Rivers Coe and Leven. Angling, Conservation and Poaching

 

In waters clear, where shadows dance,

A salmon swims, in bold advance,

Against the flow, a daring dream,

Upstream it goes, a relentless stream.

Its scales, a glistening silver sheen,

Reflect the sun's golden, shimmering beam,

Each leap, a prayer, for life's grand scheme,

A journey upstream, a timeless theme.

Through rapids wild and stony braid,

The salmon's spirit will not fade,

It's nature's call, an ageless theme,

To swim upstream, in this grand scheme.

With every stroke, a memory's gleam,

The river's tale, a whispered scheme,

In struggle and strength, a life extreme,

The salmon's dance, an endless dream.

Upward it glides, like a silken stream,

Against the current, an endless theme,

A testament to life's primal scheme,

The salmon's journey, a vibrant gleam.

In the swirling depths, it finds its way,

To birthplace, where memories sway,

A final act, a life redeemed,

The salmon's legacy, in waters deemed.

A form unique, a tale supreme,

The salmon's journey, an enduring dream,

In the river's heart, a sacred team,

Swimming upstream, in nature's scheme.

Sophia Grey

The King of fish the Atlantic Salmon and its close relative, and its equal, the wild Sea Trout, were once abundant in the West Highlands. Neither are abundant now. In many small local rivers, they have disappeared completely. Wiped out, extinct, extrirpated. Thousands of years of genetics and homing instincts enabling them to find their natal rivers gone. No great outcry from locals, other than perhaps the anglers, and litle publicity.  These tumbling spate streams and rivers are no Spey, Dee or Tweed where landed gentry and estates have political clout and where an outcry would result. No, the Salmon and Sea Trout just slowly disappeared, and no one noticed. Like rot in an old tree. First the little branches wither. The Salachan burn, The River Duror, Allt Chaolais and River Laroch.

The Duror in particular was a very good small river with some big fish. These small rivers all had grilse (one sea winter Salmon) and sea trout runs. At the headwaters of the river Laroch where the Allt Socach burn joins, next to the forest, some forestry workers saw grilse at the water gate on the fence they were fixing. It’s astounding the falls and hazards they would have encountered to arrive there. Then the River Coe died. The river Coe, once one of the most productive Salmon rivers in Lochaber, with big runs of both multi sea winter Salmon and one sea winter grilse. On occasion there were hundreds of fish in the sea pool. Folk would come to stare in amazement at all the fish swimming in the Coe’s clear clean water.  And folk seeing them often wanted to get one out, with or without permission. 

The river Leven fared a little better, despite almost drying out from the random shut off of the tailrace in dry conditions for hydro work. Its deep dark peaty pools perhaps helping a little. But it’s a shadow of the river it was. In the past the Leven as catchement area had some remarkable seasons. During season 1967 anglers caught 115 Salmon and Grilse and 65 Sea Trout in a mile of river Leven and the Tidal pool the Coe. I think the Coe and Leven are together as a catchment as if memory serves me correctly they were identified as identical fish. Its likley fish stray between the two rivers. The Scaddle is similar and its figures probably include the Cona. Although both the Cona and Coe were likely more productive than their neighbours at one time.

During 1973 the Leven ctachement produced 115 Salmon and Grilse. During season 1988 151 were caught, but 1989 was the best recorded, with a staggering 181 Salmon and Grilse.  Its very likely that this number is grossly inflated by fish farm escapees which were everywhere and were not reported as such. The seasonal average for the catchment is about 60. Although there are no records for the river Coe going back to 1988, I remember 37 Grilse taken during a four-hour period from the tidal pool of an afternoon in July that year. Having caught seven of them in an hour myself. Looking at the catch records, a steady decline started from 1997 with a steady drop to single fingers and only an occasional season when catches temporarily increase. A classic see saw of intermittent returns as things change at sea and in the Loch habitat.

Even if as I suspect these figures are for both rivers, just consider that the bulk of the Coe fish were caught in a 100 yard long tidal section from the Tidal pool to the falls, and the Leven mainly in the accessable section from the loch and upriver for a mile. 

Looking at the data there were also seasons when Spring Salmon were caught. The earliest in March, a few in April, and on a regular basis four or five each May. The Coe often had a good early run of sparkling silver springers. These early fish seem to have disappeared. As have the September and October late fish which were often nice clean fresh fish, running until mid October. Now we have a late Spring into early summer run and not much after July. Perhaps single fish but not the runs of a dozen or more with a tide.

