Weather still causing havoc on the Clyde

As the salmon season on the Clyde drew to a close at the end of October, adverse weather made it difficult for anglers to try their luck.

This was a pity, as the King of Fish was taking advantage of the high water level to run up from the sea in better numbers than at any point this year.

To begin with, it seemed that the fish were typical of the end of season, between 10-20lbs in weight, but the missing grilse were arriving in good numbers too and a few, of about 6lbs, were being landed.

As is often the case, it is not just fish that are landed that should be counted, but also those that come to a fly, lure or bait only to be missed, that give us an indication of how many fish are present.

Anglers used to say that, having tied the perfect fly, made the perfect cast and waited to no avail, it was not their fault , but that of the fish, which were not co-operating.

Now, when a salmon makes a grab for a fly, but fails to be caught, it isn’t the fault of the fish but the angler failing to do their part. This is why I feel that only counting the fish in the net gives us a false impression of the health of the river.

By now, even salmon, fresh from the sea, should have been showing a lot of colour. At any time, coloured fish would have to be returned safely. Hen fish, regardless of appearance, should be returned in October.

Ideally, we should be counting the number of hen fish that are present or, better still, spawning.

What will be more valuable information is the number of parr still present after two years.

It was a lack of accurate information that caused experts to declare the Clyde to be a river in decline and give it a Category 3 classification. The error was eventually recognised and the Clyde was upgraded to Category 2 last season and it’s now suggested that the Clyde will be upgraded to Category 1.

Ironically, the catch returns, which have to be sent to the appropriate people this month, will show a reduction when compared to the last two years. I predict another inappropriate knee-jerk reaction from the experts.

In theory, this would mean the clubs and associations, which have been looking after the Clyde’s salmon since they returned, could allow their anglers to take as many salmon as they like.

However, these organisations and their loyal anglers will continue to apply the successful conservation measures that have been working for 30 years.

The brown trout season ended on a high note when some of the best fish of the season were landed. Specimens, estimated to weigh about 7lbs, showed that the Clyde still holds trout of the highest quality.

Weather was to blame for the relatively poor sport of last summer. There has been a shortage of flying insects and this has made it more difficult to target the larger feeding fish while avoiding the huge numbers of smaller fish.

Some consolation can be taken from the fact that the largest fish will still be there next year and might be spawning this winter.

In the two weeks since the grayling season started, opportunities for anglers to pursue the Lady of the Stream have been limited. A mixture of strong winds and heavy rain has kept anglers away from the river or, at the very least, curtailed their visits.

Because of the relatively cool summer, there is a good chance that grayling will have spawned successfully. The resulting fry will start to show up in catches this winter, to the extent that they might be perceived as a nuisance. The solution is to move away from where these shoals are found, and so avoid them.

Grayling has been put on the endangered species list because in Britain their numbers are in decline. They are really an Arctic species and are living right at the limit of their range.

If climate change causes our temperature to rise, grayling will be the first species to die out. Of course, if our climate becomes a great deal cooler that could be good news for grayling.