Hi Tote,
I understand what you are saying about the numbers of fish caught years ago. However I would be interested in your thoughts regarding rod pressure compared to years ago. When I first started fishing on the Lune 25 years ago, on arriving at the river there would be 6 or 7 lads stood on the bridge or sat on the riverbank talking and watching for fish showing. Last season I went to the same beat and saw 3 other anglers the whole season!!! Now dont get me wrong I know there are issues with salmon and seatrout stocks, but using catch returns as a barometer would better if we knew how many rods are fishing and when. I joined a Association this season after making enquiries only last November. The same Association 25 years ago had a 15 year waiting list!!!! The point I'm making is that there aren't the numbers of rods fishing today as there were 20 years ago and this will reflect on the returns too.
Regards Paul
You are 100% correct re rod numbers Paul, I was just talking about this to a mate the other day, fishing when I was young was as much about the social side as the angling. Can well remember the balmy summers nights sitting bankside with sons, fathers and grandfathers waiting for the light to go, the craic was great.
In the back end then the best pools had anglers shoulder to shoulder as they drowned a few worms and as you say sometimes you had to wait to get started at the head of the pool. The pool I'm thinking of here is Scaurfoot, in the backend you'd see salmon splashing about from morning until night, nowadays you'd be lucky to see a fish break the surface, I know, I've stood on the bank often enough.
So yes, if we had more anglers the catch returns would show a few more fish being caught, but sadly fish numbers are massively
down on when I started, never mind before that, my eyes tell me that. Another thing to consider is how many anglers actually bothered to fill out their catch returns properly, if at all back in the day? I know from speaking to the auld timers then that they only put a fraction of the sea trout they caught on their returns, I knew a few who were well past 200 for the season.
The lad I fished with in the late 70's was talking about getting a ticket this season, his first for maybe 5 years. I hope
he does as it'll be a bit company for me, it's like a private beat up here at times, usually have the water to myself.