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A Code of
Conduct for Salmon & Sea-trout fishing on the River Whiteadder
Introduction
A meeting of
the Whiteadder Riparian Owners was convened on 5th January 2005 regarding
a proposed code of conduct for fishing throughout the river Whiteadder system.
This was unanimously agreed by those present and is supported by others in
written submission, including the Crown Estates. The following code of Conduct
will therefore be adopted from 1st of February 2005. This code is supplementary
to the Tweed Angling code.
Implementation of the Code
- Fishing will be fly only.
- No worm or other bait fishing will be permitted at any time.
- Fishing should not take place while standing on a weir or cauld.
- Hooks or tubes should conform to standard patterns and should not have
additional weights attached. No hook larger than size 4 should be used.
Conservation measures are clearly shown to have a significant impact on
maintenance and improvement of wild fish stocks and, in view of such, the
following measures should be considered as part of the code of conduct:
- All anglers should return as many fish as possible, particularly hen fish.
- Ideally, anglers should only kill one salmon per day.
- Care must be taken to ensure juvenile salmon and trout are returned
unharmed to the river.
River Tweed Commissioners
Tweed Angling Code for salmon and sea trout
A guide to legal restrictions and good practice when fishing on Tweed and its
tributaries
(Revised 2009)
INTRODUCTION
As more people fish for salmon, as the many environmental pressures on salmon
increase, and as exploitation continues to make high demands on wild stocks, it
becomes increasingly important for the salmon angler to set a good example in
standards of sportsmanship and in care for wild stocks, the environment,
wildlife and fellow anglers.
The purpose of this code is to encourage such standards and to avoid behaviour
which may bring the sport into disrepute.
This Code consists of two sections:
Section A Statutory regulations.
Section B Regulations to be imposed by beat owners including the new
Spring Salmon Conservation measures.
In addition there are advisory notes on handling fish and on general
conduct.
Implementation of the Code
Owners, managers, associations and clubs should ensure that the principles of
this code are applied to the beat and are expected to withdraw permission to
fish from those who contravene Sections A and B.
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IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CODE
Owners, managers, associations and clubs should ensure that the principles of
this code are applied to their beats and are expected to withdraw permission to
fish from those who contravene Sections A and B.
Section A: The Law
Legal regulations contained in statute, a
breach of which could lead to criminal proceedings.
- The
season starts on 1st February and ends on 30th November.
- There
is no fishing on Sundays.
- Before
February 15th and after September 14th fishing is with fly only.
- IT
IS ILLEGAL TO SELL ROD-CAUGHT FISH.
- It is
illegal to fish without legal right or written permission from the beat's
owner or his representative.
- It is
illegal to use prawns or shrimps throughout the catchment and throughout the
year.
- It is
illegal to use either worms (by any method) or lures with multiple hooks
(other than a lone double, or a lone treble, hook) at any time of year on
the whole of the Ettrick and Yarrow and their tributaries; the whole of the
main stem of the River Tweed downstream from the old road bridge crossing
above the confluence with the River Ettrick to the coastal limits of the
District of the Commission; and the lower reaches of the principal
tributaries downstream of the confluence with the River Ettrick as follows:
on the Gala Water, downstream from the Boleside road bridge; on the Leader
Water, downstream from the Leaderfoot bridge; on the Teviot, downstream from
the Kelso to St Boswells road bridge; on the Till, downstream from the
Twizel Cauld; and on the Whiteadder, downstream from the Newmills Cauld.
- It is
illegal to attempt deliberately to foulhook fish.
- It is
illegal to use anything other than a net as auxiliary to land a fish.
- It is
illegal to kill kelts, smolts and parr.
- It is
illegal to take unclean or unseasonable fish which includes baggots, kippers
and fish about to spawn or in the process of spawning.
All caught fish must be recorded in the beat’s record book except:-
a) kelts (any Salmon that have
already spawned) and,
b) in the Spring only, sexually
mature Salmon from the previous year that have not yet spawned (ie. full
of spawn or milt).
[Salmon in this context means
Salmon or Sea-trout.]
- It is
illegal to buy or sell wild salmon roe or to fish with any form of salmon
roe.
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Section B: Tweed Rules
Regulations which the Commission expect beat owners to impose
- In
order to minimise the risk of spreading Gyrodactylus salaris to
Scotland, all anglers’ equipment which has been used outside Britain and
Ireland within the preceding seven days must be cleaned either by:
a) Drying at a minimum temperature of 20 C for at least 2 days, OR
b) Heating for at least one hour at a temperature above 60 C, OR
c) Immersing in a suitable solution. Virkon (at 1% solution); Wescodyne (at
1%); a 3% solution of common salt (Sodium Chloride) or a 0.2% solution of
Sodium Hydroxide OR
d) Deep freezing for at least 1 day.
