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With the 2004 season just finished I am delighted to report
that we have had a record season here at Amat.
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Salmon
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Grilse
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Total
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Fish
released
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Fish
killed
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%
Released
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April
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22
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9
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31
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26
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5
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83.5%
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May
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54
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5
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59
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48
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11
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81%
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June
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29
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11
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40
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34
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6
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85%
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July
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19
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35
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54
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43
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11
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80%
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August
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20
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51
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71
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63
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8
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88%
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September
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24
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26
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50
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47
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3
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94%
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Total
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168
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137
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305
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261
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44
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85%
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The
previous best seasons total was 277, so this years magnificent
total of 305 exceeded the previous best by 28, which is tremendous.
The five year average is 191, this years total shows a whopping
60% increase on the five year average.
A big thanks to all the fishing guests who come to Amat and
participate enthusiastically in releasing Salmon & grilse,
all their help and efforts are much appreciated by myself and
the estate thank you all.
Most Productive Weeks
Week
beginning Aug 16th James Upton & party - 13 salmon, 26
grilse = 39
Heaviest salmon - 17lbs William Upton, Long pool.
Week
beginning May 3rd Andrew Bett & party. 24 salmon 2 grilse
= 26
Heaviest salmon - 13lb Ed Troughton Vernons pool, 13lb Andrew
Bett Park pool, 13lb Allan Donaldson Long pool.
*This week Ed Troughton lost a fresh springer estimated at
20 lbs in Sandys pool.
Week
Beginning Aug 23rd Alastair Smellie & party. 4 Salmon
21 grilse = 25
Heaviest salmon - 9.5lb James Smellie, Long pool.
Heaviest
salmon
20lbs
David Hart (Corner pool) June 24th.
17lbs William Upton (Long pool) Aug 20th.
16lbs Rodney Ellis (Kitchen run) May14th.
15lbs Jonnie Shaw (Craigs pool) May 1st.
15lbs Allan Donaldson (Temple pool) Aug 20th.
Spring
The
spring fishing, previously classed as upto 30th May is now
classed as up to 14th June this year as the fishery board
decided to change the dates.
Therefor the spring catches this season amounted to 104 Salmon
& Grilse
Very early grilse were in evidence this season again around
the first week in May they again proved difficult to catch
as these small fish of 3lb to 5lb travelled very quickly through
the beat. They are often seen moving through the Steps pool
and can be up at the Falls the same day leaving very few stragglers
in the pools on the way up.
The main feature of this seasons spring fishing was the excellent
quality of this years springers, the best I have seen since
eight or nine years at least. A two week spell in the spring
produced 48 fish, 16 of the salmon weighed 10 to 12lbs and
6 salmon weighed 13lb to 15lbs, lovely shaped and super quality.
The others were also very good springers 20 of them 8lb to
9lbs, 1 of 7.5lb, 4 grilse at 6lb and 1 at 5lbs.
Just under 50% of the salmon landed over this two weeks were
10lb to 15lb!
Summer & Back end
The
grilse were definitely late in coming but once the came they
kept coming, not in particularly big numbers but they came
right through till the end of the season, mingling with the
back end fish. There is usually a slight lull of a few weeks
after the grilse end before a more defined run of back end
fish comes in to the river, this year their just appeared
to be small bunches coming in throughout August and September.
Although they were not coming up into Amat during low water
at the start of August by all accounts grilse were making
it at least up to the Whirl pool at Gledfield and Cornhill.
I saw fresh grilse in the Whirl pool myself one evening just
after the high tide. Small fresh silver grilse of approx 3lbs
- 5lbs were moving through Amat right up to the last few Days
of the season and a few of them were caught. The occasional
bigger fresh fish was seen and one of these was caught during
the last week of the season in the Temple pool, a very fresh
fish of approx 9 lb. None of the big fish that were in the
beat last year were in evidence this year, there were big
fish in the beat in 2001 and last season 2003 alternate years
so perhaps next year will see them return, fingers crossed.
At the moment the spawning looks as though it should be good
as their appears to be a good head of fish in the beat and
we have already lost approx 300 to 400 minimum, these are
fish that went over the falls mainly at the end of July so
the spawning should be good up in glen Mhor and around Deanich.
The most productive pools 2004
Long pool 70.
Glencalvie pool 25.
Corner pool 25.
Park pool 23.
Vernons pool 22.
The
lower beat produced = 140.
The upper beat produced = 165.
As
usual the Long pool was at the top of the list of the most
productive pools, again confirming its status as the best
pool on the whole of the River Carron and its value to the
Amat fishings. The Glencalvie pool being a high water pool
will always feature highly in a season of good water conditions.
The Corner pool was back on form again this season, a beautiful
pool that typifies a highland salmon river. The Park pool
is a beautiful and versatile pool as it is another pool that
fishes in high medium and low water levels. Vernons pool again
a pool that fishes from very big to low water heights, the
head of the pool can be deceptive and can hold a lot of Salmon
and grilse in the relatively thin run in. The disappointing
pool this season has been the Bahn pool, for no apparent reason,
in 2003 it was second only to the Long pool last season (2004)
it could produce only 9 fish. The pool that I am glad to say
showed an improvement this year was the Garvault pool the
pool is gradually deepening again in the Head of the pool
where it had filled in very badly after a couple of massive
damaging spates brought down tons of debris a few years ago.
Two particular favourites of mine fished well this season
each producing 13 fish - The Curve pool and Kates pool. I
am sure we have never caught fish in so many different pools
amazingly 39 of our 49 named pools produced fish plus 2 unnamed
spots.
The most successful Salmon flies 2004
As a percentage of the total catch of 305 -
Kyley’s Tubes & Shrimps 56%
Ally’s
Shrimps All colours 11%
Collie
Dog Including Sunray shadow 8%
Cascade
6%
Silver
Stoat & Stoats tail 4%
Others
15%
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