone today , are the posts here screened

[akflyrod]

sorry my bad need bigger glasses in the mornings

[scottyjock]

akflyrod said:

if you ever want fish returns to be as they were many years ago,
or even come to the standards of the countrys you have to pay big bucks to go fish, then a manditory 5 year catch & release program would help and somesuper restrictions on your oceans,
only then will you have the fishing you all crave,
after all its called fishing , not killing
if you had a goal and new you could have a 60 fish hook up in a day would it not be worth it

Agree with most of this ....Except if beats ever get back to a 60 fish per day hook up it may well be worth it but there are very few of us who could ever afford it.

This is already starting to happen on some beats on Deeside doubling or trebling of rental.

Jock