WITH A month of the spring fishing to go on the Tay, the river has enjoyed good numbers of the valuable spring salmon and an increase in the number of anglers, writes Ken Bell, angling correspondent.

The increase in spring fish, with the estimated catch well into three figures, has been reflected on all the main east coast rivers from the Tweed to the Don.

While Tay Fisheries manager Dr David Summers admits the reason for the increased spring run after several poor years is not known, he hopes part of it is the result of the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board stocking programme.

Around four years ago they started stocking large numbers of ova or fry from fish of known spring stock in the upper beats of the river, the areas which traditionally produced the large spring fish.

Now, unlike the Tweed, where the majority of the reported fish have come from the lower beats, anglers as far upstream as the Dochart, Loch Tay, Blairgowrie and Crieff have been enjoying sport, with the loch producing fish into the lower 20 lb. The heaviest springer so far, a 24 lb salmon, came off the Farleyer beat above Aberfeldy.

It is not just the private beats that are doing well. The Killin AC water on the Dochart had a sea-liced fish among several taken recently, while the Blairgowrie AC water on the Ericht is also producing fresh fish.

The Pitlochry AC water below the dam has also seen some good sport, and here, as on many beats, most of the fish are being returned.

Already fish have gone through the fish counter at Loch Faskally with the upstream movement starting in mid-March, compared to mid-April in the 1960s.

One of the most prolific beats on the tributaries has been Coupar Grange on the Isla where on one day last week they had seven fish!

Even the Earn, not a renowned spring river, has produced fish as far upstream as Lochlane above Crieff—three years after the more than 80,000 spring eggs were stocked in the Lednock.

The board had also put 143,000 ova or fry into the Braan above the impassable falls at The Hermitage and Rumbling Bridge, young fish which electro-fishing proved to have had an excellent growth rate.

“We can’t prove that the stocking programme with the progeny from our kelt-reconditioning programme has been the only factor, particularly as other rivers have enjoyed increased spring sport,” said Dr Summers.

“But if the reason is changes in the North Atlantic and better survival rates among the fish at sea then the fact we had more progeny from spring fish leaving the river over the past few years will have boosted the numbers returning.”

Coinciding with the returning fish have been returning anglers. Here two factors have helped, the first of course being the numbers of fish being reported caught.

The speed with which these successes became known is also helping. The board launched a website, www.fishtay.co.uk, on the opening day of the season.

Since then ghillies on many of the Tay beats have been able to put online any news of anglers’ successes within minutes of the fish being landed.

The site is being accessed by anglers all over the world. It also gives an hourly record of the state of the river.

Most importantly the website provides a facility for online booking on many beats, as well as information on the availability of rods.

Several beats have reported more anglers fishing this spring than for some years. In many cases it has been a case of success begetting success.

Top beat is undoubtedly the Murthly No 1 where, with fish being caught almost every day, ghillie Tony Black has had to look far back in his record books to find as good a spring!

While many more fish are being landed, in line with the board’s conservation programme a large percentage of them are being returned, hopefully to spawn themselves later in the year and further boost the spring run.