News and events

SFB Annual Report 2011 12th Apr 2012

The 2011 annual report for the Spey Fishery Board and Spey Foundation is now available. To download a copy click here

or if you prefer a printed copy contact,

The Spey Fishery Board, Research Office, 1 Nether Borlum Cottage, Knockando, Morayshire, AB38 7SD, tel 01340 810841 email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 

 

Annual RAFTS-ASFB Conference 12th Apr 2012

The conference, entitled ‘Taking Practical Action in Straitened Times: Protecting, Managing and Promoting Scotland’s Rivers’, took place on Thursday 29 March 2012 at The Battleby Institute, near Perth. The well attended conference contained four sessions covering the policy and legislative context for fisheries management, genetics and its management applications, practical management and mitigation, and promoting access and use of fisheries. Copies of the conference presentations are now availabe at http://www.rafts.org.uk/annual-conference/ and to download a copy of the RAFTS/ASFB Fisheries Management Facts and Figures Sheet click here.

 

Rotary Screw Traps Return to the Tromie and Truim 6th Mar 2012

Rotary screw traps were successfully re-installed into the Tromie and Truim on the 5th March 2011 and the fine spring weather ensured installation went smoothly.  All the smolts captured are measured and scales are collected to determine age. A proportion are marked with a dye tattoo before re-release upstream. The numbers recaptured are then used to estimate the overall smolt run from each tributary. The studies are generously supported by Scottish and Southern Energy and Phones Estate.  Reports on last years results for the Tromie and Truim are available.

 

Spey Opening Ceremony 2012   14th Feb 2012

On Saturday 11th February the River Spey was opened by Brian Doran and the Rev Shuna Dicks, Minister for Craigellachie & Aberlour blessed the river and the anglers. Mrs Effie Glass, who caught the first salmon of the 2011 season, completed the ceremony by pouring a bottle of Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky into the river.

Four salmon were landed on opening day with the "Spey Quaich" for the first salmon of the season going to Aberlour angler Bruce Cameron.  For more pictures and full opening day report go to Weekly Fishing Reports.

 

 

 

Glenlivet Primary visit Sandbank Hatchery  7th Feb 2012

Despite temperatures dropping to -10C pupils and teachers from Glenlivet Primary School enjoyed a tour of the SFB's hatchery at Sandbank.Hatchery manager, Jim Woods, welcomed the group and guided them through the day to day operation the hatchery. The pupils learned all about looking after salmon eggs and were excited to discover that some were beginning to hatch into alveins during their visit. The pupils recently took delivery of a classroom hatchery as part of the "Salmon Go To School" project and the experienced gained at Sandbank should ensure their eggs will be well looked after.

 

 

 

2011 Spey Salmon and Sea Trout Catch  31st Jan 2012

 

Reported catches of salmon and grilse to the Spey Fishery Board for 2011 were 8,607, slightly below the 2010 total of 9,231. Early season catches were better with 535 spring salmon captured during the 11th February to 30th April an increase on the 334 caught in 2010.  However, although catches of summer salmon remained good the lack of grilse led to a lower than average overall total (Spey 10year average 9,100).  Sea trout catches remained low with 1,975 caught for the season. Catch and release rates were 82% for salmon and 69% for sea trout. The Board are delighted with the  continued committment shown by anglers, ghillies and proprietors to conserving the Speys valuable fish stocks. The Boards Conservation Policy will remain in place for 2012. For further guidance on catch and release click here.

 

The Dalmore Spey Foundation Dram  31st January 2012

The Dalmore Spey Foundation Dram is one of four expressions in "The Dalmore Rivers Collection", a range of whiskies crafted in celebration and support of Scotland's great salmon fishing rivers. Each bottle of the Dalmore Spey Foundation Dram sold will secure a generous donation to support the ongoing restoration and conservation work in the upper Spey. The SFB and the Spey Foundation are very grateful to Whyte and Mackay for their generous support which raised over £9000 towards this important research.

The Dalmore Spey Foundation Dram can be ordered from

www.onlinespirits.co.uk www.singlemaltsdirect.com www.gordonandmacphail.com or visit The Whisky Shop of Dufftown, The Spey Larder of Aberlour, Whisky Castle of Tomintoul and many other whisky specialists.

The Dalmore Rivers Collection and the benefits the sales of the whisky will bring to each river was featured in the May 2011 edition of Trout and Salmon. Click here for the full article and on the SFB Briefing 2011.

 

New Online Anglers Diary Launched 17th January 2012

Angling diaries have traditionally been used by a small number of dedicated anglers to record their angling experiences. However, these diaries also provide Fisheries Biologists with a precious insight into fishing practices and the numbers and sizes of fish caught. If the diary has been kept over a long period of time then the data can be very valuable indeed.

