FOR the first time in many years there was a major increase in the number of adult salmon returning to the River Nore over the summer months.
The extremely wet weather in July and August helped to keep water levels up, making it easier for the salmon to return.
Stocks received a major boost with the end of drift-net fishing off our coasts this year.
Bob Wemyss from Thomastown, who is na
tional secretary of Salmon Watch Ireland, is delighted with the reversal of fortunes for the salmon.
"There is absolutely no comparison with last year when there were few if any adult salmon coming up the river," he said.
He said that not only had a lot more salmon come into the river but added that there were significantly bigger fish than in the last decade.
"They were 10 to 12 to 15 pounds weight on average," he said.
He thinks that the removal of the large nets at the estuaries following a government buy-out of the drift-net licences is the main reason why more salmon and bigger specimens have been recorded.
Mr Wemyss noted that smaller fish taken from the river did not have the tell-tale signs of net marks on their scales this season.
He pointed out that there is a strict catch-and-release policy on the River Nore to ensure that the species survives.
No one is allowed to kill and bring home a salmon as part of a major conservation drive.
The increase in numbers is good news for the future and is highlighted by the luck of well known angler Jim Brown who caught his 51st salmon of the season on his on his 51st birthday last month.
In all, Jim Brown caught 57 fish on the fly and returned them all.
On Sunday Kilkenny City and County Angling Club held its annual end of season competition.
Five salmon were landed and winner of the competition with two salmon of 7lb and 4lb was club treasurer John O'Connor while runner-up was Frank O'Meara, club chairman, with two fine fish of 6lb and 5lb. In third place was Gerry Irwin with a fish of 4lbs. More than 30 anglers took part.
With the increase in salmon numbers this year it is almost inevitable that gangs of poachers with pitchforks and nets will take many fish which go up small streams to spawn,
"It is not easy to detect and apprehend these scroungers but hopefully some will be caught and suitably punished in our courts of law," a spokesman for the Kilkenny City and County Angling Club said.
"Recently a well meaning and upright river bank walker bravely confronted an angler about to knock on the head a salmon he had landed. The rod fisherman reluctantly returned the fish to the Nore after a few seconds of heated argument.
"Taking salmon at the spawning beds is as criminal an act as doing a burglary in a neighbour's home," the spokesman added.
