Anglers return to salmon rivers
It was a rainy morning on June 1, but that didn’t dampen the hopes of anglers who were out bright and early on the opening day of the province’s recreational salmon fishery.
“There’s a few in the river. You can see their tails flicking as they make their way up through the water in the run,” said Terry Hull of Noel’s Pond, who was trying his luck at Snow’s Run.
The run was named in honour of the late Gordon Snow of Kippens, who spent much of his life salmon fishing there.
Hull said with an increase in the number of salmon in recent years in rivers in Bay St. George, he believes it’s going to be a good fishing season.
Hull credits the work of the Bay St. George Salmon Stewardship Group with helping the salmon numbers increase and in turn more anglers on the rivers.
“The more anglers that are there, the less poaching that will take place,” he said. “It’s great to see so many anglers here this morning and hopefully we’ll eventually see them elbow-to-elbow.”
Anglers were flocking to Southwest Brook June 1, as it was one of the 10 scheduled rivers in Bay St. George that salmon return to early.
Hull said just prior to the opening, people spotted a number of salmon making their way up the river. He said with the water low, the fish are now making their run.
Sam Whiffin, communications officer with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said it was too early in the season to make a determination on what salmon returns will be like this year.
He said previous years’ returns could be found at www.nfl.dfompo.gc.ca/salmoncounts and that later in the season the department will have information available on the returns.
With the opening of the season, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is promoting responsible practices when fishing and enjoying time angling for salmon. All the management measures for salmon angling are available online at www.nfl.dfompo.gc.ca/anglersguide.
Whiffen said Atlantic salmon bigger than 63 centimetres cannot be retained and smaller ones of less than 30 cm also have to be released. Salmon caught in coastal areas of Newfoundland and Labrador cannot be retained. For Newfoundland, the recreational salmon fishery has all rivers open from June 1 to Sept. 7.
The conservation and protection of Atlantic salmon is a priority for Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Newfoundland and Labrador. The department meets with anglers and angling groups annually to discuss ways to protect salmon and manage the resource in a sustainable manner.
Whiffen said sustainable angling practices and conservation help ensure the viability of the resource for future generations.