Allan Water Fishing Season Open

Opening of the fishing season on the River Allan - 15th of March 2017

Anglers met on Wednesday 15th March at 9.30am on the village green at Kinbuck to toast the opening of the 2017 fishing season on the Allan Water. Roy Robertson, president of the Allan Water Angling Improvement Association talked about the challenges of having been downgraded by the Scottish Government to a Category 3 river in 2016 which meant anglers had to return all salmon caught. This had a significant effect on club membership as some of our members like to take one for the pot. Roy highlighted that the river has now been upgraded to a Category 2 river thanks to the efforts of the Allan anglers and the Forth District Salmon Fishery Board to conserve salmon and there are now opportunities to retain some salmon caught during 2017.  He stated that it is the association’s policy that only one salmon may be taken on any given day with a season limit of two salmon per angler and asked that members show restraint and consider returning all salmon to help conserve stocks in the river. If any of the anglers who did not renew their permits in 2016 wished to return to the Association they would be made most welcome.

Roy commended the River Forth Fisheries Trust and Forth District Salmon Fishery Board for their efforts in improving habitat, monitoring the river and ongoing support to the club. Roy highlighted that the habitat improvement measures which are primarily designed to reduce the effects of flooding through Natural Flood Management measures, but also improve the environment are already beginning to pay off and some brown trout up to 3 pounds in weight are now caught each year. Last year also saw a substantial increase in the number of salmon being caught on the river with 340 salmon caught and safely returned during 2016 and it is hoped that after five years of decline the river has now turned a corner.

Comments:

Alison Baker – Forth District Salmon Fishery Board (FDSFB) / River Forth Fisheries Trust (RFFT) Manager said: It is great seeing clubs like the Allan Water Angling Improvement Association come together to toast their river opening for the 2017 season. The work that the club have done on the river to conserve stocks should be commended. The Board and Trust would like to remind all anglers that salmon stocks in the Forth District, including the Allan Water are fragile, and the more anglers do to show restraint, the better for salmon stocks going forward. We have created conservation policies for most rivers in the District and it is great that the club have taken these measures on board. Most clubs and proprietors follow the conservation policies but there is still some work to do to encourage more to follow these codes. The Board and Trust would like to wish all anglers a successful season ahead.

Roy Robertson – Allan Water Angling Improvement Association (AWAIA) said: Its great seeing so many anglers come together to toast the opening of the Allan Water. I thank everyone for attending and wish all anglers a very happy and successful season during 2017 and I thank Tullibardine Distillery for donating a bottle of their finest malt whisky to toast the river with. I would like to remind everyone that if anyone is wishing to fish the Allan Water, day or season permits can be obtained from the club website and also Angling Active in Stirling.  The Allan Water Angling Improvement Association will again be offering some 15 miles of very affordable salmon fishing in 2017 and still has vacancies on its membership list.

Elaine Hopley, 45, from Dunblane in Scotland, arrived in Antigua on Sunday having spent nearly two months at sea competing in the 2,000 mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. Her time of 59 days, 19 hours and 14 minutes makes her the fastest woman to cross the Atlantic solo in the 30-year history of the race, dubbed the world’s toughest row.

Read more at: http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-rower-makes-history-with-solo-atlantic-crossing-1-4364595

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