Taking the traditional angling diary into the 21st century, The Scottish Fisheries Coordination Centre (SFCC) has developed an online angling diary (www.anglingdiary.org.uk) which allows anglers to record their catches of freshwater, game and coarse fish in the UK. Utilising the benefits of the World Wide Web, the site allows anglers to record their catches online, instantly retrieve them, share them with other anglers and look at them on an interactive map. Pictures can also be added and there is also a blog with fishing reports for local areas. In return for all of these benefits, Trust Biologists will make use of diary records for their respective areas to better understand the fisheries that they are responsible for.

To find out more about the site or start entering your catches, please log on to www.anglingdiary.org.uk.

 

New Year  - New Appointments      4th January 2012

 

The Spey Fishery Board (SFB) are pleased to announce the appointment of biologist Brian Shaw to head the Spey Foundation’s research team from January 2012. The Spey Foundation’s current Biologist, Bob Laughton will assume a new role to be shared between the Spey Foundation and the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Fisheries Trust (FNLFT).

SFB and Spey Foundation Director Roger Knight said, “We are delighted to announce that Brian Shaw, currently the Senior Biologist with the Ayrshire Rivers Trust, will join the Spey Foundation in the New Year. Our current Biologist, Bob Laughton, is also to be congratulated on his new appointment with FNLFT. This will enhance the scientific advice available to all four rivers and enable us all to meet new challenges in fishery management.”

Seymour Monro, Chairman of FNLFT, said, “I am thrilled to announce that Bob Laughton will become our Director and Biologist. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge of all three of our rivers and their catchments, as well as years of experience in fishery management. Although he will be sharing his time between the Trust and the Spey Foundation, it heralds the start of an exciting new era for FNLFT.”

Mr Knight went on, “Recent advances in fishery management have meant that operations that have hitherto been routinely undertaken by District Salmon Fishery Boards must now be backed by sound scientific advice. Indeed, many of our activities now need scientific justification and, in some cases, special assessments for and licensing by the Scottish Government. All four rivers need enhanced scientific advice if they are to be managed credibly and effectively and these new appointments will enhance our ability to achieve our objectives.”

Brian Shaw was born in Grantown-on-Spey in 1963 and spent twenty years in the fish farming industry before moving to the Ayrshire Rivers Trust five years ago. A keen angler with experience of fishing the Spey, he has always wanted to return to his roots and is thoroughly looking forward to joining the Spey Foundation. Bob Laughton lives in Forres and will still be actively involved with the Spey, but is equally keen to help the FNLFT address the challenges it faces. We wish both of them every success with their new appointments.

 

Milnes Primary Enjoy Fishing Day June 2011

Pupils from Milnes Primary School, Fochabers, enjoyed a days fishing at the Rothes Glen Trout Fishery. The trip was part of the Spey Fishery Boards "Salmon Go To School" project which has been running in local schools for fifteen years.

During June the P5 pupils learned about the ecology of fish within the Spey and the importance of angling to the local economy with biologist, Bob Laughton, and expert casting tuition from SFB bailiffs, Richard Whyte and Jason Hysert. Then they were ready to try out their new found skills on the trout at Rothes Glen. Clearly the training worked with several rainbow trout caught!

The fishing day was also generously supported by the River Spey Anglers Assocation (RSAA) with chairman, Mel MacDonald and members also on hand to provide advice and encouragement throughout the day.

Along side the fishing a "Bugs and Beastie Hunt" was conducted on the nearby Broad Burn and pupils gained a chance to collect data on the invertebrates present. A highlight for the day was viewing the beasties in close up with the new digital camera!

Our thanks go to the Mel MacDonald, (RSAA) for supporting the event, to Kevin Moss and the Rothes Glen staff for all their help and advice and to all the parent helpers and teachers who ensured the day was a great success.

 

Try the Salmon Sea Age Calculator! 20th April 2011

Knowing the age of your prize salmon has always been a little illusive for the angler. However, help is at hand. Using data from the Spey and several other Scottish rivers the SALWRD fish calculator has been developed by Marine Scotland Science and Strathclyde University. If you know the length or weight of your salmon and the date it was caught then try the Single Fish Calculator to give you an estimate of its sea age!

For more information on the SALWRD project click here.

