<!-- 780--><!-- 17 March 2019 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p&gt;I have been away, thankfully, in ceaselessly blue skies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You, on the other hand, have had floods, floods and more floods, a second week passing with negligible catches and barely a fly put in the river.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As for next week, it will be Wednesday at least before river levels return to anything like normal. With a settled weather forecast, it could be good after that, and with the total catch score for the season so far at 110 salmon by 16th March 2019, it will need to be.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But, what joy, there have been some fun and games in salmon fishing politics, if not on the river, in my absence abroad. Here they are.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;First, some sensationalist and misleading reporting, in the local press last week and picked up by the nationals, of what the River Tweed Commission discussed at its AGM on 4th March has created a wholly incorrect impression in the public mind of the process the RTC is engaged in with respect to its population of fish eating birds, cormorants and goosanders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have been present at almost all the recent internal meetings involving discussions about our fish eating birds, and I have never heard anyone say that the RTC wanted &amp;ldquo;a significant number of cormorants and goosanders to be killed this year&amp;rdquo; (the reporter&amp;rsquo;s words), nor has anyone ever said that &amp;ldquo;large numbers of birds will be destroyed&amp;rdquo; (again the same reporter&amp;rsquo;s words).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If reporters use words (&amp;ldquo;significant&amp;rdquo;, &amp;ldquo;large numbers&amp;rdquo; and &amp;ldquo;destroyed&amp;rdquo; being just three) designed to create sensation without any regard to the truth of what was actually said, or what is happening, they can expect to be vilified.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The public is asked to attend the RTC AGM as a courtesy, there is nothing in the Tweed Acts that says the RTC has to permit/encourage it. If the Press, as part of the public, abuse that courtesy, it must be in the RTC&amp;rsquo;s mind to consider excluding them, or at the very least those who have been guilty of such exaggerated misreporting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As so often, the priority is to sell a story, and truth becomes a casualty.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Secondly, the RTC has been advised that its application to extend the close time for netting from 31st March to 31st May, has been agreed by Scottish Ministers, not for 2019 but from 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;This means that Tweed&amp;rsquo;s only remaining commercial net at Gardo will be allowed to kill salmon in 2019 from 1st April, but only from 1st June in 2020 and subsequent years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;The sting in the tail, if such it is, is that Scottish Ministers also intend to align Tweed&amp;rsquo;s non spinning dates with the change in close time, which they already are, but have been relaxed/exempted for the last few years on application by the RTC. At the moment, this relaxation/exemption is not going to be allowed for 2020 because Scottish Ministers have been advised by Marine Science Scotland that spinning results in higher mortality of salmon caught, and intended to be released, than fly fishing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Unless the RTC can overturn this decision, as we believe they fully intend to try to do, and vigorously, the effect would be that spinning for salmon would not be permitted until 1st June, rather than 15th February as it has been for many many years past.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Whereas it seems what Scottish Ministers are proposing is designed to prevent spring salmon mortality, it is curious to seek to do it this way whilst not also making killing salmon illegal after 31st March, for it is only illegal to kill them before that date now. Why limit rod fishing for salmon to fly only between 15th February and 1st June supposedly to avoid them dying, when it is still perfectly legal to kill them between 1st April and 1st June? It is only by voluntary agreement that the rods do not kill salmon on the Tweed now after 1st April.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Of course, by re-linking spinning to the netting season, even if they originally did so by mistake, the Government has history on its side, as it has always been the case that spinning could only be practised by law on the Tweed when the nets were also fishing. But is that principle really relevant now that there is only one remaining part-time commercial net, whereas when that principle was established there would have been 40 plus full time netting stations?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;None of this will apply until 2020, so there is a long way to go until we can be certain that it will actually happen. It might all depend on whether spinning really does cause more accidental mortality than fly fishing. On that particular subject, not unlike Brexit and how to get out of Europe, there are very strong opinions (as opposed to facts) on both sides.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;And never the two shall agree.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;And of course, those beats which seldom spin and as a consequence catch very few salmon by spinning, will think this is all quite funny and be entirely relaxed about not spinning until 1st June, whereas those pro spinning beats will be apoplectic with rage at this unwelcome Government intrusion and will imagine all sorts of dark plots and conspiracy theories.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;The truth is that whereas the rods have always been keen to promote restrictions on netting, quite rightly for conservation reasons, the reaction from those same rods has never been quite so positive when anyone suggests putting restrictions on them. I still bear the scars of the furious comments, and overreactions about how nobody would ever come fishing again, from some rods when the Tweed went for 100% catch and release for spring salmon in 2010.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;When two out of your five and a half month netting season have just been removed from you (as at Gardo), and when fishing for/killing salmon by both Drift and T&amp;amp;J nets will no longer happen at all off the North East coast from 2019, putting a number of netsmen out of their summer businesses for ever, and all that the rods are being asked to accept is not spinning until 1st June in a 10 month rod fishing season?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;If you were one of those netsmen, you would think cant and hypocrisy are the very least of it. The RTC and the rods will protest, but, politically, maybe they will have to accept it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Time will tell.&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2019-03-17--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 776--><!-- 3 March 2019  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p&gt;Tweed&amp;rsquo;s catch for last week was 42 salmon and 1 sea trout, bringing the running total to 2nd March 2019 to 100 salmon and 1 sea trout.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With a very unsettled week in prospect, starting with Storm Freya tonight and more wind and rain on Wednesday, whereas conditions were pretty much perfect throughout last week, it is not clear how much productive fishing will be possible in the week to come.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Without giving too much away about the final Tweed salmon catch score for 2018 (formally to be approved and reported to the RTC at its AGM tomorrow), I can say that William Younger&amp;rsquo;s estimated running total, which he emails to both Tweedbeats and Fishpal every Sunday morning without fail, at 5,580 salmon, given out at the end of November last year, was extraordinarily accurate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He modestly claims 90% accuracy, whereas in fact he was 99% accurate. It is a tedious task getting the figures together (from two websites and several other normally non-reporting beats) and he should be thanked by everyone who likes to be dealing with accurate up-to-date figures for the Tweed as a whole, rather than their partial, and therefore inaccurate and misleading, predecessors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The truth is that despite some less than helpful fishing conditions, the &amp;ldquo;beast from the east&amp;rdquo; and then that summer, there simply were not the numbers of fish.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Whenever the weather is blamed for fish not being caught, I like (smugly) to point at the winter/spring of 1963, which winter lasted for 3 months, well into March, and even in the south of England, snow lay on the ground for 62 consecutive days. It was the coldest, longest winter since 1740, colder even that 1947, itself a legendary brute.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I can remember 1963 well. The 2018 &amp;ldquo;beast from the east&amp;rdquo; was rough for a week or so, but a minor trifle in comparison.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the Spring of 1963, up to the end of May, we caught 150 springers here, with never more than 2 rods fishing. Up to the end of May 2018, with 4 rods on almost every day when fishable, we caught 19 springers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But the killer comparison is at Upper Floors. In May 1963, once the river finally unfroze and settled, Upper Floors caught 283 in that month alone. In May 2018, Upper Floors caught just 8 salmon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You can complain as much as you will about the 2018 weather and fishing conditions, the unfortunate truth is that there were very few fish.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;No more need be said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It is unusual for these pages to concentrate on one person, even if only for a few inadequate lines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Douglas Dobie has been Chairman of the River Tweed Commission for the last 7 years, during which time, especially since 2014, he has had to suffer (not too strong a word) considerable turbulence, all of it because salmon rod catches have sunk to almost one third of what they were pre 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He has endured the accompanying flak with admirable equanimity and good grace, and, you would think with a huge sigh of relief, he retires this Monday 4th March at the RTC&amp;rsquo;s AGM. Quite how he has retained his senses of humour, proportion and perspective through it all, I have no idea. I for one, could not have done, because underlying it all, from the most voluble critics, despite all the evidence to the contrary, has been the accusation that someone is to blame and, as RTC Chairman, of course it must be him.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude (as RTC Chairman he gets nothing else, as it is forbidden by law that he is paid) for holding the ship steady in a period of extreme turmoil. I was tempted to say unparalleled turmoil, but that would be untrue in terms of fish catches, because what happened between 1967 and 1977 was far worse, with UDN coinciding with a cyclical change from spring to autumn dominance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I do not recall the Chairman then receiving anything like the same flak; maybe then there was a wider understanding of both the bounty, and the opposite, of a wild resource in the natural world?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The curious fact is that the anger levelled at both the Chairman and the RTC executive has, by and large, not come from the proprietors, who, you could easily argue, have lost the most, their incomes having dropped by 60% over 4 years, but from non-proprietorial Commissioners and from the wider angling and river community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You would expect me to applaud, as I do, that steadfast band of proprietors, wedded to their piece of this great river Tweed for the long term and comparatively untroubled by periodic catch fluctuations, quite unlike the more temporary and peripatetic band of anglers and other non proprietors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Such a statement will, of course, be construed by those determined to make mischief as a put down to those who have been most voluble in their complaints and concerns; wrongly, because the strength of the RTC is that it is a very broad church, and while it may be true that the proprietors have complained least, it can also be true that the loudest complainers have cared most. Concern and worry about the last few years, and what has become of our fish, is the one thing that unites us all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I trust and hope you will join me in thanking Douglas for everything he has done for the good of this great river, and for all he has had to endure on our behalf.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When he receives his well deserved and customary parting gift from his peers on Monday, may it be slightly more appropriate, and less unusual, than his predecessor received, 7 years ago at the same meeting, on his departure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It was a bronze - of a warthog.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Which says it all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These pages will lie doggo for a week, omitting next Sunday 10th March, until 17th March, for I am off on a short winter break.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If a cursory reading of the UK weather forecast is correct for the week ahead, it is unlikely that there will be great tales of derring-do on the river banks until things settle down again.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Hasta la vista.&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2019-03-03--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 774--><!-- 24 February 2019  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p&gt;The Tweed salmon catch for last week was 25, making 58 for the season so far to 23rd February 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With only 4 days fishing left in February, the total will struggle to get anywhere near to 100 as compared to a 5 year average closer to 150. So no sign yet of any improvement in numbers for 2019, over 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But, of course, it is far too early in the year to draw any conclusions about anything.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As for the weather forecast, it is to be the polar opposite of the &amp;ldquo;beast from the east&amp;rdquo; week that we had this time last year. For the most part it will be dry, sunny and warm, although beginning to break down as we get to next weekend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Fishing conditions will be perfect.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;--00--&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If I have a cast next week it will be with a floating line. It has always been an (faintly ridiculous, admittedly) ambition to catch salmon on a floating line (not even the suggestion of a sinking tip) in both November and February.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With the weather as it is, and with a dropping water predicted for the week, there must be a chance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The entry for 1st November 2003 in my fishing book says &amp;ldquo;Temple Pool, Ally Shrimp, 5 salmon weights 19,12,12,10,8 lbs, 43F and very cold all day, water height 7&amp;rdquo; and caught wading in the Temple, 4 more pulls, all on floating line in November (!), the 19lber rose at it, 4 others caught in the day, all on floaters&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you hear nothing next week, assume the attempt ended in abject and humiliating failure&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;News in my Times newspaper yesterday that Namibia&amp;rsquo;s (and Africa&amp;rsquo;s) last remaining herd of wild horses may be doomed to extinction. Unusually, it is not man&amp;rsquo;s actions that are the cause, but man&amp;rsquo;s deliberate, and misguided, inactions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Namibia had a &amp;rdquo;non intervention&amp;rdquo; policy in its national reserves, in other words, let nature get on with it. Since 2013 not one young foal from the wild horse herd has survived, and last year all the 23 young foals born were killed by hyenas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It may be too late, but at last rangers are targeting some of the hyena pack to try to protect the young horses. To illustrate the point, the Times pictured one young foal standing alongside its mother; all very idyllic until you notice the foal has a gash in its side with a flap of loose skin hanging, having (just) survived a hyena attack.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Am I alone in seeing parallels with the unforeseen effects of the success of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, in that protection of birds that hunt has led to such proliferation that it is now their prey, not the hunters, who are at existential risk?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Many would argue we have reached that point with our fish, and the birds which eat them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I exaggerate?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over the last few late autumns, winters and early springs, having witnessed flocks of cormorants and goosanders (20 to 100 birds) fishing in packs in our great Temple Pool, once a haven for trout of all sizes and masses of them, I seriously doubt if it now holds more than a handful in all its 500 metre length.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A trout fishing duffer, even I used to go out after a flood with my dry fly and catch as many brown trout as I wanted, averaging maybe 1lb, some well over 2lbs, and killed none of them. In 2018 I never caught one, hardly saw a trout rise despite the beautiful summer evenings. More relevantly, others, non-duffers, suffered a similar fate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Our wild trout have been eaten by those packs of cormorants especially and anyone who says otherwise does not know what they are talking about. Maybe not endangered quite like those wild horses in Namibia, but the principle is the same. If you leave it all up to nature, the hunter, the top of its particular food chain, will prevail.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It is not the cormorants and goosanders that are to blame, they are just doing what they do best.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;They have no concept of conservation. The opposite is true, unless we stop them they will go on eating in a particular pool, or pools, until there is nothing left.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We humans are to blame. We are sitting back and doing too little, because we are constrained by the law, just like those Namibian rangers were... until now. We urgently need to protect our fish much better than we have been able for the last few years. Sadly, it is already too late for those magnificent wild brown trout in our Temple Pool and many other pools like it, but not for their successors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If, and only if, we can get our act together, and come up with an effective plan.&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2019-02-24--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 773--><!-- 17 February 2019 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p&gt;The total Tweed catch of 26 salmon for last week, the first time this year when conditions have been in the angler&amp;rsquo;s favour throughout, is nothing to write home about - but it is a start, and if the pictures of those caught is any indicator, those salmon which have made it home had no difficulty whatever in finding enough food to eat in the sea. They have been in magnificent condition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The cumulative Tweed catch for the season to 16th February 2019 has now reached 33 salmon and no sea trout.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As for next week, there could be some water on Wednesday/Thursday, depending how far east a quite active weather front comes. It will be mild throughout, with stiff winds from the south west moderating as we get towards next weekend, as another high pressure system comes north from Europe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After the driest January on record here, February is shaping up to being one of the warmest ever. It will all change when the wind goes to the east, but there is no sign whatever of that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Yet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The other non-weather, extraordinary feature of this winter and early spring has been the lack of dead/dying &amp;ldquo;fungi&amp;rdquo; fish, resulting in a significant number of surviving kelts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Quite why so many have survived, and the sight of diseased fish under the bank has been so rare, will doubtless remain a mystery.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The presence of so many kelts does two things, providing some company to persuade those fast moving springers to stop in the pools, and giving anglers some excitement as they seek out the more elusive, but much greater, prize.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And, of course, some of them will survive and come back into the river again sometime later this year, or next. All of which.. is good news.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I am indebted to my kind correspondent from Tyne and Wear for sending an extract from the North Shields Gazette.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On 4th June 2018, one of the 11 (then) remaining drift netsmen was apprehended by fisheries enforcement officers of the Environment Agency because he and his crew were both (a) fishing with an illegally long net (724 metres when the maximum length permitted is 550 metres) and (b) operating in a prohibited conservation area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;They had 15 salmon and one sea trout on board. The licencee, after pleading guilty in court on 25th January 2019, was fined both &pound;150 and a &amp;ldquo;victim surcharge&amp;rdquo;, making almost &pound;3,000 in total, and his &amp;ldquo;excess&amp;rdquo; net was confiscated. History does not relate what became of the fish.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Generalisations are, of course, odious, but this sort of thing is hardly likely to add trust in the EA&amp;rsquo;s proposed process for T&amp;amp;J netsmen in 2019 whereby they will be entrusted to return any salmon which their miraculous new nets, which apparently mainly let salmon out but catch all sea trout, accidentally catch.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Clearly, as advised last week, it is April 1st..&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;..and the T&amp;amp;J netsmen have played their joker.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Good luck to them.&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2019-02-17--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 771--><!-- 10 February 2019 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The score last week was just one salmon, making a grand total of 7 salmon to date.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;All of which means little or nothing, because the first two days of the season were plagued by grue, and the whole of last week effectively flooded/winded off thanks to storm Erik and its forerunners.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Next week will tell us what is there. A friendly high pressure is building over the UK from Europe, bearing mild souwesters and dry conditions for the whole week. As the river levels drop and the&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;water clears, fishing&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;prospects could hardly be better...depending on how many springers are there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Unless they got washed away in last week&amp;rsquo;s floods, what we do know, from what fishing has been possible, is that there are more kelts about than we have been used to of late.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Those who have been keeping up with the goings on with the North East (of England) net fisheries will know that the 11 remaining drift netters will not be fishing in 2019. Nor will the more shore based T&amp;amp;J nets be allowed to fish for, or kill, any salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They will still be allowed to fish for, and kill, sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;April 1st it is not, but you will be interested to hear that a net has been devised that is reputed to distinguish between salmon and sea trout, in that salmon are supposed to be able to find their way out of it, whereas sea trout cannot. If a salmon is caught in the net, the netsmen will have to release it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Now I am sure you, like me, will instinctively believe that such a net could possibly exist, and that if salmon are caught, the netsmen will always release them without the need for the net being policed for every minute that it is being fished.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Either this is some massive practical joke...or maybe it really is April 1st?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Certainly any ex-netsmen I have spoken to here is both unaware of any difference between salmon and sea trout when it comes to escaping a net&amp;hellip;.and find the whole idea faintly hilarious.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If only it were... for, as I understand it, those T&amp;amp;J nets which take place in the trial before 31st May will then be allowed to fish on for the whole season up to 31st August.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And just how many salmon will they kill in the process, either accidentally, or deliberately when no one is looking?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Presumably, we will never really know.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Our Common Crane is still here. Omnivorous, it is forever restlessly pacing about its winter wheat field in search of whatever food takes its fancy. I saw it this morning, it has been here for 3 months now, in the process attracting a steady stream of admiring twitchers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Just after Christmas, in addition to our normal quota of Little Egrets, we acquired two Great White Egrets, stunningly beautiful birds, the size of, or maybe slightly bigger than, a heron and prone to standing in the shallows on one very elegant long black leg, flamingo-like.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;One lucky twitcher, seeking both the Crane and the Great White, on a very windy day, found them both sheltering right next to each other in the lee of the far bank of our Cauld Stream.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The chances of getting a picture, in Scotland in January, of a Crane and a Great White Egret in one shot?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;He should definitely try the lottery.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;br style=&quot;mso-special-character: line-break;&quot; /&gt; &lt;!--if !supportLineBreakNewLine--&gt;&lt;br style=&quot;mso-special-character: line-break;&quot; /&gt; &lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-tab-count: 1;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2019-02-10--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 769--><!-- 3 February 2019 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Four salmon (that we know of) were caught on the Tweed&#039;s opening day of 2019, despite most of the first morning being lost to grue. On day two, despite a repeat performance with ice and grue in the morning, the score was two salmon, with Hendersyde proving the place to be with a total of three over the two days&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Unsurprisingly, given the cold and low water which has persisted throughout January (it was the driest January here since the Aitchison family rainfall records began in 1903), most of the fish were caught, for once, below Kelso. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If you cannot imagine why anyone would want to fish in sub zero temperatures in early February, click on the Instagram button (above) to see two of the best fish you will ever see, caught at Upper North Wark and Carham.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So, a moderately encouraging start&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;to 2019 when you consider that the average score for Februarys nowadays is around 200, for the whole month.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Some snippets to start the new season.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The RTC and Foundation will be acoustic tagging smolts in March, the crucial issue being how many make it intact from their streams of origin down to the sea without being attacked and eaten by cormorants and goosanders, to say nothing of cannibalistic brown trout, herons and otters.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;To help fund it, the RTC is planning a &quot;Sponsor a Smolt&quot; scheme, so for all those who have long been concerned that we do not know enough about what happens to our smolts, this will be a chance to make a real contribution.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Please click on the following link to find out more &lt;a href=&quot;http://tweedfoundation.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=7480ce9c44244059836029b4555d064e&amp;amp;folderid=8f90650960d54eea8fea8a1499298ab3&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;http://tweedfoundation.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=7480ce9c44244059836029b4555d064e&amp;amp;folderid=8f90650960d54eea8fea8a1499298ab3&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;All contributions towards the Tweed Foundation&#039;s costs will be most welcome. It is a far from cheap exercise, but will provide vital information, especially in the fight to limit the damage done to migrating smolts by cormorants and goosanders in the future.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The River Tweed Commission Annual General Meeting takes place at the Ednam House Hotel, Kelso at 9.30am on Monday 4th March 2019. The public are welcome to attend the AGM (which normally takes about 30 minutes) but not the quarterly Commission meeting which takes place after that. Proprietors who are not Commissioners are welcome to attend the quarterly Commission meeting as well.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt; Apparently 2019 is scheduled to be a pink salmon year. They are alien to the Tweed and if caught should be killed and reported to the RTC/Tweed Foundation.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The updated 2019 Tweed Angling Codes have just gone up on the website at &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=6376&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;https://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=6376&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For the first time there is a separate stand alone Code for Spinning which contains Rules which the Commission expects all beat owners to impose. Particular attention should be drawn to&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-list: Ignore;&quot;&gt;a.&lt;span style=&quot;font: 7.0pt &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Spinning should not be the method of first choice in low and clear water conditions and&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-list: Ignore;&quot;&gt;b.&lt;span style=&quot;font: 7.0pt &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Where a beat has different owners on opposite banks, good etiquette is that fly fishers should have the opportunity to fish the water first.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;These Rules have existed for years; it would be nice if, in 2019,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;those beats, who have consistently ignored them in the past, by being far too quick to spin in low water, to the obvious detriment of those fishing opposite with a fly, actually obeyed them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For some very (un)light relief, please watch this S&amp;amp;TCT video of Jeremy Paxman and the demise of the Loch Maree fishery &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AawqvXqIa5M&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AawqvXqIa5M &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It has been said before in these pages that it would be easy for the east coast to be more relaxed about the disastrous effects of salmon farms, and their sea lice, on young salmon and sea trout, because there are no east coast fish farms&amp;hellip;.until you understand that our precious east coast migrating smolts must swim past the Shetland Isles on their way north, where they too could be set upon by a sea lice soup.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The solution is &quot;close containment&quot;, preferably onshore, for all salmon farms so that they can no longer do the sort of damage they have been doing to our wild salmon and sea trout for years past.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It will be expensive, but it has to come.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2019-02-03--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 767--><!-- 2 January 2019 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: justify;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Corporal Frazer&#039;s doom and gloom; a response -&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As we turn into 2019, &quot;it really doesn&#039;t do&quot;, as my Aunt Bridget would have said, to leave headlining any longer, here on Tweedbeats, my old friend Bill Thomson&#039;s (aka Corporal Frazer) excellent piece about how the Scottish salmon world is &quot;doomed&quot;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;We need something more upbeat for the New Year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Our salmon world is undeniably in crisis, and split down the middle as to both where we are now, and what to do about it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Bill&#039;s assertions that the river levels on Tweed are now one third less than they were 50 years ago, and that the river is clogged with chemicals, microplastics and every other sort of ecological horror, all to the detriment of our fish, quite simply do not stand up to examination. Back then, I can recall the Galashiels sewage works pouring untreated sewage into the river, and we had as many extreme droughts and minimal water levels as we have now; if anything, the new reservoirs, which provide the masses in their new houses with water, perform a dual role, because they also retain flood waters which would otherwise disappear into the North Sea, those retained waters then being released to mitigate the effects of otherwise damagingly high water temperatures and dangerously low levels of water. Few can remember the droughts of 1972, 1974, 1976 and 1984, but they were extreme and I am sure that anyone writing in 1984 after 4 exceptional droughts over the previous 12 years would have been even more gloomy about water abstraction and pollution, but then over the next 34 years we have only had 2 more (1995 and 2018).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I live on the river, have done for 40 years, and cannot detect any obvious difference in water levels. If anything the river is cleaner with the very striking absence of green slime and floating weed in hot, dry conditions, because of the nitrate restrictions now imposed on farmers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As for the salmon, most of us who bothered to look, have never seen such a massive smolt run as we had on the Tweed in 2018. It was late, thanks to &quot;the beast from the east&quot;, but as a result it was largely untroubled by those ghastly avian predators which had gone off to their nesting grounds. Some goosanders remained, but we never saw a cormorant here between May and late August.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And now we hear from the Environment Agency, that that perennial scourge of the Tweed, the North East Drift Net Fishery has closed and will not operate after 2018, and that the more shore-based T&amp;amp;J nets will only be allowed to kill sea trout, so that with the exception of our own Gardo net, returning salmon in 2019 will have unfettered access to the harbour at Berwick, if they can dodge the waiting seals and dolphins.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In short, we know we sent a vast number of smolts to sea in 2018, and we know that they will encounter fewer nets than they have ever encountered for 100s of years when they return.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;You could well argue that things are looking very much less gloomy for 2019 and subsequent years...but that is not Corporal Frazer&#039;s way.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Which may be just as well. We Brits revel in gloom, in the disaster of Brexit, in the demise of the high street, in just about anything else we can obsess about, especially the weather which is always about to produce another ice age (one of my Uncles was convinced of that) or the opposite in the form of a drought ridden wasteland.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There is some comfort in the Corporal Frazer way...for we know deep down it is not/will not be quite that bad.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;And woe betide anyone saying something optimistic.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The biggest challenge for 2019?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Well that&#039;s easy... coming up with a protocol for dealing with &quot;those bloody birds&quot; which is (a) effective in significantly reducing their impact on our young fish, (b) gets the approval, if grudging, of the authorities (SNH and the Government) who monitor these things and (c) satisfies our anglers that we are doing as much as we possibly can to maximise the juveniles we send off to sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It may be impossible to get (c), for there are anglers out there who think you can wipe out all cormorants and goosanders on the Tweed, for ever.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;You can&#039;t.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Even the (probably underestimated) RSPB figures say we have 41,000 overwintering cormorants in the UK, and the evidence from elsewhere is that if you eliminate them in one place, within 6 weeks those eliminated will have been replaced by the same number coming in from elsewhere.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There will be a way of reducing their impact to acceptable levels.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If we can find it, and if all parties agree to it, in 2019; if the numbers of adult fish returning in 2019 prove to be a step change up on what we saw in 2018; if fishing conditions in summer 2019 are slightly less harsh than they were in 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;A lot of &quot;ifs&quot;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But...they could easily all happen, and then even Corporal Frazer might see the faintest glimmer of hope through the pervading doom.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Happy New Year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2019-01-02--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 765--><!-- 2 December 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;The final score for the year, within 90% accuracy, looks like 5,580 salmon and 763 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;No further comment is required.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;What follows (&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;unmissable, so please do read on&lt;/strong&gt;) is written by my old friend Bill Thomson, Chairman of the RTC in the 1980s, whose idea it was to set up the Tweed Foundation. He was hugely influential in many ways, not least in reducing Tweed&amp;rsquo;s then unsustainable exposure to in-river netting.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;We have much to thank him for.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;In mentioning his mantras, he has forgotten one, which was &amp;ldquo;to put an end to all poaching&amp;rdquo;, out of control at that time, easy to forget now and a testament to his success, for we have almost none (and no cracks please about &amp;ldquo;no wonder, as there is nothing to poach&amp;rdquo;!).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;As we go into the off-season and the Christmas break, this will be the last post until February 2019 when battle re-commences.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;What Bill (aka Corporal Fraser) has to say is always thought provoking. This is no exception, it is right up there with his best. I am most grateful to him for writing it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;With my most heartfelt, almost desperate, good wishes that you have better (could it be worse?) fishing, despite Fraser&amp;rsquo;s gloom, in 2019, and that you all have a very Happy Christmas and New Year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;So...hang onto your hats.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;Here it is.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Just over 50 years ago I remember looking over Peel Bridge on the Upper Tweed in the middle of September and counting the salmon that lay below in a shoal. The river ran full and the bottom was clear. Most of the fish were coloured, a mixture of Spring and Summer run fish and the trick was to try and spot an early fresh &amp;ldquo; back-ender&amp;rdquo; that heralded the start of the autumn run. Salmon numbers were not the problem, it was trying to find a fresh one that might take the fly.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;Skip forward 50 years and the same view in mid September will give you a view of some dirty stones, a dead low river and no fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;Over the 50 years there has been no shortage of debate or well meaning effort to improve the situation but too much of it is carried out by optimists who have little willingness to challenge or even acknowledge the elephants standing in the room. For sure I was one of them. During my years as Chairman of the Tweed Commissioners, a member of the Association of District Fishery Boards and a member of the early government appointed committee under Professor Dunnet, I held three simple mantras as my guiding philosophy: get rid of the nets, knock down the access obstacles to the spawning grounds and kill the predators. The fish will do the rest.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;Sadly time has shown that, whilst laudable and helpful, only one of the three mantras has any real relevance to the disaster that has unfolded for Tweed and most UK rivers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;Let us look at the elephants.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;The first is reduction in water flow. 50 years ago there was minimal water extraction from the Tweed headwaters and the reservoirs and dams were frequently discharging at far higher levels than required by statute as there was no need to capture every drop. Skip forward 50 years and the reservoirs are now connected to a grid that allows water to be transferred from the Tweed headwaters to Edinburgh, East Lothian and the Central belt. Use Google to count the number of new houses in the valley, in Peebles, Innerleithen, Galashiels, Hawick, Kelso, etc etc but also around Edinburgh and East Lothian, multiply by the known usage of each household and their lush gardens and you will understand why the river runs far lower than it used to. Of course there are occasional floods but as a whole the river runs about a third lower than it did 50 years ago and the cleansing power of flow has greatly diminished. So for most of the fishing season be prepared to look at a dead low river and dirty stones. But at least the sprinkler at home will keep your lawn looking nice.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;The next elephant is pollution.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;Having googled the number of houses and their water consumption to reach the total of cubic meters of water consumed next apply the same household numbers to the known usage of active ingredient household chemicals for those houses.&amp;nbsp; Clothes washing powder, dishwasher powders, surface cleaners, washing up liquids and the myriad of chemical poured into toilets that promise to kill every known germ. These active ingredients do not magically disappear in the ancient sewage works built with 19th century technology. They flow down the river as a diluted but cumulatively deadly toxin, the effects made worse by the low river flows. Time will probably demonstrate that the micro plastics that are supposedly invading the sea are invading our rivers too. 50 years ago households used a fraction of the modern chemicals provided on today&amp;rsquo;s supermarket shelves and the river teemed with fly and invertebrates that are steadily becoming a distant memory.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;The next elephant is predation.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;The argument with the bird protection lobby with its huge political clout and ill informed city dweller support seems lost. There are now literally hundreds of goosanders and cormorants to give support to the flourishing heron and otter populations.&amp;nbsp; Make your own mind up how many there are and how much they weigh and multiply the two numbers together to give you the daily weight consumption of fish from the river. Such a huge tonnage, yes tonnage, whether they are salmon, trout, minnows or grayling is unsustainable in any river and is a pointer as to why very few smolts survive the dirty, shrinking river and make it out to sea. Probably only the spawning tributaries now provide any smolts at all as the combination of low river flows and hundreds of shovel beaked goosanders digging up the redds in the main river ensure there are few survivors from river redds. 50 years ago the sighting of one goosander would have boatmen and gamekeepers running to find a shotgun to claim the bounty payable at the local police station.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;The last elephant is fish farming.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;Although it does not apply to the east coast rivers the menace of fish farming on the west coast needs no introduction or amplification. It is a catastrophic disaster operated in a laissez faire fashion and overseen by ignorant politicians who have little care for anything but a few votes for the jobs it creates. The environment, the fish (who could forget that horrifying clip showing salmon being devoured in the cages by their own sea lice) and the surrounding seas are being destroyed. If consumers could see the conditions these poor creatures live in and what they eat before having their flesh chemically changed in colour for the supermarket shelves, I suspect they would rapidly come off the menu. It will only be a matter of time before it is not just the wild salmon and sea trout we have lost but whole colonies of sea creatures will start to die from the cage discharges. I am already aware of a crisis in one part of South America where discharges from shrimp farms have killed out all the crabs and devastated a wild lobster fishery over a huge area. The solution is easy but so far unacceptable on cost grounds. Put the farms into old oil tankers and moor them on suitable sand banks. They have the tanks and pump systems to allow conversion to effective filtering and segregation of water and waste together with a controlled medication environment to prevent pests like sea lice.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;The missing elephant is sea survival.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;Sorry, but apart from rivers near fish farms, I just don&amp;rsquo;t buy into stories about losses on the sea migration being responsible for poor salmon runs. Rivers with no fish are simply not putting smolts to sea. Counting them coming out of a tributary or in spawning areas is of little use to give a migration figure when there are packs of hungry cormorants waiting to intercept them before they reach the estuary. Yes salmon runs cycle, grilse numbers rise and fall and there are good and bad migrations but if Iceland can successfully send smolts to sea why can&amp;rsquo;t Scotland? Actually it can and does. Have a look at the Thurso. No water extraction, no pollution, no fish farms nearby and limited predators due to a successful program of keeping them moving. And lots and lots of fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;So where does it all go from here? Sorry again, but the realistic answer for the big east coast rivers rivers is from bad to worse and for the west coast rivers near fish farms, probable species elimination. More houses are being built so there will be less water. More houses mean more pollution. There is no sign of a political will to reverse the protection of predator birds and no sign of a political will to regulate fish farms into properly&amp;nbsp;controlled tanks.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: 200%; background: white;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; color: #454545;&quot;&gt;We&amp;rsquo;re doomed Captain Mainwaring.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-12-02--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 764--><!-- 25 November 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is hardly worth bothering with the salmon catch for last week, but for the sake of good order, here it is; 30 salmon and 5 sea trout, bringing the running score to 24th November 2018 up to&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;5,479 salmon and 703 sea trout, within 90% accuracy. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But if the piscatorial news is depressingly familiar, at least our Common (Eurasian) Crane is still enjoying itself on the Lees haugh. Here for 3 weeks now and befriended by two herons, it is an immature Crane, this year&amp;rsquo;s offspring, which must have taken a wrong turning on its migration route.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;After 6 years of doing this, and finding something interesting (?) to say on matters fishy for each of 43 out of the 52 weeks every year, my mind turns, unsurprisingly, to not doing it any more.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;That there is a communications gap between those who run this great river Tweed, and those who fish on it and provide the money, is unarguable.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;That gap is inbuilt into the system, in that the proprietors are commercial operators, for the most part, who run their fisheries wholly independently of the RTC and the Tweed Foundation; after all the proprietors have employees (boatmen/ghillies) and paying tenants who have no contract whatever with the RTC and TF.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And the RTC and Tweed Foundation have not historically seen it as part of their business to communicate with the customers of these independent salmon fishery owners. When times were good, there was no need, it was a sellers&amp;rsquo; market.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Into this communications gap someone has to step because almost all of the current ill feeling about the RTC and TF, from anglers and boatmen, is born only of the lack of effective ongoing communication with the people who pay the bills, the Tweed&amp;rsquo;s paying anglers, and those who work on the river, the boatmen/ghillies.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Not everyone agrees either that there is a gap or, as necessarily follows, that it needs filling. They would let things go on as they are, regardless of the reputational damage done to the RTC and TF by the failure to adequately communicate and explain to those who work and fish on the river the truly excellent work they do, and have always done.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;This weekly column has a surprisingly large readership, if our Tweedbeats diagnostics information is to be believed, indicating, if nothing else, that there is a demand for regular dissemination and discussion of salmon fishing related information and news.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Nothing would be more pleasing than that the communications gap is filled by those far better qualified to fill it, and then this column can depart the scene and leave your (and my) Sunday evenings clear for the Results Show of &quot;Strictly...&quot;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But we, or rather the RTC and TF, are not there yet.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In a few months time, by April 2019, I will have been fishing for salmon on the Tweed for 60 years. Experience is often either underrated, or not rated at all. Long in the tooth maybe, but folk like me have seen a lot of it, if not all of it, before.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Which is why we tend be less worried than some younger, shriller voices.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The period 1967-1976 was a bad time for Tweed fishing.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I was there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We can remember....or at least our fishing records help to remind us.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There was UDN in 1967, which continued to a lesser extent for many years after that, coterminous with the cyclical switch from spring dominated (pre 1960s) to late summer and autumn (post 1970s) dominated salmon and grilse runs, which lasted for nearly 50 years.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Upper Floors caught just 78 salmon in 1973, Lower Floors 55 in 1973, and the Junction 248 in 1976.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Compare those catches to this (2018) year: Upper Floors 76, Lower Floors 58, and the Junction 216.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And the river rod catch 1967-1976 never got above 6,000 (mainly around 4,000); for the last four years 2014-2017 it has been around 6,000-7,000.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It all sounds very familiar, or at least it is to those of us who were there, and fishing, 50 years ago. My fishing book entry for May 18th 1974 says &amp;ldquo;Spring run almost non existent&amp;rdquo;, something you could well say about the numbers of fresh fish post October this year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And yet... in 1981 Upper Floors caught 502 salmon, and 669 in 1983.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It can change very quickly. Those who, here in 2018, believe salmon runs to be in terminal decline, would have been saying exactly the same things as they are saying now, had they been with us 50 years ago.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They would have been wrong. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-11-25--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 761--><!-- 18 November 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Last week&amp;rsquo;s Tweed rod catches were 24 salmon and 7 sea trout, bringing the season&amp;rsquo;s totals to 5,349 salmon and 698 sea trout to 17th November 2018...all within 90% accuracy&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Although the river settled somewhat from Thursday after flooding for the first 3 days of last week, it was more of the same, with little or no sign of any fresh fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The river may well settle down next week as the wind veers easterly, the temperature cools considerably and it remains largely dry, bar some pretty unpleasant heavy showers coming in off the coast on Tuesday and Wednesday.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With the 2017 November catch sinking to just 374 salmon, itself the lowest November total for decades, it seems most unlikely that November 2018 will get anywhere near that meagre score.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The salmon hatchery debate hit the newspapers this morning, with the Sunday Times reporting that the Spey&amp;rsquo;s annual hatchery output of 500,000 fry may be increased to 1 million for 2019.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;At the same time, it is reported that, of a sample of just over 800 salmon caught on the Spey, just 2 were shown by genetic fingerprinting to have come from the hatchery, or just 0.23%.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If the annual Spey catch this year is some 3,000 salmon (as my Trout &amp;amp; Salmon magazine reports), this means that just 7 of those will have come from the hatchery&amp;hellip;...at very considerable cost.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And, of course, that figure of 7 takes no account of the salmon that were caught and stripped for their eggs to go to the hatchery. Had they spawned naturally, they may well have produced more than 7 towards the 2018 Spey catch.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I have the greatest respect and sympathy for those running the Spey. I know and admire them for the excellent job they do in almost impossible circumstances. I imagine they have been under almost intolerable political pressure to increase the hatchery output, despite the fact that they know it does not work.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The philosophy seems to be it is better to be seen to be doing something&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;.... even if you know it will make not one jot of difference.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Will this sort of news from the Spey silence the pro-hatchery brigade here on the Tweed?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I very much doubt it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;How can this be?&amp;rdquo; you might well ask.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For those of us brought up to believe that the parent generation for 2017 grilse and 2018 salmon was 4 and 5 years earlier respectively, you should be able to look at November 2013 for an explanation of such low November scores on the Tweed over the last two years.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Yet November 2013 was one of the most prolific Novembers ever, with the notable exception of the annus mirabilis that was 2010.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;An astonishing (in hindsight) 4,500+ salmon and grilse were caught by rod and line on the Tweed in November 2013.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Yet their children have failed completely. If ever there was an example of some cataclysmic event having happened, this is it. Of course, it started some years earlier because the failure of autumn 2014 was the first time we noticed the lack of fresh fish coming into the river in the &amp;ldquo;back end&amp;rdquo; months, meaning that it was the parent generations of 2009 and 2010 that were the first to be blamed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Even odder then that a staggering 19,000 salmon and grilse were caught by the rods in September, October and November 2010. Their children too, the offspring of that vast number of the 2010 salmon and grilse population, have also almost completely failed in the dismal autumn catches of 2014 and 2015..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It simply is not credible to think that such vast numbers of broodstock did not produce enough juveniles to go to sea as smolts.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;What is credible is that huge numbers of smolts did indeed go to sea&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;.... but almost none of them made it back.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Believers in historical precedent will point to previous well documented dramatically sudden (marine induced) changes in salmon run timings, both here on the Tweed and elsewhere, and put it all down to that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Others are more sceptical and think something much newer, and more worryingly fundamental, is going on, perhaps for the first time and brought on by the sheer rapidity of man-made global warming.... which is making life, in all its phases, pretty tough, and much more marginal in&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;very basic survival terms, for a cold water species such as our Atlantic salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If the sceptics are right, and they may well be, we really could be in for a major fight to save the Atlantic salmon as a species....because the far reaching changes within the swirling faraway currents of the northern oceans is something over which we humans have no control whatever.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If, however, as my father for one truly believed, to the extent that he told me it would happen in my lifetime, it is all part of the naturally occurring cyclical nature of salmon runs which has been going on for centuries, then all should be well in time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But unless and until the spring and summer salmon runs improve, as some confidently predict, to replace what has evidently been lost in the demise of those very large runs of late summer and autumn salmon and grilse pre 2014&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;.... then the jury is out as to whether the natural cycle is the (only temporary) guilty party in our present extreme discomfiture.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Or is it something far worse, with no historical precedent&amp;hellip;. and potentially more permanent?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;2019 will not provide the whole answer, as no single year on its own can&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;...but it might get us a little closer to the truth.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-11-18--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 759--><!-- 11 November 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed&amp;rsquo;s rod catches for last week were 69 salmon and 13 sea trout, making totals of 5,225&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;salmon (after a recount) and 691 sea trout for the season to 10th November 2018, all within 90% accuracy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As expected, there was little sign of an influx of silver salmon last week. In addition, Monday was clearing from a flood, and Friday and Saturday plagued with rising/flooding water.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As for next week, it looks to be slightly more settled weatherwise, if unseasonably mild.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The weather, and water levels, are not, alas, the real problem.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Rumbling just beneath the surface on Tweedside, in fishing huts, in pubs and hotels and anywhere else that fishermen gather, is an increasingly bitter battle between two opposing sides.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Team 1, let us call them &amp;ldquo;The Aggressors&amp;rdquo;, is comprised of a number of Tweed&amp;rsquo;s regular fishermen, allied to a number of Tweed&amp;rsquo;s boatmen, but also no doubt including some letting agents, hoteliers, tackle shop owners etc. Typically, they blame the River Tweed Commission&amp;rsquo;s management, together with the predations of seals and birds, for the reduced numbers of salmon. Crucially, what really binds them as a team is an abiding and unshakeable belief in stocking and hatcheries as the definitive way to increase adult salmon numbers, to the extent of those with the necessary funds almost offering to pay for the hatchery facility themselves. If they believe at all in the principal cause of mortality being adverse conditions for our smolts in the sea, they are not prepared to wait for these to change, but believe they can engineer more adult returners by putting more juveniles (fry, parr or smolts) from a hatchery into the river. They believe the RTC is sitting on its hands/fiddling while Rome burns...and accuse all aspects of the Tweed &amp;ldquo;establishment&amp;rdquo; of complacency in not agreeing to a hatchery, in not killing all fish-eating birds, in not killing all seals....and a number of other things. Typically, they display extreme anger at the current situation and are convinced they would run the river better than the RTC and Tweed Foundation, and that by their interventionist policies they would achieve turnaround in salmon numbers very quickly.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Team 2, let us call them &amp;ldquo;The Defenders&amp;rdquo; is comprised of the management and scientists of the RTC and Tweed Foundation, the majority of the 81 members of the RTC itself (especially those proprietors who actually own the fishing), allied to many of the other Tweed (non hatchery believing) boatmen and regular fishermen on the Tweed. What unites them is a fundamental understanding that Tweed&amp;rsquo;s salmon is a wild resource subject to the variations, the ups and downs, of the natural, especially marine, environment. Typically, they believe in &amp;ldquo;letting the salmon do it for themselves&amp;rdquo;, in providing them with as good conditions as possible, within the river, so that there is as big a spawning escapement as possible (no netting, over 90% catch and release, no obstacles in the tributaries so that all salmon can get where they want to go to spawn, improved habitat in the spawning areas to support maximum juvenile numbers&amp;hellip;. and so on). Crucially, these &amp;ldquo;defenders&amp;rdquo; are implacably opposed to stocking and hatcheries; they understand that the river is producing/has always produced a massive number of smolts, and that reduced returning adults are overwhelmingly a product of natural variations in the North Atlantic. They are prepared to wait, because there is no other sensible choice, until the natural cycle in the oceans changes in favour of increased numbers of our smolts surviving&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;to return home; they believe that adding comparatively unfit hatchery bred fry, parr or smolts to a river already oversupplied with such juveniles will at best produce no additional return of adults, and at worst will lead to additional juvenile mortality, in excess of the numbers stocked, because there is finite space and food within the river to support more young fish. Although these &amp;rdquo;Defenders&amp;rdquo; dislike all fish-eating birds and seals as much as anyone, they believe them to be &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;a&lt;/strong&gt; problem, but not &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;the&lt;/strong&gt; problem, which lies in the sea. While striving to increase cull licence numbers, they will never advocate breaking the law when it comes to unlicenced shooting of avian and mammalian predators.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So which of these teams will prevail?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Whereas other rivers have tended to give in, from time to time, to their pro hatchery (&amp;ldquo;Aggressor&amp;rdquo;) lobbies, there is little sign of that happening here, despite a fairly unpleasant, febrile atmosphere lurking beneath the surface.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The least attractive element of this is when some of those pro hatchery Tweed boatmen/ghillies display their evident frustration by slagging off the RTC to their customers, both in the boat and in the fishing hut, whilst at the same time promoting the panacea of stocking and hatcheries to those who are hardly in a position to argue. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Nothing could be better designed to put off visiting fishermen from returning. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is like a restaurant waiter saying to his customers &amp;ldquo; The management here is rubbish and the chef has no idea what he is doing, and the food is filthy&amp;rdquo;....not exactly designed to encourage fishermen to come back, with consequent damage to the prospects of that boatman&amp;rsquo;s own job, and the jobs of others.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Time will tell how this battle plays out.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;To be fair to both sides, they both want the same thing, what Orri Vigfusson used to call &amp;ldquo;an abundance of fiske&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They just have radically different views of how to go about achieving it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And for those who do want to learn, and to understand the pros and cons of hatcheries, in stark contrast to those who do not, here is the link to the Tweed Foundation&amp;rsquo;s paper on stocking and hatcheries: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tweedfoundation.org.uk/FAQ_Tweed_-_Hatcheries_2016.pdf&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;https://www.tweedfoundation.org.uk/FAQ_Tweed_-_Hatcheries_2016.pdf&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It cross refers to papers produced by other rivers (the Spey and the Dee for example), in addition to the EA Kielder hatchery/Tyne report to which these pages have often referred in the past.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Here are what some consider to be the key words from the EA Kielder hatchery/Tyne report:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Current post 1985 annual contribution of direct hatchery returns to Tyne run size and catch is estimated to be mainly between 2% and 7%&amp;rdquo;. &amp;ldquo;This is roughly equivalent to the lost production due to the (Kielder) dam&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In other words, if the dam were not there, natural production from the dammed area would produce the same as the hatchery.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Nothing could be clearer&amp;hellip;..&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;93% to 98% of the Tyne catch and run size does not come from the hatchery.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The only effect of the hatchery is to replace production of juveniles lost because of the Kielder dam.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed has reservoirs Megget, Talla and Fruid which have only minor impacts on Tweed&amp;rsquo;s total spawning area, minor because they are so high up and have cut off comparatively littlein terms of water accessible to salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Tweed, therefore, has no Kielder equivalent.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-11-11--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 758--><!-- 4 November 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Tweed&amp;rsquo;s rod catches for last week were 230 salmon and 20 sea trout, making totals for the season to date of 4,765 salmon and 665 sea trout, within 90% accuracy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With a flood today and maybe more rain from midweek, the question is whether those coloured river fish will disappear way upstream to spawn, beyond the reach of any rod beats?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With precious little sign of anything fresher coming in, it takes a supreme optimist to predict anything very different, from the last few years, for this November.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Cautionary tales arrived last week from two stalwart forces for good in the fishing world, old friends Andrew Graham-Stewart and Tom Fort.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Andrew pointed out that those of us who live on the east and imagine our rivers to be protected from the ghastly sea-lice borne mortality (from fish farms) of our wild smolts, should consider the Shetlands.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Students of the globe will see that once our smolts round the northeast tip of Scotland, heading for the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland, it is hard to imagine that many of them do not pass within say 25 miles of the Shetlands and their fish farms, which have an appalling sea-lice record.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Yet another unseen danger for our smolts to overcome, which unlike those all too visible birds, most of our fishermen will not have even considered.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And then Tom tells me, from a punishingly tedious EU report (or as he puts it &amp;ldquo;of immense length and uselessness&amp;rdquo;) that Bavaria has been shooting between 2,500 and 6,500 cormorants every winter since 1985, but that there has been neither a reduction in the overall numbers of birds nor in the number of night roosts...ergo no reduction in the numbers of fish eaten...over that period.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;One supposes some lessons can be drawn from this; first, that without shooting there could have been even more birds and fish mortality and, secondly, that if SNH are worried that by increasing our licence to cull, cormorant numbers overall will plummet, they need have no such concerns; and thirdly, that the overall cormorant population in Bavaria, despite the shooting, still ate an awful lot of fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We have been warned. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Even if we do get a bigger cormorant and goosander cull licence... it will be no panacea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is not the purpose of these pages to wallow in collective misery, but when you get years like this with not enough fish to populate all beats, some miss out completely... thereby producing some truly shocking figures.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Salmon like having friends, and the effect of that is that when they move upriver they tend to stop where there are already some residents, and pass straight through those beats/pools where there are none.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Our own Temple Pool is a case in point; so far this year it has yielded just 2 salmon; pre 2014 it unfailingly yielded between 125 and 250 every year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And what of the two most famous Tweed beats of all, Upper Floors and the Junction?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is unlikely that even in the UDN/post 1967 years that they ever found themselves in early November on scores of under 100 and just over 200 salmon respectively...unimaginably low scores for such great beats, for there is nothing wrong with them, their pools are as good as they ever were, it is just the fish that have been absent.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Spare a thought too for those upper Tweed beats, above the junction with Ettrick, which used to thrive on the arrival of the autumn run in October and November.... but no more.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Whether you have any salmon, or almost none at all, is a matter of luck&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Most would say that there have been fewer fish this year overall than last, and the final catch figures for 2018 will most probably show that.... and yet Tillmouth last year caught just 189 salmon, against well over 500 so far this year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Sometimes you are hot, and sometimes not... and it is only when there are enough fish to populate the pools in all the beats that you get a more even distribution of catches.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As for us here, we are lucky and may well have caught more than all but two other beats.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Yet it will be the worst annual catch we have had since coming to live here almost 40 year ago.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;That says it all.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With thanks to all those helpful (!?) comments about how to deal with the seal which has inhabited our Cauld Stream for most of last week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It was difficult not to feel a little bit sorry for it...with some encouragement, it tried to escape downstream, but so low was the river that it ended up flapping aimlessly on the gravel below the water, the level simply being too low for it to navigate.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Anyway, with the little 6 inch rise on Friday, it disappeared.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Then a Common (or Eurasian) Crane appeared on the Lees Haugh and stayed for most of the week.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For pictures of both, proof if you will, especially of the Crane, go to Tweedbeats Instagram where Malcolm has excelled at his now customary recording of such wildlife events.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The crane seemed perfectly happy eating grubs and worms on Colin McGregor&amp;rsquo;s winter wheat field...no doubt before recovering its sense of direction and heading off south.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It all reminds me of my Uncle Henry, ornithologist, wildlife artist and erstwhile BBC birdman. He painted the most beautiful watercolour collection of &amp;ldquo;all the birds of Berwickshire&amp;rdquo;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Just as he thought he had finished, we young (we are talking 50 years ago) would take great delight in finding another specimen (a Garganey or a White-fronted Goose) which nobody had ever seen here before...whereupon he would say &amp;ldquo;You twisters, now I have got to paint yet another bird, will you please stop finding them!&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If the Common Crane is not amongst his stunningly beautiful collection, as I feel sure it is not, I like to think that, somewhere up there, he is cursing us...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;...but getting out his paintbrush.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Just one more time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-11-04--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 755--><!-- 28 October 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed rod catch for last week was 230 salmon and 10 sea trout, making the season&amp;rsquo;s total to date, within 90% accuracy, 4,535 salmon and 645 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;As the total staggers up towards 5,000 salmon for the year, nothing can disguise the comparative lack of fish, with most beats seeing little or nothing jumping in any of their pools.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As most of those being caught are coloured, the next decent rise or flood will take them away up-river to spawn, and in the likely absence of many more coming in, the season will effectively close itself by mid November&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;... at the the latest.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It could become known as &amp;ldquo;doing a Switlyk&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Let me explain.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So there you are, on your own, just about to land what is clearly a large silver salmon after a prolonged struggle, when your thoughts inevitably turn to &amp;ldquo;what am I going to do with it?&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;You beach it, and find the fly well down its throat, but not bleeding. Unpracticed at getting hooks out, you think, &amp;ldquo;well I am not sure I can save it anyway, and I&amp;rsquo;d quite like a bit of smoked salmon&amp;rdquo;, so you hit it smartly on the head&amp;hellip;.as you are perfectly entitled to do, there being no restriction on the Tweed from killing salmon post 1st July.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Back to the hut, triumphantly carrying a sealiced 20lb cock autumn salmon, to be met with congratulations from fellow fishers and ghillies alike, photographs are taken, the fish bagged up ready for delivery to a smokehouse.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;A photo of the fish, clearly no longer alive, is posted on Tweedbeats Instagram&amp;hellip;.and almost the first comment to come in is &amp;ldquo;that fish looks dead&amp;rdquo;......no doubt shortly to be followed by more of the same.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In anticipation, if not quite of a media storm, then at least plenty of aggrieved adverse commentary, the offending picture of said dead 20 lber was removed from social media for evermore.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Welcome to today&amp;rsquo;s world of salmon fishing political correctness.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So where to start?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We will all have our own views, my own being that I would not have killed it....for I can no longer recall the last time I killed a salmon that I have caught, but I have been content (just) to dispatch fish caught by others when I was rowing them or ghillieing for them, if they wanted one for the pot...that is so long as it was a cock or small grilse of either sex, for I can never countenance killing, or allowing anyone else to kill, a female salmon of more than about 6lbs.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And of course it would have to be fresh, for all coloured fish go back...what is the point in killing some old coloured fish which will be inedible anyway?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So where does that leave us with that (dead) 20lb cock fish?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Some say that big fish breed more big fish (unproven) and would not have killed it on that basis alone, others that you should not just save the hens because therein lies imbalance between the sexes on the spawning beds....and others too are like me and cannot bring themselves to kill anything, for a multitude of different reasons.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But mainly because I am old and like seeing them swim away, and worry about the paucity of salmon...and, of course, not many dead fish spawn successfully.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And yet,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;and yet....although our lucky fisherman did nothing wrong in terms of both the law and what the RTC say about killing (or not killing) salmon, our judgement was that, had that photo remained on Instagram, there would have followed a crescendo of criticism... maybe even that fabled media storm.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Looking back now at old photos taken in the 1980s, before anyone considered catch and release, at rows of dead silver fish laid out on the grass with the triumphant anglers standing smiling behind them, is distinctly uncomfortable.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Such scenes now would render those smiling anglers personae non gratae on every salmon river in Scotland, in all likelihood having to go into voluntary exile to lead anything like a normal life again. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Let me give you a tip.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If you do kill a salmon from now on, when you are perfectly entitled to and it is a good silver fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;don&amp;rsquo;t tell anyone except your very bestest friends, put it in the freezer before anyone sees it....and most important of all,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;never publish any &amp;ldquo;trophy&amp;rdquo; photographs of its shining corpse...EVER.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Then your life will go along just fine...and that army of piscatorial pc police, of which I am very nearly one, will be spared their apoplectic vitriol, for they will be none the wiser.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Some may thrive on the oxygen of social media; dead fish, and their triumphant captors, do not.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;You ask that American huntress, the exotically named Larysa Switlyk, pictured with the wild sheep and goat she had shot on Islay. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;She must wish she had kept quiet.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is the best way.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-10-28--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 754--><!-- 21 October 2018--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed catches for last week were 316 salmon and 16 sea trout, making totals for the year to date 4,305 salmon and 635 sea trout, all within 90% accuracy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Some may be tempted to say that a week&amp;rsquo;s catch of 316 salmon is not bad, and maybe in absolute terms it isn&amp;rsquo;t.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But conditions throughout the river were perfect, with the exception of Monday when the weekend flood was still abating. Perfect conditions and the 3rd week in October on the Tweed used to be the stuff of salmon anglers&amp;rsquo; dreams.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Still worth fishing, a reported fresh-ish 27lber caught at Walk and a few other sea licers proves that...but nothing like what it used to be.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As for the coming week, and even the one after that if my weather forecasts are correct, you can forget those fast sinking lines, unless you enjoy catching the bottom.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There will be no rain, some wind to start the week and after that, increasingly cold from the north.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;A time for longjohns, neoprene waders, comforting log fires in the hut and a glass of something strong and warming.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And for intrepid, brave fishing souls.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;After five years of this, of many fewer fish than there used to be in the autumn, we should all stop having those ultimately futile thoughts of comparison with days long gone by.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We are entering, indeed five years ago in the 2014 season (unwittingly) we entered, a new era, and we must now look forward to what the future will bring rather than harking back to the past.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;You will get no more indulgence, here on these pages, in yet more fruitless theories about spring and summer runs, and of salmon or grilse predominance. They are all huff and puff...and little more than uneducated guesswork.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Just as the scientists never saw the change coming in&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;2014, they cannot predict exactly what (or when) the future will be....for it involves the comparative chaos of the North Atlantic and all the multitude of dangers our vulnerable smolts face when they get there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Of only one thing can we be quite sure, and if we have not learnt that by now, we certainly should have after 5 years, which is...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;... that it will be, indeed already is, very different.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Those who blame Tweed&amp;rsquo;s management for the comparative lack of fish here, have one awkward question to answer.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Are all salmon river managers in Scotland also to blame for the comparative lack of salmon on their rivers too?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Because what is happening here is precisely what has happened elsewhere. The similarities are so blindingly obvious, that only those capable of ignoring all logic can possibly imagine that river managers, and what happens within their rivers, are to blame.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Most sensible analysts would conclude that all of our fish-eating birds, and other predators, are indeed a problem...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;...but they are not THE problem.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;That lies in the sea and where, for now, such a small percentage of our smolts survive and come back as adults.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As for our Scottish river managers, blaming them is absurd and ridiculous. Many of them are the very same people now as they were in 2010 when Scotland&amp;rsquo;s rivers had record rod catches.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Have they all become useless, whereas in 2010 they were the bees&amp;rsquo; knees?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;No, they are highly skilled, knowledgeable and dedicated to their rivers. They cannot control what happens when our smolts reach the sea, any more than their all-too-vocal critics can.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So if you ever meet David Summers (Tay), Roger Knight (Spey), Lorraine Hawkins (Dee) or our own Fay Hieatt (Tweed) you would do well to remember the hard work they do on all of our behalfs every day in the current, most difficult of times.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Anyone can shine when times are good. It is when times are not so good that you need a thick skin, resilience and a dogged determination to carry on.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We should all thank them, and never judge &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;at all&lt;/strong&gt; based on the entirely random business of how many, or how few, adult salmon happen to come back from the sea. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;You, and I, would do well to remember that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-10-21--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 751--><!-- 14 October 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed rod catch last week was 153 salmon and 20 sea trout, making the cumulative scores to date 3,989 salmon and 599 sea trout (within 90% accuracy).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In a suspiciously warm, windy and ultimately very wet week, those fishing were unlucky with conditions and that showed up in the catches.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Quite what the fish thought of it, is anyone&amp;rsquo;s guess as the water temperature went from 46F last weekend to 57F by Wednesday afternoon , with the air temperature by then over 70F.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For those of us who do not like such high temperatures when you are trying to catch autumn fish, it was the exact opposite of the much more welcome cooler, even frosty, weather forecast for the week ahead.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If we get that, and no more significant rain, as the current 6ft flood, the biggest since April, subsides...then fishing conditions should become good.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But only if the numbers of fish are there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If you want to feel both sick, and extremely angry, try watching this....&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/3hAUkRiZ9o0&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 115%; font-size: 13.3333px;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/3hAUkRiZ9o0&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;and then Andrew Graham Stewart&amp;rsquo;s excellent commentary on the offending fish farm&amp;rsquo;s unconvincing defence here &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.salmon-trout.org/2018/09/19/loch-roag-sea-lice/?mc_cid=a15bfc9c36&amp;amp;mc_eid=c5e32174a9&quot;&gt;https://www.salmon-trout.org/2018/09/19/loch-roag-sea-lice/?mc_cid=a15bfc9c36&amp;amp;mc_eid=c5e32174a9&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;How these fish farms continue to get away with it is extraordinary. You would think it is at least partly because Government is turning a blind eye viz money, exports and jobs are worth the price of trashing the environment and our wild salmon and sea trout on the Scottish west coast in particular.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It has been going on for years and we should all congratulate and support S&amp;amp;TC in getting to grips with it all, and in bringing these appalling fish farms practices to book.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Can you imagine the outcry if (say) a sheep farmer had to routinely bury thousands of lambs/sheep every year because they get disease and die? Yet this is exactly what is happening in fish farming.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;One can only assume that it is because they are fish, rather than cuddly lambs, that are dying , that the great British public just does not care...and they and Government continue to allow these horrific practices to continue and the perpetrators to get away with it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;One can only guess at what this is all doing to our wild fish, not just off the Scottish west coast where it has clearly had a devastating effect over many decades on their rivers and lochs, but also in the north atlantic where all our fish go to feed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Whatever else, it cannot possibly be good.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-10-14--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 749--><!-- 7 October 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Tweed&amp;rsquo;s rod catch last week was 311 salmon and 20 sea trout, bringing the 2018 season&amp;rsquo;s total to 3,836 salmon and 579 sea trout, within 90% accuracy, which means the real total could be over 4,000.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With some fresh fish showing up in the lower river catch at the beginning of last week, water levels dropped as the week went on and anything remotely silver became scarce.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As for next week, if even a fraction of the rain due for Argyll (over 100mm on one of those static wiggly fronts) hits the top of the Tweed, we will get a flood.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If we do, will there be any more fish to come once it runs off?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;That would not have been a concern 5 years ago.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It certainly is now. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There is a view that angler observations are worthless, not helped in the past by some firing off frankly absurd statements such as &amp;ldquo;we used to catch smolts with every cast in the old days in April, but now we catch none&amp;rdquo;.....which is untrue, on both counts.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I was there in April in &amp;ldquo;the old days&amp;rdquo; and of course we caught smolts, but not every cast and no more than we did this year, when by common consent there was a massive smolt run.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But angler observations should never be ignored, just because sometimes they may not tell the whole story.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;This year there is a very marked lack of brown trout in the main stem of the Tweed, especially in the larger pools which have provided easy access for those flocks of cormorants, residents&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;here for the last few winters.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Anglers say the cormorant flocks have seriously depleted our brown trout numbers in the main stem of the Tweed...to say nothing of the salmon fry, parr and smolts they must also be eating.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Many of us agree with the anglers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The cormorants are back from their summer break in considerable numbers, and we should be allowed to protect our fish, something which the Tweed Acts specifically charge us with doing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It has been said before, and will again, that we should be permitted to stop any goosanders and cormorants from eating our fish, which means being allowed to shoot them without limit, within (say) 50 metres either side of the Tweed or any of its tributaries, from October through to March.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;That they are eating our fish in very large numbers is incontrovertible; why else would they be here? The only arguable point is quite how much damage they are doing, and the opinion that they are mainly taking fish which would die anyway before smolting (in the case of juvenile salmon fry) is certainly not the case so far as our disappearing adult brown trout are concerned.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Anything less than much more effective control of bird predator numbers is unacceptable, and it is high time Government/SNH stopped us from adequately protecting our fish....&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;...before it is too late, for our native brown trout at least.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The weather section of my Times newspaper reported on Thursday that beavers are to be introduced into North Yorkshire &amp;ldquo;to prevent flooding&amp;rdquo;, before going on to say that anglers don&amp;rsquo;t like them because they &amp;ldquo;believe they eat large numbers of fish in rivers&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Has anyone yet come across an angler ignorant enough to think they eat fish (thereby displaying a very poor standard of reporting by the Times and an unwarranted slur on anglers)? Yes anglers do not like beavers because they chop down our young trees and use them to build dams....which hold back water&amp;hellip;. and thereby hold up all our native migratory fish which need to progress upstream at this time of year to spawn.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Beaver dams will delay, or at worst stop altogether, them doing that, something the pro beaverites dismiss by saying &amp;ldquo;beavers and salmonids lived together for 100s of years (over 400 years ago when the world was a very different place) so what&amp;rsquo;s the problem?&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed has spent the last 60+ years removing all dams and blockages, and/or easing passage through them, on our myriad tributaries, and now some fanatics have illegally let beavers loose in Tayside. Others, no doubt well meaning but, in terms of salmon river management, misguided, are doing the same in North Yorkshire because they apparently stop flooding which we humans are unable to do...despite our ability to send rockets to Mars (which beavers, we are told, cannot).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Beavers will arrive on the Tweed soon enough, now from both north and south, and who will then pay for protecting all our trees, and for knocking down those blocking beaver dams on our vital spawning tributaries, and what about the cost of removing/relocating the offending creatures (because if you do not, they will just build the dam again)?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Of one thing you can be entirely sure, it will not be those who first introduced them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It will be you and me.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-10-07--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 748--><!-- 30 September 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Tweed&amp;rsquo;s rod catch for last week was 402 salmon and 31 sea trout, making the annual total to date 3,325 salmon and 559 sea trout (within 90% accuracy).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Good&amp;rdquo;, you might say, and in terms of what else has gone on, up to now, this year...last week was good-ish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Curmudgeonly maybe, but despite a small lift in water on Thursday, catches did not recover on Friday and Saturday to what they had been at the start of the week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With a breezy, cool and quite unsettled week to come, real fishing success will depend, as ever, on how many fresh fish are still to come in from the sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;News this week of where our (increasing number of) cormorants come from.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Like me, you probably assume they come from the east coast, either Berwick, St Abbs or the Farne Islands.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;One that was found dead here recently had been ringed on Puffin Island, Anglesey in July, just 2 months ago, having travelled 279 km north north east, presumably mainly overland.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If you had asked 100 Tweed fishermen and boatmen where our most unwelcome cormorants originate...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;....I will wager not one of them would have said &amp;ldquo;North Wales&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With spinning mercifully over for the year, there are those who like it, who would smear those of us who don&amp;rsquo;t, by accusing us of hypocrisy...which means they are saying we do really spin upstream and in low water, when our beat rules are that we do not.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Our rules here forbid upstream spinning &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;at any time, &lt;/strong&gt;and spinning downstream except in &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;high &lt;/strong&gt;water.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We have caught 1 salmon spinning this year out of a total 148.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So either we are doing it and are very bad at it ...or we aren&amp;rsquo;t spinning, except in high water...and even then not much.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If you still don&amp;rsquo;t believe me, you try finding a fisherman who has caught a salmon here spinning, other than in high water, not just this year.... but for many years past.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Good luck with that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-09-30--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 746--><!-- 23 September 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed rod catches last week were 208 salmon and&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;58 sea trout, taking the cumulative totals to 22nd September 2018 up to 2,923 salmon and 528 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Last week was spoiled by three smallish rises in water, all bringing unwelcome colour.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With cooler and drier weather forecast, and with the river settled down, next week will provide the first real test of what sort of fishing autumn is to come.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Pre 2014, next week would mark the first of the best six weeks fishing of the year on the Tweed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But this is 2018, and it might be the start of something good...but then again it might not.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We will know soon enough.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There is one question that all fishery experts and scientists have failed to answer...and I include in this professor Jens Christian Holst. You will recall that Professor Holst&amp;rsquo;s compelling theory is that our grilse are either (a) failing completely and/or (b) becoming ever smaller, all because of the mackerel explosion in the near North Atlantic where our grilse go to feed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In turn, this is all related to/caused by changes in North Atlantic sea surface temperatures and the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation, or AMO.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Whereas 2017 was in the category of grilse failing altogether, 2018 is more obviously that we have some grilse, but they are very small....all a result of too intense competition for food in the sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But the unanswered question is this.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;What is the explanation for the equally obvious lack of fresh (bigger) salmon in the 8lbs to 25lbs category from September to the end of November?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In autumn 2017 we never saw &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;a single fresh proper autumn salmon here after 1st September&lt;/strong&gt;, an almost unimaginable thing for those of us brought up in the heady autumn days post the 1970s.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Scientists will tell you that by the 2000s, 75% of the big Tweed autumn catches were grilse.....but then 25% were salmon, and that 25% was a pretty big number.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So where have they gone?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We are told these salmon go further afield to feed, as far as Greenland. We have also been told that the numbers of salmon should increase overall (spring, summer and autumn taken together), as the numbers of grilse both decline and become smaller in average weight.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Well, maybe the numbers of summer salmon are increasing (impossible to tell this year because of the drought, although the NE drift net catch when (eventually) released will give a clue)....but where exactly are the autumn salmon and what is the plausible reason for their decline/disappearance?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If you go back 80-100 years, both autumn salmon and grilse numbers declined, just as they are now, but as the grilse numbers declined and became smaller in weight, so the autumn salmon numbers also declined.... but became very much larger in weight.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If you don&amp;rsquo;t believe me.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In 1935 we caught just &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;16 salmon here in October, 6 were over 20lbs and the average weight was just under 16lbs. In November we caught just 24 salmon, 10 were over 20 lbs and the average weight was just under 18lbs.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And not one grilse amongst them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If history is repeating itself, whereas the scientists may have very plausible explanations for what is happening to our grilse, there is not yet much evidence of the salmon becoming more consistently numerous over all&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;three seasons.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And those really big autumn salmon?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There is no sign of them yet, but in a period of great change, those self same scientists would say.... it is early days.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Amid all the too voluble critics of today&amp;rsquo;s salmon river managers, and the palpable impatience of many, the scientists could well be proved right.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But not quite yet.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-09-23--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 744--><!-- 16 September 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed rod catch for last week was 353&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;salmon and 39 sea trout, making the cumulative totals (within 90% accuracy) 2,715 salmon and 470 sea trout to 15th September 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It was, quite easily, the best week of the year so far.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;That this September has been far more productive than 2017 is self evident, with many more grilse and even some more fresh salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It has been the lowest beats, especially those below Coldstream, that have benefited most from the prolonged low water levels, but with recent small rises, good catches have spread as far upstream as Boleside.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;General water levels since the beginning of May, with the odd short-lived blip for those annoying dirty summer rises of a foot or two, have been at or around summer level for over 4 months. This, in turn, means that the fishable water in all beats has been reduced by more than half from what it would be at perfect fishing height.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It has been very frustrating, bordering on desperate, for all but a very few lucky fishermen.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If that were not bad enough, we could be about to enter another phase when even less than half the pools are fishable, this time because of the opposite&amp;hellip;.flooding.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As storm Helene rushes towards us (the first autumn storm of 2018, with a few more to follow maybe) on Monday night and Tuesday morning, bringing tropical air with it, it will be surprising if we avoid its tropical moisture as well.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Despite what you would think, any sort of wet autumn will mean 2018 being far from a very dry year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;At almost 17 inches to the end of August 2018, with 4 months to go, the following are the properly dry years over the last 114 years since 1904, in the Coldstream area (I am indebted to the Aitchison family at Lochton for this information):&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;1972&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;16.21 inches&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;1989&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;16.44&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;1942&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;17.04&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;1964&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;18.47&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With 1976 coming in at 20.71 inches, not even in the top ten, with the same fate most probably awaiting 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So much for what we all believe to be true, and will no doubt argue to the death it is true (eg re 1976) ....&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.even when it isn&amp;rsquo;t.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I have news for lovers of our pisciverous birds.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They are back.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;After an almost total absence of cormorants over the summer, and a much reduced goosander population, I counted 40 goosanders and 5 cormorants on my dog-walk this morning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They will be with us in numbers, eating our fish, from now until April next year, before the nesting instinct takes many/most of them away.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;What damage will they do over those 6 or 7 months?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Only when we (and other rivers) can precisely quantify that damage, from stomach content analysis, will we be able to persuade licencing authorities and Government to allow us to do much more to protect our fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As has already been promoted many times in these pages, the solution that all anglers would accept is that from (say) October to March, both cormorants and goosanders can be shot within the river corridor (defined as 50 metres either side of the Tweed main stem or of any tributary), but are fully protected, as now, elsewhere.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Only then will we all feel that something meaningful is being done to protect and preserve our young fish. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Students of our legislation will know that under Article 9 (b) The Scotland Act 1998 (River Tweed) Order 2006 &amp;ldquo;Functions of the (Tweed) Commission&amp;rdquo;:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;The Commission may do such acts, execute such works and incur such expenses as may appear to it expedient for the preservation and increase of salmon and freshwater fish in the district&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There is clear conflict here between what our own Act says the Tweed Commission can do (the only hurdle to be crossed is that it &amp;ldquo;may appear to it to be expedient&amp;rdquo;) and what the authorities (in the form of the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) allow us to do with respect to those birds which eat our fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In effect, the Tweed Commission is being prevented from fully doing what is one of its main functions (&amp;ldquo;the preservation and increase of salmon&amp;rdquo;) under its own legislation.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As the numbers of these birds, especially cormorants, increase, it is high time that the Tweed Commission is allowed to fully perform its statutory functions by those (SNH and Government?) stopping it from doing so.....&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;... because they restrict our capacity to preserve our young salmon by not allowing us to keep our fish-eating bird numbers under control.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-09-16--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 741--><!-- 9 September 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed rod catch last week was 224 salmon and 20 sea trout, bringing the season&amp;rsquo;s total to 8th September 2018 to 2,362 salmon and 431 sea trout. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Next Friday 14th September is the last day you can legally spin on the Tweed. For many of us the following day, 15th September, cannot come soon enough.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Those beats who have been spinning throughout the summer will be forced to discover that you can catch salmon on a fly. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Those ghillies and boatmen who have looked askance at some poor angler refusing to spin before 15th September (&amp;ldquo;You are wasting your time with that fly rod, sir, here&amp;rsquo;s a spinning rod with a flying condom, you just throw it upstream and reel it fast back down towards you&amp;rdquo;) will suddenly have to accept that fly fishing is the way to go....but only because they have no other option.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Those same ghillies and boatmen should know that many of their colleagues on other beats disapprove of what they do. Some would ban spinning altogether. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Much of the blame for this is because so many beats are comparatively uncontrolled by their owners, in terms of what goes on day to day on their beats. They appear to be happy that their ghillies and boatmen keep numbers up, with no regard as to how it is done&amp;hellip;.or who, either fishing later on the same side/beat or on the other side of the river, suffer as a result of their spinning obsession.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Thank heavens for 15th September and the consignment of those appalling Flying Cs, Rapalas and the like to their boxes for another year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If only they would stay there forever.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; --00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So those North East Drift nets and T&amp;amp;J nets stopped netting over a week ago on 31st August, and our only remaining net at Gardo will stop too on 14th September.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;That only leaves the dolphins and seals to go on killing our salmon until we get a proper flood to persuade those fish, patiently waiting, to come in from the sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As fresh grilse and some salmon continued to appear in the lower beats last week, hopes remained intact for a better fishing autumn.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;How much better remains to be seen.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We need both more &amp;ldquo;weather&amp;rdquo; and more fish, in short, a good old fashioned autumn. The odds are still stacked against....&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;.... but the bookies are just beginning to think of shortening the odds.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With the jetstream aimed straight at us throughout the week ahead, the chances of getting more &amp;ldquo;weather&amp;rdquo;, in the shape of wind, rain and cooler, as the week goes on, are pretty high....at which point it will, no doubt, never stop raining.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Such is the way of things with our climate nowadays.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As it switches from one extreme to another. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-09-09--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 737--><!-- 2 September 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Last week&amp;rsquo;s Tweed rod catch was 218 salmon and 13 sea trout, making the cumulative season&amp;rsquo;s totals, to 1st September 2018,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;2,138 salmon and 411 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With exception of the lowest beats, next week, in the absence of any rain, could well see much reduced catches as water levels continue to drop and the weather becomes becalmed... with yet another (most unwelcome) Azores high pressure system dominating early in the week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For any good fishing, river-wide, we need the Rain Gods to come back....and quickly.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As they just might from Thursday, if some forecasts are to be believed about an encircling low pressure encroaching from the east.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Even then, to be any good, it has to deliver substantial rain over the whole Tweed catchment.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But there is hope.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As the Tweed salmon catch creeps over 2,000 by the end of August, it is worth reflecting on two things.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;First, in all likelihood the Tweed will again have the highest rod catch of all Scottish (and English) salmon rivers in 2018, even if the total by the end of November is lower than recent depressed totals. This is simply because other rivers are doing worse than us,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;for lack of fish or thanks to the extreme drought, or, in almost every case, a combination of both.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Secondly, in years gone by, a pretty low score by the end of the summer would have caused little concern here&amp;hellip;.because the hugely prolific autumn months were still to come. Whereas we can all hope that autumn 2018 will produce something like the autumn runs of old, after the last few much reduced autumn years.... you wouldn&amp;rsquo;t put much money on it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But then everything else about 2018 has defied the pundits; very few springers, drought and consequent poor runs of salmon in the summer, an unexpected preponderance of grilse in late July and August, and now I hear of some proper big salmon being caught (and released) in the research net at Paxton.... whereas in 2017 they caught almost nothing, either grilse or salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Could we be in for a surprise once we get some water?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Probably not, but then so far &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;every &lt;/strong&gt;prediction of 2018 that I have heard&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;....has been wrong. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-09-02--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 738--><!-- 2 September 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Last week&amp;rsquo;s Tweed rod catch was 218 salmon and 13 sea trout, making the cumulative season&amp;rsquo;s totals, to 1st September 2018,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;2,138 salmon and 411 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With exception of the lowest beats, next week, in the absence of any rain, could well see much reduced catches as water levels continue to drop and the weather becomes becalmed... with yet another (most unwelcome) Azores high pressure system dominating early in the week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For any good fishing, river-wide, we need the Rain Gods to come back&amp;hellip;.and quickly.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As they just might from Thursday, if some forecasts are to be believed about an encircling low pressure encroaching from the east.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Even then, to be any good, it has to deliver substantial rain over the whole Tweed catchment.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But there is hope.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As the Tweed salmon catch creeps over 2,000 by the end of August, it is worth reflecting on two things.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;First, in all likelihood the Tweed will again have the highest rod catch of all Scottish (and English) salmon rivers in 2018, even if the total by the end of November is lower than recent depressed totals. This is simply because other rivers are doing worse than us,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;for lack of fish or thanks to the extreme drought, or, in almost every case, a combination of both.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Secondly, in years gone by, a pretty low score by the end of the summer would have caused little concern here....because the hugely prolific autumn months were still to come. Whereas we can all hope that autumn 2018 will produce something like the autumn runs of old, after the last few much reduced autumn years&amp;hellip;... you wouldn&amp;rsquo;t put much money on it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But then everything else about 2018 has defied the pundits; very few springers, drought and consequent poor runs of salmon in the summer, an unexpected preponderance of grilse in late July and August, and now I hear of some proper big salmon being caught (and released) in the research net at Paxton..... whereas in 2017 they caught almost nothing, either grilse or salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Could we be in for a surprise once we get some water?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Probably not, but then so far &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;every &lt;/strong&gt;prediction of 2018 that I have heard....&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;.....has been wrong. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-09-02--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 736--><!-- 26 August 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Another &amp;ldquo;better&amp;rdquo; week produced 235 salmon and 44 sea trout for Tweed rods, making cumulative totals for the season to 25th August 2018 of 1,920 salmon and 398 sea trout (within 90% accuracy).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;That things are markedly different already, to last year, is evident.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With 5 fishing days to go, this August looks like being the first month of 2018 with a higher catch than 2017; not only that, there are many more grilse and salmon... and generally more fresh fish coming off the tide in late August than there were at the same time in 2017.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Is it going to continue, with fresh salmon and grilse coming in right into the autumn, as they did pre 2014?&amp;rdquo; I hear you cry.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Now you&amp;rsquo;re asking.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They said it would rain all day today, Sunday, instead of which there has been the odd &amp;ldquo;spit&amp;rdquo;, but little more than that. And with nothing remotely wet enough in the forecast for next week, we are, it seems, doomed to another comparatively benign week with consequent dropping water levels.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Unlike 1976 when the drought broke this August bank holiday weekend, and it never stopped raining for the following 8 weeks, the 2018 forecast for the next 5 weeks is for more of the same, with high pressures building north over Europe and pushing any serious low pressure systems up towards Iceland and away from the UK.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The last time we had a proper 6ft flood here on the Tweed was at the beginning of April, well over 4 months ago. Another is long overdue, and crucial for good early autumn fishing, but not going to happen any time soon, it seems.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If the weather forecasters are to be believed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With apologies if the above is a little routine and dull, I have not been myself this last week following a most charming and impossibly skilful surgeon wielding a knife to remove part of what was me...the purpose being that I might, thereby, inhabit this earth for a little longer than might otherwise have been the case.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It will be a month before I am allowed to fish, play golf, or even do some gardening&amp;hellip;.but perfect timing to sit quietly at my desk and complete the annual Tax Returns chore before the deadline.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So after &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;you&lt;/strong&gt; reading the above about the fishing and lack of water, and &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;me&lt;/strong&gt; not feeling quite in mid season form, both of us need, and deserve, a little cheering up.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is an essential part of what follows, for even a modicum of success, the slightest titter of a laugh, that you do not skip to the end...or at least not until you get there in your own good time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;After all, in my current condition there is no rush for me, so why should there be for you?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Mummy, mummy are you REALLY sure I am polar bear and not a brown bear?&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Yes, my boy, I am quite sure you are a polar bear and not a brown bear&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Mummy, mummy are you REALLY REALLY sure I am a polar bear and not a black bear?&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Yes, my boy, I am quite sure you are a polar bear and not a black bear&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;But mummy, mummy, are you REALLY REALLY REALLY sure I am a polar bear and not a grisly bear?&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Yes, my boy, I am REALLY REALLY REALLY sure you are a polar bear and not a brown bear, a black bear or a grisly bear.....why do you ask?&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Because I&amp;rsquo;m fucking cold&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-08-26--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 733--><!-- 19 August 2018  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed rod score last week was better, 240 salmon and 43 sea trout, making the season&amp;rsquo;s totals 1,685 salmon and 354 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Things perked up on Friday and Saturday, mainly below Kelso, with a combination of wind, some extra water and high tides encouraging fish to come in from the sea and move upstream.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So what is it to be this autumn?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If the Tyne Riding Mill counter is anything to go by, the jury is still out.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Neither the June count of 4,327, nor the (just released) July figure of 7,966 was anything exceptional, indeed, combined they were the lowest since 2014&amp;hellip;.but then even with Keilder compensation releases, the drought and heat of those 2 months in 2018 must have had some depressing effect on upstream migration.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We have all slipped into an acceptance that our rivers are going more &amp;ldquo;summer&amp;rdquo; than &amp;ldquo;autumn&amp;rdquo;, more &amp;ldquo;salmon&amp;rdquo; than &amp;ldquo;grilse&amp;rdquo;, based on the last few years when very little in the way of fresh salmon or grilse has come in after late August.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But then&amp;hellip;. there were very few salmon this spring/early summer, and now more grilse than salmon are turning up in mid/late August, exactly the opposite of what most experts, and students of historic salmon run changes, predicted .&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Nature is full of surprises, proof, if it were needed, that all our theorising about what is happening to our salmon is just so much hot air&amp;hellip;..although, if change is happening (and most still think it is), those self same students of history would caution that change is not a straight line, so that you will get years that do not fit the trend&amp;hellip;.and that it is the trend over many years which is relevant/important. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For the present, what the Tweed needs now is a flood&amp;hellip;.followed by a good old fashioned autumn run of grilse and salmon. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;All we have seen so far, in the lowest beats, is mainly grilse, with, I hear, plenty seen jumping but they have not been taking, so that catches have not reflected abundance&amp;hellip;.or at least they did not until Friday last week when over 80 were caught in the day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Above Kelso there is little evidence of any fish, despite the odd pockets of angling success.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With a little more water on its way via Teviot and Ettrick this morning, with a showery start to the week ahead followed by a cooler, fresher end, there is not much hope of any real immediate change.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For it is only a good 6ft flood, or larger, which will both clean the river and spread the fish out over all the main beats.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The lowest beats may not want it&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;. but everyone else does.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Spare a thought for those great far northern rivers, the Naver, Thurso and Halladale, and especially their long suffering ghillies and the fishermen/women who were hoping for a successful annual fishing holiday on their banks.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I have been there and seen them; they have all but dried up, so that you cannot fish, even if you want to. They have lost an entire season, with no sign of relief as every Atlantic depression, so far, seems to fizzle out long before it gets up there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We went trout fishing, and good fun it was too, especially Loch Harray on Orkney&amp;hellip;..but our intended target, the Naver, provided a melancholy sight every evening as we returned to base.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So for Tweed fishers, as with everything else in life, it is worth remembering, precious little comfort maybe, that there is always somebody worse off than you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-08-19--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 732--><!-- 10 August 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;An early posting this week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We are off to the Naver, as far north as you can go, arguably the driest part of Scotland this summer, like its neighbour, the Thurso, a great river... but totally deprived of its fishing potential in 2018 by drought.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They both bucked the trend in 2017, catching as many if not more than their 5 and 10 year averages.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Without water from the rain due on Sunday, we might do a little fishing in the river, but not much.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is a great shame, but my most generous host is there for 2 weeks, so with any luck he will get some water before he leaves.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Something similar happened some years ago to a friend I happened to be sitting next to in Church at a wedding last Saturday. Arriving late on Sunday, the Naver had been un-fishably low for weeks, it poured with rain all night.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They caught 63 salmon and grilse for their week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Such is the narrow line between success and failure in that most chancy and fickle of sports we call salmon fishing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Who would be a fishery scientist?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Flavour of the month/year when things are good, the first to be reviled and blamed when things are not so good.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And so it is now, after 4 or 5 bad years here on the Tweed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If there is one thing I hear more than any other from fishermen and women, it is the word &amp;ldquo;hatchery&amp;rdquo;, and the scientists know they do not work on well stocked rivers like the Tweed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It seems that no logic, no science about juvenile capacity, not even the knowledge that just one small Tweed tributary produced some 30,000 smolts this April/May, can persuade our fishermen from their hatchery addiction as the answer to all our ills and travails.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Maybe the Conclusions (as shown below) of the paper produced by the Environment Agency in July 2004 on &amp;ldquo;the role of stocking in the recovery of the River Tyne salmon fishery&amp;rdquo; will convince those still wedded to hatcheries?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Here they are on Page 32 of the following link &lt;a href=&quot;https://wyeuskfoundation.org/problems/downloads/Tyne%20Hatchery%20Report.pdf&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;https://wyeuskfoundation.org/problems/downloads/Tyne%20Hatchery%20Report.pdf&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In particular:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;7.1 The Tyne salmon recovery started about 15 years &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;before &lt;/strong&gt;the first significant returns from stocking&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;7.6 Current post 1995 annual contribution of direct hatchery returns to Tyne run size and catch is estimated to be mainly&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt; between 2% and 7% &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;7.8 Over the period 1980 to 2000 overall weighted mean return rate ot the river (pre rod fishery) of all stocked fish combined was &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;0.37%&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In other words, of the Tyne returning adults, between 93 and 98 salmon out of every 100 did not come from the hatchery, but came from wild natural production.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And for every 300 juveniles artificially stocked over 20 years, only 1 would make it back as an adult&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And the one statistic missing from this meagre return?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The cost of the Keilder hatchery facility.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If you are so keen on the sort of miserly hatchery returns brought out by the EA paper on the Tyne&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;...then you pay for it on the Tweed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Except of course, quite rightly, the Tweed owners will never allow it&amp;hellip;..because they both support and agree with our scientists&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-08-10--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 731--><!-- 5 August 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With two small lifts of water and slightly less heat, the fishing improved last week, mainly, as predicted, below Coldstream.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The total catch for the week was 177 salmon and 33 sea trout making the season&amp;rsquo;s total to date 1,352 salmon and 303 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There is change on the way with our weather.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;From midweek you might need that jersey, even a raincoat, both of which have been lying unseen and unused, either on a hook or in a chest of drawers, for weeks now.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With salmon, and serious angling success, I am a temperature buff.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Much of a salmon&amp;rsquo;s behaviour, both for good and bad in angling terms, is predicated on how hot both the water and the surrounding atmosphere are.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With the heat and humidity of recent weeks, and water temperatures between 60F and 75F, you will struggle to catch much.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Get rid of that humidity, with water temperatures down a notch into the mid 50sF, then bring on a fresh westerly with air temperatures no more that 65F by day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And if water levels keep up as well, as things cool off&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;..well, you never know, the fishing could even improve.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;This is shaping up as one of the most disastrous years for Scotland&amp;rsquo;s rural communities in garnering their traditional summer influx of funds from those (mainly) English visitors who come north, by way of the migration routes of the A1/M1/M6/A9, to spend a week or more killing something&amp;hellip;..by way of shooting, fishing or stalking.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Hated by the likes of Chris Packham, the ghastly be-tweeded English in their massive 4x4s also don&amp;rsquo;t half wind up those anti-Westminster aggrieved Scots.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But, of course, they quite like the money they bring with them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;With the persistently drought-ridden fishing persuading many English not to even bother getting in those 4x4s to come north, and now with many grouse moors reporting very poor breeding and cancellations of planned shooting dates, there have been, and will be, many fewer English sporting visitors north of the border this year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;This is really quite serious, not just for Scotland&amp;rsquo;s estate landowners who already massively subsidise their local communities and will now be faced with even larger bills, but also for the people who live there who rely on this extra income over the 6 months April to September/October, from beating, ghillie-ing, employment in hotels, running B&amp;amp;Bs, guest houses/pubs, fishing tackle/gunshops and so on.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Disastrous may be overstating it&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;..but not by much. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-08-05--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 729--><!-- 29 July 2018  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As the Tweed rod catch last week sank to negligible numbers (25 salmon and 7 sea trout) amid humidity and heat, I hear tell that a NE drift netsman from Blyth has had the best day&amp;rsquo;s netting he has ever had&amp;hellip;.not just this year, but ever.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;He is, of course, perfectly entitled to catch and kill as many salmon as he can&amp;hellip;..but it sticks in the throat of those rivers, 75% Scottish rivers, whose fish they are, and who produce those fish, who will never see those fish return and will not receive, and never have received, any compensation from the netsmen or from the EA (who issue the licences) for killing our fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The EA said it would stop in 2018, but failed. They now say it will stop at the end of 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But will it?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is an outrage, at a time when the Greenlanders and Faroese have signed agreements with NASF, ASF and NASCO &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;not &lt;/strong&gt;to operate any commercial interceptory salmon netting or any other salmon fisheries, that England still allows indiscriminate drift netting and T&amp;amp;J netting off its NE coast.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Scottish rivers have had their salmon taken from under their noses by English NE drift and coastal netsmen for far far too long.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Meanwhile, with a little water coming down both Ettrick and Teviot, and with more showers and less heat to come in the week ahead, the fishing should improve for the lowest beats at least.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I hear they have some fish from Tillmouth down to Horncliffe, but those fish were understandably not keen to take anything with the water temperatures consistently in the range 62F in the mornings to 76F by the afternoon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The air temperature on Friday afternoon was 31c as I drove through Birgham; no salmon will take anything in that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Let us go to another world, another time&amp;hellip;..and another mindset where the salmon world is not beset by endless troubles.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is 2019.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed Gardo net, the only commercial net remaining on the river, can only start killing salmon on 1st June 2019, following the change of close time, extended from 31st March to 31st May.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The North East Drift Net Fishery and the Northumbrian T&amp;amp;J nets, regular (declared) killers of 9,000 to 20,000 salmon pa in recent summers, up to 75% of which are Scottish, intercepted as they are heading for home, have not had their licenses renewed. All drift net fisheries were closed from the end of the 2018 season, and the T&amp;amp;J coastal nets are prohibited from killing salmon in 2019.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And then there is the weather.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;2019 will be a normal summer.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Instead of the less than the 3 inches of rain for May, June and July in 2018, there will be the long term average of over 7 inches for those same months in 2019&amp;hellip;..and both water and air temperatures will be normal, not the near boiling temperatures of 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;What of those goosanders and cormorants.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Following trials on avian predation on other rivers, and the cormorant flock devastation of native brown trout stocks throughout the lower half of the Tweed which became evident in 2018, the River Tweed Commission has been given many more draconian powers to control bird predation within the river corridor&amp;hellip;.. especially in relation to those large overwintering cormorant flocks.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;From where we are now, here at the end of July in 2018, drought ridden for 3 months, water temperatures in the range 65F to 75F almost every day, after a poor autumn in 2017 and a worse spring in 2018&amp;hellip;..you could be forgiven for thinking it is all impossible.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;That it will never happen.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But it could&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;...or at least most of it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If this drought were to continue long term, say well into October, without a proper flood, some think our salmon will give up trying to come in now, and try again next year instead.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;No, they will not.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They are biologically programmed to spawn this year, therefore they have no option but to continue the long wait in the sea until it floods&amp;hellip;..or their patience runs out.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Those who remember 2003, and the summer levels right through to the end of October, know this to be true. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;At some point, regardless of water conditions, they have to come in.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-07-29--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 726--><!-- 22 July 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed catch for last week was&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; 59&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;salmon and&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;1&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;sea trout, making the running totals&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;1,144&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;salmon and&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;263&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;sea trout for the season to 21st July 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The weather is the same (hot and dry), the river is the same (hot and low) and none of the reputable forecasters are predicting any change (from hot and mainly dry) in the coming week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Rain is forecast on and off, but not enough to drench the scorched earth and allow any excess to flood the river.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We cling to one hope&amp;hellip;.that in the past, droughts have often come to an end when forecasters have not precisely predicted the breakdown. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;A forlorn hope maybe, but it is all we have.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Another excellent and informative edition of &amp;ldquo;The River&amp;rdquo; came out last week and you can find it at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-07-The-River-Issue-5.pdf&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-07-The-River-Issue-5.pdf&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Those of us who, long ago, were convinced that talk of hatcheries in solving any Tweed salmon shortages were both simplistic and positively dangerous, will be delighted at the conclusions of this latest edition.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Maybe the message is, slowly but surely, getting through to the pro-hatchery brigade that when one small tributary, the Gala, can produce 30,000 smolts, as it did this year, that the problems are not in juvenile production within the river, but in juvenile survival once they get to the sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We are off to the Findhorn for 3 days&amp;hellip;.or at least to where the Findhorn used to be, as it is so low it can be hardly running.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The drought has already ruined their season, as it has all northern rivers, whose prime time this is, and most of whose seasons close in 10 weeks time at the end of September.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;It must be that, after 2 months of the severest drought, every single river in Scotland, even the larger ones, will by now have 1,000s of salmon wanting to come in from the sea&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;. but unable to do so.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-07-22--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 725--><!-- 15 July 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The total Tweed catch for last week was 50 salmon and 7 sea trout, making a cumulative total of 1,085 salmon and 262 sea trout to 14th July 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Folklore has it that whatever the weather is today, St Swithin&amp;rsquo;s Day, it will be similar for the next 40 days.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The radar picture tells us that a weather front is sitting over western Scotland, and it is raining.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As it moves east, that front will weaken and produce no meaningful rain for us&amp;hellip;..but rain nonetheless.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The high pressure blockages of recent weeks are being worn down and the jetstream is more likely to throw Atlantic fronts our way over the next few weeks.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It could be a very slow process with little sign of immediate relief from the drought.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But then, on average, August here is the wettest month of the year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;These pages have, in recent times, deliberately refrained from comment about upstream spinning with a flying condom in very low water&amp;hellip;..because it so divides opinion.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;How many of the fish caught over recent weeks have been caught in this way?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Quite possibly the majority.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is noticeable that many of the beats that do it have been regular reporters of fish caught, whereas those who are fly only in low water, have not been.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is an especially emotive subject when banks are owned separately, and even more so when one of those beats fishes with an upstream flying condom most of the time, and the other is fly only.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Here are the Lees catches for this June and July (so far) as compared to West Learmouth on the half mile of fishing which the two beats share.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;June&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;-&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Lees&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;8&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;West Learmouth&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;25&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;July&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;-&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Lees&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;0&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;West Learmouth&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;4&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I will leave you to guess which beat spins with an upstream flying condom (or something similar), and which beat only fishes with a fly.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Of course, you could say that a fly only beat should, in contravention of its principles, retaliate by spinning as well, and/or probably also getting onto the river before the other side to ensure all the pools are fished first.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And they could do that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But therein lies a race to the bottom.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There is, of course, not only the issue as to whether it is justifiable to spin upstream most of the time in very low water, just because it is more effective&amp;hellip;.but also where banks are owned separately, is the spinning beat, by catching so many of the available fish, unfairly adversely affecting the chances of the beat on the other side? And, also, thereby unfairly affecting the fly only beat&amp;rsquo;s ability to attract tenants, because the non-stop spinning on the other side will put them off.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I can only tell you, from experience, that once opposing rods have been upstream spinning a pool all morning, the chances of fly fishers on the other side catching anything there in the afternoon are almost NIL. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We are far from alone in having this problem, other beats have similar issues, the Tweed angling code re spinning in low water is routinely ignored, and it is high time a code of behaviour, that all will adhere to, is agreed...and applied across the board.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;When we get rain, all this will be temporarily forgotten, but when it gets low again, probably next year&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;... it will happen all over again.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Unless and until, maybe sometime soon, somehow a compromise can be reached which all parties can live with and feel is fair.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But we are nowhere near that yet.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed&amp;rsquo;s closest major salmon river on the east coast is, of course, the Tyne.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The CEFAS 2017 statistics show that in 2017 the Tyne rods caught 3,329 salmon and grilse, with very much the minority (28%) being grilse.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed rods caught 6,577 salmon and grilse in 2017, almost double the Tyne, but not so long ago the Tweed would often catch 3, 4 or even 5 times more than the Tyne.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tyne&amp;rsquo;s Riding Mill counter provides some insight into what is happening in 2018. In June 4,327 salmon and sea trout went through the counter, whereas in June 2017 there were 7,581.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;No doubt some of that reduction will be a result of the weather, and the counter cannot differentiate between salmon and sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But it would be logical to suppose that when it starts to rain and river levels recover, there will be a sudden, hopefully substantial, influx of fresh salmon, both on the Tyne...and here&amp;hellip;..because of the pent-up demand in the sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-07-15--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 723--><!-- 8 July 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;After yet another boiling week, Tweed salmon fishing has all but ceased. The river is at, or even below, summer level, and the afternoon water temperatures down here at Coldstream are consistently in the mid 70sF.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Just 27 salmon and 5 sea trout were caught last week, making 1,030 salmon and 254 sea trout for the year to date.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Not only has salmon fishing all but ceased here, but everywhere else in Scotland, so severe has been the drought, and so extreme the heat.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;At a time when salmon numbers in Scotland are low anyway, it is a pretty disastrous situation for everyone connected with the salmon fishing industry; fishermen and women for spoiling their annual Scottish fishing holidays; ghillies and boatmen for having endless poor, even blank, fishing weeks to endure; proprietors for now (most probably) having a fifth poor fishing year in a row; and tackle shops, hotels, restaurants, B&amp;amp;Bs, self catering accommodation, petrol stations...you name it&amp;hellip;.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;because they are financially much worse off, some in vulnerable, often remote, rural communities, for what has been happening to our salmon fishing of late.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Is it a crisis?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Well, if not&amp;hellip;.. it is not far from it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Of all the myriad theories about what is going wrong with our salmon in the sea, Dr Jens Christian Holst&amp;rsquo;s paper on the effects of the mackerel explosion, and consequent over grazing in the North Atlantic, is an especially compelling one.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Here it is on the Lochy website; at 34 pages it is well worth reading. You can move through the pages by clicking on the (invisible!) bar at the bottom of each page.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://riverlochy.com/general-information/salmon-mackerel-balance-tipped/&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;http://riverlochy.com/general-information/salmon-mackerel-balance-tipped/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Of most interest, Dr Holst disagrees that any of this has anything to do with sea warming&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;(since 2007 temperatures have been declining and are now around historic norms for the North Atlantic).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In addition, he has a very fundamental disagreement with ICES as to the size of mackerel stocks; he thinks it could be over 10 million tonnes as opposed to their figure of 3.1 million tonnes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If he is right, next time you go sea fishing&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;... you should catch and kill as many mackerel as you possibly can.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Slightly against my better judgement, for in matters fishy I have come to distrust conclusions born of angler observation alone, I have been forced to agree that something very serious has happened to our brown trout numbers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Temple Pool was, until recently, a mecca for big brown trout and I mean big, wild brownies of 2, 3 even 4 lbs being not uncommon. Not easy to catch, even for the experts in the flat calm waters of a summer&amp;rsquo;s evening, the whole pool used to be ringed with rising fish. Even duffers like yours truly could catch them in numbers, on a dry fly, just after a summer flood, with some colour still in the water.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;On a sunny morning like today, with the light just right, you could see these big brownies from the high Temple bank, as they cruised about looking for their next meal.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I have just been out looking for them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There is nothing there, not a fish to be seen, and instead of 100s of evening rising trout in the warm gloaming of a summer&amp;rsquo;s evening, you now see a few&amp;hellip;..but very few.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Ghillies Malcolm and Paul have videos of 100s of cormorants taking off from the Temple Pool as they arrived for work of a spring or autumn morning. Those cormorants could have been there since dawn, having breakfast.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;How many trout would 100 cormorants eat in an hour of undisturbed fishing just after dawn?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I have come to accept that they are the culprits. We have only had these flocks for the last few years and, since they appeared, our trout numbers, from consistent observation of the evidence, have plummeted.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Malcolm and I both used to wander out in the evening to try to outwit those big Temple brown trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Neither of us has been out this year, despite the perfect warm evenings.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Because there is little or nothing there to catch. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-07-08--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 720--><!-- 1 July 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Some snippets this week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is too hot for me to write, and you to want to read, anything longer.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Tweed rod catch last week was 33 salmon and 36 sea trout, making cumulative totals to 30th June 2018 some 1,003 salmon and 249 sea trout, within 90% accuracy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Proprietors have just received from the River Tweed Commission their beat Catch Return forms for spring catches to 30th June. These have to be completed and back with the RTC by Wednesday 18th July, at the latest.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Only after these have been analysed, will we know quite how Spring 2018 ranks amongst&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;springs of recent years.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The worst for some years was 2009 with 1,147 salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If our running totals, as shown above, are correct to within 10% error, 2018 has every chance of being worse than 2009.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But in that we are not alone.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Some similarly depressing statistics may well be true of every single salmon river in Scotland so far this year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And this hot, dry weather is going on&amp;hellip;..and on&amp;hellip;. for at least another week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;My kind correspondent tells me that the NE drift netters are, thus far, finding very few salmon to catch at sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;This could be partly because their monofilament nets are much more visible in sharply bright and flat calm conditions at sea&amp;hellip;.or it could be that there just are not many fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Somewhere in my enfeebled brain is a vague recollection that when high pressures anchor themselves over the UK, all netsmen, historically, do badly. It is as if the fish know that there is no point coming anywhere near shore, because prolonged high pressure means drought, and no water to allow easy access to rivers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The lack of fish in the sea could simply be timing ie they are going to come later this year&amp;hellip;...or it could be&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..well let&amp;rsquo;s not consider an alternative explanation, quite yet anyway.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;CEFAS have, at last, released the NE drift and T&amp;amp;J net fishery catch for the 2017 season.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The 11 drift netters and 47 T&amp;amp;J net licencees declared a catch of 9,157 salmon, compared to 18,824 in 2016, a reduction of more than 50%.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;These 9,157 salmon weighed 36,359 kg or nearly 8 lbs each, meaning they were mainly 2 sea winter salmon. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;While England football fans contemplate a re-run of 1966, my mind, after the ceaseless sunshine and heat of the last few days, turned to the last great summer of 1976.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There were several records broken that year, the first that, somewhere in the UK, between the end of June 1976 and beginning of July, temperatures exceeded 32c on 15 consecutive days. In addition, in south west England, in July and August, there were 45 consecutive days with no rain whatever.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So what was Tweed fishing like?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I was footloose and fancy free, and working in Edinburgh, that year, so very available to fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Unsurprisingly, my personal fishing book records almost nothing caught, with references for the very few I did catch, to &amp;ldquo;summer levels&amp;rdquo; and catching them &amp;ldquo;before breakfast&amp;rdquo;.....because it was so hot in the day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Equally unsurprisingly, 1976 was a very poor year for Tweed salmon rod catches, about the worst we ever had post 1960, if you exclude the UDN years of 1967-1969. The summer heat and drought inevitably led to the exact opposite in October 1976, my book recording on 4th November that it was &amp;ldquo;at last fishable after 5 weeks constant flooding&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So 3 months drought and heat, followed by a month flooding.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In 2018, so far we have had one month (June) of heat and drought.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Just like England footballers and 1966, it is far too early for we fishermen, or anyone else, to make any comparisons with 1976.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The most likely repeat of the two?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;1976.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As water temperatures last week reached the mid 70sF, how does this affect the fish in the river?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;In short, not well. They are cold water fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Some American/Canadian rivers ban all rod fishing at these sorts of water temperatures, on the basis that, as the salmon caught have to be released, they will suffer too much in being played, and often cannot recover in such hot water.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We have not gone that far here on the Tweed, and you could argue that our fish clearly feel sufficiently lethargic that they are almost impossible to catch anyway.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But if you do catch one and release it, you need to play it hard and get it in quickly, without over exhausting it, and keep it in the water while unhooking it, to maximise chances of recovery.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Which also means&amp;hellip;.no photos of it halfway up the bank.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Or as Nick Faldo&amp;rsquo;s long time caddie, Fanny Sunesson, used to say in a rather officious Germanic sounding voice, reminiscent of Herr Flick in &amp;lsquo;Allo &amp;lsquo;Allo, as her charge was about to hit his driver down the fairway&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;No Pictures!!&amp;rdquo;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-07-01--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 719--><!-- 24 June 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The more curmudgeonly amongst you, whilst greeting the biggest rise in water last week since April, will groan at the promise of almost unbroken sunshine and increasing heat for at least a week to come.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We fishermen are hard to please.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The signs are getting better for more fish, although the catch numbers alone last week do not tell it all, as the best part of two days below Kelso were lost to the rising, then very dirty, river.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The total catch for last week was 122 salmon and 40 sea trout making the season&amp;rsquo;s total 940 salmon and 183 sea trout to 23rd June 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The lark and the owl may be best placed for success in the days to come, given our weather forecasters confident, if in angling terms unwelcome, predictions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Time for the Factor 30; this year, so far, we are having a proper summer.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Without succumbing to undue anthropomorphism, I fear the battle for sensitive, empathetic practices when releasing salmon is lost, thanks to that ubiquitous scourge of modern life, the mobile phone.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;When everywhere there are pictures of fish well out of the water, halfway up a bank or wherever else, most not being in or even very close to any water, you know that the game is up.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I imagine every river has in its (largely ignored) codes of practice for releasing fish (&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;a) to handle them as little as possible, (b) not to remove them from the water at all, if possible, and (c) if removed from the water, for whatever reason, to do so only momentarily, whilst preferably standing/kneeling in the water yourself to facilitate and speed up the fish&amp;rsquo;s submergence into a medium in which it will no longer suffer.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Of course, there are complications when fishing from a boat (how can you unhook it without bringing the netted fish aboard?) or even with long gravel shallows with minimal depth of water when the fish will come, at least partially, out of the water before you can control it to unhook it&amp;hellip;.and maybe you would allow someone&amp;rsquo;s first ever salmon to be pictured, for a mille-second only, without being submerged?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But most of those pictures seem to be gratuitously ignorant of the damaging effects, on live salmon, of prolonged exposure to air, especially when you want those salmon to not just survive, but spawn successfully up to 6 months later.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;After all, that is the whole point of releasing them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Next time you take a salmon out of the water to picture it, think of it as you having your head shoved under water for the same amount of time that you keep the salmon in the air.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;You would be gasping for air when finally your head is allowed up out of the water, and you would be distinctly unhappy, or stressed, or anxious&amp;hellip;..or indeed all of the above.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So it is with those photographed, still to be released, fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But the game is up, we humans, it seems, would rather the all too transient glory of displaying our capture on celluloid, or the modern day equivalents, Instagram et al, so that it can be published somewhere for all to see.&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;..rather than empathise with our noble and blameless quarry, drowning in oxygen.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I have been banging this drum long enough.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Too few are listening to its beat. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-06-24--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 717--><!-- 17 June 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The catches last week were 82 salmon and 32 sea trout, making the season&amp;rsquo;s running totals (within 90% accuracy) 788 salmon and 113 sea trout to 16th June 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We seem to be in a weekly run of small dirty rises in water levels, better than nothing at all, you would say, in terms of avoiding drought level conditions and a consequent death to productive fishing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But it does nothing to clean the river, quite the opposite, the effect being a redistribution of dirt rather than clearing it out. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As for the week ahead, the weather forecast is mixed, unsettled to start before settling down after some rain on Tuesday/ Wednesday, but cool-ish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So as long as there is some water, and fish numbers continue to slowly increase&amp;hellip;... &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;..there is hope for better things to come.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I have news of simmering anger from Tweed&amp;rsquo;s trout fishermen, directed at those over-wintering flocks of cormorants.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So far this year there have, I am told, been remarkably few medium sized trout either seen rising to flies, or caught; the theory goes that a flock of 100 cormorants for a few hours in your best trout pool will hoover up anything under 2 lbs, ignoring the very small fish and not being able to digest the very big ones (over 2lbs).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The scientists are holding fire in agreeing with this angling analysis...just for now. Of course, there could be as many trout as ever lurking in our pools, but they just are not showing or rising as much as of yore&amp;hellip;..for whatever reason.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But the case against our fish-eating birds (FEBs) is beginning to take on an interesting momentum.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is hard to imagine that an overwintering flock of 100+ cormorants will not do serious damage to fish numbers during the 6 months that they are here.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Up to now it has been the salmon fraternity that has been protesting most about FEBs; curiously the cormorants, in particular, because they want a bigger meal, may have been doing even more damage to our resident adult trout and grayling than to any (much smaller) salmon juveniles.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Watch this space.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The case against FEBs, and in favour of proactive protective actions to safeguard our fish&amp;hellip;... is building, both here and on other rivers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Last week the River Tweed Commission (RTC) published its Application to amend the the Annual Close Time for the Tweed so that, for conservation purposes, no salmon can be killed &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;by&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;law&lt;/strong&gt; between 1st February and 31st May.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;At present, it is illegal to kill salmon between 1st February and 31st March, and only by agreement with the rods is nothing killed after that, until 1st July. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Notably, the only remaining commercial net, Gardo, has refused to comply with both the RTC and the Tweed Foundation&amp;rsquo;s scientific advice that killing April and May salmon is not sustainable in view of their very reduced numbers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Their stance has angered many rod fishermen and ghillies/boatmen, especially as the last two Aprils and Mays (2017 and 2018) have been notably lacking in salmon, the rod catches being less than half of what they were in 2016 and before. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Moreover, the conservation case was almost unarguable based on 2016 and earlier springs, all the more so since the seriously reduced last two years&amp;rsquo; spring catches. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The practical effect of this change on rod fishermen will be minimal as they already put back everything they catch up to 30th June, but it will mean that Gardo can only start netting for salmon, for 2019 and all subsequent years, from 1st June, not 1st April.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;One would hope that the conservation case is so strong that there is little that Gardo or anyone else can sensibly say to counter the RTC&amp;rsquo;s Application, but just in case, it would do no harm if concerned proprietors and anglers were to write in support before 18th July to:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Marine Scotland,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Salmon and Recreational Fisheries Team,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Area 1b North,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Victoria Quay,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Edinburgh EH6 6QQ&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For more information and detail via the RTC website please click on this link &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=6237&quot;&gt;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=6237&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-06-17--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 714--><!-- 10 June 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;After another dry, warm and sunny week, with water levels again dropping to the point where only a few tops of streams are fishable, the rod catch was 63 salmon and 19 sea trout, bringing the total catch to 706 salmon and 81 sea trout for the season to 9th June 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The weather pattern next week will become more mobile from Wednesday, as Atlantic depressions begin to take over from those surprisingly stubborn high pressure systems which have dominated for the last 6 weeks.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But there is not much sign yet, in the forecasts, of any serious day-long rain.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And day-long, heavy rain is not just what the Tweed needs, but just about every other river in Scotland. There are drought conditions from the Tweed in the south, right up to the Naver and Thurso in the north&amp;hellip;..if anything it is drier the further north you go.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We all need one thing&amp;hellip;..and soon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Heavy rain.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;--00--&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;What else can go wrong?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;No grilse and no autumn salmon in the second half of 2017, and now the worst spring run in 2018 that most of us can remember.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Not only that, but the weather has lurched from prolonged cold and wet up to mid-April, to warmth, sun and drought ever since then.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The result?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Every Scottish river, that I know of, has caught very many fewer, often half, or less than half, of what they would expect to have caught by mid-June.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;We can conclude that, despite a misguided penchant for blaming the weather,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;(a) there have been very few springers anywhere and (b) that the cause must be in the sea, for only the sea is common to all rivers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Is there any good news?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Well yes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;At the River Tweed Commission meeting earlier last week, biologist James Hunt gave the interim results (interim, for smolts are still running) of the smolt trap on the Gala Water, one of Tweed&amp;rsquo;s many spawning tributaries, which enters the Tweed... surprise, surprise... at Galashiels.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The smolt trap had been paid for by the Tweed Rivers Fisheries Association, effectively a cooperative of all Tweed owners, from surplus funds collected during their association with Fishpal. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It has been operating for the first time in Spring 2018, having been constructed over the winter 2017/2018. The Tweed biologists have been very busy. At the same time they have been getting the Ettrick cauld counter, and cameras, up and running following that cauld&amp;rsquo;s total reconstruction.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The interim Gala smolt count, revealed by James Hunt to a nervously expectant body of Commissioners, was that &lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;over 31,000 &lt;/strong&gt;smolts had come down the Gala to the end of May 2018. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If you would like to see just some of them, look at this: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=6189&quot;&gt;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=6189 &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The Gala is productive, being comparatively lowland, but very far from the longest or largest of Tweed&amp;rsquo;s many spawning tributaries.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;So, if well over 31,000 smolts come out of just one smallish Tweed tributary, how many smolts will all the Tweed tributaries and main stem rivers send to sea in 2018?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And just where would you put that hatchery&amp;hellip;. and who would pay for it, and why?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;When the salmon can do it all much better for themselves.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;As they have for 1,000s of years.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-06-10--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 713--><!-- 3 June 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;At last some water, after thunderstorms mid-river on both Friday and Saturday.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is not much, but better than nothing. A mixture of thick tomato and mulligatawny soups, it could take until Wednesday to clear completely.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;If the theorists are right and the main salmon run is now to be a summer one, then the timing of this water could hardly be better as we enter the first full week of June.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Last week fizzled out amongst increasing heat and humidity, and the score of 46 salmon and 8&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;sea trout was as much as could be expected, with water temperature soaring into the 60sF and river levels shrinking below anything seen in 2017.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The cumulative totals of rod catches to 2nd June 2018 have reached (within 90% accuracy) 643 salmon and 62 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The forecast for next week is for more fine weather,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;if less hot than last week, in theory providing better conditions for rod fishing as the river settles and clears.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Last Monday was glorious, and despite being a Bank Holiday, I had spent much of it inside, at meetings.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And so it came to pass that, late in the evening, around 9.15pm, when the heat had gone and all was cool and quiet, I wandered out to sit beside the river, down to just above our cauld where there is a most comfortable bench dedicated to &amp;ldquo;Distillery Dave&amp;rdquo; from his former (sadly the &amp;ldquo;distillery&amp;rdquo; bit giving the game away as to the cause of his untimely demise) fishing friends. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;All was calm, the light going, a complete full moon in the southeastern sky, the Temple Pool like a millpond, and the heron picking off the odd smolt if one came too close to the side of the cauld. Smolts had been running steadily for weeks already, very visible in the increasingly low and clear conditions which have prevailed since the middle of April. .&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And then I noticed the procession, never have I seen anything quite like it before.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Posses of them, 1,000s and 1,000s of smolts, the myriad dimples in the smooth water, each party about maybe 10 to 12 feet in diameter, one after the other, party after party, some veering towards the dry edges of the cauld before somehow sensing the flow towards the 30ft gap in the middle&amp;hellip;..and through they went, no hesitation at all, down into the churning waters of the Cauld Stream&amp;hellip;..and away.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I sat there for half an hour, mesmerised by what I was seeing, of course I have seen smolts migrating before, but never quite such a massive procession&amp;hellip;. and I had forgotten how quickly they went. From the moment I spotted each party, by those myriad dimples, about 50 yards upstream, until they went through the cauld about 50 yards downstream, cannot have taken more than 2 minutes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Those smolts were on a mission, and despite evidence from elsewhere that caulds hold up smolts, let me tell you that, from what I saw that evening,&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt; nothing, but nothing&lt;/strong&gt;, could be further from the truth.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Every party, and I must have watched 20+, went straight through the middle of the &amp;ldquo;slap&amp;rdquo;, that 30 foot gap in the cauld, without any hesitation whatsoever.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They never gave it a second thought, or look.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;At the rate they were going, and with a full moon shining, I would not be surprised if those smolts would be in the sea by sometime early on Tuesday morning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Malcolm texted me the next evening (I had been on a course) saying &amp;ldquo;1,000s of smolts&amp;rdquo; so clearly the extraordinary migration I had seen the evening before had continued unabated right through Tuesday.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Now, of course, you pro-hatchery buffs would expect me to make a point here, and it is simply this.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I wish you had been sitting beside me on &amp;ldquo;Distillery Dave&amp;rsquo;s&amp;rdquo; seat that evening to see it all.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But then you were probably theorising in your armchair somewhere, glass in hand, about how useless river managers are and how you, personally, could put every river in Scotland right, at a stroke, by building a hatchery, or salmon ranching, or some other unnatural quasi-factory process.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And another thing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;There was neither a cormorant, nor a goosander, in sight.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;One day most of you will come to think, like me, that the real problems for those smolts would have come sometime on Tuesday morning&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;..when they reached the sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;They will need a lot of luck to make it back. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;And finally, see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018-May-The-River-Issue-3.pdf&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018-May-The-River-Issue-3.pdf&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for the 3rd (May 2018) issue from Tweed River Management of &amp;ldquo;The River&amp;rdquo;, this time about historic cycles of salmon run timings, all the more interesting as most of the cognoscenti think we are now in transition from one cycle (grilse and late running salmon) to another (fewer grilse and earlier (not autumn) running salmon).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It is well worth a read.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-06-03--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 711--><!-- 27 May 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;A marginally better week, for some, despite summer weather and water levels, brought last week&amp;rsquo;s rod catch to 75 salmon and 7 sea trout, making the cumulative totals to 26th May 597 salmon and 54 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The forecast for next week looks to be largely dry and warm, but with better prospects for rain and a breakdown in the current settled spell as we enter June.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Let&amp;rsquo;s hope so, because if there are (at last) more fish waiting to come in, 2 or 3 feet of water will both encourage them and bring more life to Tweed&amp;rsquo;s depleted salmon pools.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The supposed mackerel explosion in the North Atlantic caused some googling research.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Possible villains of our &amp;ldquo;lost at sea&amp;rdquo; salmon, where was the evidence?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;It did not take long to find.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Pre 2000 neither the Faroese nor the Icelanders bothered with mackerel. Why? There were none. Nearly 20 years on, and the North Atlantic 1c-2c warmer, and after a quota fight with the EU, who both countries ignored, in 2017 the Icelanders caught 145,000 tonnes and the Faroese 210,000 tonnes of mackerel.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Which is quite a lot, as your average mackerel is not that heavy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;For 2018 the overall EU, Norway and Faroes quota has been set at a reduced figure of over 800,000 tonnes amid concerns of overfishing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;I remember not much of Professor Jens Christian Holst&amp;rsquo;s talk, well it was a year ago, other than the main theme that mackerel were largely to blame for the demise of our grilse. But I do recall him saying this, that there were so many mackerel that, for the good of other species, the EU should encourage fishing fleets to catch as many as possible.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;No quotas, a free for all on mackerel would be good, he reckoned.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;My basic researches will clearly not tell the whole story, but it sounds as if the Faroes have agreed to an EU quota for 2018, but the Icelanders have not.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;From a salmon perspective, perhaps we should be hoping, that in their normal very independent way on matters fishy, the Icelanders continue to catch as many mackerel as they want in 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;But the longer term worry is that the warming North Atlantic, and its direct and indirect side effects for a cold water species such as our salmon, is making their life and survival in the oceans more difficult than it&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;has ever been before.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;The trend of declining salmon numbers may or may not be a result of warmer seas&amp;hellip;..but it is suspiciously coincident.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Can our salmon adapt, survive and prosper, and is there anything we can do, in the short term, in the ocean environment to help them?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot; lang=&quot;EN&quot;&gt;Those are the 64,000 dollar questions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-05-27--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 708--><!-- 20 May 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;At least there is some consistency about Tweed&amp;rsquo;s rod catches of late, even if they are consistently low. Last week yielded 48 salmon and 3 sea trout, making 522 salmon and 47 sea trout for the season to 19th May 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;After such a wet, cold and prolonged winter, the predicted antidote, it seems, is now upon us. It is glorious to see the greens of the trees at this time of year, and the bluebells and other wild flowers in all their glory, all the more stunning in the ceaseless sunshine of last week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;None of this is what fishermen want.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;More of the same is the consensus of weather forecasts, perhaps with some cloud on Tuesday, but then sunshine all the way, not just for the rest of the week, but, some say, for a week or two more thereafter.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It will be hard going, you would think, for all but the lowest beats, and the best chances will be both early and late in the day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;To the Philiphaugh Cauld (aka the Murray Cauld/ the Ettrick Cauld) last Friday for the Tweed Foundation&amp;rsquo;s benefactors day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The main event was the official opening of the new fish counter and cameras, after an absence of several years during which the cauld was completely rebuilt, and a vastly improved fish pass installed, alongside two Archimedes screws. It is a most impressive structure, and the Tweed Foundation, Sir Michael Strang-Steel, the Rodger family and the Scottish Government (who paid for much of the counter/camera installation) are to be congratulated for achieving a very satisfactory outcome to what had become an intractable problem.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Understandably, the good folk of Selkirk did not want lose their last remaining cauld after RTC Superintendent Colonel Mike (&amp;ldquo;Bomber&amp;rdquo;) Ryan had blown the other one up in the 1960s, without so much as a &amp;ldquo;by your leave&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;One imagines the main purpose for Selkirk of keeping a cauld was to go on seeing salmon jumping, despite this being a very obvious sign that the salmon were having difficulty finding a way up, and harming themselves in the process by constantly jumping against the cauld apron.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Thankfully, hardly a fish is ever seen now at the new cauld, so effectively is the new pass working.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;This is very good for our fish, maybe not quite so for those Selkirk inhabitants hoping to go on enjoying a (mainly) autumn migration spectacle.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The score going through the counter so far this year is 12 salmon and 13 otters&amp;hellip;.although the likelihood is that the otter is the same one, 13 times.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;It is just having some fun swimming up and down in the faster water.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Of more interest to those who continue to think that the Tweed produces no juveniles, and that they have all been eaten by birds, is the work now happening on counting migrating smolts on the Gala water.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I will not spoil it by giving any clues as to numbers, but biologist James Hunt says that they came surprisingly late this year, triggered by who knows what, maybe the long cold spring/winter providing the delay.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Although we continue to see no cormorants and remarkably few goosanders down here, which is good, I hear tell of a very large goosander flock further upstream.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;This seems to be a phenomenon of this time of year, for 2 years ago I counted a flock of 70+ at the bottom of Wark&amp;rsquo;s Willows Pool, also in May.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Whether it is the males congregating while their mates sit on eggs, or immature birds getting together for some company, or a bit of both, we do not know.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Whatever the cause, it is most unwelcome, and very bad news for any smolts trying to swim past them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-05-20--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 707--><!-- 13 May 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As another week of disappointing catches slides by, with a total of&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;51 &lt;/span&gt;salmon and&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;4 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;sea trout, making cumulative figures of&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;464 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;salmon and&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; 44 &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;sea trout for the year to 12th May 2018, when, you might ask, will things improve?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If, like me, you have been enjoying Jeremy Clarkson&amp;rsquo;s typically laddish appearances as the host in the (too briefly) revived &amp;ldquo;Who wants to be a Millionaire?&amp;rdquo;, you will know that the contestants now have four lifelines (previously three) for any question they cannot answer.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The new one is &amp;ldquo;Ask the host&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If you were to ask Jeremy when will salmon fishing improve, he would no doubt respond something like this:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;What an idiotic question, how can I possibly answer that&amp;hellip;...and anyway salmon fishing is a pointless, stupid sport in which only the terminally optimistic engage&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Well, quite.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Some years ago, my elder brother Simon and wife Sally got together a party, this time of year, maybe early June, to go to the Farne Islands to see all the wonderful nesting birds.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Their party (some ten of us) was made up of pretty regular types, and we were joined on the boat by a number of others, delightful folk all, but clearly beguiled by the ghastly Packhamesque drivel about how seals are unreservedly good, cuddly things, and the more we have of them the better.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;All of which, for we who dislike Packham, and his disdain for the underdog (ie the hedgehogs eaten by badgers, the green plover eaten by ravens, the red squirrels eaten by buzzards, the small fish eaten by sawbills&amp;hellip;.I could go on), was not quite what the ten good men/women and true in my brother&amp;rsquo;s party were thinking as the boat&amp;rsquo;s skipper laid offshore to observe far too many fat seals lazing about on rocks, fat no doubt because of their liking for prime Tweed salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In the course of his commentary, said skipper ventured the information that nothing predates on seals other than Orcas, those highly intelligent killer whales, at which point aforesaid ten good men/women and true perked up&amp;hellip;..until he deflated our incipient bubble by saying&amp;hellip;. &amp;ldquo;and the last time an Orca was seen here was 30 years ago&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Oh, not so good, we all thought, in stark contrast to our more townie friends, those unwittingly indoctrinated by Packham, who, to a man/woman, visibly sighed with relief.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;While we regular folk discussed, sotto voce, if there was an Orca agency we could dial up, and hire a few of their clients to holiday off the Farnes for a week or two,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;(seal) dinner, B&amp;amp;B included in the price?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And then suddenly last week my generous correspondent, whilst bemoaning the cock-up on the NEDNF closure (now formally confirmed not to be happening for reasons that were distinctly less than convincing), advised that a pod of Orcas were even then holidaying off the Farnes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;A quick Google visit via Mail online revealed a video, taken by crab fishermen off the Northumbrian coast, of a pod of 12 Orcas, together with some barely audible commentary from the fishermen, to a man not exactly natural friends of the seal, but the gist of which, amongst a few edited bleeps, was that the Orcas would be doing a good job if they dined on some salmon enriched Farne seals for a week or two.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;More recent history does not relate whether those nice killer whaley things are still there, but you would think, with a superabundance of lunch on tap .&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;...they would at least consider it. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-05-13--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 704--><!-- 6 May 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The score for last week was 53 salmon and 6 sea trout, making a total for the season to 5th May 2018 a well below par 423 salmon and 40 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We have lurched from cold, windy and unsettled conditions into cloudless skies, gentle breezes and heat, all in the blinking of an eye. If there are fish to come, which even the most pessimistic must think there will be soon, as water levels drop away, the lower beats below Kelso, even Coldstream, are the most likely to benefit.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But then predicting anything this year is a mug&amp;rsquo;s game.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Which brings us to the North East Drift Net Fishery (NEDNF).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You, like me, were thinking that one of the few certainties, as consistently trailed by the Environment Agency over recent months, is that the drift netters would not be fishing/ killing salmon in 2018, followed by the T&amp;amp;J netters in 2019.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We were all wrong&amp;hellip;..or at least about 2018. Who knows about 2019?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The drift netters will operate as usual from 1st June 2018 for the whole 3 month season up to 31st August 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We may never know the truth as to how this could possibly have happened&amp;hellip;..but it has.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It is hard to imagine that the words &amp;ldquo;cock up&amp;rdquo; are not involved somewhere, most probably because the drift netsmen&amp;rsquo;s lawyers have successfully challenged the EA processes, and found them wanting. The reasons we are given, when finally it is announced, are unlikely to be the real ones.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I have been corresponding with one of the drift netsmen, who told me last Wednesday that &amp;ldquo;he had yesterday received a phone call advising that the EA were unable to proceed with the bye law change this year&amp;rdquo;&amp;hellip;.so that he would be netting as normal. He is even now busy getting his boat ready for action from 1st June.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You will be disappointed...to put it mildly&amp;hellip;..that, yet again, the Northumbrian nets will be killing many 1,000s of our increasingly scarce salmon, &amp;ldquo;our&amp;rdquo; salmon because we know from genetic studies carried out on those caught, that up to 75% of the drift net fish, and up to 50% of the T&amp;amp;J net fish, come not from England, but from Scotland.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In effect, Scotland is producing, and paying for, the salmon which the NE netsmen catch and for which they pay nothing, yes nothing and never have, to the Scottish rivers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I am not at all into &amp;ldquo;grievance&amp;rdquo; politics, unlike a depressingly large proportion of the Scottish electorate who blame England/Westminster for everything, but this is a longstanding iniquity about which we on the Tweed, by far the most affected river in Scotland, feel especially strongly. So, barring some last minute change, my netsman correspondent will be in business for another season.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;He has a living to make, and from what he has, most passionately, said in his emails, he loves what he does, and will fight tooth and nail to keep it going for as long as possible.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I do not blame him one jot, and if I were he, I would most likely do the same.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;He kindly asked me to join him on a netting trip post 1st June, to see what he does, which I declined because I simply could not take seeing all those beautiful, probably mainly Tweed, fish dying/being killed before they could get back to their river of choice.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;He loves what he does, we love our river; he wants to go on netting, we find it hard to forgive the damage which indiscriminate interceptory netting does at a time when salmon stock are (arguably) at an all time low.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Maybe one day he and I will meet, and talk about it all.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But only after he has stopped killing our fish&amp;hellip;..and then he, understandably, may not want to speak to any of us.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In 2019?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Well, maybe.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I did a bit of fishing and some ghillieing (see Malcolm&amp;rsquo;s blog for the full story of an unlucky half hour with yours truly at the oars) on Saturday.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was a glorious day, a total of 4 hours spent on the river, and everywhere you could see the telltale dimples, in the surface of the water, of migrating smolts.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Late in the evening, there was a heron standing on the cauld, stock-still, waiting to spear a passing smolt. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I am no friend of our goosander and cormorant friends, quite the opposite, but of them there was to be seen&amp;hellip;. not one feather.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Which is good for the smolts.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-05-06--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 703--><!-- 29 April 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In pretty much perfect, at long last, fishing conditions throughout, the catches for last week were 60 salmon and 2 sea trout, making a total (with 90% accuracy) of 370 salmon and 34 sea trout for the year to 28th April 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With two months to go to 30th June, the end of what the Tweed calls &amp;ldquo;spring fishing&amp;rdquo;, even if some of the June fish will undoubtedly be of the &amp;ldquo;summer&amp;rdquo; variety, the worst spring catch of the last 20 years was 2009 with 1,147 salmon caught by the rods to 30th June.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With the recent trend towards increased summer salmon numbers, we can but hope that May and June prove to be much more productive than their immediate three predecessor months have been.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;More essential reading this week, with the second edition of &amp;ldquo;The River&amp;rdquo; from the RTC and TF, this time all about smolt traps and fish counters, as Tweed river managers continue to understand more and more about the numbers of both adult and juvenile salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Perhaps the most eye catching item is the picture of a beautiful fresh springer going through the Ettrick counter, some 50 (river) miles from the sea, on 10th April, which may provide some answer to those who wonder why very little has yet been caught below Coldstream.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Here is the link:&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018-April-The-River-Issue-2.pdf&quot;&gt;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018-April-The-River-Issue-2.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Sophocles got it right when, in Sons of Aleus, he said:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;What people believe prevails over the truth&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Now, being no classics scholar, although possessed of a (rather good) Latin A level, I cannot pretend that the wise old bird&amp;rsquo;s words were uppermost in my mind as I strolled between the Redden Burn and Wark village between 8am and 9am last Wednesday morning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;My job was to count goosanders and cormorants by walking along the English side of the river. I was but a small cog in the coordinated river-wide wheel that was the quarterly bird count organised by the Tweed Foundation.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But it did occur to my enfeebled half-awake brain, as I progressed, that if I walked the full three miles without counting a single FEB (fish eating bird) there would follow, as night does day, myriad quips about going to specsavers. There would be queues, from here to eternity, of those casting nasturtiums on not just my eyesight, but my probity, my parentage&amp;hellip;.. and heaven only knows what else.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was a peerless morning, a fresh breeze and not a cloud in the sky. God was in his heaven, and all was right in my world, with Puppsie (my Lancashire Heeler) by my side. There was a spring in my step&amp;hellip;.. and, to borrow a phrase, I was feeling in mid season form.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You could spot a goosander at 500 paces with the naked eye, two or three times that with my Godfather&amp;rsquo;s magnificent Barr &amp;amp; Stroud (British Patent 572537) binoculars.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Well&amp;hellip;..I walked the first two miles without the faintest sniff of an FEB; three pairs of geese (pink footed I think, but I can never tell the difference between them and greylag), sand martins aplenty, enough piping oystercatchers to gladden your heart, mallard everywhere, pied wagtails, even some tufted duck&amp;hellip;.. you name it&amp;hellip;. but not a suspicion of an FEB.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The closer I got to Wark Village and journey&amp;rsquo;s end, the more I came to dread the spectre of a NIL return&amp;hellip;...and inevitable ridicule&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.and quite possibly that habit of ancient Greeks, when delivered of news they did not like, just like you anti-FEB fundamentalists,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;of &amp;ldquo;shooting the messenger.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Mercifully, the prospect of both public ridicule and a grisly end were relieved somewhat when, opposite Fireburn Mill, three male goosanders got up and flew upstream, and another male scooted along the water.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So my tally was just four and not a cormorant to be seen; and Paul Hume, counting the next three miles down to Coldstream Bridge, also saw four goosanders, and no cormorants.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Our conclusion&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.that there are remarkably few goosanders here now, and no cormorants. This may or may not have something to do with the previous, much larger,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;over-wintering populations of both going off in this ( absurdly cold) mating season, to nest elsewhere.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As the smolt run gathers pace over the next few weeks, from what we saw, or did not see, on Wednesday, those smolts will be unlucky even to see a goosander or cormorant, let alone be eaten by one.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;All of which will bring howls of protest from those who blame FEBs for everything.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So back to Sophocles&amp;hellip;. and Mark Twain&amp;hellip;. supposedly the first to have been on pretty much the same page as that wise old bird, when he said something similar:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-04-29--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 701--><!-- 22 April 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Will we have a whole week this spring undisturbed by rising, dirty water levels?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Last week, we correctly issued concerns about rain on Sunday (it did, levels went up 6 inches on Monday) and Tuesday (again it did, levels going up 1 1/2 feet on Wednesday, and very dirty), despite a stellar forecast about how settled and warm it was going to be, &amp;ldquo;spring is sprung at last&amp;rdquo;..&amp;rdquo;there will be the warmest days since August&amp;rdquo; etc etc etc.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Partly as a result, last week&amp;rsquo;s catch was a rather desultory 47 salmon and 2 sea trout, making 310 salmon and 32 sea trout for the season to 21st April 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The week ahead? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Could we have 6 days of steadily dropping water levels? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Unsettled&amp;rdquo; is the prognosis, cooler and showery, so you wouldn&amp;rsquo;t bet on it, even if the north and west will get most of the rain.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;After getting on for 40 years involvement with the Tweed management, I am really worried.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The persistence of bad fishing news since the start of 2014 has (finally) got to me. Probably too late, but unwarranted optimism is a necessary concomitant of salmon fishing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 have all been bad years, and now, coming towards the end of April, we are having one of the worst starts to the spring, ever, in 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It is all very concerning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I have a profound sense of failure, of letting the river I love down, that after all that has been done, all the money spent over those 40 years, all the time and commitment of so many dedicated people&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.that numbers of salmon coming up the Tweed are now lower than they have ever been in those 40 years, and, for all we know, for the 400 years before that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;40 years ago there were 30 Tweed river and coastal nets and 120 North East drift netters; now there are virtually none of either.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;40 years ago anglers killed everything they caught ; now less than 1 in 5 salmon caught is killed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;40 years ago there were obstructions on most Tweed tributaries stopping salmon getting to many 100s of miles of good spawning; now, bar a few immoveable natural obstructions, salmon can access more miles of prime spawning territory than at any time since the industrial revolution started and, because before that fishery owners simply used to block rivers and streams to trap salmon, for many 100s of years before that. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;40 years ago the Tweed Foundation had not been thought of, and money spent on Tweed fishery management research was zero. Now we have three excellent scientists dedicated to the job of keeping our fish safe and to maximising the numbers of juveniles produced by what is one of the most extensive, diverse and best spawning systems (representing some 15% of the whole spawning area of Scotland) you could imagine. &pound;millions have been spent by the Foundation on monitoring and research, crucially including habitat improvement, since it came into being in the early 1980s.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;40 years ago there was high seas netting of massive proportions, not just off the Faroes and Greenland, but elsewhere in the largely (then) unpoliced North Atlantic. Now the Faroese and Greenlanders are subsistence netters only and there is no predation by humans on the high seas that anyone has ever (reliably) heard of.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;40 years ago poaching was rife; now there is almost none.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And yet, and yet&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.here are our Lees catches for the last 6 fishing months (September 2017 to April 2018), with 4 rods fishing almost every day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In brackets alongside, I have shown the 5 year averages for those same months for our catches here up to the end of 2013:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Sept 2017&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;47&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;(196)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Oct 2017&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;74&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;(227)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Nov 2017&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;14&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;(133)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Feb 2018&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;1&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;(11)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;March 2018&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;0&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;(16)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;April 2018&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;1&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;(19)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;For context, both our 2017, and 2013 5 year averages, September to November catches were the highest for any beat on the river.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Now, of course, we can all produce figures to suit our particular argument, and what is shown above does give two extremes, viz 2013 was the highest 5 year average we have had here since records began, and the autumn of 2017 and spring of 2018 have been the worst autumn and spring we have had for the last 40 years&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.but even so, the speed and extent of the decline has been astonishing. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;More worryingly... well used by now to the recent autumn and grilse decline... is something now happening to the spring, especially the early spring, because both 2017 and 2018 catches up to the end of April have been, if never strong of late, concerningly weaker than before?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Tweed&amp;rsquo;s salmon management, the subject of much ill-judged and unjust criticism, is exactly the same as it was in those record years up to 2013, and those who blame it all on birds do so in the face of counts which show little change in the numbers of goosanders now, as compared to the last 20 years, even if there are more cormorants.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Logically, something very dramatic has happened in the sea so that salmon survival, most likely survival of our smolts once they get to sea, has plummeted since 2013.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Efforts via tracking are now being made to find out what is happening, but, even if successful, will we be able to do anything about it?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Somehow I keep coming back, in my fevered mind, to the talk given last year by Professor Jens Christian Holst, in which he explained the biblical extent of the expansion of the mackerel population in the circle between the Faroes, Iceland, Norway and the UK&amp;hellip;...just where our grilse (used to) come from, and now where all our Scottish young salmon face insuperable competition from countless millions, even billions, of mackerel.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;His prognosis (in 2017) was gloomy, along the lines of, &amp;ldquo;things could get a lot worse before they get better&amp;rdquo;, the &amp;ldquo;better&amp;rdquo; presumably only happening when the mackerel boom somehow corrects itself.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;After the last 3 months of 2017 and the first 3 months of 2018, his warnings are looking depressingly apt.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We can only pray that future events will, very shortly, prove both his warnings, and my profound sense of failure over the last 40 years, to be misplaced.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-04-22--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 698--><!-- 15 April 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The score for last week was 66 salmon and 7 sea trout, making the season&amp;rsquo;s total to 14th April 263 salmon and 30 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The forecast, at long last, is for a settled warm spell from Wednesday in the week to come, after some rain tonight and again on Tuesday, which may or may not affect the river.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;All this should rise water temperatures and, eventually, depending on the extent of Tuesday&amp;rsquo;s rain, lower river levels.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Will it improve the fishing?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Your guess is&amp;hellip;..probably better than mine.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Fisheries Management Scotland (FMS) has issued its 2018 Annual Review, and with it, the results of the 2017 season.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The Tweed&amp;rsquo;s salmon catch of 6,577 was considerably higher than the Spey (5,292), the Tay (5,171) and the Dee (4,051), although these other rivers can justifiably claim that the Tweed has the longest season, with none of them fishing in November, and some not even in October. On the other hand, Tweed&amp;rsquo;s November 2017 was by far the worst of recent times, with only 374 salmon caught.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Once all the sums are pulled together, 2017 will probably prove to be the third worst salmon catch on record, Scotland wide, a dismal statistic for what was a poor year almost everywhere. The exceptions were the smaller rivers in the far north who generally equalled or exceeded their 10 year averages.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Apart from the (mainly) very poor catches, the other common factor was an absence of both grilse and late running salmon in 2017&amp;hellip;...in other words exactly like the Tweed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;All of which means, beyond any reasonable doubt, that these factors, and their causes, originate in the sea, for it is only the sea which is common to all rivers. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The FMS Review goes on to speculate that &amp;ldquo;2018 may therefore prove pivotal in determining whether we are returning to a state similar to one experienced in the past (viz spring and summer salmon dominance over grilse and autumn runs) or whether, because of climate change and changes in the marine environment, we are entering into a situation with no recorded precedent&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So far in 2018, and here we are in mid April, you would be pushed to see&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&amp;ldquo;spring dominance&amp;rdquo; in any Scottish river.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We can only keep our fingers crossed for the late spring and summer.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Quite how the Gardo netting station can continue to justify killing any salmon they catch from 1st April, many will fail to comprehend&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..except to conclude that, if they do,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;they must want to make money regardless of the effect on a stock which nobody else thinks can withstand exploitation. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Have they caught and killed anything yet? Maybe not, as the weather has been against them, but with boats in the water, the assumption is that they will kill salmon when they can.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I think I last killed any salmon in 2013, but it could have been 2012; as for springers, maybe I killed one 20 years ago, but maybe not. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Most Tweed anglers will kill few if any salmon at all this year, and none before 30th June. Indeed, if the NE drift nets come off from May 2018, rod fishers should be especially restrained, because it is part of the whole EA initiative and justification that the (English) rods return either (a) everything or (b) 90%+ depending on the conservation status of their particular (English) river. The Tweed is not included within the EA&amp;rsquo;s jurisdiction, but as up to 75% of the salmon saved from the drift nets will come to Scotland, and as the whole point is to &amp;ldquo;save&amp;rdquo; as many salmon as possible, there can be no argument for Tweed rods not behaving in as restrained a manner, voluntarily, as their English counterparts must.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;By way of contrast, Gardo, it seems, are intent on killing Tweed&amp;rsquo;s most vulnerable spring salmon stock, just as they did last year. As far as one knows, they have ignored all appeals for constraint, to start killing salmon only in June, once the vulnerable spring run is over. Not only that, but the Gardo net will, of course, be one of the main beneficiaries of the NE drift net closure in that they will inevitably catch, and kill, some of those &amp;rdquo;saved&amp;rdquo; Tweed salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;One can only hope that, at some point, they will get their comeuppance for their disregard for all conservation principles.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-04-15--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 697--><!-- 8 April 2018  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Basic maths only is required to count the catch for last week, just 7 salmon, making 197 salmon and 23 sea trout for the year to 7th April 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Yet another week of watching a big, brown river flow by gets April started in the very same way that February and March conducted themselves&amp;hellip;...see below for more (if you can face it).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As for next week, whisper it quietly, for there is a glimmer that things will improve. Most forecasts predict more cool, showery and somewhat drier conditions for the week ahead, even with some warmth by the weekend.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I imagine that you, like me, will believe it only when it happens.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If the weather is your special subject, you will be sick to death of it this year&amp;hellip;...those six (Friday to Wednesday inc) horrible days over the Easter weekend were the final straw, culminating in Wednesday&amp;rsquo;s bitter deluges.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;How many fishing days have been lost to the weather this spring?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Up to the end of last week, there were 56 possible fishing days since 1st February 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Without thinking too hard, I can recall at least 4 whole weeks (24 fishing days) lost either to ice/grue and/or flooding, and countless other days when the river rose a bit, was a little dirty or was too big, even if clean, the wind was a bitter howling easterly making fishing almost impossible, and so on&amp;hellip;..in short, out of 56 possible days there may have been 20 when there was a reasonable chance, but no more than that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As a result, not one salmon has been caught below Coldstream, where low water in the spring is de rigeur for success.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The biggest losers from this are the fishermen and women who booked their spring fishing, often many weeks ago; to fish and catch little or nothing is one thing; to not even put your rod up, is quite another, and that has been the fate of far too many this spring.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;This represents a straight loss for the anglers, unless they have insured against the risk of flooding. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Some say the owners should repay the money paid by the unfortunate tenants; others say that another day should be offered f.o.c either later the same year&amp;hellip;.. or next year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Whether it floods or not, the owners have the same costs (principally boatmen&amp;rsquo;s salaries), and the level of rents for many beats is such that they make no money from letting early spring fishing anyway; the rents cover a proportion of some fixed costs, but that is all.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Replacing the lost days with others is impossible, simply because so much has been lost.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;If some 36 days have been lost this year so far, with (say) 4 anglers fishing per day per beat, meaning 144 rod days to be replaced per (4 rod) beat so far&amp;hellip;..and we have only reached the first week in April!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It is all very uncomfortable&amp;hellip;.and a subject which many owners would prefer to avoid.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Some would say that if the owners are to repay/compensate for days lost, then the flipside of that is that those who fish and catch a lot should be asked to pay more.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Last year, we put our July day&amp;rsquo;s rents up from &pound;90 in 2016, to &pound;120 per rod per day, to some understandable grumbles. You will recall from an earlier effort on these pages that beats such as ours have to charge some &pound;400 (inc vat) per salmon caught, just to break even.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We caught 60 salmon here last July, which at &pound;400/fish, is &pound;24,000. The 3 rods let here that month (made up of many different individual anglers) paid a little over &pound;10,000 between them. I imagine their response had we sought to surcharge them another &pound;14,000 would have been short&amp;hellip; and not at all sweet.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The conclusion&amp;hellip;..that unless visiting fishermen can arrange insurance, at an additional cost which is often completely lost &amp;hellip;because there is no flood... then those who lose out in the early spring are paying for some of the fixed overheads of the beats, despite receiving no benefit, and, more surprisingly, they are (effectively) subsidising the fishing of those lucky enough to catch many more fish than the rent paid would indicate (at say &pound;400/fish). &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There have been many springs and autumns in the past when hardly any days have been lost to the weather.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Spring 2018 is an extreme example of the opposite. Nobody I know can recall anything quite like it, even the horrendous frozen spring of 1963 had more fishable days.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Good riddance to February and March, and the first week of April, 2018, and may their like never be seen again.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Or at least&amp;hellip;.. not next year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-04-08--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 695--><!-- 1 April 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;After a more productive week&amp;rsquo;s fishing, again mainly limited to within a few miles either side of Kelso, the score for the week was 73 salmon and 2 sea trout, making a total of 190 salmon and 23 sea trout for the months of February and March.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Not a lot for two months fishing, but the below average catches here have been mirrored on all the other big east coast rivers. Optimists would say this gives some comfort that the fish are going to come later than normal this year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The extraordinarily prolonged cold, and seemingly never ending bitter easterlies, cannot have helped in encouraging fish to leave the sea for the much colder waters of the Tweed. Boatman Paul Hume tells me the netsmen used to call these easterlies the &amp;ldquo;poverty wind&amp;rdquo;, because no fish would come in over the churned up sandbanks in Berwick harbour. The netsmen would make no money until the winds turned.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And so it goes on, winter weather in April, all a result of the disruption in the polar vortex earlier in March, and next week looks to be no drier, if, gradually, slightly less cold&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If you have not already tuned in, please read the first of the RTC/ Tweed Foundation&amp;rsquo;s monthly issue &amp;ldquo;The River&amp;rdquo;.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;You can find it here &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018-March-The-River-Issue-1.pdf&quot;&gt;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018-March-The-River-Issue-1.pdf&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It is all about our avian predator friends.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;This is part of the Tweed&amp;rsquo;s commendable wish to communicate more effectively with boatmen and anglers, so if you would like them to address any fishy subject that concerns/interests you, all you have to do is let them know at &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:enquiries@rtc.org.uk&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;enquiries@rtc.org.uk&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Please do not be shy; they would welcome all (sensible) suggestions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The police said &amp;ldquo;you couldn&amp;rsquo;t make it up&amp;rdquo; and, indeed, when I first read the story, I struggled not to burst out laughing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Some bloke, &amp;ldquo;a vulnerable elderly man&amp;rdquo;, in North Wales had seen a heron eating a brood of ducklings. So incensed was he by this, that he decided to kill the heron and rescue the unfortunate ducklings, all of which (remarkably) he successfully achieved&amp;hellip;..or at least he rescued one of them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The duckling that survived was rescued, so the report says, &amp;ldquo;from its stomach&amp;rdquo;, indicating an unlikely degree of surgical skill from our heroic assassin.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;He was let off with a caution by the police, much to the predictable fury of those appalling birdie fundamentalists.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Curiously, initially no mention was made of how &amp;ldquo;the vulnerable elderly man&amp;rdquo; actually killed the heron.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Apparently, he shot it,&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;not something &amp;ldquo;vulnerable elderly men&amp;rdquo; normally do. Not only that, he might also have shot the partly digested ducklings, thereby rather spoiling the point of the whole escapade.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;All of which proves a point we have been making for some time in these pages, viz that little or no thought is given to the knock-on effects of individual species proliferating to the point where they themselves, having originally become endangered, now pose an existential threat to other species lower down the food change.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You need go no further than badgers and hedgehogs, buzzards and red squirrels, cormorants, goosanders, seals and salmon&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.although even I question if herons and ducklings can seriously be added to the list!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I well remember, post the appalling winter of 1962/63, that we never saw a heron or a kingfisher for years afterwards. Almost none had survived the 3 month freeze.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Had our North Wales hero behaved then, as he did now, I would have castigated him, as I hope would all right thinking folk.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But with herons aplenty now, he chose to intervene on the side of the hunted, the underdog. I know he broke the law, and you cannot have people going around killing herons willy nilly, but, once I had stopped laughing at the absurdity of it all, I found myself saying&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..good on yer.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Not least because it is one in the eye to all those birdie fundamentalists who think that we humans should never be allowed to control any birds or mammals, no matter how numerous and damaging to other species they are.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;They are of course, like all fundamentalists, misguided and would make pretty dull&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;fare as company&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.whereas one can easily imagine that you and I would rather like a good crack with our improbable hero from North Wales.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-04-01--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 693--><!-- 25 March 2018  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Last week&amp;rsquo;s catch was a little better, with 40 salmon and 5 sea trout, making 117 salmon and 21 sea trout for the year to date.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Ever since the snow started thawing on 6th February, the river heights have gone up and down like a yoyo. Last week was no exception. Just as levels were dropping nicely, there was a final snow melt on Thursday, followed by rain in the headwaters on Friday and a further rise on Saturday.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With next week&amp;rsquo;s weather looking even more unsettled, and much colder, from Tuesday, we can expect more of the same, with continuing damaging effects on the level of catches. We will only find out how many, or how few, fish are really there once the river settles.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Meanwhile, the smart money, after an early spring of far too much rain and snow for good fishing, is that there will be a drought just as the summer, and more fish, arrive.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Q 10 of the Tweedbeats survey posed the following question:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Do you think that the reduced catches of the last 4 years reflect natural changes in conditions at sea?&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The results from the 219 respondents were as follows:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;No&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;12%&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Maybe&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;18%&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Don&amp;rsquo;t know&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;10%&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Possibly&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;40%&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Definitely&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;20%&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Perhaps the most surprising figure is the very few (12%) who think natural sea changes have nothing at all to do with it&amp;hellip;...meaning that almost 9 out of 10 at the very least accept that it is possible that sea changes are the, or a, cause.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As you would expect, the most comments are about predation and the massive increases in numbers of goosanders, cormorants and seals since the 1970s. Many of those who agree that natural changes are the most likely cause of the sudden autumn grilse and salmon decline since 2014, also mention predation as an additional significant factor.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;All of which is probably where most of us are on this, viz, we would like to have much more control over predation, because predators must be reducing the numbers of salmon we anglers can fish for, and also affecting the numbers of salmon that eventually spawn.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But it really is impossible to imagine that predators alone have caused the very dramatic decline in grilse and late running salmon from 2014, both here and on other UK salmon rivers, whilst nothing remotely similar has happened to earlier running salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Logic, and historical precedence, indicate something much more fundamental and cyclical&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.and most of the survey&amp;rsquo;s respondents seem to (sort of) agree with that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-03-25--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 691--><!-- 18 March 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;9 salmon and 6 sea trout were caught last week, making 77 salmon and 16 sea trout for the year to date.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As most of a third week&amp;rsquo;s fishing is lost to the weather, the first to extreme cold and the following two to flooding, a poor February catch could now be followed by an equally poor March. We will soon be able to tell, as things quieten down a little at the start of the coming week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You could be forgiven for thinking that the Almighty has it in for the Tweed and its unfortunate fishermen, the worst salmon catch in 2017 for 30 years, now followed by the first two months of 2018 with very low catches.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Could things get any worse?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Like many anglers and boatmen, I blame the Tweed owners, River Tweed Commission and the Tweed Foundation, for, as we all know, everything that goes wrong on the Tweed is their fault. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Just as, of course, they should be able to control what happens to our fish in the North Atlantic (not a big place the North Atlantic, perfectly simple to do), so they should be able to stop the weather disrupting our fishing (not a big thing the global atmosphere, perfectly simple to do).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And while we are on the subject of blame, at the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, everyone&amp;rsquo;s hero Jezza Corbyn is right about that small matter of letting loose a nerve agent in Salisbury.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Need one say, it was not the Russians. That very nice man, &amp;ldquo;Uncle Vlad&amp;rdquo; Putin, a keen angler with strong opinions on the reduction in Tweed&amp;rsquo;s autumn salmon and grilse run, had nothing to do with it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was all the work of those useless, reactionary Tweed owners, the River Tweed Commission, the Tweed Foundation and their fiendishly clever scientists, Dr Ronald &amp;ldquo;Blofeld&amp;rdquo; Campbell, James &amp;ldquo;Scaramanga&amp;rdquo; Hunt and Kenny &amp;ldquo;Goldfinger&amp;rdquo; Galt.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If only they spent more time working out how to control what happens to our fish in the North Atlantic, and on ways of influencing global weather patterns so that our fishing is not disrupted&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.. and spend less time manufacturing novichok, the more salmon we would all catch.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I commend this statement to the House.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Over the next few weeks, we will try to deal with some of the comments from the Tweedbeats survey, with thanks again to all those who have taken the time to do so.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Amongst many &amp;ldquo;hot&amp;rdquo; topics, perhaps the hottest was Q6:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Do you think the overall experience of fishing on the Tweed represents value for money?&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Quite apart from a few rants about &amp;ldquo;greedy owners&amp;rdquo; (well, we did ask!), the overall results from nearly 230 responses are revealing:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Absolutely value for money&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 5%&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Reasonable&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;24%&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Touch and go&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;30%&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Not really&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;30%&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Not at all&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;11%&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You might call it a &amp;ldquo;score draw&amp;rdquo;, with 29% happy-ish, 30% not quite sure, and 41% unhappy-ish. But the fairest conclusion is that the balance of Tweed&amp;rsquo;s customers are on the &amp;ldquo;unhappy&amp;rdquo; side viz 71% say it is &amp;ldquo;touch and go&amp;rdquo; or worse. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Dangerous territory, of course, but a view from the other side of the fence might help those who are &amp;ldquo;unhappy&amp;rdquo;....or probably not, but here goes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;From speaking to owners, some think they will be lucky to break even in 2018, many will make a loss. Generally, beat incomes have dropped by over 50% since 2014, whereas expenses may have dropped by 10-20% at most, because so many of the costs are fixed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Of course, there is, and can be, no cartel between owners as to what they charge, so maybe there are Tweed owners out there who are charging too much, but competition will, at some point, force them to bring their prices into line.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;These fixed costs alone, on a lower Tweed beat like ours, are equivalent to over &pound;300/salmon caught, based on the last 4 years catches since the decline in the autumn run.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Or over &pound;360/salmon once you add on the 20% vat which vat registered owners have to levy, and then hand over to HMRC/the Government.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;At nearly &pound;400/salmon, which many middle and lower beat proprietors must charge just to break even, it is a figure which some will find shocking. But that is the reality of running a salmon fishery, with the main costs being the river board&amp;rsquo;s (RTC) annual levy, ghillies&amp;rsquo;/boatmen&amp;rsquo;s salaries, insurance, maintenance of banks, access tracks, roads, huts and boats etc.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Owners deserve, and will get, no sympathy, for their much reduced financial circumstances, but the days of Tweed being considered very expensive, as compared to other rivers, are coming, or have already come, to an end&amp;hellip;...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;despite the unfavourable balance of opinion in the survey.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-03-18--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 689--><!-- 11 March 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With the anticipated post-snow flooding last week, fishing was hardly possible, and just 2 salmon caught on Monday, making a total of 68 salmon and 10 sea trout for the year to date.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;At 6ft this morning (Sunday) after Saturday&amp;rsquo;s rain and snow melt, a slightly less unsettled forecast for next week might just bring an end to the frustrations of not being able to fish either at all, or in good, settled river conditions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It has been very&amp;hellip;...well, frustrating.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;Meanwhile, and importantly&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;..the Environment Agency published its new &amp;ldquo;Salmon and Sea Trout Protection Byelaws&amp;rdquo; which can be found here: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/fisheries/proposed-national-salmon-byelaws/?dm_i=3O4M,D1Z8,3WA45E,1D9T4,1%20%20%20%20%20%20&quot;&gt;https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/fisheries/proposed-national-salmon-byelaws/?dm_i=3O4M,D1Z8,3WA45E,1D9T4,1&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;and the Consultation itself on those changes, which can be found here:&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href=&quot;https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/fisheries/proposed-national-salmon-byelaws/consultation/&quot;&gt;https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/fisheries/proposed-national-salmon-byelaws/consultation/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;All those concerned to see these changes implemented, especially the ending of drift netting off the English north east coast, are encouraged to respond in favour.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;Rather off-puttingly, the preamble says it will take 60-90 minutes to complete the 11 questions (6 of which are about your personal details). As a Scottish respondent, I have answered only the first 3 sections &amp;hellip;.. 1. personal details, 2. renewal of existing byelaws for spring salmon conservation, and 3. new byelaws for net and fixed engine fisheries&amp;hellip;... as the others relate to English rivers and rod fishing&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It took, at most, 10 minutes to complete.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;For those who might appreciate some help in formulating a detailed response to Q3 re the new netting byelaws, some, or all, of the following might suit:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;I strongly support the proposed byelaws. Both the north east drift net fishery and the T&amp;amp;J nets are indiscriminate and interceptory, because research has shown they are catching the stocks of many different rivers both in England and Scotland. This is contrary to all internationally accepted management practices. Salmon stocks should only ever be harvested in the rivers to which they are returning, so that accurate assessments can be made of stock sustainability.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So long as the northeast drift net fishery and T&amp;amp;J nets continue to operate, no English or Scottish east coast river has been able to accurately assess its stocks.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Closure is long overdue as the Scottish drift net fishery was closed over 50 years ago for exactly the same reasons....it too was both interceptory and indiscriminate. &amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It has been a running sore for decades that up to 75% of the salmon these English northeast net fisheries catch are heading for Scottish rivers&amp;hellip;..but never get there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If you do complete the consultation (deadline 8th April), thank you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;We have had a minor influx of egrets here, driven inland no doubt from coastal areas such as Budle Bay in Northumberland, which they frequent, by last week&amp;rsquo;s easterly gales and snow.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;Seeing egrets with snow on the ground in Scotland is wholly counter-intuitive; the first I ever saw was in 1969 in my gap year in the south of Spain. In my mind they are a product of warmer, more southern, climes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;No longer, it seems.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-03-11--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 686--><!-- 4 March 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;My more mature friends muttered darkly about the winter of 1947; even youngsters, like yours truly, muttered darkly about the prolonged horrors of 1963; and everyone muttered darkly about &amp;ldquo;the beast from the east&amp;rdquo; which assailed us last week. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was viciously cold, and by lunchtime on Wednesday, even Scott or Amundsen would have thought twice about trying to get their fly to penetrate the grue and the easterly gale.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I know salmon cannot have predictive powers&amp;hellip;.. or can they? It is odd that springers are going to be late this year, as precious little has come into any of the major east coast rivers yet. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;February is never a great fishing month nowadays, but this year&amp;rsquo;s Tweed total of 66 salmon and 10 sea trout must be the lowest for many years past, despite some days when conditions were perfectly reasonable.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;What of next week? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With little frost forecast and temperatures slowly recovering to 6 -10C, the &amp;ldquo;deferred flood&amp;rdquo; (which 1 or 2 feet of snow represents) could become a very big real flood if everything melts quickly, or a series of smaller ones, if not.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Either way, once the thaw proper begins, we are not going to have a settled river&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip; until all this unwelcome white stuff is gone.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00&amp;mdash;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Meanwhile, the River Tweed Commission has published its 2017 Annual Report.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As always, it makes interesting reading and is available online at:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rtc.org.uk/2017_Annual_Report.pdf&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;http://www.rtc.org.uk/2017_Annual_Report.pdf&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The headline figure is the 2017 rod catch of 6,577. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The doom mongers will note it is the lowest figure since 1987; those of more positive disposition will know that the average weight was around 11 lbs, as compared to just 7.5lbs pre 2014. You may be a &amp;ldquo;numbers&amp;rdquo; man/woman, but I for one would rather catch a single 15lb belter, than 5 of those 3 lb skinny grilse which are no fun at all on a 15ft rod and 20lb leader. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The Chairman, Douglas Dobie, correctly points out in his Report there is much to be optimistic about, and that the Tweed has never been better placed to take advantage of any upturn in numbers returning from the sea, especially if the widely predicted reduction in interceptory netting off the Northumbrian coast goes ahead in 2018 and 2019.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Amid the pervading gloom of some, the &amp;ldquo;I can only see it getting worse&amp;rdquo; brigade, I too find myself strangely optimistic.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There is a survey abroad, promoted by Tweedbeats.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;After much comment, and some criticism, in recent years, it is always useful to know what your supporters (and non-supporters!) and customers think. It is anonymous, so that you can say what you truly think, without fear of retribution&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..or causing offence!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Well over 100 generous fishermen and women have completed it already.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It takes 5 minutes at most, and you will find it here:&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LTHCKT7&quot;&gt;https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LTHCKT7&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Thank you to all those who have completed it already&amp;hellip;...and to those who will.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-03-04--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 685--><!-- 25 February 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With 24 salmon and 6 sea trout caught last week, 61 salmon and 9 sea trout for the season so far, with only three fishing days left, February has shown us that there are not many salmon in the river, yet.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The same seems to be true of the Tay and the Dee.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With cold, wintry, sometimes really extreme, conditions forecast for the next 3 weeks, until mid March at least, perhaps the salmon know that they are better off staying, and eating, in the warmer/less cold sea, as opposed to skulking, and dieting, in the depths of some icey Tweed dub.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You can see their point.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The trouble with people like me, and quite possibly people like you, is that we are misunderstood, even disliked, by the great majority of those who live in these islands.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Let me explain.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I like badgers&amp;hellip;.. but not when there are so many that they have killed all my hedgehogs. The last one I saw here was in 2016, whereas when we first came here there were signs of them all over my lawn, and my dogs would find, and bark futilely at, them almost every evening. Now we have badgers everywhere, and quite apart from killing all our hedgehogs, they dig up my garden looking for food.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I like sparrowhawks&amp;hellip;... but not when there are so many of them that they kill the little birds which we feed all winter. When I walk around here, I am forever finding little puffs of feathers on the ground where yet another blue tit, blackbird or nuthatch has met an untimely end.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I like buzzards&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;...but have never felt quite the same about them since my father saw one catch and kill a red squirrel, which are not exactly plentiful in these parts. The RSPB now estimates between 57,000 and 79,000 breeding pairs of buzzards in the UK, or between 114,000 and 158,000 individual birds, truly staggering, and increasing, numbers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I like goosanders and cormorants&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.. but not when there are so many that they threaten the numbers, some would say the very existence, of a species under pressure, as maybe never before, the Atlantic salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I even like beavers&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.they are cuddly, cute and have just been given legal protection&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip; but not when there are so many of them, as there will be in time, that they cut down all our young trees and block Tweed&amp;rsquo;s spawning streams with dams.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I like seals&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..but not when there are so many of them that they threaten other UK fish species, including salmon.&amp;nbsp; In 1914 their numbers were down to 500, by year 2000 there were 124,300, and now in 2018 there are over 200,000 around our shores.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There are two common themes in all this.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;First, that all these birds and animals occupy the top of their particular food chains, so that whereas they feed on those below them, nobody/nothing feeds on, or controls, them. Protected from control by humans, their numbers increase unchecked until they become an existential threat/ problem to the other species on which they either feed, or adversely affect by their behaviour.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Secondly, that those (hedgehogs, small songbirds, young salmonids, other fish and other birds/mammals) which are so adversely affected by such unchecked proliferation of their predators, are routinely left undefended, ignored and, for the most part, unseen (viz young salmonids and other fish killed and eaten underwater; song (and other) birds taken by sparrowhawks and other raptors, in the open countryside, when no one is looking; hedgehogs attacked at night by badgers). The slaughter happens out of sight, so the great British public thinks that seals are cuddly, and goosanders nicely coloured, wholly ignorant of the devastation they cause, when their numbers explode unchecked, to the numbers of those they eat for lunch.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The answer, of course, is an agreed management and control protocol for each species which has proliferated to the point where it itself represents a danger to others.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;This will necessarily mean both controlling further expansion of numbers, and some form of protection to those fish, birds and mammals on which they predate.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The trouble is that, even if you and I believe that humans controlling/killing some of these &amp;ldquo;out of control&amp;rdquo; species, is essential and sensible, a no brainer, I&amp;rsquo;m not sure how many of the largely urbanised UK population and their politicians will agree with us? They have a &amp;ldquo;fluffy&amp;rdquo; view of nature, protected by their concrete jungles from the harsh realities of wildlife in the raw. Most likely they will continue to think that you and I are barbarous murderers (&amp;ldquo;the nasty brigade&amp;rdquo; as one Chris Packham is supposed to have called anyone who shoots anything) for wanting to control those cute seals and beautiful goosanders. Whilst we think that they, the great urbanised masses, are overly sentimental, unrealistic, dare one say anthropomorphic, in their love of the hunter, with no regard whatever for the plight/slaughter of the unseen hunted.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But unless we can persuade them, the numbers of grey seals and FEBs (fish eating birds) will, it is reasonable to assume, continue to climb.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So here we are in 2018 with over 200,000 grey seals and nearly 100,000 FEBs in the UK, and both are increasing, year on year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;At the very least the River Tweed Commission (and other river boards) should be given the necessary powers to allow us to control their numbers within the river environment&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.and thereby to fulfil the RTC&amp;rsquo;s duty under the Scotland Act 1998 (River Tweed ) Order 2006, where it is charged, by specific statute, with &amp;ldquo;the general preservation and increase of salmon, sea trout, trout and other freshwater fish in the River Tweed and its tributaries&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Some would argue that the RTC carrying out its statutory remit is impossible unless the Commissioners can fully protect their fish, both adult and juvenile, from the increasing numbers of their predators within the river area for which the RTC has jurisdiction.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;At the moment, so that argument goes, quite simply they cannot&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;.through no fault of their own.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-02-25--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 683--><!-- 18 February 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Spoiled by adverse conditions throughout, 7 salmon and 3 sea trout was the catch for last week, making the season&amp;rsquo;s total 37 salmon and 3 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;As the weather becomes calmer and colder in the coming week, the river will settle and give anglers more chance.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--0--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; text-align: left;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;If there is one issue which has become toxic for almost all salmon anglers, it is this.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Birds&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.or more specifically&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.fish eating birds.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There are those who blame them for the whole decline in salmon stocks, and then there are those who think their effect is minimal.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The truth is somewhere in between.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;No logic can attribute blame for the grilse and autumn run decline of the last 4 years on birds, or indeed on any predation. How is that pre-August fish numbers have &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;increased &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;over those 4 years, at the same time as the autumn has so reduced? Have our birds somehow en masse said &amp;ldquo;yes please&amp;rdquo; to a meal of a smolt that would come back in the autumn, but &amp;ldquo;no thanks&amp;rdquo; to one that would come back before August?!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;That would be absurd, just as it is absurd to pretend that fish eating birds do no harm at all.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Or, as a learned friend and colleague put it, &amp;ldquo;Cormorants and goosanders are not &lt;strong&gt;the &lt;/strong&gt;problem (ie the decline of grilse and late running salmon), but they most certainly are &lt;strong&gt;a &lt;/strong&gt;problem (in that they generally reduce the numbers of our young salmon which reach the sea).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;We cannot precisely quantify the damage they do, because we cannot yet count smolts on a river as big as the Tweed, and because a main stem counter of returning adults is both unaffordable and, even if afforded, would not work (viz the Dee main stem counter of the 1990s which cost &pound;400,000... and never worked). So, the holy grail of salmon river management&amp;hellip;..knowing exactly how many smolts are going to sea, and how many adults are returning&amp;hellip;... is beyond us, for now at least.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;Maybe there is only one thing on which all parties, even the RSPB, will agree. That fish eating birds do exactly that&amp;hellip;...they eat fish. In other words, the Tweed&amp;rsquo;s population of goosanders and cormorants are here because the Tweed provides them with food.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;By tracking smolts going downstream and finding out what percentage do not make it to sea, we can get a handle on percentage loss, but does that get us any closer to absolute numbers, if you do not know the total population?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;If there are 2 million smolts, and birds eat 25% of those, losing 500,000 and leaving 1.5 million to go to sea,&amp;nbsp; that looks ok. But if there are &amp;ldquo;only&amp;rdquo; 500,000 smolts, do you lose 30% to birds, or do you still lose 500,000?!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;border: none; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt; mso-border-shadow: yes;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;So many unanswered questions, but what we do know for sure is that cormorants and goosanders eat untold numbers of our young fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;It is illegal to shoot cormorants and goosanders under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so that any control of numbers can only be given by licence. At present, the RTC has a numerically limited licence, and they have done well to maintain that licence over the years. Some here would like it to be lawful, by special licence, to shoot any cormorant or goosander, without any number restriction, which is seen anywhere on the Tweed, or on any of its tributaries. This would be well short of a general licence to shoot which applies to (say) crows and pigeons, and means you can shoot them in unlimited numbers, wherever they are.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;If the Tweed and other salmon rivers were to obtain such numerically unlimited, but geographically limited, licences to kill goosanders and cormorants, could it possibly endanger, or even result in an overall UK decline in numbers of, these birds? According to the RSPB, the current UK estimated populations of cormorants, goosanders and mergansers are these:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;Breeding Pairs/&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Overwintering Birds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Cormorants -&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;9,018/41,000&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Goosanders&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;-&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; 3,100-3,800/12,000&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Mergansers&amp;nbsp; -&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; 2,800/9,000&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;All three species are categorised &amp;ldquo;green&amp;rdquo;&amp;nbsp; in conservation terms by the RSPB, which means they are &amp;ldquo;least critical&amp;rdquo; and &amp;ldquo;occur regularly in the UK and do not qualify under any of the other (critical) criteria&amp;rdquo;. In other words, they are thriving and under no conservation threat.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;We will all have our own ideas as to how accurate the RSPB figures are (especially the 9,0&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;18&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt; breeding pairs of cormorants!), but even at these figures, would a general licence to allow salmon rivers to protect their salmon stocks really threaten these birds&amp;rsquo; overall numbers?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;The number of fish eating birds in the UK has increased hugely over the last 35 years. For the first 30 years of my life on the Tweed, I do not recall ever seeing a cormorant or a goosander while fishing for salmon. Their numbers are still increasing, and it is reasonable to assume their range, and the numbers coming inland, will expand as overall populations increase.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;Even if goosander numbers as per the RTC quarterly counts are broadly stable, the recent prevalence of large cormorant flocks here on the Tweed, from 60 to 200 birds per flock and extending well above Kelso, is a very visible demonstration of the trend. Moreover, they are not daily visitors, for they have established resident roosts here over the long autumn, winter and early spring months.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;Most salmon anglers would be horrified at estimates of the young salmon eaten by (say) 150 resident cormorants from October to March&amp;hellip;.but it will be 10s of 1,000s of juveniles, which could have smolted and come back as salmon, but now will not. And many more still are eaten by goosanders, both resident and overwintering.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;At some point, and soon, politicians will surely have to accept that the damage being done, day in day out, by the proliferation of these birds in our rivers, is a far far greater risk to our&amp;nbsp; salmon, than we humans would be to them if we were allowed unrestricted licence to shoot all cormorants and goosanders found, within the river corridor only.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;It is laughable that SNH, English Nature and the RSPB&amp;rsquo;s preferred deterrence is to &amp;ldquo;scare&amp;rdquo;, rather than shoot, fishing eating birds. Laughable, because with 3,000 km of Tweed river and tributaries to operate in, any self respecting goosander or cormorant when &amp;ldquo;scared&amp;rdquo; from fishing in one place, will simply fly off some short-ish distance&amp;hellip;...and continue eating Tweed&amp;rsquo;s young fish there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Everyone needs to make as much noise as they possibly can about this, to local MPs and MSPs, and anyone else of influence&amp;hellip;.and soon.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;And finally, there is a belief out there that everything is ok, because having so many fish eating birds proves how many young fish there are to eat in the Tweed system. Whilst to an extent this is so, the trouble with predators is that, as we know from the Langholm experiment with grouse and raptors, they will go on eating everything until there is nothing left. Cormorants and goosanders have no bag limits, they do not practice catch and release, and have never heard of conservation.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;By way of reminder, and proof, here is a photograph from 2001. The caption needs no explanation&amp;hellip;...except to say this was one meal, for one goosander, on one day&amp;hellip;.and cormorants, much bigger birds, will eat more.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;That was 17 years ago, and it is still going on, most would say getting worse because of these &amp;ldquo;new&amp;rdquo; cormorant flocks.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;It is a sobering thought.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-02-18--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 681--><!-- 11 February 2018 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;After an unsettled week, latterly at least,&amp;nbsp; there are as yet, it seems, very few fish in the river.&amp;nbsp; The total catch for the week was 20 salmon, making 30 for the season so far.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;Forecasters predict another unsettled week to come, with obvious consequences for&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;successful fishing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;Of more distant concern, there is increasing certainty of some seriously vicious cold, as we move later into February and early March.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;My Times newspaper on Saturday had the following chilling, in every sense, prediction:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;A dramatic disturbance is playing out over the Arctic&amp;hellip;.this is a major event, it is almost certain to happen&amp;hellip;... when we run the computer models over and over again, they come up with the same result. The jet stream is decelerating, our usual mild westerlies are dropping away, and bitterly cold easterlies could invade the UK&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;later this month.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;Ah, those bitter easterlies, going straight through you, as a knife through butter. &amp;ldquo;Kruschev&amp;rsquo;s wind&amp;rdquo; we called it long ago, for it seemed to come straight from the frozen Russian steppes. We have not seen it for some time now; long overdue, you would say.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;Loyal readers will know that our Lancashire Heeler, Puppsie, is a keen weather observer, and likes nothing more than staying outside in the garden, mouse hunting, as the sun warms and spring comes into view.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;If my Times is correct, Puppsie will be staying inside for some time to come yet.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;It is exactly 5 years since the Tweedbeats website was conceived.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;It happened because many of the main Tweed beat owners were uncomfortable at the pervading&amp;nbsp; doubt as to whom their fishing customers &amp;ldquo;belonged&amp;rdquo;....in short, were the visiting fishermen and women customers of Fishpal/Fishtweed ... or were they customers of (say) Upper Floors, Middle Mertoun, South Wark or any of the other beats on which they were fishing?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;For the avoidance of doubt, Tweedbeats&amp;rsquo; only customers are the beats themselves. The customers&amp;rsquo;/visiting anglers&amp;rsquo; details &amp;ldquo;belong&amp;rdquo; to the beats themselves, and no doubt they maintain their own databases; Tweedbeats simply provides a portal through which those wishing to let fishing can themselves contact their customers, both present and prospective.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;Contrast this with the following from Fishpal/Fishtweed at:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blog.fishpal.com/2017/12/21/your-personal-data/%20&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;https://blog.fishpal.com/2017/12/21/your-personal-data/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;especially, under the rather mysterious provisions of GDPR (with which all readers will be familiar&amp;hellip;.. something to do with data protection), the following extract:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Hence when booking from now on, we (Fishpal) will only pass to the relevant fishery your name and nearest town (not personal data), but NOT your full postal address, postcode, telephone numbers or email addresses.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;In other words, Fishpal/Fishtweed customers&amp;rsquo; details would seem to &amp;ldquo;belong&amp;rdquo; to them, as they are forbidden by law from passing on any details of a beat&amp;rsquo;s customers to the owners of those beats.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;I do not doubt that, technically, Fishpal are correct, but as one J.P. McEnroe was accustomed to say &amp;ldquo; You&amp;nbsp;cannot&amp;nbsp;be serious!&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;Now you see why concerned beats set up Tweedbeats 5 years ago.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;If we had not done it then, we certainly would now&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: windowtext;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;.. and we would immediately be setting up a system in fishing huts for capturing all&amp;nbsp;our own customers&amp;rsquo;&amp;nbsp;details, and not letting them reside solely in the hands of a paid letting agent.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-02-11--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 678--><!-- 4 February 2018  New/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The catch for the first three days of the 2018 season was 10 salmon, all caught, as is normal at this time of year, within a gnat&amp;rsquo;s crotchet of Kelso.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;This means nothing as a predictor for 2018, Februarys, of late, being consistently low scorers at or around 200 salmon for the month.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Statistically the driest (August is the wettest) month in this part of the world, the consensus of the many available medium term forecasts for this February is that it will be both cold and dry, possibly very cold towards the end of the month as east winds pick up.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We are not done with winter, or rather it with us, quite yet, it seems.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;For those of you who have survived, so far, the myriad winter bugs and &amp;lsquo;flu, to say nothing of excessive festivities of a month or so ago, welcome back.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With expectations for salmon season 2018 at an all time low, and with acrimony and disagreement apparently rife about what can be done to halt what some see (I do not) as terminal decline, what can we expect of 2018?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I have no idea , but what I would like for 2018 for the Tweed are these:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normalCxSpMiddle&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;1.&lt;span style=&quot;font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;That drift netting and T&amp;amp;J netting for salmon stops for good off the English north east coast (see &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=6112&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=6112&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; re EA moves to protect salmon stocks from 2018). It hardly bears repeating that drift netting for salmon off the Scottish coast was banned in the 1960s, over 50 years ago; never mind, if it stops now in England, we should all be grateful&amp;hellip;..and with a quiet prayer of thanks to Orri Vigfusson.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normalCxSpMiddle&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;2.&lt;span style=&quot;font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;That even the RSPB and SNH accept that cormorants and goosanders do damage to juvenile salmon (and other fish) numbers and that river managers must be given more (reasonable) powers to control them; in particular, the emergence of large (200+) inland colonies of cormorants is a comparatively new phenomenon, and river managers must be given powers to disperse/remove them. It bears very little contemplation what immense damage such large flocks, resident for long periods, can do.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normalCxSpMiddle&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;3.&lt;span style=&quot;font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;That river managers are given greater powers to deter any seal venturing above a certain agreed point (the tidal boundary?) within the river.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normalCxSpMiddle&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;4.&lt;span style=&quot;font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;That those who would have hatcheries on the Tweed, and make so much noise about them without understanding the sheer scale of our wild juvenile numbers and their population dynamics, finally stop promoting their simplistic (&amp;ldquo;like rearing pheasants&amp;rdquo;) solution. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normalCxSpMiddle&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;5.&lt;span style=&quot;font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;That those who think birds and seals are responsible for the decline in autumn numbers take the trouble to understand the cyclical nature of salmon runs over the centuries as the real reason for reducing grilse and late running salmon numbers viz Ronald Campbell&amp;rsquo;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DjuyMzxpt4&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DjuyMzx&lt;/span&gt;pt4&lt;/a&gt; which is compulsory watching/listening for those who would profess to know anything about it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Too much to hope for, you might say, (especially 4. and 5. above), but at least we might all agree that 1. to 3. above would go some way to rebalancing the scales of survival in favour of the unseen slaughter below water, and against those birds, mammals and humans who have been killing, largely unchecked, our juvenile and adult salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And lastly, of course, we would all like a better salmon season in 2018. For the past 4 years the Tweed catch has been stuck somewhere around 6,500 to 8,000.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Four years ago, when our 5 year average was 16,000, an annual catch prediction of 10,000 for 2018&amp;nbsp; would have seemed disappointing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Not now.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And finally, my thanks to the good folk of Peebles, Hawick, Galashiels, Melrose, Innerleithen, Walkerburn&amp;hellip;... and all places west of Coldstream.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The 13ft flood of ten days ago delivered great battalions of their bottles, both plastic and glass, and&amp;nbsp; much other plastic detritus, to our river banks. I, and other like minded souls, have spent the last week or so picking up and putting it where it should have been in the first place&amp;hellip;..in a bin, or some form of recycling.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If you think plastic ending up in the sea is someone else&amp;rsquo;s problem, it isn&amp;rsquo;t, we in the Borders are as bad as anyone else.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;My first prize&amp;hellip;.to the person who was so rat-arsed, he/she threw away a third of a bottle of vodka (no I didn&amp;rsquo;t drink it, and no it wasn&amp;rsquo;t water).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;My booby prize&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.to the quality of the wine drunk upstream of here, judging by the labels on the bottles.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Disappointing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Like the people who drank them &amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..and then threw the bottles away.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2018-02-04--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 676--><!-- 3 December 2017 - News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We are indebted to William Younger for providing the coup de gras on 2017 Tweed salmon and sea trout rod catches.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Reported cumulative (within 90% accuracy) catches to 30th November 2017 were 6,162 salmon and 1,668 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Because these figures omit some non-reporting main stem beats, and many fisheries on the tributaries, the estimate is that the totals could amount to 6,700 salmon and 1,900 seatrout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The River Tweed Commission will publish the precisely correct figure just before the RTC&amp;rsquo;s AGM in early March 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00&amp;mdash;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;A minor singer once sang something about facing &amp;ldquo;the final curtain&amp;rdquo;........ that curtain has, at last, come down on the 2017 salmon fishing season.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;He went on to sing how he &amp;ldquo;would state his case, of which I&amp;rsquo;m certain&amp;rdquo;; lucky him, for nothing is certain, however we state the case, in our salmon world.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;A two month break will serve us well, before rejoining battle, and the vagaries and troubles of our precious fish, in February 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In terms of numbers, if that is your only criterion, 2017 was, well... &amp;ldquo;not a good year&amp;rdquo; hardly does it justice.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But in there somewhere, if I reflect hard enough, there was hope.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Parochial, self-interested anecdotes are seldom of general interest or applicability to the whole, but I cannot stop myself telling you about July here.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was the best July we have ever had&amp;hellip;..or at least this side of the industrial revolution.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We caught 60 magnificent salmon, all bar one on a fly. Most notably, there was not an obvious grilse amongst them; well, there was a 6 lber on 3rd July, but that early it could just as well be a small salmon. They averaged just under 11 lbs, and were all fantastic, fresh, hard fighting fish. I caught one or two of them, and could not understand why it always took 10-15 minutes to get them in&amp;hellip;..but it was because they were big, fit and strong.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Exactly what you want as the parents of the next generation.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Remember how you/ we all used to obsess about those skinny, small grilse? Well, firstly there were no grilse in sight, skinny or otherwise,&amp;nbsp; and, secondly, every salmon I saw was in prime, or even better than prime, condition.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was also a joy to be fishing in the summer, not freezing to death in November, or fighting a westerly gale in October.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;My reflections also take me to the angling reactions to such a disappointing year, which have ranged from outright anger to resigned, reluctant acceptance and even sorrow.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But what unites us all, regardless of how we react, is that we care so much for the future of our salmon, and of a pastime which we love. In the back of each of our minds, somewhere, is the fear that it is all coming to an end, and that the current extreme decline is just another nail in salmon fishing&amp;rsquo;s coffin.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I do not believe that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The steadfast, unwavering adherence to good, well tried management principles, exercised consistently by the River Tweed Commission and Tweed Foundation over many years, now under the stewardship of Chairman, Douglas Dobie, and Chief Executive, Fay Hieatt, are seen by some, even by many, as complacency at a time when, they say, drastic action is required. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Instead of being congratulated for what they do on all our behalfs in extraordinarily difficult times, Douglas and Fay in particular, but the RTC and Tweed Foundation generally,&amp;nbsp; are too often the object of whatever vilification and blame the &amp;ldquo;blamers&amp;rdquo; can dream up, based on no evidence whatever.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Inevitably the solutions promulgated by the critics centre around killing all seals and avian predators, and starting a hatchery. This is despite compelling evidence, both here and elsewhere, that a hatchery will make no difference, and that killing all avian predators and almost any seals will never be allowed by Governments, of whichever persuasion.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I started with some words from &amp;ldquo;My Way&amp;rdquo;; let me finish with Kipling.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;If you can keep your head when all about you&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Are losing theirs and blaming it on you&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But make allowance for their doubting too&amp;hellip;..&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The RTC and Tweed Foundation are doing all, and more, than they sensibly can to look after our river and its fish, and they are keeping their heads&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;. when many are losing theirs and blaming it on them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Until February 2018.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Happy Christmas.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-12-03--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 675--><!-- 26 November 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;By way of some good, clean end of term fun, I wonder if you can guess when the following statements were reported?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I will give you two choices in each case.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;The RTC have given some attention to the shooting of cormorants which have presented themselves in increasing numbers and are very destructive of fish.&amp;rdquo; 1911 or 2017?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;One of the worst seasons on record. The angling season, following the enormous catches in&amp;nbsp; (1903 or 2013), completed the contrast by being the worst on record.&amp;rdquo; 1904 or 2014?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;The autumn fishing was a complete failure for lack of fish.&amp;rdquo; 1898 or 2017?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Very poor year&amp;hellip;.for the last 4 or 5 weeks of the season, the water was in excellent condition but there were no fish in it.&amp;rdquo; 1899 or 2017?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;The decline or disappearance of grilse in recent years; only 6 grilse out of a total catch of (254 or 145) salmon and grilse caught this autumn at Upper and Lower Floors.&amp;rdquo; 1916 or 2015?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Scarcity of fish presents a very knotty problem.&amp;rdquo; 1895 or 2016?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Autumn season worst on record. In (1911 to 1914, or 2014 to 2017) the proportion of salmon caught to grilse was higher than 5 to 1.&amp;rdquo; 1915 or 2017?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;The autumn fishing of (1908 or 2017) showed a decided scarcity of salmon. There were few salmon off the coast and this experience was not confined to the Tweed alone, but the whole of the East Coast of Scotland. Grilse were late, unusually small and disappointing in number.&amp;rdquo; 1908 or 2017?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Shortage of salmon in the autumn is no new thing, but never a &amp;ldquo;back-end&amp;rdquo; as bad as this.&amp;rdquo; 1930 or 2017?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Ok, I have had my fun, and it takes no genius to work out that every one of those statements was made, not in 2014 to 2017, but, in every case, between 87 and 129 years ago&amp;hellip;...but they could all have been made yesterday.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The point I make, and have been making for some time now, is that what has happened here over the last 4 years has happened before, before those beastly massive Russian trawlers scoured the seas, before there were any goosanders, before man-made global warming, even before the ghastly polluting fish farms.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The answer lies in the sea, it did 100 years ago and it does now.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There is now, it seems, an angling constituency which demands large numbers of fish every year, and has to blame somebody if that does not happen.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;They are wrong to do so, as they would have been had they done that 100 years ago.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There have always been bad years, even clutches of bad years together viz both 1911 to 1915, and 2014 to 2017, but history tells us they do not last.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We should all be concerned about the continuing low levels of smolt survival in the sea, but that is a very different matter from the ever shifting run timings and components of our salmon&amp;hellip;..about which we can do nothing, just as they could not over 100 years ago.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Despite the gloomy headlines of 1904 (&amp;ldquo;worst season on record&amp;rdquo;), of 1915 (&amp;ldquo;worst autumn on record&amp;rdquo;), of 1920 (autumn by autumn the Tweed gets steadily worse&amp;rdquo;), there were perfectly reasonable years, even some good grilse years, in between and, as gradually Tweed became both a predominantly salmon and&amp;nbsp; spring river, by 1920 the angling press also said it was an &amp;ldquo;exceptionally good spring&amp;rdquo;, and by 1926 the fishing headlines contained the following extraordinary sentence:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;An angling year of splendid sport, during a long spring and short autumn, has ended with one rod accounting for 389 salmon on the Tweed; Hendersyde water yielded 475 spring salmon and Sprouston 357&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And this despite the presence of over 100 full-time nets on the river and the coast in 1926.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We, just as they were in the early 1900s, are in transition from grilse to salmon domination, but, unlike them, angling recovery ought to be quicker, because we have no nets.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The only questions are (a) how long it will take for the salmon domination to gather full strength and (b) will these salmon come back in the spring, summer or autumn?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2018 just might &amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;....get us closer to the answers to both questions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-11-26--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 672--><!-- 19 November 2017 News/Editorial --><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The rod catch last week was 66 salmon and 2 sea trout, making the cumulative Tweed catch, to 18th November 2017, 6,106 salmon and 1,670 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Fishing on Tuesday and Wednesday last week was enough; my neck, damaged by an earlier life of fishing too much, allowed no more, before recovery began with (a) no more fishing, (b) painkillers and (c) the ubiquitous Deep Heat.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Although others had a few pulls, only one sea-licer hung on and, as the scores elsewhere graphically testified, the river has effectively shut down. Quite simply, almost no fresh fish are coming in, and the old ones are spawning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So why the aforementioned (last week) optimism for 2018?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Because 2018 salmon will be the first generation of salmon (for technicians of these things, 1:2s from the 2014 parental group) untroubled by competing with the progeny of thousands of grilse (because in 2014 there were no grilse). 2019 will be even better because there will be 2:2 salmon from 2014 and&amp;nbsp; 1:2s from 2015 (when there were also no grilse).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Because (I sincerely hope) the Gardo net will be stopped from netting our spring salmon altogether from 2018 onwards, hopefully only being allowed to kill salmon from sometime in June.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Because surely, at last, 50 years after the same thing happened in Scotland, the English NE drift nets will be stopped altogether, finally ending an unacceptable indiscriminate fishery.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It has been an international embarrassment for years, the UK, rightly, being accused of hypocrisy when criticising other countries (Greenland, the Faroes, Ireland) for operating interceptory fisheries (all of which have now closed) when the UK was doing exactly the same off its English NE coast.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;From a Scottish perspective, the undisputed fact that 75% of the salmon being caught there&amp;nbsp; were Scottish, not English, has been a running sore over decades. The drift netters have, for years, lined up north of Newcastle, because they knew that the biggest catches were to be had by intercepting Scottish salmon, and the closer to the Scottish border they could fish, the more they would catch.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Many of us have been campaigning to have that fishery closed down for the last 40 years, and it just may be about to happen.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And finally, I am optimistic because the Tweed is in such good shape; there are no obstructions to stop salmon reaching the spawning beds, the spawning streams are in excellent condition, there is plenty of food for juvenile fish to survive and prosper, the water is clean and pure, there are no nets (bar one part-time), and Tweed salmon fishermen and ghillies are astonishingly conservation minded when it comes to allowing the salmon they catch to survive and spawn. And for those obsessed by our avian predators, we are even now being allowed to harass (and in some cases kill) both goosanders and cormorants over a much extended period, whereas before it was restricted to a few months in the spring.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;For a naturally &amp;ldquo;glass half empty&amp;rdquo; type, I find myself surprisingly optimistic for the future.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But if you want to go back to having over 60 full time in-river and coastal Tweed nets, obstructions everywhere, over 120 NE drift netters, a remarkably unclean river with the mills of Galashiels, Selkirk and Hawick pouring all sorts of horrors into the river, with rod caught salmon all being killed and sold&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..all of which was true of when I started fishing in the 1950s and 1960s?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Be my guest! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-11-19--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 670--><!-- 12 November 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The Tweed catch last week was 88 salmon and 7 sea trout, making the cumulative total, within 90% accuracy, to 11th November 2017, 6,044 salmon and 1,668 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With just 2&amp;frac12; weeks to go, and little chance of much improvement in that total, you have to go back as far as 1984, 33 years ago, to find an annual figure as low.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;What more can I, or any of us, say?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;No purpose can be served by going on about it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Bar one smallish rise of water, fishing conditions have been good, for November, yet the scores last week were not.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Of all the bad years since the last good one in 2013, this year, 2017, has been the worst, despite fishing conditions right through the late spring, summer and autumn being as good as you could want.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Enough said.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As always, there is much to look forward to as 2018 hoves into view. Optimism is in every fisherman&amp;rsquo;s DNA, and 2018 has every chance of being much better than 2017.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As all you scholars will know, so that it hardly bears repeating, it was the English theologian Thomas Fuller in his travelogue &amp;ldquo;A Pisgah-site of Palestine and the Confines Thereof&amp;rdquo; (1650)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;who first coined the phrase &amp;ldquo;It is always darkest just before the day dawneth&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Was 2017 just before the dawn?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There are some positive reasons for thinking so&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.of which some more next week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I will be doing some fishing this coming week, not that I want to, but despite slashing the price, nobody wants to take it, or at least no more than a small part, later on.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As things are, you can hardly blame them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I will report back next week how I get on.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Curiously, I find it is rather nice to have the place to ourselves, for once&amp;hellip;..and maybe that is the way to go.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In an undeniable buyers market for salmon fishing, one way to respond is to restrict the supply (of fishing), to bring buyers, on the one hand, and availability of fishing, on the other, into balance.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I, and other owners, might keep more fishing for ourselves, and in so doing also avoid some of the seemingly never ending complaints about how (badly) the river is run, lack of fish etc etc.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I&amp;rsquo;m beginning to warm to the idea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-11-12--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 668--><!-- 5 November 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The Tweed rod catch for last week was 203 salmon and 17 sea trout, making the seasonal total, to 4th November 2017,&amp;nbsp; 5,956 salmon and 1,661 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Conditions could hardly have been better, with fresh fish very hard to come by, hence the comparatively low score.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;For the coming week, bar some rain on Tuesday, forecasts indicate a continuation of the present cooler, dry northwesterlies, good for fishing&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.. but then water heights and temperatures are not the problem.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00&amp;mdash;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;What is a &amp;ldquo;normal&amp;rdquo; rod catch for the Tweed, a benchmark by which a salmon angling year can be judged?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Here are the (rounded) decadal average recorded Tweed rod catches since 1950:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;1950s&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 4,000&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;1960s&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 6,500&amp;nbsp; (UDN 1967)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;1970s&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 5,000&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;1980s&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 8,000&amp;nbsp; (main in-river net reduction 1987)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;1990s&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 9,000&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2000s&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 12,500&amp;nbsp; (NE drift net reduction 2003)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2010-13&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 17,000&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2014-17&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 7,500&amp;nbsp; (assuming 2017 less than 7,000)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The other most significant factor is that rod angling effort will have at least doubled since the 1950s. Whereas doubling effort does not mean doubling catches (because the fewer the rods, the more they will inhabit the best pools; the more the rods, the more some will have to go to the marginal pools, where they will catch less), nevertheless it must have a significant impact on the above figures.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;By way of some counterbalance, pre the 1980s they routinely used golden sprats, prawns and worms, and spinning was the weapon of choice until 1st April. My uncle Billy Straker-Smith could not catch them on a fly one spring morning in the 1960s at Carham; he caught 20 on a prawn in the afternoon. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And of course there was netting, in the 1960s over 120 NE drift net licensees and 60 of our own in-river and coastal nets, often catching well over 100,000 salmon and grilse between them in a season.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Now we have just 1 of our own nets and 12 NE drift nets.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So, with all that to take into account, what is a &amp;ldquo;normal&amp;rdquo; salmon rod catch year for the Tweed?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I am inclined to think the following;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Under 8,000&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Poor&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;8,000-10,000&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Poor-ish&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;10,000-12,000&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Average/normal&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;12,000-14,000&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Good&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;14,000-16,000&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Very good&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Over 16,000&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Exceptional&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Some would argue there have been no benefits of the catch decline since 2013, but others would say it has brought realism and some sense of worth into our appreciation of Tweed salmon angling, no more will we take catches of over 12,000 (routine in the 2000s and early 2010s) for granted.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If salmon net catches are further curtailed off the NE coast, as they surely must be soon, only then will we have established a level playing field, with no netting to speak of and a consistent rod fishing effort.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And only then will we truly be able to categorise angling years into poor, average or good.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Few would contest that in 2017 we have been in the &amp;ldquo;poor&amp;rdquo; category.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;..it will be better next year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00&amp;mdash;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;On a calm day on the river, you have to be careful what you say&amp;hellip;..because sound travels so far over water.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I was reminded of this the other day when, even in my aurally enfeebled state, I could hear every word that ghillies and fishermen were exchanging on the other side of the river, over 60 yards away.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As you would expect (and I tried not to linger too long, to overhear too much) it was about the comparative lack of autumn fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There must have been thousands of similar discussions up and down the river over the past weeks and months.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;When fisherman and ghillies meet at lunch, or after hours for a drink, and inevitably discuss why are there fewer salmon, what is the most common conclusion?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Could it be that seals, goosanders and cormorants are the cause, closely followed (or is this too paranoid?) by blaming the River Tweed Commission, the Tweed Foundation and the owners for not doing enough about them?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Which would be (almost) entirely the wrong answer, but does explain why so many &amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;...think it is that simple.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If only it were.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-11-05--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 667--><!-- 29 October 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The Tweed rod catch for last week was 208 salmon and 28 sea trout, making the seasonal total to 28th October 2017&amp;nbsp; 5,514 salmon and 1,632 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If I read the weather runes correctly,&amp;nbsp; early November looks to be much colder and less unsettled than October; better fishing conditions for sure, but as our American friends would say, it won&amp;rsquo;t amount to a hill of beans&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;. if the fish are not there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Just as you scarcely notice when &amp;ldquo;things have never been so good&amp;rdquo;, so too the opposite, perhaps we can never quite spot the precise time when &amp;ldquo;things have never been so bad&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Or maybe we do notice the latter rather more than the former, for October 2017 cannot have been much worse in the Tweed salmon fishing world, or at least not in recent times.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We must all hope that 2017 marks the low water point of the current very obvious trough in autumn salmon numbers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Tweed salmon fisheries are undergoing one of their periodical &amp;ldquo; rateable revaluations&amp;rdquo; so that the River Tweed Commission, in seeking to raise its annual levy/Tweed assessment, can split the required money to be raised on an equitable basis between all 150+ fisheries on the river.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The problem with this revaluation, in 2017, is that it coincides with a bit of a crisis (I use the word after due consideration) in the economics of salmon fishing on the Tweed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Let me give you an indication of what I mean.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Without giving too much away, let us suppose that, pre 2014, beats above Galashiels obtained 95% of their income after 1st September,&amp;nbsp; between Galashiels and Coldstream 70%, and beats below Coldstream 50%.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Now take away most of the fresh fish coming into the river after 1st September, more or less what has actually happened on the Tweed since 2014.&amp;nbsp; That might seem like one simple change, which it is, but with huge consequences. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With the exception of late November on the lower river below Coldstream, and maybe some of September above Galashiels, it is not that the autumn months are not lettable&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip; they mostly are,&amp;nbsp; just, but at nothing like the figures that beat owners and agents have come to rely on.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You only have to look at fishing availability on Fishtweed in November to see what I mean&amp;hellip;...and of course that is just the un-let fishing, nowhere will you find the fishing that has been let, but at vastly reduced prices as compared to pre 2014.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Some will make excuses for the weather and water conditions this October, for it has been both wet and unseasonably mild, but that has not been the problem. And when you look at the monthly scores, it may well be that October 2017 will have caught not so very many more than July 2017, despite less than full-on fishing effort in July. Moreover, there is no comparison between the quality of fish caught in July (mainly big sea-liced salmon), and those caught in October (90% stale river fish).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Given that Tweed salmon catch numbers have halved since 2013, it would be surprising if the owners&amp;rsquo; income has not done the same &amp;hellip;...but, in fact, I suspect it has done more than that (see above re %age income that used to be gained in the autumn), or if it hasn&amp;rsquo;t yet, it may well do so in 2018 as more fishermen lose hope that things will get better anytime soon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So there we have it, and although I am not one who thinks this slump will go on much longer in overall terms, it is hard to imagine, based on the experience of the last 4 years, that Tweed&amp;rsquo;s famous autumn run will soon be getting back to its former glories.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Quite how the current Tweed fisheries rateable revaluation deals with all of that&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.is anyone&amp;rsquo;s guess.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-10-29--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 664--><!-- 22 October 2017  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The Tweed catch for last week was 83 salmon and 12 sea trout, making the season&amp;rsquo;s total, to 21st October 2017, 5,306 salmon and 1,604 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With more warm weather to come, and probably more rain, it would be optimistic to predict something very much better for the coming week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We are slow to catch on to change, especially when it happens despite us.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And what is happening now to our Tweed salmon is most definitely happening despite us, in that I have yet to meet anyone who thinks the very much reduced autumn runs of the last four years, since 2013, are a good thing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;They are talked about in Armageddon-like terms, except I note by those of us who lived through the dramas of UDN in the late 1960s. We old timers tend to be more sanguine, because UDN was 10 times worse than what is happening now, and like now, we had no idea either if or when it would end.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;That sanguinity is too easily mistaken for complacency, which it is not. I do not know an owner who is not worried by recent events, not because any of them think this is the end of salmon fishing as we have known it, but precisely because nobody knows for sure either (a) when it will end or (b) how it will then settle down. And managing the effects of change are never easy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But I write this in praise of the owners, for, by and large, they are not the &amp;ldquo;here today and gone tomorrow&amp;rdquo; types. They are in it for the long haul, short termism an alien and foreign concept.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Those who have not seen this video&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DjuyMzxpt4&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DjuyMzxpt4&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;really should take half an hour out to watch it. You will learn about AMOs and the startling correlation between ocean temperatures and salmon/grilse domination.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If you do not watch it, and then continue to blame goosanders, cormorants and seals as the sole cause of what is happening now, and broadcast that to others, it would be a shame, when predation is only a part of a much more complex picture.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Dr Ronald Campbell&amp;rsquo;s video provides some context, and, more importantly, reasons to hope&amp;hellip;...that the future is salmon, not grilse&amp;hellip;.. and that it has all happened before.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Logically, it must take time for the salmon dominance to gather momentum, because until 2014 the grilse progeny (assuming grilse breed more grilse, which is far from certain) would have heavily outnumbered salmon progeny on the spawning beds and in the feeding streams, where young salmon start their lives.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Only for young salmon born late 2014/early 2015 would they have had the luxury of not competing with vast numbers of grilse progeny, leading, one hopes, to very much higher survival of young salmon, as opposed to young grilse, within the river. Maybe, for this is all conjecture, we will see the results of this in 2018 or 2019, assuming these young salmon will be either 1:2s (1 winter in the river and 2 winters in the sea) or 2:2s.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But even if salmon numbers do increase over time, to replace the lost grilse, we have no idea when they will come back, spring, summer or autumn.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But when they do come back, unlike in the 1910s and 1920s, there will be almost no netting to scoop them up&amp;hellip;...a huge compensating factor for rod fishermen, as compared to when this has all happened before.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Optimists would say that a Tweed fishing future of salmon is a much more appealing one than the immediate past&amp;rsquo;s grilse domination, simply because almost all of us would rather catch a 10lb salmon than a 3 lb grilse.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I really do believe that a bright future is not that far away after four disappointing years.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Just as we never saw the grilse decline coming, nor can we precisely predict when salmon numbers will increase to replace the grilse. But increase they will&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..and then, quite suddenly, everyone will think what a good job the River Tweed Commission, the Tweed Foundation and the owners have been doing&amp;hellip;...in stark contrast to what many are saying now.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Watch the video, please&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..and trust that the past will be the best indicator of the future.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-10-22--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 663--><!-- 15 October 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;After a very disturbed week weatherwise, with an even more disturbed one forecast to come, no surprise that catches for last week were down to 197 salmon and 13 sea trout, making a total of&amp;nbsp; 5,223 salmon and&amp;nbsp; 1,592&amp;nbsp; sea trout for the season to 14th October 2017.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;One of the few benefits (well, sometimes) of writing this column every week is that you get views, opinions, theories aplenty from those good enough to read it&amp;hellip;..and respond.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;What is most striking is that, of late, they have become angry, no matter that in many cases that anger is ill-directed, nonetheless the overriding emotion amongst Tweed anglers out there is fury at the comparative lack of fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;They feel let down by the owners, the River Tweed Commission (RTC), the Tweed Foundation, the Government, you name it, or, more accurately, by anyone who says you cannot go around killing every goosander, cormorant and seal which ventures up-river.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Because that is exactly what most of them want to do&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..despite it being a criminal offence to do any of these things, something for which you can hardly blame the owners or the RTC.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The latter have lobbied long and hard over many years for increases in the licences issued for shooting pisciverous birds, but the establishment at SNH and Government appear extraordinarily reluctant to agree to anyone shooting anything (you have to &amp;ldquo;scare&amp;rdquo; the bird first and only then can you shoot it, as if &amp;ldquo;scaring&amp;rdquo; will mean any more than it moving to eat more fish 500 yards upstream!?). The &amp;ldquo;establishment&amp;rdquo; in Government are all seemingly oblivious, and uncaring, of the slaughter these birds routinely carry out on our juvenile salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And when it comes to Government/SNH sanction for killing seals&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.well good luck with that!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;My angry correspondents also detest all those west coast fish farmers for spreading sea lice and other pestilences into the sea, and for allowing so many 1,000s of their farmed imitations of the real thing to escape into the open seas. They are even angrier with Government for not just allowing it to happen, but encouraging more and more farmed salmon production exactly where it should not be happening at all, let alone increased.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And of course they hate any form of netting, especially the one (Gardo) which kills rare Tweed springers, but beyond that the North East net fishery which we now know killed a staggering 18,824 salmon in 2016 at a weight of 70.7 tonnes, a figure only exceeded since 2003 (when the NE fishery was reduced) by the 93.1 tonnes in 2011. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So here, very simply and unequivocally, is what my angling correspondents would do &amp;ldquo; if they ruled the world&amp;rdquo;, what you could describe as &amp;ldquo;The Tweed Anglers&amp;rsquo; Manifesto for Saving the Atlantic Salmon&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normalCxSpMiddle&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;1.&lt;span style=&quot;font-variant-numeric: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Within 5 years, all salmon farms to be close-contained, so that they cease to have any impact on the marine environment.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normalCxSpMiddle&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;2.&lt;span style=&quot;font-variant-numeric: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;A complete ban on the sale of all wild Atlantic salmon; this would extend the current ban on the sale of rod caught fish to those caught by any method, effectively doing away with all netting.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normalCxSpMiddle&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;3.&lt;span style=&quot;font-variant-numeric: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Any cormorant or goosander venturing up-river, ie above tidal limits, can legally be shot at any time, without the current limit on numbers and timing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normalCxSpMiddle&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--if !supportLists--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;4.&lt;span style=&quot;font-variant-numeric: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &#039;Times New Roman&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;!--endif--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Any seals venturing up-river, above tidal limits, can be shot at any time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There we have it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Would it make the difference my angry correspondents clearly hope for?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It would make them feel better certainly, and it would demonstrate that the world was on the side of the salmon, whereas so often now it seems that is far from the case.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But logic tells us that you cannot blame these things alone for the dramatic and sudden decline in the numbers of late running fish from 2014 onwards, the truly epic proportions of which were exaggerated by the Tweed having a record November rod catch of over 4,500 salmon in November 2013, more than have been caught in the autumn months combined September, October and November in any one of the 3 years since 2013.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And if these things were responsible for the collapse, why were the numbers of spring and summer fish completely unaffected, if anything going up in numbers since 2013?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There has been a collapse in grilse numbers here (and on many other rivers), why nobody fully understands (but it has happened before (1905-1925)) and the reasons lie in what is happening in the sea. Sea survival of smolts continues to be far lower than it used to be (5% compared to 30%).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;To conclude, I concur with my angry angling correspondents and, if I ruled the world, I would do all of 1 to 4 above, and of course it would make a difference, a rebalancing of the immediate coastal and river environment in favour of our salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But is it the whole answer?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It is not, because the uncontrollable North Atlantic is most of where our salmon population&amp;rsquo;s fate is decided.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But it would be a declaration of intent in protecting our salmon while they are within our jurisdiction, in the river or just off the coast, and, as such&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..I commend it to the House.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;At first glance, there is something funny going on with the rod catch figures for the Tweed, on the one hand, and the numbers caught and killed by the NE net fishery, on the other.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As we are essentially fishing for much the same population, you would think both would&amp;nbsp; either do well, or badly, at the same time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;table class=&quot;MsoTableGrid&quot; style=&quot;border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; border=&quot;1&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot;&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 72.8pt; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;97&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 42.7pt; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; border-left: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;57&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2016&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.75pt; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; border-left: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2015&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; border-left: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2014&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; border-left: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2013&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; border-left: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2012&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; border-left: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2011&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; border-left: none; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;2010&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 72.8pt; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; border-top: none; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;97&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Tweed rod catch&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 42.7pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;57&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;7,680&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.75pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;8,091&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;7,767&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;14,794&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;13,185&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;16,682&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;23,219&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 72.8pt; border: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; border-top: none; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;97&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;NE Net Catch&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 42.7pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;57&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;18,824&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.75pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;15,863&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;10,800&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;16,649&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;7,318&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;24,214&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 57.8pt; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-right-themecolor: text1; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: text1; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: text1; mso-border-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: text1; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;77&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: right; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;&quot; align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;19,982&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The anomaly is this, that in 2016 the NE nets caught very nearly as many salmon as they did in 2010, but the Tweed rods caught almost exactly one third of what they caught in 2010.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And whereas the NE net fishery is holding up very well over the last 3 years, indeed increasing its catch from 10,800 in 2014 to 18,824 in 2016, the Tweed rod catch is stuck in a rut, at or just below 8,000.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There is an answer, which is that the Tweed rods used to catch most of their fish after 1st September, when the nets stopped fishing. The nets always have caught their fish between 1st June and 31st August, and we know from our own catches (and from the Tyne Riding Mill counter) that the summer run of salmon has increased over the last 3 years.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So, whereas the Tweed rods are no longer catching anything like what they used to in the autumn, the NE nets are fishing exactly when most fish now appear to be trying to get into our rivers, in the summer.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Ergo, the NE nets are doing better and better&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..and the Tweed rods are not.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-10-15--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 661--><!-- 8 October 2017  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The total Tweed catch last week was 296 salmon and 19 sea trout, making the cumulative totals for the season to 7th October 2017 4,945 salmon and 1,566 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The puzzled tenants, Friday before last, could not understand why they had caught nothing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;They were good fishermen. The fish were mainly old, river fish, but even so why would nothing pull?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was a beautiful sunny autumn day, with a soft, slightly humid gentle south west breeze, air temperature mid-afternoon 21C (70f) and water temperature 13C (55f).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Before I could stop myself I said &amp;ldquo;They will take next week, because it is going to get colder&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was a terrible thing to say, instantly regretted&amp;hellip;... but too late.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;At a stroke I had dashed their chances of catching much then, in favour of the (to them) unknown fishers the following week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Not only that, but I am sure they thought it was just one of those things people say, an excuse for when things go wrong, allied to an old wives tale about water and air temperature and why salmon take a fly.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But of course, what I said would happen is exactly what did happen, for I had seen the forecast.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Last week the water temperature dropped from 13C (55f) on Sunday to 8C (47f) on Wednesday, almost the exact inverse of what happened the week before;&amp;nbsp; the river catch (despite 2 days pretty much lost to floods) was 296 salmon; the week before, when the weather and water got so hot, the catch was 127 salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There is some logic to it in that the salmon seem to become more aggressive at this time of year when it gets colder, best of all after a frost; who knows, but maybe it is something to do with lower water temperatures triggering their spawning mechanisms.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;More generally than that, we also know that salmon do not like heat, which is why the sensible summer fisher will eschew the afternoon&amp;rsquo;s sport (or lack of it) in favour of the sunless cool of the evening.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There is no holy grail anywhere inscribed &amp;ldquo;how to catch salmon&amp;rdquo;, but you will find me in more confident mood with a cool north or north westerly, preferably with cloud cover, than when we get those (few) balmy, humid days of gentle, muggy south/southwesterlies.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As for the coming week, the one thing, it seems, that will be absent is frost, with increasingly strong and mild westerlies blowing in from the mid Atlantic, with rain possible on Wednesday and Friday. Even night-time temperatures will, in the main, be in double figures.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Which could mean that catching any of those older river fish will be hard work, with consequent reductions in catches, unless some more fresh ones appear from the sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But then you never know&amp;hellip;.the forecasts can be wrong, and/or the fish might decide that everything written above about colder water&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;.. is rubbish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-10-08--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 658--><!-- 1 October 2017  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;For the future of our salmon, what follows is important. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I would (almost) implore you to read on.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;My kind correspondent, quite rightly, asks that all concerned Tweed anglers complete the following (Environment Agency and Angling Trust) Consultation on the North East (NE) net fisheries, &lt;strong&gt;deadline 9th October 2017,&lt;/strong&gt; as a matter of some urgency.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Please take the time to answer the questions as best you can&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.some of them are for the net fisheries only, so you do not have to answer them all. Nevertheless, it will take 30 minutes plus to do it. If you want to see the end of the most damaging wild salmon net fisheries around the shores of the UK, please help to achieve that by responding.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Here is the link so that you can complete the questionnaire online:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/fisheries/managing-salmon-net-and-rod-fisheries/&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/fisheries/managing-salmon-net-and-rod-fisheries/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;By way of reminder,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt; Scotland banned drift netting in the 1960s, 50 years ago, following the Hunter Report, because it was recognised that drift netting in the high seas was essentially unsound in conservation and management terms; yet here we are, 50 years later, with the rump of the NE drift net fishery still catching 1,000s of our salmon in 2017, and the T&amp;amp;J net fishery on top. It is recognised by all parties that up to 75% of the fish caught by the drift netters, and a lesser, but still very high, proportion of the salmon caught and killed by the NE T&amp;amp;J nets, are Scottish fish, the highest percentage of these being from the Tweed&amp;hellip;.. viz from the Consultation&amp;rsquo;s own accompanying report on the NE fishery status:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;The estimated proportion of Scottish origin fish was 70-75 per cent in the Northumbrian drift nets, 30-50 per cent in the Northumbrian T nets, 60-70 per cent in the Yorkshire drift nets and around 50 per cent in the Yorkshire J net&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Nothing could be clearer than that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;From the CEFAS 2016 Salmon Stocks and Fisheries Report &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/637970/Assessment_of_salmon_stocks_in_England_and_Wales_2016.pdf&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/637970/Assessment_of_salmon_stocks_in_England_and_Wales_2016.pdf&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;you will see, horrifically, that in 2016 the NE net fishery caught and (all bar a few) killed 18,824 salmon and grilse. They weighed 156,340lbs or nearly 8.5 lbs each.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Obviously mainly salmon, not grilse&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.in other words, largely our (Scottish and Tweed) valuable spawning stock.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Even if the Consultation is aimed mainly at English anglers and owners, please answer the questions anyway as it is patently absurd that Tweed anglers/owners do not respond/are excluded when they are amongst the most affected.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I would also urge you to seek not only the closure of these net fisheries from 2018, but also &lt;strong&gt;in perpetuity&lt;/strong&gt;, not just for 5 or 10 years as some of the options suggest.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I can only repeat, do please take the time to do this&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip; it is vital that you do so at a time when adult returning salmon to our rivers are at historically all time low figures.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Thank you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;On the same subject, and for those able to attend please note the following on 3rd October next week:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;tr style=&quot;mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes; height: 120.0pt;&quot;&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 389.4pt; border: none; padding: 8.0pt 8.0pt 8.0pt 8.0pt; height: 120.0pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;519&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center; line-height: 142%;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 142%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; color: #205b83;&quot;&gt;Angling Trust North East Fisheries Forum&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center; line-height: 142%;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 142%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; color: #205b83;&quot;&gt;October 3rd 2017&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center; line-height: 142%;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 142%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; color: #205b83;&quot;&gt;The Comrades Club&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center; line-height: 142%;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 142%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; color: #205b83;&quot;&gt;4c Market Place, Morpeth&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center; line-height: 142%;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 142%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Tea, Coffee and &lt;span style=&quot;color: #e8311a;&quot;&gt;Free Buffet&lt;/span&gt; served from 6.40pm - Meeting begins 7.00pm&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center; line-height: 142%;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 142%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In Association with The Environment Agency&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center; line-height: 142%;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 142%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;This meeting is open to all anglers and fishery owners and is free to attend&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
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&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;tr style=&quot;mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes; height: 165.0pt;&quot;&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;width: 451.25pt; border: none; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; height: 165.0pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;602&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;table class=&quot;MsoNormalTable&quot; style=&quot;border-collapse: collapse; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed; border: none; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1536; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-border-insideh: cell-none; mso-border-insidev: cell-none;&quot; width=&quot;573&quot; border=&quot;1&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot;&gt;
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&lt;td style=&quot;width: 429.6pt; border: none; padding: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; height: 165.0pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;573&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;td style=&quot;width: 389.4pt; border: none; padding: 8.0pt 8.0pt 8.0pt 8.0pt; height: 105.0pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;519&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 142%;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 142%;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 142%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;This meeting is free to attend and open to all. It is aimed at ALL freshwater anglers, Coarse and Game. It is a key opportunity to hear about the work of the Environment Agency and Angling Trust and is a chance to tell us what YOU think our priorities should be. Plus updates from key organisations in your area.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
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&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;td style=&quot;width: 352.95pt; border: none; padding: 8.0pt 8.0pt 8.0pt 8.0pt; height: 60.0pt;&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;471&quot;&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 142%;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 142%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; color: #205b83;&quot;&gt;There is a &amp;lsquo;once in a generation&amp;rsquo; opportunity for anglers to unite in their call for the end of Salmon netting! YOUR decisions to act could be instrumental in the future of this Iconic species.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 142%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;; color: #205b83;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
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&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And finally&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.the total Tweed rod catch last week was 127 salmon, making a total of 4,576 caught to 30th September 2017.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With water temperatures in the lower reaches rising to 55F last Friday, after some unseasonably hot days, those of us who think water temperature matters will be hoping for better, as the weather becomes windier and cooler over the next week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Autumn proper may have arrived.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-10-01--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 656--><!-- 24 September 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The total Tweed catch for last week was 296 salmon and 27 sea trout, making the cumulative totals, to 23rd September 2017, 4,449 salmon and 1,515 sea trout.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The pattern of catches remains the same, with lots of beats catching a few fish, but nobody a lot. The diagnosis is also the same&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip; a lot of old fish in the river, a very few of which can be persuaded to take, and a smattering of fresh fish, much easier for anglers to attract, but there are not enough to allow any bonanza days.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I will not bore you with the countless theories about what is happening to our fish, except the one on which almost all are agreed, which is that for some reason there are very few grilse. This comparative lack of grilse is mirrored in all other UK salmon rivers (even in&amp;nbsp; Iceland), so, whatever the cause, it is fair to assume that it is oceanic, not riverine.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;What is odd about what has happened here on the Tweed is that our salmon (as opposed to grilse) numbers in the spring and summer have not been affected over the last 4 years; taken together they have been as good, if not slightly better, than pre 2014.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In sharp contrast, our autumn salmon (again as opposed to grilse) numbers have collapsed, along with the grilse.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;This is a mystery, and I have yet to hear any remotely convincing theory for it. You might buy the &amp;ldquo;every 30 or 40 year North Atlantic multi-decadal oscillation&amp;rdquo; (MDO) for the general anti-grilse oceanic environment of late, or you might prefer Dr Holst&amp;rsquo;s &amp;ldquo;massive mackerel boom around our coast&amp;rdquo; theory for the demise of our grilse.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But neither of these should have affected our autumn multi sea-winter fish (just as it has not affected their spring and summer cousins) which, by common consent, go much further away to feed, so (supposedly) unaffected by the mackerel proliferation in the immediate North Atlantic, or by the North Atlantic MDO changes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In theory there should still be a healthy, and getting healthier, run of autumn salmon, as the grilse run declines.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But there isn&amp;rsquo;t yet.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Which is strange.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Unless of course, as some would have us believe, those goosanders, cormorants and seals are perfecting a technique for eating both juveniles and adults of the autumn variety, whilst leaving the spring and summer ones unscathed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I have heard worse theories&amp;hellip;...but not many.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; --00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Meanwhile, what of prospects for next week?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;To state the blindingly obvious, much will depend on the weather.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There is a wiggling, wet, slow moving frontal system which could bring rain tonight and tomorrow, and then from Wednesday onwards, the jet stream peps up to make things much more autumnal &amp;hellip;.and unsettled.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Those fishing next week will not want a flood, but you could argue that the river needs one to flush it out&amp;hellip;..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;...whatever the consequences for the fishing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-09-24--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 655--><!-- 17 September 2017  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The Tweed catch figures (not understated by more than 10%) to the end of last week (16th september 2017) are as follows:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Total catch for the week&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;336 salmon and 55 sea trout&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Cumulative total river catch to 16th September 2017&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 4,153 salmon and 1,488 sea trout&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Last week was, therefore, by some margin, the best week of the season so far.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Not only that, but amongst a mainly old resident population, there was a most welcome component of both fresh salmon and grilse, almost totally lacking last year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was extraordinarily even-handed in that no one beat, or even beats close together geographically, had a monopoly of catches, everyone seemingly having some action with 5 or 6 salmon/grilse per beat being the biggest catches in a day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;What this clearly means is that there are a number of fish in the river, whilst, at the same time, the absence of any real bonanzas (10+ in a day on any one beat) indicates that there has not yet been a big run of fresh fish, and that the older fish are pretty hard to catch&amp;hellip;..as older fish always are.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;For some reason, I kept the Fishtweed (we were all Fishtweed in those days) catches for the week ending 27th August 2004. Suffice to say, that more were caught by lunchtime on the Tuesday of that week than were caught here in the whole of last week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;On the Monday alone, 6 beats caught well over double figures (best 32).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I say this only for context&amp;hellip;...and balance&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.. before any unwarranted euphoria kicks in.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So what of next week?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Levels are holding reasonably steady, thanks to the seemingly endless showers hitting the more easterly tributaries, and with ever lengthening, and initially cold, nights, water temperatures may well drop into the late 40sF, which some think persuades the older fish to take.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;From midweek, it will become more unsettled as a westerly (Atlantic), warmer, airflow replaces the current northerly.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;All of which sounds reasonably ok for those lucky enough to be fishing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;DV.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; --00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In the blur of immediate post-waking consciousness, did I, or you, hear a prediction on the radio that we are to have at least 6 named storms, so disturbed are the Caribbean and North Atlantic oceans, between now and Christmas?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Maybe it was a dream, and maybe, like so many long term weather predictions, it will prove to be wrong.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But if not, hold onto your hats, we are in for some wind and rain, and those fast sinking lines will get a work-out later in October and November.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As will the boats, and the boatmen at their oars.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In other words&amp;hellip;. a pretty normal autumn.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-09-17--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 653--><!-- 10 September 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;More thanks to the heroic efforts of William Younger in providing the following figures, which he now believes are 90% accurate ie they could understate real catches by no more than 10%.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;This improved accuracy comes from 7 formerly non-reporting beats now reporting anonymously and confidentially (to him alone). He has also updated the sea trout catch for the correct figures to 30th June, as kindly supplied by the RTC.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Total catch for last week ending 9th September 2017 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;141 salmon and 25 sea trout&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Cumulative total catch to 9th September 2017 &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;3,817 salmon and 1,433 sea trout&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;The weekly catches at present are symptomatic of a river with old fish where beats catch 2 or 3, at best, a day. Hopefully, the extra water last week, with a forecast unsettled start to the coming week, will produce more in both quantity and quality.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Many will forgive me, some will not, if I salute the end of spinning next week on 14th September. Those hideous rapalas, flying condoms and spoons have had their day for another year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Thank God, or more accurately the provisions of the Tweed Order under the Scotland Act, &amp;nbsp;for that.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; --00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Perhaps it is best never to analyse why we go fishing, for it would involve the uncomfortable admission, based on results, that either we are not very good at it, or that the fish, our salmon, are often not there and, even when they are there in some numbers, they do not want to be caught.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Some say it is called &amp;ldquo;fishing&amp;rdquo; because it is so extraordinarily unsuccessful, whereas it would be called &amp;ldquo;catching&amp;rdquo; if it more often included actually hooking and landing something.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;You find me in the permanent sunshine of Portugal, time for reflection, and I have been reading Howard Spring&amp;rsquo;s remarkable epic novel &amp;ldquo;The Houses In Between&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;In it Haggie Chadderton, our now very aged heroine&amp;rsquo;s companion, says &amp;ldquo;I tell you, Mrs Undridge, there&amp;rsquo;s a lot to be said for enjoying life by not doing things. It can be very comforting. So much better than inventing all sorts of duties and works that mean nothing and make the day all a scuffle and chatter&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Written in 1949, how much truer are those sentiments today; everybody it seems is connected, busy at something, be it working far too long hours or hermetically sealed to their i-phones, i-pads or whatever else.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;There is far too much &amp;ldquo;scuffle and chatter&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;The answer to the question &amp;ldquo;why?&amp;rdquo; will of course be slightly different for all of us, but maybe not so very different.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;I remember my father, latterly, would take his &amp;ldquo;bus&amp;rdquo; (&amp;ldquo;car&amp;rdquo; to you and me), his rod and labrador Tully down to the river (the Glenn) on summer evenings, but seldom bothered to fish, content to be by the river, maybe a cast or two in a likely spot&amp;hellip;...but mostly he just wanted to be there&amp;hellip;...as Haggie said &amp;ldquo;enjoying life by not doing things&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;I am becoming like him; most summer evenings I go down to the river, sometimes walking, more often in my &amp;ldquo;bus&amp;rdquo;, sometimes with the unreliable Puppsie, more often not, and I will be gone for anything up to two hours&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.but increasingly little of that time is spent actually fishing, and when I do fish, I tend to chose the most unlikely spots, preferably where hardly anybody fishes, because it is normally no good there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;I catch remarkably little, not yet at the point where I do not want to catch one, but in the not too distant future I would not be surprised if that comes too. I just like being there, preferably when nobody else is about but the dippers, kingfishers, sand martins, otters (I saw two fighting one evening this year, spray, snarling, fur flying everywhere), the odd fish jumping (hopefully in those places where nobody except me ever fishes), a late fishing osprey&amp;hellip;...there is always something new and interesting if you just give it time and sit on the river bank, observing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;What I am trying to say is that, as I get older, actually catching something has become a less and less important part of the business of fishing; whereas when I was young, catching something was not very far from the whole point&amp;hellip;..and nothing but the point&amp;hellip;..it really isn&amp;rsquo;t now.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;But crucially, even when I go out and hardly fish, there has to be the hope of catching one, however remote, or I would not go out at all. We are all like this, for if there are no fish at all, I do not know of any salmon fisherman, even the most fanatical, who would bother to go out.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Does salmon fishing qualify as Haggie&amp;rsquo;s &amp;ldquo;doing nothing&amp;rdquo;?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;I think it does, for it is all absorbing, in removing, for a few hours at least, the troubles and worries in ordinary life, which we all have.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;What life is this if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;No time to stand beneath the boughs, and stare as long as sheep or cows&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;No time to see when woods we pass, where squirrels hide their nuts in grass&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;No time to see in broad daylight, streams full of stars like skies at night&amp;rdquo;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Doing nothing, standing and staring&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.while fishing in those &amp;ldquo;streams full of stars&amp;rdquo;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;As Haggie said, it can be very comforting.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-09-10--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 651--><!-- 3 September 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Last week&amp;rsquo;s catch was 169 salmon and 15 sea trout, making 3,566 salmon and 1,186 sea trout for the year to date (2nd September 2017). For the &amp;nbsp;avoidance of doubt, when William Younger caveats these figures by saying they are 85% accurate, he is not saying they could be 15% lower. What he is saying is that they could be as much as 15% higher because of non-reporting beats.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Whilst nobody dares say what everyone is thinking&amp;hellip;.the numbers of old fish in the river, the absence of fresh ones and of grilse&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.that it is becoming uncomfortably reminiscent of last year, &amp;nbsp;a proper flood &amp;nbsp;(a glancing blow from the weakening Harvey maybe) would stir things up and maybe bring in something new.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; --00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;I don&amp;rsquo;t terribly like incomplete information. You either cannot draw any conclusions at all, or too easily draw the wrong ones.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Much is made of the record numbers going through the Riding Mill counter on the Tyne in June and July as an indicator that our Tweed salmon, along with those on the Tyne, are running earlier.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;But, and it is a big but, those numbers&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s3&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-weight: bold;&quot;&gt;include sea trout&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;, which cannot be differentiated from the salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Then I hear that the Tyne is full to the gunwales with sea trout, and that the north east drift netters have been catching loads of sea trout and that some had stopped fishing early (before 31st August) because they were catching so few salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Some would have us believe that, both last year and this year, there are as many salmon as ever, but they are coming in earlier.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Many salmon certainly are coming in earlier, and there is a distinct lack of grilse&amp;hellip;... but as many salmon as ever?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Not yet there aren&amp;rsquo;t.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;You catch nothing, you see a seal or a flock of goosanders/cormorants, and, hey presto&amp;hellip;..the predators are to blame, get rid of them and all will be well.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;You will catch fish again, but only once the predators are all dead.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;The extract below is from an excellent book on &amp;ldquo; The History of Coldstream&amp;rdquo;:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;A newspaper article of December 1898 records a few seals in the Tweed. One seal noticed was sporting itself all the way from Coldstream Bridge to the Leet Point. It was very dark in colour and another one was lightish brown&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;If you replaced the date December 1898 with August 2017, exactly that same article could have appeared in the local press today.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;I have said it before, and no doubt will again, that it is the conceit of every generation to think that something new is happening.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;And I bet those 1898 fishermen also pointed the finger at those seals whenever they caught nothing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;Ah well.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;s2&quot; style=&quot;line-height: 21.600000381469727px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-09-03--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 648--><!-- 27 August 2017  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;A new weekly service starts this week, thanks to William Younger of Old Melrose seeking to answer the perfectly valid criticism that nowhere can you find a Tweed weekly catch total which is anything like accurate.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;He has kindly agreed to report to both Tweedbeats and Fishtweed weekly every Sunday so that these figures can be used on both websites.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;His first report reads as follows:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;The following is the total catch figures for the week 21st Aug to 26th Aug 2017 and includes those beats reporting catches on Fishtweed, Tweedbeats and others.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Total catch last week:&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 224 Salmon and 34 Sea Trout&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Total caught so far this season:&amp;nbsp; 3,397 Salmon and 1,145 Sea Trout&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I estimate that this represents around 85% of actual fish caught and will continue to try and improve accuracy over the next few weeks&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We have always resisted reporting total catches up to now because the accuracy was so poor given the number of beats not reporting. William is tackling this, and at 85%, hopefully rising above 90% accuracy, we believe totals are now worth showing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Hopefully readers of both sites will find this interesting, not just in themselves but also when comparing to figures shown, not here but elsewhere, for other rivers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;--0--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;With reliable reports of three seals resting up in the early morning on the green (next to the river) in Coldstream, last week&amp;rsquo;s effort (and the video of that salmon-eating seal) seems to have stirred correspondents.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The problem identified by many is that predators, unlike us, do not know when to stop. They will go on eating, and killing, if necessary until there is nothing left, when they will move on somewhere else.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;On pisciverous birds, see this, most gratefully received, from Christopher Zawadski:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Many years ago, in the days when control was legal, a friend who owned a beat on the Tay showed me the stomach contents of a merganser which had been killed at midday. It contained exactly 67 alevins and 1 salmon parr. That was for its morning feed. An RSPB member who was present expressed absolute disbelief. There is little doubt that goosanders eat even more than mergansers, especially parr and smolts, so it is crucial that a major survey on predation of all types be instigated at once. A photograph of the merganser and of its contents was displayed in the owner&#039;s fishing hut for many years but sadly was lost when the entire hut was swept away in a flood.&amp;rdquo; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Some years ago, a goosander, most regrettably, died down this way, whereupon it disgorged&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.well, what you can see in one of these&amp;nbsp; pictures.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The caption says it all.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The other picture is of the only 30lber I have ever caught.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Now imagine that each one of those 6 dead little salmon, the breakfast of just one goosander on one day, with its lunch and dinner still to come that day, to say nothing of the other 364 days of the year, had the potential to grow into that 30lber&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.but none of them ever made it, even as far as the sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There is, of course, the view that it does not matter, because 95% of alevins and fry do not make it to smolt stage anyway&amp;hellip;...but that argument falls flat the later they are killed. Smolts are part of the precious, comparatively few, 5% that do make it, so that goosanders and cormorants killing them is disastrous.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;For that reason, the River Tweed Commission&amp;rsquo;s licence is to disturb and disrupt, and if necessary kill a specified limited number, of goosanders and cormorants while the main smolt run is on in the spring.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Criticisms of all this, some more valid than others, include (a) disbelief at the regular (quarterly) cormorant and goosander count numbers, which show no overall increase in numbers of birds over many years (invalid, I have been on those counts and they are both well done and comprehensive in coverage), and (b) that smolts do not just run downriver from March to May, so why are we not protecting them for the rest of the summer and early autumn (valid, as there is evidence that smolts do not just run in the spring)?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Then more from another correspondent, Colin Nicholson, from the lower river:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Goosanders...I fish the lower river and saw the other night, a flock of at least 35 going up, followed by another flock of about 23, then a few minutes later 10 more birds... that&amp;rsquo;s approx 70 in a short stretch of the river which makes the research report look inaccurate.&amp;rdquo; and&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;It&#039;s Cormorant Bonanza time again at Paxton ! !.......I was out on Tweed below Paxton late evening yesterday...a flock of 30+ flew upriver then headed north towards Whiteadder..sad days for a breeding ground&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The bottom line with all this is that&amp;nbsp; whether it is seals, goosanders or cormorants, the one thing that is unarguable is that they are all here because they are finding plenty to eat.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The issue that needs to be assessed and agreed by everyone is&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..&amp;rdquo;what damage is being done to the numbers of salmon returning to the Tweed because of what they are all eating?&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Only then will we be able to persuade the powers that be that something must be done about it. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; --00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Although Monday last week could hardly be described as a bonanza, it was certainly good with over 100 salmon caught in the day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Everything changed mid-week when, for no very obvious reason (theories, as ever, abound as to why), the fish went off. This had uncomfortable echoes of last year when reports from the lower beats were of plenty of fish&amp;hellip;..but they could not catch them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As for the coming week, the first half at least looks settled, if windy, perhaps becoming more unsettled later in the week.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;What will this mean for the fishing?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You tell me.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-08-27--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 647--><!-- 20 August 2017  News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Malcolm Campbell&amp;rsquo;s fishing blog has always been compulsory reading. &lt;a href=&quot;../beats/the_lees/blog&quot;&gt;https://www.tweedbeats.com/beats/the_lees/blog&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Not just because it tells the full story of each day&amp;rsquo;s fishing, which those sterile daily catch figures never can, but because you get the triumphs and woes of an avid vegetable grower and keeper of hens and guinea fowl, as well as a full commentary on the comings and goings of riverine wildlife, the otters, ospreys, kingfishers, deer, sky larks, geese, golden plover, and, of course, the first swallow and sand martin each spring&amp;hellip;...and then there is always the weather, his intense dislike of wind, and last, but not least, the perennial battles with moles and how to catch them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;His Instagram pictures and videos just add a further graphic dimension to his written portrayal of the life of a Tweed boatman.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;He and fellow boatman Paul Hume are dab hands with the mobile phone camera, and whereas we have had flocks of cormorants and goosanders to look (and snarl) at before, never before have I seen anything quite like the most recent video clip &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/p/BYA0fNPhYyZ/?taken-by=tweedbeats&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/p/BYA0fNPhYyZ/?taken-by=tweedbeats&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;We all know seals eat, and physically damage, our salmon, but I have never seen one in the act of eating a salmon before&amp;hellip;...and certainly not at Coldstream, &lt;strong&gt;15 miles upriver&lt;/strong&gt; from Berwick harbour.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It is an extraordinary clip, hopefully now etching in everyone&amp;rsquo;s mind exactly what seals do for fun&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.they eat our salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Now, no doubt Chris Packham would say something chippy about it all, like it is much better a seal eats that fish than it is caught by people like you and me, &amp;ldquo;the nasty brigade&amp;rdquo;, which I believe is what he calls people who shoot (I don&amp;rsquo;t )&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;. but he would no doubt extend that description to folk like us who like to angle.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But for most sensible people, there comes a point when predator damage is if not out of control, then close to it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Yours truly has always been considered something of a &amp;ldquo;wet&amp;rdquo; when it comes to those three villains, cormorants, goosanders and seals (I am omitting dolphins because even the most zealous salmon protector has to draw the line somewhere). Not that I do not want further controls, it is just that in political terms it is hard to imagine politicians ever allowing anyone to reduce the seal population off the east coast.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But are we now reaching the point where assessment of the damage being done by these three villains does need&amp;nbsp; fresh impetus, and some sort of new sensible management measures introduced?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I have never seen a figure of likely cormorant and goosander predation on Tweed parr and smolts, nor any supportable estimation of how many of our adult salmon those seal populations off the east coast of Northumberland either eat or damage.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But with increased research, and evidence, the time may be near when we should do that, and find out exactly how much damage they are doing. Perhaps only then can we get anyone to agree what to do about it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Mr Packham and his friends won&amp;rsquo;t like it, nor, no doubt, would they have approved of Malcolm firing rockets at that seal to scare it away.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But I have no doubt he did the right thing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It worked&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.and we have acquired a stock of those rockets.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; --00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I can&amp;rsquo;t quite make out the forecast for next week, with lots of confused low pressure systems milling about, but at the very least we might get more water on Tuesday/Wednesday.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Tomorrow, Monday, will be interesting.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;After last week was spoiled by flooding, in the old days you would say that the first day of a clean and settled river, which it will be on Monday, would produce a fishing bonanza, even in mid/late August.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But will it?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;What we know for sure is that there will be one less grilse to catch (see above) and that it was a bright sparkling fresh little grilse.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There were almost none of those in August 2016.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So maybe, just maybe, there is reason to hope.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-08-20--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 645--><!-- 13 August 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So what&amp;rsquo;s it to be?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was on the 15th August 2016 that ghillie Paul Hume saw his last sea-liced salmon of that season here. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;He was far from alone.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It seems incredible now that, after that date, hardly a fresh salmon came into the Tweed, this supported by the research netting at Paxton which not only caught almost nothing after August, but gave up in October because they knew there was nothing there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Are we on the cusp of the same thing happening again?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Some (wrongly) blamed it all on the lack of water in September 2016, but we know from 2003, when there was far less water, that if the salmon are in the sea, at some point, regardless of water, they have to come in.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I hear the Spey is now struggling for lack of grilse, while a few are at last beginning to show up here, but for how long?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Whatever else, if my reading of the short term forecast is correct, with rain predicted for almost every day next week, we are unlikely to run out of water just yet. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Remember, St Swithin says it will rain at least until 24th August, and with over 300 salmon caught here last week, there are very obvious grounds for optimism for what is yet to come.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;My advice?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Keep everything crossed&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;. and hope.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You can tell straight away.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It was late evening, calm but cool, a lovely time to be out, nobody else on the river.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There were some sploshes round about as I worked my way down the pool with my floater and really small fly (a 10 or 12, not quite sure).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It took as I was pulling in to cast again, and within seconds I knew&amp;hellip;...this is a grilse, not a salmon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;There is something fidgety and inconsistent about them, they are, after all, children, too fast and fickle, lacking attention to detail when they grab your fly. They also have very soft mouths, from which hooks can easily dislodge or tear.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Anyway, as expected, we parted company after 30 seconds.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;5 minutes later the line started to go away again, and once more as I tightened, I knew it was another one, another grilse.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It turned out to be a fine fat 5lb cock grilse, but if I am honest I did not enjoy one single moment of the fight to bring it in, my nerves shredded by expecting it to fall off every time the line jerked or the fish shook its head. It was purgatory.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;To my astonishment the hook was firmly in the scissors requiring minor surgery to get it out, before bidding it goodbye as it swam away, no doubt to torment some other poor angler further upstream.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;You will gather from all this that grilse are not my favourite things.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Which got me thinking.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If we know, as we do, that we only catch around 1 in 20 autumn fish, which are/used to be 75% grilse, we anglers also know that the main reason for that is that grilse are such bad takers.&amp;nbsp; Moreover, even when they do deign to take your fly, they promptly fall off.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Ergo&amp;hellip;...if we have fewer grilse and more salmon coming in, then we need many fewer salmon (we catch up to 40% of springers, which are all salmon) to end up with the same catch number.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Win, win.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And my anxiety levels will be spared the bashing they get when playing one of those tiresome grilse.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Give me something bigger every time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Or as my step cousin-in-law (if there is such a thing) Christopher is accustomed to saying,&amp;nbsp; and rather too often, &amp;ldquo;there is nothing quite like the good strong pull of an autumn cock&amp;rdquo;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;In its purest, innuendo-free, form, you have to admit&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;. he has a point.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-08-13--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 643--><!-- 6 August 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I find myself in reflective mood, maybe because summer appears to be over and St Swithin is laughing in his grave&amp;hellip;. or wherever else he might be.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As the August rains fall and the river goes up and down like a yo yo, with a permanently peaty dark colour, it is all very like last year. This means that when we get to the business end, September, it will dry up and that dreaded &amp;ldquo;Indian summer&amp;rdquo; will come along to give us warm sunny days when we fishermen least want them. The forecasters will say how lucky we are, and those of us wanting to get stuck into some serious salmon fishing, will curse both those trite forecasters and our own luck.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;As for next week, cool with more&amp;nbsp; rain/showers to start with, then maybe settling down with high pressure moving in for a day or two from midweek, but for how long? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Not long, I would think&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.40 days from 15th July takes us to 24th August.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;St S. says it will be cold and wet until then.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;One of the benefits of writing this weekly rubbish is that I get feedback, not much, but some.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It is all most welcome and interesting.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;My old friend Simon Wood has just come back from the Lethen beat on the lovely Findhorn; they got 2 on the last day but saw very little, but what they did see was the odd flick of a silvery tail. The fish seemed to be in a hurry, not unlike here, where you might see the odd head and tail, but then nothing&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.no resident weight of fish, or not that anyone can see.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;Where are they all going and why the rush, you might ask?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Then my fishing neighbour, John Lovett of Wark, sent me the Tyne (Riding Mill) fish counter numbers. June 2016 was 7,113 and June 2017 was 7,581 (salmon and sea trout), both of a different order to anything that had gone before, with the last 20 years showing a previous high of around 4,000 and a low of just a few 100.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;If that is happening here too, where are all these fish? And if the main run has already come in (if you follow the argument that June and July is when they now come in), does that mean there will be nothing much more to come, like last year when very little fresh came in after the middle of August?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;And what of the grilse? I see some of those northern rivers are now catching grilse, the Lower Beauly catching 17 one day, biggest 8lbs; likewise, the Dee is doing better than most, catching 23 one day with the biggest 8lbs&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;..so they must almost all be grilse?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Tweed is always later than them, but we have hardly seen a grilse.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So many questions, and, as yet, no answers about what is really happening to our salmon runs.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It is all very confused&amp;hellip;.and confusing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Another kind correspondent, Nick Craigs, tells me he attended a Salmon &amp;amp; Trout Conservation Trust meeting in Newcastle and that the Northumberland coastal salmon net fisheries are having their activities reviewed (the Net Limitation Order), a consultation has started and representations have to be in by November 2017.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;It cannot have escaped anyone&amp;rsquo;s attention that, if the main salmon runs are now coming in June and July, the Northumberland drift and T&amp;amp;J nets are operating exactly when these main runs occur&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;...which in turn explains why they are catching so many fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;This is, of course, iniquitous to most Scottish anglers and river managers, as these English nets admit they are catching up to 75% Scottish (most probably mainly Tweed) fish.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Will the current Net Limitation Order process finally get rid of these interceptory and indiscriminate nets?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;--00--&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;All of which brings me back to my reflective mood.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;What, I wonder, would the late Orri Vigfusson have answered to that question?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Be in no doubt, as the main international advocate against all indiscriminate netting of wild Atlantic salmon, he would have said, indeed he often did say&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip;... that it should be stopped.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Now.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;--><!-- 2017-08-07--><!-- 1--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- 0--><!-- 0--><!-- 642--><!-- 30 July 2017 News/Editorial--><!-- &lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Bear with me on this.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;What is 3,000 km multiplied by an average of say 10 metres? That&amp;rsquo;s 30,000,000 (yes 30 million) sq metres?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Then what is 30,000,000 multiplied by 185 divided by 100? It&amp;rsquo;s 55,500,000 or 55.5 million.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;I&amp;rsquo;m talking salmon fry, the result of Tweed&amp;rsquo;s last autumn/winter&amp;rsquo;s spawning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Now watch the Tweed Foundation&amp;rsquo;s recent&amp;nbsp; video&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=5957&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #1155cc;&quot;&gt;http://www.rivertweed.org.uk/news/?p=5957&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The Tweed&amp;rsquo;s 2017 electrofishing programme is in progress and the reference above takes you to their interim report from 4 electrofishing sites. Each one shows a significant improvement on the same sites in 2016 (bad because of the 2015/16 winter floods) for juvenile salmon (fry) numbers, with 185 salmon fry per 100 square metres being the average of the 4 sites.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;The accessible area for Tweed salmon spawning is somewhere around 3,000 km, and let us assume that the average width of those 3,000km is 10 metres (more in all main stems, less in the spawning tributaries), giving a Tweed salmon spawning area of 30 million sq metres.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;So if Tweed produces on average 185 salmon fry per 100 sq metres, and we have 30 million available sq metres, it can produce, based on actual averages achieved in 4 sites, 55.5 million fry.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;They do it themselves, it costs nothing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Of course, up to 95% of these fry die (the &amp;ldquo;losers&amp;rdquo; as Dr Campbell calls them), because the riverine food supply and available space simply cannot support that many, leaving 2.775 million to go down the river, a year or two later, as smolts.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Of these smolts, only 5% survive their sea journey (used to be 30% in the 1960s) to come back as adult salmon, leaving the ultimate &amp;ldquo;winners&amp;rdquo;, those we anglers fish for, at just 138,750.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;A lot, but maybe only just enough for a successful rod fishery on a river as big as the Tweed, when we know that anglers only catch less than 40% of springers and less than 10% of autumn/summer fish. If you press them, our scientists will confess that in 2010, when we caught over 23,000 salmon here, the adult salmon population may well have exceeded 250,000.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;All of this is theoretical, of course, and the possible variations in the maths and consequent numbers are endless.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;But what we know for sure, and what those who would have a hatchery must begin to understand, is that putting more juveniles into the river (and &amp;ldquo;unfit&amp;rdquo; juveniles at that, because they would have been reared in artificial conditions), at vast cost, will achieve precisely nothing when the salmon themselves produce so many millions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Look at the video again&amp;hellip;... and those wriggling masses of little fish. Even better, sign up to go along on an electrofishing trip and see for yourself. You would be most welcome and the Foundation gives a &amp;ldquo;Contact us&amp;ldquo; link in the wording accompanying the video.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Those millions of wild little fish, and the adult wild salmon which produce them, are the future.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;Spending &pound;millions on a hatchery is not. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&#039;sans-serif&#039;;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;normal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &#039;Verdana&#039;,&