Catch & Release

Catch and release is vital to help protect and restore Salmon stocks in our rivers. Give your Salmon the best opportunity of reaching the spawning redds. Follow the advice in ‘An Anglers Guide to Catch & Release for Salmon’.

Before fishing a pool, always identify where a fish can be safely landed without risk of damage on rocks or stones. If fishing alone, take a net. Traditional large mesh salmon nets can cause split fins and tails. Have long-nosed forceps or similar tool close to hand form prompt hook removal.

If you want a photo of your salmon before release, have your camera ready, for example, on a neck lanyard. We urge you not to lift the fish out of the water by any means if it is at all possible. At the very least never lift your Salmon for the water by its tail, or gill cover: you will cause internal damage. Use a soft, knotless net with small mesh size with a shallow, wide bottom to allow the fish to lie flat. Knotless mesh is a legal requirement. Suitable replacement net bags are available from: fastnetsports