Happy New Year!
As we come to the end of 2023, the Association would like to thank all our members for supporting the club and the river for another season and wish you a very happy and fish-ful 2024. In terms of the fishing, the season had its challenges again with high temperatures and low flows in the summer and autumn storms causing spates. This severely reduced the number of fishable days. According to catch returns, days fished for salmon reduced by 50%. As a result, catches were down significantly. Let’s hope for a more productive season in 2024 - though as we know, this new pattern of weather is a result of climate change and is set to continue.
AGM
Thank you to those members who came to the AGM on a bitterly cold night on 3rd December. It was a positive meeting where some important decisions were made for the 2024 season. The full papers and minutes can be obtained by contacting the Secretary. The key decisions:
It was agreed to develop a detailed maintenance and management plan for paths and access to the main beats on EAA waters. We will do our best to stick to this but it will need the help of the wider membership if it is to be successful. Thank you to those who signed up to help with this at the meeting.
It was agreed to continue to be part of the wider River Eden Sustainability Partnership to look at catchment-scale river restoration and control of invasive plant species. More of this below.
It was agreed to explore the development of a brown trout hatchery after ongoing concerns about a perceived lack of juvenile fish in the river.
permits
Permits for 2024 will remain at the same prices as last season. However, for the first time we are offering free fishing for under-14’s who are accompanied by an adult season ticket holder. Hopefully this will make things more affordable for families and get some more younger people out fishing with their parents. Permits will be available from the usual outlets and by bank transfer through the Secretary later in January. We’ll keep you posted!
new water
Last season the Association added some small stretches of new water under our Crown Estates lease in the upper Eden at Reedileys and Shiels and Barroway. Our hope in doing so is mainly to keep an eye on important spawning grounds rather than encourage fishing. However, this was discussed at the AGM and it was decided to make members more aware of these waters. The maps on the website will be updated before the start of season 2024 to reflect this change. Members can fish these areas but we ask that they consider the sensitivity of this habitat when doing so and also, as ever, report any concerns they have e.g. about water quality and/or the presence of invasives.
improving the river
As outlined in the previous newsletter, the Association has been working to raise awareness of the issues affecting our river. This work will continue with the generous funding from the Crown Estates Environment Grant and - with a bit of luck - further funding from the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) for the River Eden Sustainability Partnership or RESP. We will find out about that in mid-January. EAA is a key partner in this new group which includes Sustainable Cupar, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust and St Andrews University. The group is trying to get all the organisations and individuals who live in the river catchment to work together. If we are successful with the NRF funding, it will be used to carry out full surveys of the habitats in the river corridor - the extent of invasives, places where it would be appropriate to plant trees or improve the bankside or instream habitat. This will then give us the information we need to apply for further funding to carry out the work. This will all take time.
Getting involved & Training Opportunities
We are really keen to get more members involved in supporting both the river maintenance work, habitat improvement and control of invasives. We have some funding to offer training to members and there have been some sign ups already. This includes:
Chainsaw and chainsaw maintenance training
Pesticide Application courses
Health and Safety/ First Aid
Please contact the Secretary if you are interested in taking part/ signing up for one of these courses or just getting involved in future work parties.
Events
12th February - Landowner Event - Letham Village Hall, KY15 7RS
**Note Change of Venue **
The success of the work proposed by RESP depends on listening to and working with landowners and land managers. This event will give them the opportunity to ask any questions about our proposals. We have already confirmed the attendance of
Willie Rennie MSP,
Kate Maitland NFUS,
Rick Haynes, Lead Officer Flooding Shoreline & Harbours, Fife Council
Toby Metcalfe, Crown Estates and Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board
David Summers, Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board & Tay Rivers Trust
Roy Richardson, SEPA
Ciara O’Shea, Scottish Water
Iain Moss, Woodland Trust
Mark Purmann-Charles, Scottish Invasive Species Initiative
We hope that as many landowners and land managers as possible will attend! More details can be found here