Leven Catchment Rod Caught Data 1952 to 2022
Click Image to See Full Size

In these abundant years there were many bag netting stations taking a substantial but sustainable harvest of wild fish.  And sadly, organized poaching by gangs from the central belt would decimate river stocks temporarily. These gangs would wipe out the fish stock in the Coe from top to bottom in one night with Cyamag, taking hundreds of fish and killing juveniles. This was a criminal act conducted by criminal gangs travelling around the Highlands. They were the antithesis of Highland poaching.

Poaching is in a Highlanders blood. For some, it was about putting food on the table. For others it was a way of getting a bottle of whiskey for their pocket via the sale of a fish to a local hotel. Folk here in the West were not well off. More often poaching was a combination of putting food on the table, and getting one over on the estate, or owner of the fishing. A game, and a test of rights with substantial consequences if caught. A heavy fine, or for a repeat offence perhaps jail time depending on the Sherrif.  If the Sherriff was in the landed gentry’s pocket then harsh punishment. These were bowing and scraping times when you were expected to know your place. Locals quite rightly didn’t see why anyone could or should own the wild things their ancestors lived off. They would only take what they needed and were not greedy. They conserved and shared. Shared their catch with neighbor’s and left a few Salmon in a pool for others. Including leaving some for the owners of a river or loch who claimed the rights.

The Salmonids are under huge pressure. Habitat loss from river erosion, hydro schemes and climate change have had a huge impact. Overfishing of sand eels has affected the coastal sea trout. And Krill fishing by super trawlers at Salmon feeding grounds off Greenland’s coast is taking Salmons main food source. Both Krill and other small species of fish are being caught and minced to make feed for farmed Salmon. Often mixed with pea and other substitute proteins. Absolute madness, as to produce 1kg of feed for a farmed fish takes 4kg of wild. 

The Salmon farms are sited in areas where tidal flow is great so that the urine, chemical and detritus gets flushed away. Treating our seas as a free sewer. Also, the overstocking of these farms’ causes damage to the caged fish, with disease and blooms of sea lice following. Sea lice are natural, and often a sign of a fresh run wild Salmon. Sadly, the stocking density in farms cause massive blooms of these lice.  The lice are parasitic. Much like humans with body lice the fish can tolerate a burden up to a point. The human host is killed by diseases such as Typhus and epidemic fever. The farmed Salmonids by Aeromonas salmonicida, Amoebic gill disease (AGD), Bacterial Kidney Disease (BKD), Cardiomyopathy Syndrome and Cataracts to name just a few. These lice are fatal in high burdens to adult farmed Salmon. 

The farms are in juvenile Salmon (smolt) migration routes as the smolts follow these tidal flows. The young small fish become overburdened with lice, and with as little as 7 lice will be killed off. This is a major factor in West of Scotland wild Salmon decline. Salmon farms are currently sustaining 40 to 60% mortality or greater in some locations from lice, along with outbreaks of disease, and recently micro jellyfish blooms from sea warming.  That they can profit even with such huge mortalities shows the money involved in the industry and why they are left alone by Scottish and UK government’s, with not even the Green party challenging them. Farmed Salmon is the UK's biggest export followed by Whisky. Woven into the fabric of communities the Salmon farm companies have played a long game. Shinty, football and many local initiatives benefit from money from these farms.  

If it’s hard on the smolts going to sea, then it’s worse for the Sea Trout. If the smolts survive then at least in open water out past the Sound of Mull, past the big open sea Salmon farms they have at least some chance. The Sea trout are a coastal fish seldom straying far from their natal rivers where they began life as Brown trout. At most they travel three or four miles along coasts or up and down sea lochs. They are constantly exposed to all the detritus, chemicals, diseases and lice from the Salmon farms. These wonderful fish begin life in rivers that are mostly nutrient poor. Sea Trout are females. They go through a process called anadromy and adapt to salt water.  After this they can move freely between fresh and salt water. Better sea feeding allows them to grow and survive, migrate back and spawn ensuring the survival of the river trout population. If the river habitat is improved and there is more food abundance then less numbers go through anadromy as the river can sustain them. Nature is amazing. At least it’s amazing until we humans muck it up.

At best now we have perhaps 5% of the Salmon stock left and 50% of the Sea Trout in the rivers that still have them. We need to protect these fish and conserve them. Netting stations are closed. Rivers are now graded for abundance or in the case of the West the lack of abundance and so graded for scarcity. With few exceptions on the West coast, it is illegal to kill or be in possession of a wild Salmon or possess any part of one. Resturaunts and hotels should not advertise Wild Salmon as they shouldnt have any, and if they have then they will be prosecuted. Or they are mis selling farmed Salmon.

