We’ll probably still be talking about the 2020 salmon season when we’re no longer able to get into our waders without some help from the gillie. “Aye, it was like the Ponoi, son. There were more salmon in the rivers than you could shake a stick at.”
Certainly, fishermen tell tales but there can be little doubt that the year was indeed a good one. Some, like my friend Tom Leslie, would say it was an outstanding one. He caught 15 fish in only a few hours on the Tweed in July and ended the season with 80 fish to his name, having fished fewer than 30 days in total. “I’ve been to Russia four times and only once have I caught more than 15 salmon in a day,” he told me. “This season was simply incredible. I still can’t quite believe it.”
Pretty much every Scottish gillie I have spoken to agrees, reporting sustained runs of fresh fish and good catches throughout the summer and early autumn months. “Upon the Spey, we had a considerably better spring and summer runs of fish this year,” said gillie Ian Gordon. “To me it felt like there were something like double the number of fish in the river this year compared with last year.”
When I spoke to Mark Cockburn, chief executive of FishPal, in August, he was more upbeat than I’ve ever seen him. “Rivers are seeing tremendous catches,” he said. “And it’s across the board — all our salmon rivers seem to be fishing well. There is no question about it, we are having a great season.”
Esta historia es de la edición November 04, 2020 de Shooting Times & Country.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 04, 2020 de Shooting Times & Country.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside