The Salmon Run - Big Fish In A Small Scottish Stream

So, with the trout season now over and the depths of winter now upon us what does a trout fly fisherman do? Hibernate until next spring? Sometimes I think bears have the best deal.
Sadly we can’t hibernate or fish for trout, but there are still lots of interesting things to do and see. Plan fr next season, plan trips to sunnier climes, or just get out ad see what’s going on around our local patch.
Join me for the extraordinary sight of some huge fish battling to run our tiny local stream, the same tiny stream you have seen me catch equally tiny trout in over the past few years!
Music in this video:
Laid Back Guitars by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/

[@thedoggedangler]

Excellent and captivating footage. Thanks you for producing and sharing!

[@wildfisher]

Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@maxpower1337]

Great video some beautiful fish ❤

[@wildfisher]

Thank you I'm happy you enjoyed it. 😊😊

[@deanf8642]

Well done Fred and thank you! Our trout season is open year-round but by January 1st our winter temps here in Massachusetts eventually conspire to force any fly anglers still out on the water to seriously question their decision making. For me, my free time during the dark days of winter is more enjoyably spent at my tying vise filling the holes left in my fly boxes from the previous season. I’m not sure what it is but there’s something really wonderful about tying flies during snowstorms. I wish you well with the best of luck fishing in New Zealand!

[@wildfisher]

Thanks Dean, glad you enjoyed the video and happy fly tying. I'm with you on the winter fishing and that's probably the real reason why I don't go grayling fishing. I'm too old, feel the cold too much now and I like to think too smart to be standing in a cold river waiting for hyperthermia to set in! 😂

[@DavidSparks-gz2nd]

So glad to see you back producing fine footage and dreams for we viewers to help us through the closed season. May the warm weather and sunshine in New Zealand and the thoughts of big trout waiting for you replace the the woes of the impending voyage south. Thanks for this and previous 'fishy' contributions and we readers look forward to seeing and hearing of your future expeditions and successes in Aotearoa.

[@wildfisher]

Many thanks for taking the time to make such kind comments. 😊

[@Tjk186]

I was pleased and surprised to see some really stunning fish in your wee river Fred !...they deserve the barriers that man has put in their way to be removed/improved, restoring the river back to its natural state ...where there's a will, there's a way and I hope that those whose hold the ability, ownership, authority and responsibility to help your river, its fish and natural habitat, step up and act in meaningful ways...what you've shared here is a tremendous, truly wild asset of Scotland and deserves some help/investment at this moment in time...best wishes to your local Rivers Trust for any help they can give. And very best wishes for your trip to NZ in January...have a wonderful time, and safe travels

[@wildfisher]

Thanks TK. Yes that wee river can be surprising. I'm just this minute back home from a walk on its banks near the village. It is roaring down after a considerable snow melt. I wonder where all those huge fish are now? When I was a boy there were decent runs of salmon and sea run trout, but like elsewhere they faded. We used to stand by the pools watching huge shadows move in the gloom, casting futile worms at them. Ah the memories! As I have said in some of my videos you can only make that sort of connection with waters you fished during your formative years. 😊

[@thetattooedangler]

I'm always astounded at the size of the fish in even the smallest of systems, and what you'll see if you just stand still for a while. You're right that these dams no longer serve any purpose, and there are moves being made to demolish them. Jeremy Wade made a video about it recently. It's mainly happening in England, but Scotland won't be far behind.

[@wildfisher]

Let's hope so. It would be great to see these barriers removed.

[@tinkhefferon9934]

Amazing footage, wonderful

[@cooksky2]

What a great film and so surprising to see the numbers of fish attempting to get to the spawning areas of your river. I agree with your comments in respect to easing / removing the dam so that fish can easily access the upstream reaches. These days it is important to maximise the natural spawning potential of our rivers. Enjoy your forthcoming NewZealand trip, I look forward to watching the video and pictures of the wonderful environment and some of the monster trout you encounter.

[@wildfisher]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. 😊 Removing that dam would be the best thing, but there would be silting issues. The dam is the only major obstacle on the river.

[@d803albion]

Wonderful footage! Thanks for sharing

[@wildfisher]

Thank you. 😊😊

[@robertgreen5217]

Absolutely fantastic footage, you need to pad that wall😂😂👍

[@wildfisher]

Glad you enjoyed it. 😊 Yeah and that fish pass needs fixed, adding baffles would make a huge difference by slowing the flow and helping the fish up. Great to see these stunning fish on our wee river.

[@questionableendeavours]

Nice to see this. I live 10 minutes walk away.

[@Followthepath89]

Awesome footage thanks for taking the time to post it my good man enjoy new Zealand 🇳🇿

[@wildfisher]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. 😊

[@NorwayHikesTrails]

Nice narrated, and great video. Thank you for sharing. Wishing you a wonderful day. Take car.e

[@wildfisher]

Thanks glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@browntrout54]

Excellent video Fred. I always feel sorry for those fish struggling to get over dams and waterfalls but it is a splendid sight to see. Maybe you'll get footage for your channel of those mad sockeye salmon in NZ.

[@wildfisher]

I actually have some sockeye footage from our last trip Alex, from the Twizel River, but I'll have another go and see if I can improve on it. The number of fish is pretty crazy. All uncatchable too, in fact they are a bit of a nuisance. First time we were there I spent an hour stalking a nice rainbow on the Tekapo River until I realised it was a salmon. 😂

[@jameswood214]

Another great production Fred. some crackers there, pity its almost impossible for them to ascend up that.

