Cormorant crisis on the Earn!

The first day of the new salmon season coincided with the first rapid thaw of the winter snow and the first heavy rain of the new year. As a consequence, the Tay was in full flood and the Environment Agency (SEPA) warned all fishermen to stay away. So, with the opening day well and truly scuppered, I decided that instead I would fish the river Earn for grayling.

Now normally, this part of the river at Kinkell Bridge will produce between 2 and 3,000 grayling in a season. For good reason and for many years it has been accepted that this part of the river is probably the best in all of Scotland for the grayling.

When I arrived, the river was a little high (0.8m), but the water was running pretty clear. On the basis of conditions, hopes were moderately high. That was, until Sandy the ghillie showed up…. It seems that the winter had seen a huge increase in the number of cormorants on the river and that these greedy black b*****ds have eaten nearly every grayling and trout in the river – disaster!

The river still has a very large number of salmon, but I fear for the survival of the young fish in the spring. Something must be done to reduce the numbers of these birds but SEPA will not allow them to be culled. Quite frankly, the situation is ridiculous. It is only because the RSPB is so rich and powerful that nothing is done. In the meantime, the natural balance is being broken and our populations of fish are being critically damaged.

Anyway, I began fishing at about 09:30 and within one hour the river had risen in height to 1.4m and was now the colour of chocolate! By 11:30 I gave up – the river was up to nearly 2m and water was starting to enter the fields.

Let’s hope that this disappointing start to the season only means that we have all our bad luck on day one!