Supersize salmon are the reel deal

YOU should see the ones that didn’t get away. Huge salmon are being caught in Scottish rivers this year, leading angling experts to claim the king of fish are growing bigger than they have for decades.

Fishermen have been stunned by the size of salmon weighing more than 30lbs that have been landed from rivers including the Tay, the Dee and Tweed.

Earlier this month, the largest salmon of the year was caught at Upper Cargill on the Tay, weighing in at an impressive 40lbs.

The monster fish are believed to have stayed out in open-sea feeding grounds for longer than normal because of changes to the ocean environment. Fishing groups say these super-size catches are enticing anglers from across the world to Scottish rivers, generating much-needed income for the sector.

Jon Gibb, an angling expert who is manager of the River Lochy salmon fishery in Inverness-shire, said large fish are being caught with a regularity not seen for 30 years or more. “Leviathans” over 30lbs had been landed in the main east coast rivers and fishing on northern rivers, such as the Shin, Cassley and Helmsdale, had been the best for many seasons.

“I even fished one Highland river in early June with so many huge salmon crowded in its pools that disease was becoming a worrying issue,” said Gibb, who writes on angling for Scottish Field.

Salmon go to sea after two to three years living in rivers. Those that return after spending just one winter at sea are known as grilse, and are generally no larger than about 8lbs. Others stay at sea longer, returning as larger fish after two or three years of feeding.

Usually, the vast majority of salmon in Scottish rivers are grilse but Gibb said: “There has been a very rapid change in the last three to four years away from grilse abundance to proportionally far more two- to three-winter fish.

“Hence we are getting more big fish. It’s very noticeable and really rather odd that we are getting these really quite enormous fish back into Scottish rivers.”

He believes the changing temperature of the North Sea, caused by climate change, is at the root of the situation.

The theory gaining favour is that as sea temperatures rise, the krill and sand eel eaten by salmon are moving further north to cooler waters.

This means that the salmon have to travel further to find them and, with further to travel back to home waters, are staying in the open ocean for longer.

Despite the excitement among anglers keen to catch record-breaking salmon, Gibb believes it is worrying that the grilse seem to be disappearing.

“There are positives and negatives but I think on balance it’s probably negative because although we are getting these big fish, it’s a very concrete sign of global warming beginning to have a concrete knock-on effect.”

Ghillie Bob White, who has been fishing for salmon for more than 30 years, caught a 35lb fish at Stanley, Perthshire earlier this year.

He said the catch turned him into “absolute gibbering wreck” and that landing such a whopper was the “pinnacle of a salmon-fishing career”.

When you bend down to try and land it and put your hand around the wrist of its tail you realise how big it is when you can’t fit your hand around.

“It’s great news that we are catching these larger salmon again because the Tay in particular was famous for these great big fish.

“It’s quite exciting that they are reappearing and hopefully we will catch even bigger ones.”

Dr David Summers, fisheries director at the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board, said the size of the salmon being caught was leaving some anglers in difficulty because they were not geared up for such giant specimens. As a result several huge fish have got away.

“The tackle they are using isn’t strong enough. The hooks bend. People are used to fishing for smaller fish.”

He agrees that there are more larger fish around now. “It’s a good thing from an angling point of view because it adds a lot of interest. It has certainly caused a fair amount of excitement, there’s no question of that.

“But at the same time the number of grilse is getting smaller. It’s symptomatic of the fact that perhaps conditions aren’t as good for grilse as they have been in the past.”

Some marine scientists, however, believe this year’s big catches do not indicate a long-term trend. Professor Chris Todd, marine ecologist at the University of St Andrews said all the statistical evidence from Marine Scotland Science actually pointed to salmon getting smaller.

“There may well be a few individual very big fish entering rivers and it’s very nice to see that but I don’t think they reflect an overall pattern.”

n [email protected]