AGM 2024 - Wilkie Memorial Hall, Pitlessie - Sunday 12th January 2025 7pm

The Association Annual General Meeting will be held this Sunday in Pitlessie at the Wilkie Memorial Hall. Members wishing to view the papers prior to the meeting can view them by downloading the file at the link below and then emailing the Secretary for the password eaasecretary2022@gmail.com

The weather forecast is not too bad for Sunday evening so hopefully we can get a good turnout of members and anyone else interested in supporting the club to hear our reports on Season 2024, take part in the discussion about the coming season and elect the committee.

We would love to see you there.

Winter Newsletter January 2025

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all our members and a huge thank you to you for your support over the 2024 season. The 2024 season was a lot more productive than the previous year - there were fewer weather extremes of flood and drought. As a result, there were more fishable days and catches are up for salmon and brown trout - though not for sea trout. There will be more detail on this provided at the AGM on 12th January.

Ringing the Changes - New System for Permits

Use the button above or the QR code to get started, add your details and buy your permit.

The help video below will help if you get stuck, or use our contact page to ask one of the committee.

The 2025 Season will begin with a big change for the Association - a move to a digital system for permits as described in the Autumn Newsletter. Use the ‘membership registration button or QR code above to get started.

Over the course of the last two years, committee members have investigated a number of options and taken advice from other angling associations who have already made the shift. Following this research, the committee decided to use a platform called Clubmate.

This has multiple benefits

For members:

  • Easy to book season and day permits anytime on any device

  • Permit accessible through an app on your phone or device

  • Easy online payment of the fee

  • Better communication with the club

  • Easy renewal - enter your details once and you will then get automatic reminders

  • Forgot your phone or don’t want to carry it while fishing? No worries, bailiffs can check your membership on their phone.

For the club:

  • Reduces admin workload by about 90% - less paperwork and form filling, more fishing!

  • Frees up the Ticket Secretary to help with improvement works

  • Cheaper - more resources can go into improvement works

  • Easier reporting and accounting

  • Easier to check membership while out on the river

Here is a video guiding you through the process:

It is simple to set up and use on any device - phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer and then use the Clubmate App to manage your membership, make bookings and keep your details up to date whilst on the go. You can download the apps at the links below.

Click here to download the iOS app on the App Store

Click here to download the Android app via Google Play

Dates for your diary:

12th January - AGM - Wilkie Memorial Hall, Pitlessie 7pm

We look forward to seeing you at the 2024 AGM of the Association on Sunday 12th January at 7pm in Pitlessie. We hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend. The AGM papers will be available for members prior to the meeting. We will post a link to a password protected pdf in a few days time. If you have any proposals for the club in 2025, there is still time to make a suggestion. You can do this by emailing the Secretary eaasecretary2022@gmail.com or, even better, by completing our survey which is still open (see below).

15th February - Opening Day for salmon & sea trout

The Committee would like to invite any interested members to come to our annual Opening Ceremony on Saturday 15th February at 10.30am at Dairsie Bridge car park. After a quick photo opportunity and the traditional blessing of the river with some good quality whisky from a quaich, we invite you to have a cast on the river or alternatively just take a river walk, maybe do some litter picking.

15th March - Start of Brown Trout Season

End of Season Survey

The end of season survey is still open until Wed 8th January. We have a good few responses already but the more the better! It only takes a couple of minutes to complete.

Autumn Newsletter

Thank you to everyone for your support of the Association in 2024!

In this edition…

2024 - What A Season!

As the season draws to a close, it is safe to say that it has been a great season for both brown trout and salmon anglers - although sea trout seem to have been thinner on the ground. Informal feedback from members to committee and on the Facebook page suggest that the brownies being caught are in great condition - fat, healthy and good-fighting - and average size has been bigger than last season. Trout at 1lb have been regularly caught and some of 2-3lb not uncommon. So, despite ongoing concern about water quality, lack of ranunculus and loss of invertebrates, somehow our Eden trout are managing to get good feeding.

