I really struggle with the attitudes of some anglers up here. There seems to be some kind of "fear" about coarse fish and coarse anglers, some of it is undoubted snobbery, and that cannot be denied, some of it is misguided beliefs, much of it just heresay. (Pike for example)
I most certainly do not want to see the Don or Dee stocked with coarse fish as I understand that both rivers have a very important place in game angling history. With scientists telling us the weather patterns are changing, how viable will these rivers be in 10/20/30 years time? I fully support the conservation of Salmon however I sometimes wonder if man is playing a game it cannot win.
Pauls comment:-
"It depends whether we want to keep our trout and salmon fisheries as trout and salmon fisheries or let them deteriorate into mixed salmonid/coarse fisheries . "Well, this is exactly what I am talking about in my first paragraph. How can you say the river has "deteriorated" in to a coarse fishery? You are saying coarse fish are inferior and so are the anglers. The economy certainly does not agree with you. EFTTA has consistantly said over the last 5 years or so that coarse fishing brings 4-6 times the amount of money into the economy than game angling does.
I have fished the Test, the Wye, the Frome, and even the Tay..all fantastic game and coarse rivers. I most certainly do not think these rivers have deteriated, quite the opposite infact. (was the Tay not the venue for the World championships ?) Some may argue that since coarse anglers have been let onto these rivers the game angling has improved due to more food going in (maggots etc), and less pressure on the game fish as game anglers try there hand for other species. There is also the cross learning that goes on. Coarse anglers have always returned there fish, and many game anglers have learnt correct fish handling and catch and release from coarse anglers/coarse angling programs on tv etc. Lastly on this point, there is an unfounded fear that coarse anglers will take trout and salmon for the pot. Go down to Loch Awe in the summer and see how many trout anglers are using bubble floats and maggots and taking acrrier bags full of trout away with them. The coarse anglers are not wanting the trout.
As for a coarse fishery up here, why not? I consistantly bump into game anglers who fancy trying for something different. I work with guys from england that switched to game angling when moving to scotland, but would love to sit and watch a float for a few hours (as did I). There is a very large population of anglers up here that come from a coarse background or who watch the likes of Matt Hayes, John Bailey or even John Wilson on TV and who would like to fish for something different every now and then.
Actually..i have just re read all of that..and I cannot believe in this day and age that this conversation is even taking place.
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