Redistribution of brood stock, Coy Burn
After the recent rise in river levels salmon were spotted in the Coy burn below the inaccessible weir at Crathes Castle. Every year they try to ascend the weir in order to gain access to the upper reaches of the burn to lay their eggs. In order to allow the salmon to utilize more of the burn we decided to capture a small number of the salmon held up below the weir, and transport them upstream thus by-passing the in-accessible weir.
After gaining permission from the various landowners we loaded up the vehicles with a selection of nets, waders, flotation vests, brood stock tank, aeration equipment, etc. and headed down the valley.
Once on site fish were spotted right away, and with an air of excitement only slightly dampened by the now torrential rain, we started setting up. The first part of the operation involves setting a large net across the burn at a strategic location. The net we use for this has a large bag in the centre. This is the slow part of the job, as the net has to be set right with the lead line of the net pinned to the bed of the burn using large boulders. If the net is not set properly you don’t catch fish!
With everyone happy with the net, the serious business of catching fish begins. The way this is done is for 3 or 4 bailiffs to go into the burn 100m or so above the set net. In a line they then wade down the burn, using large hand nets to splash the water and generally scare the salmon downstream towards the set bag net.
I stayed at the bag net along with Brian Simm, the Ghillie/Keeper for Leys Estate. As we waited we could see fish splashing in the small pool above the net. After a few minutes we could also hear that the lads were getting closer, shouting when they spotted a large fish “look at the size of that cock,” there being very few other professions where this statement would be acceptable.
Brian’s help was much appreciated at this point as when the fish started dropping downstream and into the bag net we had our hands full removing them from the bag and putting them into the keep nets. We were amazed at the quality of the salmon we caught, particularly the females which had a beautiful purple sheen to them and were just on the eve of spawning. In all we caught 14 salmon, 1 sea trout and 3 brown trout. Half the salmon, the sea trout and the brown trout were returned unharmed. The remaining salmon, 4 cocks and 3 hens were selected for moving upstream. These fish were put into the tank and driven a couple of miles upstream, they were then released, fit and well. Hopefully they will spawn successfully in the next day or two, thus populating a large area of water which they would have been unable to access without our help. Not bad for a few hours work.
With the Crathes weir due to be fitted with a fish pass next year as part of the CASS Salmon Life Project, this will be the last time we have to undertake this work on the Coy burn.
Many thanks to the lads (what a team!), Leys Estate, NTS, Brian Simm and the underkeeper at Crathes.
Senior Bailiff - Broodstock (30-Nov-2007) 