Like most rivers this year, salmon numbers have been up significantly and August seemed to be the month for the biggest runs of fresh fish. Last year’s total catch of 17 salmon and grilse was really worrying but partly due to the harsh weather conditions where the river was unfishable due to low or high water conditions. This year, ONE angler has landed at least 13 salmon on his own! The 5 months of autumn and winter rain seemed to replenish the system and although levels have still been low, they have been more steady. Any lift in levels and a good tide have brought the fish in. There is also a suggestion that the reduced pressure on salmon at sea during covid means that they have grown more successfully and so are returning to the river this year in higher numbers.

So, we will see what happens when the actual numbers come in. Which brings us to the next item…

Catch Returns!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! to everyone who has already completed their catch return. It makes a real difference.

Please, please, please! If you haven’t done it yet, make sure you get your catch returns in as quickly as possible and certainly by 30th November. There are lots of ways to do this and it is a requirement of your permit! As a condition of our leases we have to make returns to all our proprietors as well as the official ones to the Tay Board and Marine Scotland.

There are lots of ways to do this including the online link or the QR code below, filling in the form and sending to the Secretary by email, or a photo, by post. You’ll find a copy of the catch return form issued with your permit on the links page. Make sure your permit number is on the form so that you can be included in the PRIZE DRAW for a FREE permit next season! And please add your email if you want to be contacted about next season’s permit.

Looking Forward to 2025

Permits - A new system

Recently on Facebook, we announced that Committee had decided to move to an online permit system for members. This has been discussed for years but never put in place. This is now definitely going ahead. Committee members carried out extensive research and discovered that one of the most popular and effective platforms for online permits was Clubmate. Online permits are now pretty standard at most clubs and have a number of benefits. Over 50 members have already signed up and will be contacted in due course, with the first 25 to put their names forward receiving a 10% discount. Here is a short introductory video:

For members:

  • Easy to book season and day permits anytime on any device

  • Permit accessible through an app on your phone or device

  • Easy online payment of the fee

  • Better communication with the club

  • Easy renewal - enter your details once and you will then get automatic reminders

  • Forgot your phone or don’t want to carry it while fishing? No worries, bailiffs can check your membership on their phone.

For the club:

  • Reduces admin workload by about 90% - less paperwork and form filling, more fishing!

  • Frees up the Ticket Secretary to help with improvement works

  • Cheaper - more resources can go into improvement works

  • Easier reporting and accounting

  • Easier to check membership while out on the river


Prices:

Prices will remain basically the same with an increase in the senior citizen season permit.

  • Adult Season - £55

  • Senior Citizen Season - £40

  • Junior 14-18 Season - £10

  • U14 - Free

  • Day Ticket £15

There will be a small surcharge of £5 for anyone who wishes to retain a card as well as or instead of the digital permit. We believe that this is still incredibly good value for a great wee river for a whole year.

AGM 2024 season

The AGM is coming up in the close season. Due to the absence of the Secretary/Treasurer, Michael Farrell, who will be away in Australia for the month of November, we have decided to postpone the AGM until January. The new date is 12th January. This will give sufficient time to prepare the annual reports and accounts reconciliation necessary.

Proposals

Last year there were 3 proposals and these will be reported on at the AGM:

  • develop a detailed maintenance and management plan for paths and access to the main beats on EAA waters.

  • continue to be part of the wider River Eden Sustainability Partnership to look at catchment-scale river restoration and control of invasive plant species.

  • explore the development of a brown trout hatchery

This year, as usual, we are seeking new proposals from members.

Please complete the survey using the link below to share your views.

Committee membership

As in most years there will be some shifts in Committee membership so if you would like to join, please complete the questions in the survey about joining, with a short statement on the skills and experience you could add to the running of the club

TAY Board Update

In early October, around 5000 parr raised from the reconditioned kelts from Eden-broodstock salmon, were returned to the river. At the end of October or early November, Tay Board river officers will be out to take new broodstock to strip and fertilise at the Almondbank Hatchery. The Board hold a licence to take 6 fish. This will continue the programme started several years ago. In 2025, we should see some of the stocked fish returning to the river. They should be recognisable from their clipped adipose fin, so please report it if you catch one! We will return to this in a future newsletter.

EAA and The River Eden Sustainability Partnership (RESP)

Background

There has been a bit of concern expressed by some on the Facebook page and in informal conversations about the involvement of the club as a partner in RESP. The additional time spent on this initiative has certainly taken a lot of the Secretary’s time. It is also true that recent newsletters on here have had a lot of information about RESP. This has perhaps blurred the boundaries. As a result, from now on, most updates about RESP activities will be posted on the RESP website or social media rather than on here.

To be clear though, RESP is not currently a constituted organisation but an association of partners. The founding partners were EAA, Sustainable Cupar, St Andrews University and Fife Coast & Countryside Trust. New partners coming on board are Tay Rivers Trust, Buglife Scotland, James Hutton Institute and possibly the Atlantic Salmon Trust.

All of these organisations are seeking to work together on common aims and objectives as equals and each has the freedom to carry on with other aims and objectives that do not align. EAA is therefore under no obligation to agree with proposals put forward by RESP but does have the opportunity to work alongside and provide insight into projects from our perspective. So far all the activities of RESP do in fact align with EAA objectives to restore and conserve the river and improve habitat and biodiversity. Moreover, EAA involvement in RESP has been agreed at 2 consecutive AGMs.

Two important things that should improve things:

  1. RESP is working to put a Project Officer in place - this should give our Secretary the time back to concentrate more on EAA!

  2. Each organisation involved is trying to come up with Memoranda of Understanding so that their relationship to RESP is clear for everyone.

    To find out more about other recent activities go to www.riveredenfife.org

Finally, it was agreed in committee that EAA would be the fundholder for a new application to Crown Estates Scotland Environment Grant. This will contribute to a RESP partnership project with Tay Rivers Trust to prevent flooding in Cupar as well as reduce silt being flushed into the river and clogging redds. More information will be provided once we know of the success of the application.

Thank You!

Thank you for your support of the Association and we look forward to seeing you on the river in the close season. For now, it’s time to hang up the waders, sort out the tackle and get ready for the start of Season 2025. And maybe there is the small matter of the festive season coming up…

Tight lines to anyone who is out in these last few days before the season for salmon and sea trout closes on Thursday 31st October.

Summer Newsletter 2024

How’s The Fishing?

Summer is here and we are pleased to say that the river is fishing well. After the very cold spell in May reports from members were gloomy. However, the river then sprang into life and some cracking brownies have been caught on a variety of stretches including upstream from the ABN factory, on the stretch known as ‘The Jungle’ (be prepared for undergrowth!) and downstream from Dairsie including the stretch downstream from the Pooch to the Tattie Hole. Things have chilled down again and wind conditions challenging but hopefully we will get some good days in!

Beautiful, well-conditioned Eden brownie caught on a nymph by new season ticket holder Jamie Lafferty.

We were also delighted to hear that a 12lb salmon was caught and several others reported hooking up but failing to land similar fish. A combination of high water after the rain at the end of May and big tides has certainly brought some good fish into the river. Those fishing the estuary have been less positive and have noticed a distinct lack of sea trout entering the river although there have been some caught further upstream. Hopefully this will improve, given the right conditions.

Fraser Stoddart with a cracking 12lb Eden salmon

Improving Access

Over the past few weeks committee members and other helpers have been working hard, strimming and doing river maintenance work to improve access for anglers. Paths have been cut from the Pooch to the Tattie Hole, at Newmill, at the Jungle and then downstream to Cupar sewage works and upstream from Pitlessie to Ramornie. More is planned upstream from ABN to Springfield. Members involved have also been clearing hogweed where it is safe to do so. Thanks to committee members Colin Jeffrey, Scott Macleod, Cammy Spears, Dave Steven, Billy Collins and Bill Wardlaw (and anyone else who joined in!) for this work.

