THE experience of a West Highland estate in adopting a ''catch and

release'' policy for salmon has given encouragement to beat owners on

the River Dee who are introducing a similar policy.

The Little Gruinard Estate between Gairloch and Ullapool has a waiting

list for beats on the river and the policy, in operation for some years,

has not had an adverse effect on the number of people booking to fish on

the river.

Their experience, they believe, should allay fears that not allowing

anglers to keep the fish they catch on the River Dee would damage the

reputation.

''There was some concern at the outset but we have found that people

are very keen to come back to the river and, in fact, they quite like

the catch-and-release policy,'' said Mr Graeme Grant, head stalker at

Little Gruinard.

''We have people returning to the river every year from as far afield

as America -- indeed the Americans understand the reasons very well

because Alaska and many other rivers in the US and Canada have had a

catch-and-release policy for some time.''

Mr Andrew Bradford, a committee member of the Dee Salmon Fishing

Improvement Association, which introduced the policy, said: ''The

experience of the Little Gruinard should help to alleviate concerns

about our limited catch-and-release policy driving customers away from

the Dee.

''I believe catch and release has to be the way forward in view of the

dwindling stock on many of our rivers. We find that people come to the

river not to take fish out but to

enjoy the challenge of catching them.''

The association's proposals, which have been backed by the Dee

District Salmon Fishery Board, include delaying the start of the season

by a month.