|
Slow
Start to the 2004 Season
Salmon
& Sea Trout slow to show
The
2004 season opened on the Nith on 25th February but
so far it has been slow to get going. Reports
from other Solway rivers - particularly Cumbria's Eden,
suggest that there has been a considerable spring run
of salmon and much better than average run of big early
sea trout. The Nith doesn't seem to have shared the
bounty!
Maybe
it is just the fact that not many local brave the elements
early on, but until today, there have only been two
confirmed catches, with a handful of "inconfirmed
rumours" of others. The river manager and the Bailliffs
report good signs of fish - particularly sea trout,
but the anglers who have ventured forth a currently
fairly puzzled by the lack of returns.
The
Nith has not been a good spring river since the 1960s
when the UDN disease first hit the river and wiped out
the spring stock. It has bee recovering well and has
been one of the few rivers where sea trout runs have
increased of late. Hopefully, this is just a minor glitch! |
Gyrodactylus
Salaris parasite must
be kept out of Scotland
The
Nith Salmon Board and the NFIA have issued advice to
anglers to prevent the spread of the deadly GYRODACTYLUS
SALARIS (GS) parasite to Scottish fishing waters.
It affects the skin and fins of salmon and is rife in
rivers in a number of European countries.
Salmon
stocks have been completely wiped out in over 20 Norwegian
rivers as a result. The remedy is to remove all
fish from the infected river system by poisoning the
entire catchment.
It
is essential that it is not introduced into Scotland.
The
parasite (pictured below right) can be transported on
fishing tackle or equipment and can survive for long
periods on damp equipment which has been used abroad.
Anglers who have been fishing abroad should make sure
that their equipment is not contaminated. All
fishing equipment - rods, reels, lines, waders, bags
etc - must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
This can be done by ..........
- drying
at a minimum temperature of 20 degrees Centigrade
for at least 2 days.
- Heating
for at least an hour a at 60 degrees Centigrade or
above
- Deep
freezing for at least a day
- Immersion
in a special chemical solution
|
American
Signal Crayfish threat to Galloway Rivers
Nith Anglers are being asked to be lookout for
the large and aggressive North American Crayfish in
case there is any chance that it will establish itself
in the Nith. It has colonised the nearby river
River Dee in Galloway and the Clyde. The
headwaters of each of these are within a few miles of
the Nith.
The crayfish feeds largely on trout and salmon eggs,
other invertebrates and small fish and can cause severe
damage to stream ecosystems. Significantly, no fish
of any kind were found in a recent survey of one of
the Scottish streams in which it occurs.
This
crayfish was brought in to ten areas for potential farming,
apparently without being overseen by the government.
The spread has resulted from escapees from the farms.
Urgent action is required to prevent its spread and
at a local level to eliminate it. At present, there
is no responsible party to do this.
 |