[@wildfisher]

Yeah James we really need to get something done there.

[@jameswood214]

@@wildfisher yeah, some dynamite?

[@wildfisher]

@@jameswood214 Dynamite would do it! 😃

[@neilandrew961]

Great video again fred showing the struggle of salmon and trout trying to get to the spawning ground some cracking fish trying to make their way up its disgraceful the Scottish government does virtually nothing to help they go on about visiting Scotland and the salmon is one its biggest assets

[@wildfisher]

Yes I'm afraid the only salmon our politicians are interested in swim in cages in west highland sea lochs. The wild fish are not a priority. Thanks for you comment. 👍

[@joosepflies]

Interesting indeed! Thank you!

[@wildfisher]

Thanks for your comment. 😊

[@highlandfishingdiary8818]

Great stuff, watched this with my kids they enjoyed seeing all those fish. Best of luck on your trip to New Zealand.

[@wildfisher]

Thanks. Getting the kids interested in nature is definitely the way forward glad they enjoyed it. 🙂

[@bertifrasilmeye995]

Hi, I could sit there all day...,,but it does break your heart a bit when they don´t make it.

[@wildfisher]

It certainly does. A wee modification to that fish pass would help a lot. 🙂

[@bertifrasilmeye995]

@@wildfisher Not that hard to do really! Even if you made a mess with holes... with a pneumatic drill on the pass it would hold up the water!

[@donnaperry7894]

Great video and I love your voice and commentary

[@wildfisher]

Thank you. 😊😊

[@PiscatorUK-Fishing]

Great video Fred, magnificent footage of the salmon run

[@wildfisher]

Thanks Douglas! 🙂

[@patwilbourne]

Good luck and Tight Lines on your jurney and say hello to my sis ...lol ..👍

[@wildfisher]

Thank you. 😊😊

[@maxpower1337]

Great video.

[@davidcollins5102]

Sandbag the weir so as to channel the water into a passage through a certain section to increase flow for fish passage and modern multi species fish passes have been installed by forth fisheries on the river almond in Lothian

[@kevinmerges3162]

Looking forward to seeing 1st video of 2023. Hoping all is well with you. VR

[@richardjohnson3463]

It's always a thrill to watch salmon runnng Fred but very sad to see them blocked like this

[@wildfisher]

It is for sure. I have since been in touch with the Trust who are looking into it again. The wheels seldom turn quickly though.

[@nirusuroraku6283]

Get rid of that obstacle. The sooner the better. Let the river sort itself out.

[@wildfisher]

The River Trust is looking into it, but the wheels of officialdom grind slowly in Scotland. Let's hope something gets done sooner rather than later. Thanks for your comment. 🙂

[@positivelynegative9149]

American here. I understood about ⅓ of the words spoken in this video. 🤣

[@wildfisher]

😁

[@BillysOilShack]

Probbaly best 😅

[@kevinearl9625]

Hi Fred, get in touch if you' re going to be in Nelson on your NZ trip, I'm happy to pass on some local knowledge(26 years here). cheers great video.

[@wildfisher]

Thanks Kevin, I don't think we will make it to Nelson, but will contact you if we do. 😊

[@greycaster]

What needs to be done to allow the salmon to pass. Could we petition the Scottish goverment or crowdfund the project.

[@wildfisher]

Ideally the dam dyke has to come down, but that's unlikely to happen. Some modification of the fish pass would be the next best thing. Of course all this needs the agreement and cooperation of the landowners.

[@Fox7466]

Lunan Bay? I'd give it a bash for the cod but New Zealand is going to be far more tropical! 👍

[@wildfisher]

Lots of good cod mark around here but NZ is warmer as you rightly say. 😁

[@harveyyoung6208]

What a beautiful site what river is this?

[@MrKveite1]

20-50 years ago this would be correct but there are VERY few big salmon in Scottish rivers today, unfortenate but true:(

[@wildfisher]

Sadly that is mostly the case.

[@MrKveite1]

The decline of the stocks and size have been brutal after the pens in the sea started popping up so basicly we Norwegians are ruining your salmonfishing:(@@wildfisher

[@maxpower1337]

Diluted genetics from hatchery fish.

[@MrKveite1]

@@maxpower1337yup. it causes less survivalrate of the smolts and also causes less growth in adult salmon so they dont get as big as they used to.

[@jamesmason8944]

The arrival of the huge factory ships must have a great impact in the feedstock availability for the salmon. Hoovering up everything in their path to process into a multitude of uses.

[@fisherman5517]

why are these barriers not being removed if they were more fish could reach the spawning grounds and then increase the salmon and seatrout population not just in this river but in many others all around the world .

[@wildfisher]

They should go, but my guess is it gets mired down in legal matters and red tape as well as who pays.

[@allansaunders5007]

Hi Fred is this Weir far up the river or is it closer to the sea

[@wildfisher]

About 5 miles or so from the sea. There is another weir at Lunan Bay but it gets covered by a high tide.

[@allansaunders5007]

@@wildfisher were could go to get access down to the weir Fred am going wet a fly and have wander at the same time. A will be coming from johnshaven

[@kevinadamson5768]

Why no fish pass?

[@tinkhefferon9934]

Did any make it up I heard you mention poachers ,shame on them

[@fisherrich100]

Disgraceful that the Scottish government do nothing to help these beautiful fish. Shame on you.

[@wildfisher]

I could not agree more!

[@jamesmason8944]

Watching these fish damage themselves is tragic.

[@garyjohnson4778]

A great video Fred.

[@wildfisher]

I really enjoyed making it Gary. 😊