NCBA fishing competition at Fontburn

NORTHUMBERLAND County Blind Association will hold their 11th charity fishing competition at Fontburn Reservoir on Friday, July 27 with cash prizes for adults and tackle vouchers for juniors aged 15 and under.

Every entrant will receive a free golden raffle ticket for the draw to win a 2013 Northumbrian Water Explorer season permit currently priced at £834.

The fishing lodge will open at 7.30am with registration from 8am and fishing from 8.30am to 3.30pm. Normal fishery rules will apply. The weigh in, prize presentation and goilden ticket draw will be at 4pm.

The top rod in the adult section will win £200 with the runner-up receiving £100 and the angler receiving the heaviest fish will win £50.

First prize in the junior section is a £50 tackle voucher; second prize will be a £40 voucher; and there will be a £30 voucher for the heaviest fish.

If the heaviest fish is caught by the winner or runner-up in either section, the next heaviest will win the prize.

For more details contact Will Lovat on 01669 621 368 or the Northumberland County Blind Association on 01670 514 316.

223 fish pass through counter in April 

THE Environment Agency has announced that the River Tyne upstream count for April this was 223, bringing the total for the year to 421.

April's count is the fourth highest on record and was higher than both the five-year (192) and the long term (165) average. The total for the year to the end of April is also the fourth highest on record and some way higher than the five-year (264) and the long term (233) averages.

The highest total for April was last year, when 409 upstream counts were recorded while the highest count for the first four months was 538 and was recorded during 2004. The upstream count for the first day of May was eight.

The highest daily count occurred on April 4 when 52 upstream counts were recorded. This coincided with an increase in river level and a decrease in the temperature.

For remainder of the month the majority of the counts were recorded after river levels dropped back after noticeable rises and increases in river temperature. It is noticeable that no upstream counts were recorded during the three major rises in river level.

The 2011 season saw the salmon rod catch record broken for the second year in succession with 5,630 fish declared caught. Of the salmon caught, 3,546 (63%) were returned which is also the highest number of salmon returned but is only the second highest proportion returned.

The highest proportion was in 2003 when almost 70% of the catch was returned. From 1999 onwards only on one occasion (2008) was the proportion of returned fish lower than 50%.

The sea trout catch for 2011 was 1,633 of which 980 were returned. Although, it is only the ninth highest sea trout catch declared, the proportion of fish returned to the river is the highest on records. As in the salmon catch the numbers of fish returned relative to catch has generally risen each year.

Further details of the daily upstream counts for 2012 and historic monthly counts can be found on http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/publications/40717.aspx

During April, the Environment Agency received 10 scales sample from salmon and one from a sea trout. Five of the salmon samples came from two sea winter (2SW) spring fish, four others came from three sea winter (3SW) spring fish and remaining salmon sample came from a fish returning to the river in 2011.

The mean average weight of the 2SW salmon sampled was 10lb 8oz and 16lb 12oz for the 3SW fish.

The solitary sea trout sample received during April came from a fish that had returned to the river in 2011; this was not its first return having already returned in 2010 and successfully escaped a few months or weeks later. Hopefully, this fish will make a third return to the river later in 2012.

So far this year, the EA has received 50 scale samples, 49 of which have come from salmon. Just under 60% of salmon samples have come from spring fish.

Unfortunately, it has not been possible to determine the age from two of the samples.

Please remember that if you are sending some scales from salmon or sea trout, please place them in a paper envelope, never tinfoil, cling film or plastic bags and please remember to send in place and date of capture. 

The EA would also be grateful if you could give an estimate of weight and or length. If you wish to receive details of the scale reading please remember to add your name and address.

The scales should be from fish of all sizes, no matter whether they are fresh, coloured or have returned to river this year or last (that is, kelts, baggots and rawners).

If you would like to join the Angler Scale Sampling Programme or the Angler Logbook Scheme please call 0191 203 4140 or email morton.heddell-cowie@environment-agency.gov.uk.

The Angler Scale Sampling Programme is supported by the Salmon and Trout Association, Hardy of Alnwick, Bagnall and Kirkwood and the Tyne Rivers Trust.

By sending in a few scales from the fish they catch anglers will help the EA improve their understanding the structures of the salmon and sea trout stocks of the River Tyne. 

Anglers can check river levels before heading out by visiting www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels