Catch and release guidelines for anglers
On many rivers, salmon stocks are in serious decline. Tyne stocks however remain relatively stable, meaning the Tyne is designated as a river Probably not at Risk by the Environment Agency. It is our responsibility to safeguard and enhance this status, by helping minimize the impact angling may have.
The goals of CAST are to:-
• Enhance salmon numbers by increasing catch and release (C&R) and by good C&R practice.
• Promote angling for its value to society.
• Comply with and improve upon the Environment Agency’s C&R targets for the river. The Impact of Catch and Release After recognizing their legal obligations, anglers should:
• Recognize that C&R is successful.
• Acknowledge that the optimal policy for catch and release is to release all salmon that will survive. Before June 16, all salmon must be returned by law.
Angling Practice
Anglers should:
• Avoid angling from late morning until late evening if the weather is hot and the water low.
• Choose fly fishing in preference to spinning and particularly to bait fishing.
• Use strong enough tackle to subdue the fish quickly, and play the fish hard to do so.
When fly fishing, anglers should:
• Use standard size 6 hooks (or equivalent) or smaller, and might choose to use single, double or treble hooks, although the last may cause more damage to the mouth.
• Consider using barbless hooks for more rapid unhooking and reduced mouth damage.
When spinning, anglers should:
• Modify lures with multiple hooks, reducing the number of hooks to one.
• Use standard size 6 hooks or smaller, and might choose to use single or treble hooks, although the latter may cause more damage to the mouth.
• Consider using barbless hooks for more rapid unhooking and reduced mouth damage.
• Avoid the use of larger flying Cs, and consider the use of barbless trebles size 6 or less, or barbless singles with these lures.
When bait fishing, anglers should:
• Use barbless circle hooks and fish the bait actively. When landing and handling fish, anglers should • Use a landing net. • Handle the fish as little as possible and only with wet hands.
• Keep fish in the water as much as possible, keeping the fish in or briefly just above the water for photography.
• Carry pliers or forceps to aid unhooking and be able to cut the line if the hook needs to be left in the fish. • Hold fish upright in the water with gentle support while it recovers but not move the fish in the water to increase flow over the gills.
• Wait for the fish to maintain its normal swimming posture before release.
To read the evidence behind our CAST principles click here.
