Source: Fishnewseu.com
Fishnewseu report that: The statistics reveal a decent season for salmon anglers in most parts of Scotland, although sea trout numbers and net catches have continued to decline.
The total reported rod catch (retained and released) of wild salmon for 2012 is 86,013 – the tenth highest rod catch on record and is 95 per cent of the previous five-year average.
The proportion of the rod catch accounted for by catch and release is the highest recorded. In 2012, 91% of rod caught spring salmon was released, as was 74% of the annual rod catch.
There are clear differences among geographic regions in the relative strength of the 2012 rod catch. The catches in 5 of the 9 regions are ranked within the top 25% of their respective time series. These regions (East, North East, North, North West and Outer Hebrides) are widely geographically distributed across Scotland. Catches from the Moray Firth and West Coast regions produced the lowest rank values, but no region reported catches in the lowest 25% of their time series.
The total reported rod catch of sea trout (retained and released) for 2012 is 22,051. Total reported catch decreased by 3% compared to the previous 5-year average and was the fifth lowest in the 61 year time series.
The proportion of the total rod catch accounted for by catch and release remains among the highest since records began in 1994 and accounted for 71% of the catch in 2012.
There are clear differences among geographic regions in the relative strength of the 2012 rod catch. All mainland regions in the west of Scotland reported catches within the lowest eleven recorded for their region over the period 1952 to 2012. The reported catch in Moray Firth and North East regions were, similarly, the lowest and fifth lowest respectively over the same period. Catches in the East and North regions in 2012 were, on the other hand, both among the top ten catches recorded within their respective regions, while the catch recorded in the Outer Hebrides was close to the mid-point in the time series.