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The top salmon rivers in Scotland. Table of rod-catches 2000 to 2007

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SalmonAtlasEditor 09/06/2009 11:01:00
image The top salmon rivers in Scotland. Table of rod-catches 2000 to 2007

Fish&Fly takes a close look at the 21st century salmon rod catches from the rivers of Scotland and assesses the health of the nation's Atlantic salmon population. The trend is generally positive with top spot going to Tweed which has benefitted most from the NE drift-net buyouts at the end of 2002. The rivers are ranked on the basis of their average catch this millennium. Click on the headers of the table below to re-order the figures to make your own judgments.

See more recent data: Atlantic salmon rod catches in Scotland 2000 to 2009

River
Rank
Avg 8yr
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Trend
2007
v avg
Max
Min
Tweed 1 12,617 9,713 9,455 10,403 13,522 14,958 13,291 13,795 15,799 65% 25% 15,799 9,455
Tay 2 9,031 9,182 9,771 6,258 5,525 10,447 10,532 11,843 8,688 26% -4% 11,843 5,525
Spey 3 8,633 8,768 7,762 6,328 6,438 9,864 9,359 10,516 10,027 41% 16% 10,516 6,328
Dee 4 4,723 2,984 4,654 3,768 3,310 6,046 5,414 5,620 5,989 84% 27% 6,046 2,984
Kyle of Sutherland System 5 3,165 3,677 3,493 2,214 2,154 3,553 3,045 3,354 3,830 12% 21% 3,830 2,154
Deveron 6 3,136 2,833 3,716 1,779 1,161 4,679 3,281 3,329 4,308 56% 37% 4,679 1,161
Findhorn 7 2,647 2,321 2,888 2,176 1,541 2,880 2,378 3,956 3,038 48% 15% 3,956 1,541
Nith 8 2,381 2,130 1,764 2,574 1,438 3,424 2,281 2,682 2,753 43% 16% 3,424 1,438
Forth 9 2,314 1,795 2,668 2,046 1,308 3,579 2,644 1,916 2,553 22% 10% 3,579 1,308
Helmsdale 10 2,015 1,812 2,190 1,233 1,716 2,677 2,151 2,465 1,875 26% -7% 2,677 1,233
Don 11 2,004 1,552 2,040 1,665 1,317 3,340 2,551 2,158 1,412 20% -30% 3,340 1,317
North Esk 12 1,890 2,072 2,072 1,746 1,216 2,254 2,134 1,979 1,647 -5% -13% 2,254 1,216
Conon 13 1,295 652 1,618 1,121 1,169 1,475 1,455 1,579 1,289 44% 0% 1,618 652
Beauly 14 1,286 1,257 1,262 1,085 937 1,536 1,529 1,327 1,357 21% 6% 1,536 937
Ness 15 1,274 910 1,218 1,114 934 1,546 1,823 1,174 1,471 53% 15% 1,823 910
Naver 16 1,194 1,440 1,054 661 629 1,349 1,272 1,204 1,945 63% 63% 1,945 629
South Esk 17 1,090 1,260 949 1,044 772 1,409 935 1,348 1,003 4% -8% 1,409 772
Thurso 18 890 377 738 492 364 1,179 895 1,404 1,668 414% 87% 1,668 364
Doon 19 853 1,072 822 534 706 982 1,219 583 908 0% 6% 1,219 534
Nairn 20 792 253 677 480 181 1,209 819 1,315 1,402 463% 77% 1,402 181
Annan 21 789 720 203 752 217 1,272 937 979 1,230 184% 56% 1,272 203
Clyde 22 763 342 1,187 657 471 1,004 1,018 339 1,088 33% 43% 1,187 339
Border Esk 23 752 729 521 812 431 897 978 808 841 43% 12% 978 431
Ayr 24 677 727 790 630 266 947 712 554 793 3% 17% 947 266
Brora 25 643 1,065 685 509 456 602 532 681 613 -32% -5% 1,065 456
Lochy 26 635 211 578 280 440 273 1,390 462 1,446 560% 128% 1,446 211
Stinchar 27 587 526 590 470 187 847 486 779 813 70% 38% 847 187
Awe 28 558 461 598 400 306 503 788 568 840 81% 51% 840 306
Wick 29 509 259 860 134   781           860 134
Halladale 30 500 291 310 268 180 627 725 692 903 403% 81% 903 180
Alness 31 411 289 368 259 167 481 451 609 666 184% 62% 666 167
Grimersta (Hebrides) 32 393       239 352 572 399 404 45% 3% 572 239
Ythan 33 375 355 325 382 91 688 404 293 459 32% 23% 688 91
Cree 34 365 426 264 242 209 402 430 563 387 58% 6% 563 209
Creed 35 311 240 292 180 172 314 420 242 624 159% 101% 624 172
Irvine 36 296 285 401 298 153 402 276 188 367 -8% 24% 402 153
Girvan 37 280 223 387 210 76 329 297 320 400 53% 43% 400 76
Grudie 39 258 269 150 126 147 270 387 279 439 158% 70% 439 126
Gruinard 40 235 142 203 158 154 252 293 181 496 208% 111% 496 142
Urr 41 216 248 21 177 100 409 183 245 347 140% 60% 409 21
Ammuinsuidhe (Hebrides) 42 188       104 188 266 164 218 47% 16% 266 104
Lossie 43 179 52 118 118 76 388 330 115 235 213% 31% 388 52
Barvas (Hebrides) 44 173       146 129 242 201 148 70% -15% 242 129
Creed (Hebrides) 45 167       78 128 241 70 318 177% 90% 318 70
Laxford 46 163 119 99 97 118 137 263 145 324 253% 99% 324 97
Kirkaig 47 161 170 147 130 79 137 210 159 256 66% 59% 256 79
Inver 48 159 178 116 108 119 136 188 182 246 77% 55% 246 108
Forss 49 156         96 105 95 327 161% 110% 327 95
Ewe 50 145 113 96 114 144 169 191 135 200 87% 38% 200 96
Hope 51 123 118 62 67 146 124 171 92 203 108% 65% 203 62
Garynahine (Hebrides) 52 109       35 113 140 104 155 8% 42% 155 35
Carron 53 105 11 5 14 40 140 166 200 261 3359% 149% 261 5
Fhorsa (Hebrides) 54 99       62 71 114 111 139 204% 40% 139 62
Snizort 55 94 43 21 27 36 79 157 125 263 905% 180% 263 21
All Rivers
n/a  
 64,672 70,208 56,340 51,983 92,073 83,071 84,626 89,411 51.79% 26.97% 92,073 51,983

 

Notes:

Only rivers that average 94 salmon or more since year 2000 have been included in this table.

Trend = This tells us whether or not the river is improving or deteriorating as a salmon river (since 2000) and how fast the change is. 50% (more) means the catches have increased by half as much again since 2000 e.g. 100 to 150 (coloured blue-green). -50% means they have halved (coloured red). These are not absolute values but are taken from a linear line of best-fit which provides a good way to judge trends.

2007 v Avg = This tells us if 2007 was a good, average or poor season for each river. The figure compares the 2007 catch against the 8 year average.

Charts:

Overall the salmon catches for the rivers tabled above increased by 48% from 2000 to 2007.

Scotlands salmon catches 2000-2007

 

Catch trends from 1990 to 2007 of the 'big four' Scottish salmon rivers.

Salmon catches Scotland 1990-2007
Hover mouse over the rivers, lakes or towns to see their names. Click on them for more information and detailed maps.
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