 

Newly Refurbished Riverbank Resource Box Launched 20th Apr 2011

Primary schools in Strathspey are set to benefit from the newly re-furbished Riverbank resource box. The Riverbank boxes were developed seven years ago by Scottish Natural Heritage, the Spey Fishery Board and other organisations along the river to provide schools with a wide range of information on the Spey. The boxes proved extremely popular with local schools but were beginning to show signs or wear and tear and some items were also becoming outdated. Thanks to funding from SNH, Highland Councils Excellence in Education through Business Links (EEBL) scheme and Spey Catchment Initiative, the boxes have been refurbished and brought up to date. Each of the four boxes still contains a range of literature, posters, DVDs and CDs relating to rivers but to improve the childrens learning experience further a selection of fieldwork equipment including microscopes, binoculars and sampling nets have also been added. Another improvement has been made through uploading the resources on to "GLOW" a safe intranet site for pupils and teachers in Speyside and throughout Scotland.

The four Riverbank Boxes can be borrowed by schools, rangers and community groups within the River Spey catchment by contacting  the following for further details:

Bob Laughton, Spey Foundation:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Ged Connel,  Speyside Way Ranger: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Saranne Bish Highland Council Ranger:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sue Scoggins, SNH Aviemore: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 

CASS LIFE Project Awarded "Best of the Best"

The Conservation of Atlantic Salmon in Scotland (CASS) project was shortlisted by the European Commission for the 'Best of the Best' LIFE Nature projects. In 2010 the project was awarded a prize as one of the top five such projects across the whole of Europe.

The SFB’s component of the CASS LIFE Project allowed: the easing of 11 major man-made obstacles to salmon; improving adult stock monitoring through the installation of two fish counters; and adult fish traps to be installed on the River Truim, the Dullan Water and at Spey Dam. The work also included an extension of the “Salmon Go To School” programme, as well as demonstration site visits. In total the work on the Spey was exceeded £500,000, of which 64% was sourced from LIFE and Scottish Natural Heritage. To date it is the largest project on improvements for Salmon carried out on the River Spey. The Board are delighted to hear the project has received this award, which is a fitting reward for the commitment, hard work and dedication by all those involved in the project, both on the Spey and across Scotland.

 

Moray Firth Sea Trout Project 2008-2011 Report Available

The Spey Fishery Board and the Spey Foundaton have been closely involved with the Moray Firth Sea Trout Project, a collaborative initiative combining the efforts of Fisheries Trusts, Fishery Boards and Angling Associations towards the research, protection and management of Moray Firth Sea Trout. A highly informative report on the progress, findings and future of the project is available here.

 

 

Pupils Contribute to Spey Salmon Stocks

The ‘Salmon Go To School’ project has been underway on the Spey for over 10 years and throughout that time nearly all the schools within Speyside have been visited. The project, which is led by the Spey Foundation and the Spey Fishery Board, provides pupils with an insight into the ecology of salmon and other fish species and the importance of fishing to the local community through a range of hands on practical projects such as operating a classroom hatchery, bugs and beastie hunts, river visits and fishing days.

Three schools participated in the "Salmon Go To School" initiative this year, Craigellachie Primary, Abernethy Primary and Aberlour House. Pupils at each school received an illustrated talk about the Spey, the lifecycle of the salmon and other fish populations. The pupils then took charge of a classroom hatchery with around 200 salmon eggs which they had to look after ensuring the water temperature remained cold and any dead ones were quickly removed. Each school successfully hatched their valuable offspring and studied the development through from salmon egg, to alevin and then fry. The tiny salmon were ready for released during March and the pupils carefully transported them to a nearby burn and wished them well as they began the next part of their epic journey. For further information on how to take part in the Salmon Go To School initiative click here.

 

Moray Science Festival: Families Day 5th March 2011

The Moray Science Festival took place on the 5th March 2011 at Moray College, Elgin. Bob Laughton (Spey Foundation Biologist) along with Stacey Petrie and Bonnie Dunbar from Moray College enjoyed a busy day informing the many visitors about the lifecycle of the salmon and the work underway on the Spey to conserve and protect fish for the future. Visitors enjoyed a range of displays including juvenile salmon and trout, electrofishing kit, salmon scale reading, the "Salmon Game" and the highly popular "Guess My Weight" competition. Over 80 entries were submitted to the salmon weight competition and the winner was Catriona Sutherland with her guess of 9lbs (actual weight 8lb 8oz). Well done to Catriona who was presented with an "Eyewitness Guide to Fish" book from Spey Foundation biologist, Bob Laughton, and a book token from Moary Science Festival organiser, Sam Bright.

Spey Salmon wins Malloch Trophy

 

The Savills Malloch Trophy was awarded to Huston McCollough for a fine 36lb salmon from the River Spey caught on May 2010. The prestigious trophy is awarded for the largest salmon caught on the fly and safely returned during the year in Scottish waters. Read more about the award presentation in the March 2011 Briefing. Further information on the Savills Malloch Tropy