From the past days of abundance. A small run of summer grilse in the Coes's crystal waters. 

Paradoxically anglers play a huge part in Salmon conservation. While it can be argued that angling for sport and catching and releasing a wild fish is cruel, these anglers are the ones doing their best to highlight the problems of wild Salmon decline, and doing what they can in habitat and general river conservation. And more importantly, in these difficult times when folk are again looking to catch some free high-quality protein many unaware of the background story of Salmon, the anglers are the ones who are watching for poaching and protecting the stock that’s left. I am a member of a local angling club with a river running through its wee town and its members regard themselves as trustees of a unique village resource and are angler conservationists. Without them what few fish there are in that river would be gone. Like me, many just take a fishing rod for a walk to be on the river. It’s not always about catching fish. Its mindfulness, and nature comes to you in the quietude of fishing. Also sharing that environment with family, taking your children with you to share your rod, passes on that appreciation of a wild place and the mystery of An Bradán Feasa, the Celtic Salmon of knowledge. And another generation of trustees is invested.

The Anglers are a first line of defense against poaching. Members of an angling club have membership cards and rules to abide by. They also watch over their rivers and can challenge folk fishing without permission, which in law should be permission written and produced as a permit or club card. A lot of folks are unaware of fisheries law and conservation rules. Mostly it’s just a case of asking folk illegally fishing to move off and explaining why in a polite but firm manner.  The public also have a role to play even if they don’t fish and if they witness suspicious activity they can mention it to an angling club member. Very occasionally folk challenged can become angry and then it’s a task for the Police or local water Baliff.  

Water Baliffs are appointed by District Salmon fisheries boards or Scottish ministers. A Baliff must successfully complete a training course and final exam. This ensures that a warranted Baliff fully understands the range of their powers of arrest, seizure, entry and search, and the circumstances under which they can be exercised. Fisheries law in general has a common theme running through the legislation which is conservation, protection and management of fish and fisheries. This is mainly based on the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (consolidation) Scotland Act 2003 and the Aquaculture and fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 https://fms.scot/fishing-and-the-law/legislation/ Also the Sea Fish (conservation) Act 1967 and the inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984.

Within the provisions of the relevant acts a warranted Baliff may apply to a justice of the peace or Sherrif for powers of entry to premises or a vehicle if there has been suspected breaches of the 2003 or 2007 act, and confiscate anything used in the offence. Very importantly under section 8.12 of the 2003 act, a Water Baliff without warrant may seize and detain any person found committing an offence against any provisions of the act. It is also an offence to obstruct a Water Baliff in the exercise of their powers. Once arrested a Baliff will endeavor to hand over the person detained to the Police. For me these days my Baliffs powers are rarely exercised. Anglers as river watchers with mobile phones can get vehicle registrations and pictures of illegal fishing, and of the offence being committed. They can pass that to the Police who can charge on that basis.

I hold a Baliffs warrant for the Lochaber Board area and specifically the Leven sub board area of Leven, Duror and Coe. My task is mainly public engagement and education as well as the conservation message. Only if illegal poaching methods were being employed, salmon caught and killed or folk fishing without permission who refuse to move on would any of my warranted powers come into play.  And then only when no resolution could be politely sought.  Between Covid lockdowns I had a group illegally fishing on the river Coe reported to me. I went to see them and found a dad with three kids learning to cast spinning rods. I just talked to them and listened to their story. My heart went out to them. I pointed out that they shouldn’t be fishing there. I gave them casting tips and some hope of better days. I also gave them ideas of places where they could legally fish and catch something, as where they were fishing was barren. A lovely family who I hope learned something about fish biology, conservation and fishing. At the opposite end are folk with a sense of entitlement who get abusive and want to argue with the person asking them to move. That can be financially costly to them, and if the offence is serious can cost them their vehicle and the tackle used in the offense.

I fish, although mainly it’s just taking a rod for a walk. I am fortunate to be a member of Kinlochleven and District Angling Club. A club of keen anglers and fine people who value greatly the lovely river Leven. I am a representative to the Lochaber Salmon Fisheries board for anglers, and Alastair Sutherland who owns fishing on the river Coe. I am also a trustee of the Lochaber Fisheries Trust which employs two full-time fisheries biologists.  I am a huge fan of the recently formed MACOLL group (Marine Conservation of Loch Linnhe) and the Save Loch Linnhe group trying to stop a proposed giant super Salmon farm just South of Cuil Bay Duror.  

All is not lost for Salmon and Sea Trout if we fight to save them. Doing nothing is not an option. 

A May Spring fish from the river Coe safely returned