Anglers will be required to sign a Declaration to
this effect and the Gyrodactylus Declaration form can be downloaded - please
follow this link to the
Gyrodactylus page
-
Artificial prawns or shrimps should not be used.
- All
foulhooked fish (ie those not hooked in or around the mouth) should be
returned.
- In
order to help prevent deliberate foulhooking, the following fly fishing
rules have been agreed :-
a) Maximum cast/leader breaking strain - 25lbs.
b) Hooks or tubes should be properly dressed, ie with coloured body and a
reasonable quantity of hair/fur/feather in proportion to the hook size - not
a bare treble with a few feathers tied on.
c) Maximum tube treble size - No 4.
d) No weights or swivel devices that are not part of the body of the fly are
permitted.
e) Unless fishing with a floating line, casts should be made downstream of
square.
f) Unless fishing with a floating line, no retrieve, other than slow hand
lining or reeling in to be made until the cast has been fished out.
g) Continue to move steadily through the pool, normally at a rate of 1 metre
between casts.
h) Anglers to remain at least 20 metres apart.
- The
Tweed Spring Salmon Conservation Measures should be applied throughout the
catchment as specified in the following section.
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SPRING SALMON CONSERVATION MEASURES
These measures apply from 1st February to 30th June on the whole of the
Tweed catchment.
The first Salmon taken
should be returned (unless it is the angler's first ever Salmon); the second
Salmon may be kept; the third should be returned, etc.
The first Salmon is the most important. It is putting this one back that
will make the difference.
ADDITIONAL MEASURES
All stale Spring Salmon caught in the second half
of the season should continue to be returned.
HANDLING FISH
-
Outside the period of the Spring Salmon Conservation Measures
there are no catch limits, but anglers are expected to
keep only fish which they can sensibly make use of.
- Fish
to be retained should be promptly and
efficiently dispatched with an appropriate priest.
- Fish
to be returned should be released as quickly
as possible, the hook being removed with suitable forceps. Such fish should
be handled as little as possible and returned carefully into running water
facing upstream.
-
Ripe/darkly coloured fish, particularly hens,
are not suitable for eating fresh or for smoking and should be returned. It
is not possible to lay down precise criteria for determining what is a
keepable fish. Common sense and discretion should be used, taking into
account all the circumstances; for example a fish which was the angler’s
first fish or his only fish for the week might be considered keepable
whereas a fish in the same condition should be returned when fresh fish are
plentiful. IF IN DOUBT, PLEASE PUT IT BACK!
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THE NEED FOR RULES
The River Tweed Commission expect all proprietors to implement the rules in
Section B and to withdraw permission to fish from those who break them.
The rules have been carefully drafted to ensure their effectiveness whilst
minimising any disruption to the legitimate fisherman. We hope that the latter
will understand the need for action and accept any inconvenience to them as
their part in ensuring that the Tweed as a whole is sensibly fished.
The statutory responsibility for
enforcement of Tweed law, as set out in Section A, has been vested in the River
Tweed Commission by Parliament and is implemented by their water bailiffs who
have powers to prosecute offenders.
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GENERAL CONDUCT
Angling as a sport and recreation can easily be disrupted by external
interference. Water space is in great demand, both from anglers and other
activities, and therefore its enjoyment has to be shared. The following points
should be observed by every angler.
-
if the equipment has been used outside Britain
and Ireland, it is vital that you clean and treat your equipment in
one of the approved ways described at Section B.1 in order to prevent any
risk of spreading Gyrodactylus salaris to Tweed. observe the bounds of any
beat to which you have been assigned.
-
give consideration to anglers on the opposite
bank.
-
anglers fishing with spinners should give
precedence to fly fishers.
-
make sure you can recognise kelts, baggots &
kippers so that you can comply with the legal requirement to return them to
the water.
acknowledge considerate behaviour by other legitimate water users.
-
follow the Country Code, particularly in
relation to control of dogs, the risk of fires and fastening gates.
-
do not park vehicles so that they obstruct
gateways or cause a hazard on the road.
-
avoid damage to the waterside or disturbance
to wildlife; no tackle or litter should be discarded, particularly nylon
which is a hazard to wildlife.
-
be safety conscious, wear a life jacket or
buoyancy aid and eye protection, be aware of overhead electric lines, stop
fishing in electric storms and wade cautiously.
-
support The Tweed Foundation and other
organisations which safeguard your sport.
The Commission would like to thank the Salmon & Trout Association for permission
to include some items from their own angling code, which is recommended as an
excellent general code.
River Tweed Commissioners
The North Court, Drygrange Steading, Melrose, Roxburghshire, TD6 9DJ
Tel: Ealston (01896) 848294. Fax: )01896) 848277
Email: info@rtc.org.uk Web:
www.rtc.org.uk
Established by Act of Parliament to protect the salmon & trout stocks
of the Tweed river system.
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