Pity the Scottish Government fail to see things this way and close down soome salmon farms that are doing so much damage

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mowi-fish-processing-salmon-farm-licences-1.6319178 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          THE SECOND SALMON.

Whilst I admit my first salmon was somewhat unexpected well so was the second one.  

It came from the river Teme a river I have much affection for and which I fished pretty often over the years.  It was a medium sized river in a lovely valley with a wide variety of water.  No barbel then but some roach, plenty of dace and chub and of course trout and grayling plus pike,.

I was a single young PC at the time working in Tenbury town alongside which ran the Teme. I was in the street one day when a guy I knew pulled up in his car and said he had caught a pike well into the low twenties from the town water alongside the churchyard.   A couple of days later in the late evening I was there legering a deadbait.  This produced nothing so going through my tackle box I came across an old Colorado spoon,  kidney shaped blade with red and silver colours.  Not seen one of these for decades now,

I put it on the wire trace and started spinning.  It was nearly time to go when I suddenly had a savage take.  A good fight ensued and I really thought I was into a decent pike.  While playing it a voice behind me said, “Got one on then”?   It was a middle aged guy I knew briefly.   I only had a gaff with me with which I used to chin the pike causing them no damage.   The banks of the Teme are treacherous and steep mostly everywhere and he asked if he could help.    I agreed and pointed out the gaff without really instructing him how to use it, assuming he might know.

To cut a long story short he was down the bank and after a lot of splashing he struggled back up.  Street lights were on now and there on the grass was a cock salmon of about twelve pounds gaffed right through the belly and obviously not going to survive.  I had a salmon licence but the season had finished two or three days before, somewhat of a dilemma which we discussed,

“I know what i would do” he said and dashed off returning in a little while with an old gabardine raincoat in which he wrapped the salmon and we slunk off back to my car like two thieves in the night which on reflection I suppose we were.  Throwing the dead fish back in the river didn’t seem right then and under the present C&R with possible damage to fish still in my opinion does not sit comfortably with me.