A beginner’s guide to the Scottish terms describing the various “stages” of salmon you can catch when fishing in Scotland

Every day we receive enquiries from European and other overseas visitors for tailor-made salmon fishing holidays in Scotland. These enquiries can be from complete beginners to very experienced trout fishermen. Probably only one in ten enquiries is from an experienced salmon fisherman. This presents us with a problem when we prepare our proposals. As well as the normal difficulties with translation, we have the added complication which arises due to the very specific vocabulary which is used to refer to the different “stages” of salmon which may be caught when fishing in Scotland. So here is a brief beginner’s guide to the main terms that are used;

Fresh fish

This is what we all want to catch. Just in from the sea, these glorious fish are firm, well proportioned and bright silver with a “petrol blue” sheen. They fight extremely hard and, if they are very fresh (less than 48 hours in freshwater) they may have sea lice still attached. Subject to the conservation rules applying to the particular river, it may be possible to retain a fresh fish.

Coloured fish

As a fresh fish becomes more ready to spawn, its silver colour is replaced by a darker, rust-coloured. The bottom jaw of cock fish develops a pronounced hook (known as a kype) and, having used up some of its body fat reserves, the fish looses some of its firmness. All of these fish must be returned quickly and safely to the river.

Grilse

A young salmon returning to the freshwater for the first time. These beautiful, hard fighting fish normally arrive in the mid to late summer and are usually in the 1-2.5kg range.

Kelt

A salmon which has spawned and is returning to sea. These fish are encountered in the early weeks of the new season, when they will readily take any fly that comes into range. They are in poor condition, having used up almost all of their fat reserves. They are silver in colour, skinny, the fins are usually torn and they almost always have maggots in the gills. By law, these fish must be quickly and carefully returned to the river.

Baggot

A hen salmon which has failed to spawn. They can have an appearance of being “fresh”, but the belly of the fish is soft and flabby. It is more common that they will have a pinkish hue rather than the “petrol blue” sheen of a fresh fish. Like kelts, these fish must be returned.