Today, Monday 14th March, we had our second salmon of the season. This fish was an estimated 11bs of sea-liced fresh spring salmon, hard in the flesh, bright silver and simply the most beautiful salmon imaginable. I know the photo doesn’t do justice to the fish, but at least it does demonstrate that we are trying hard not to remove fish from the water before releasing them! It was caught by Derek Strachan on a one inch Willie Gunn in the middle section of Melgund Pool (Indies Beat) fishing from the North bank, and was safely released without any need to bring the fish ashore.
Derek told me that he thinks Melgund Pool has deepened as a result of some energetic floods during the winter. This pool on Indies Beat has always held salmon in the top section, but it is many years since salmon were taken lower down in the pool. I also think that the tail of the pool may prove to be a good place for sea trout at night – syndicate members, please note!
Whilst water levels are good, the water temperature is still low. There has been quite a lot of snow to add to the ice built up in the high corries. We should therefore get a long run off over the next few weeks, which will allow spring salmon to enter the river. The nets come back on in early May, so we still have six weeks of unobstructed entry to the river for these spring fish.
It is a few years since we have had good fish in March month. The truth is that we haven’t really fished for them, preferring to leave the kelts unmolested to wend their slow and doubtless painful and weary way back to the sea. But now we have evidence that there are fresh springers around. No nets at the estuary, plus good water levels and minimum obstructions after all the dykes except Kinnaird are gone, mean that access to the river – and upstream to Finavon – is relatively straightforward. The next month should be interesting…..
TA
