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.
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