River Eden Sustainability Partnership (RESP)

The club is continuing to work with RESP on their Nature Restoration Fund Development Project. This has 3 main strands:

  1. Surveys of the whole catchment to identify Invasive Non Native Species (INNS)

  2. Surveys of habitat to identify opportunities for improvement.

  3. Community engagement to encourage volunteers to get involved in supporting the river.

You can find out more at www.riveredenfife.org.

Recent activities have included:

Riverfly Invertebrate Monitoring

Monthly kick samples of invertebrates are now being monitored by around 16 volunteers at 4 sites: Strathmiglo, Pitlessie, Cupar and Dairsie. It is hoped to add 2 more (Gateside and Newmill) as more volunteers get involved. EAA Secretary Michael Farrell also did a Riverfly workshop with Pitlessie Primary School children which seemed to go down well. Unfortunately we picked up some invasive American signal crayfish in the sample - several very small juveniles and one mature specimen - all dispatched, removed from the site and all equipment checked, cleaned and dried to prevent any spread.

INNS Training

Committee members have tried for many years to control some of the hogweed that plagues the river banks on several stretches of our leased water. This is a thankless task but important as it makes access to the river much safer for all. They have been doing the same again this year but gradually we have been trying to make a bigger impact.

Over the past few months, through a combination of the EAA Crown Estates Environment Grant and RESP Nature Restoration Funding, 6 volunteers have been trained up to control invasive plants like giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed and Himalayan Balsam. These plants shade out our native plants and loosen the soil making it prone to erosion. As you will know, giant hogweed is also a health hazard, causing burns and blisters to skin from contact especially with exposure to sunlight.

The aim is to follow the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative approach - working closely with landowners and contractors to fund a long-term catchment-wide strategy to eradicate these plants from source to sea. During July the newly trained volunteers will be carrying out a practice treatment on the Motray Water as it was the first survey to be completed. They will then do as much as they can to tackle other areas in the catchment. However, it will be NEXT year, hopefully with further funding, that we will be able to begin the catchment wide effort.

If you are interested in doing the training in Pesticide Application, RESP we can put you through the course free of charge. All we ask in return is a contribution to efforts to control these species in future years. The course is 2 days + a 2.5 hour assessment on another day.

Please get in touch here>> if you would like to do the training and we will get you signed up.

Spring Newsletter 2024

In this newsletter:

  • Brown Trout Season Around The Corner - Get Your Permit!

  • River Eden Sustainability Partnership - Funding Success!

  • Riverfly - training available

  • Invasive Species and Habitat surveys - training available

  • Landowner Meeting

  • River Eden Day

Brown Trout Season Just Around the corner!

The brown trout season opens in less than a week’s time on 15th March. Hopefully as things warm up a bit, the bugs will get more lively and a few hatches will bring out a few eager brownies to a well presented flea! The beauty in this photo was caught last year by member Alan Greig. While catches reported were down last year, no-one could deny that the fish that were caught were all in top condition.

So if you haven’t got your permit yet, remember that they are available from all the usual outlets or from the Secretary by online BACS payment. All the details you need are on our permits page.

Brown trout caught by Alan Greig - beautifully marked and in great condition.

 

River Eden Sustainability Partnership (RESP)

Funding Success for RESP!

RESP has been awarded funding by Naturescot from the Nature Restoration Fund. The funds will be used to carry out surveys of the whole Eden and Motray catchments and tributaries - nearly 190km of water course.  They will create maps of landownership, invasive plant species and habitat improvement opportunities.  Over the course of the surveys, discussions will take place with landowners about how the river habitat might be improved.  This will hopefully lead to a catchment scale project to make the improvements but this will depend on further funding. Along with the other main partners, Sustainable Cupar and Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, The Association is playing an important part in this work, making sure that anglers’ voices are heard in the discussion about how to improve the river. As well as the survey work, we are looking for support from volunteers to help support some of the RESP initiatives. This includes Riverfly, an invertebrate monitoring project, water quality monitoring, tree planting and control of invasive species. Let us know if you would like to be involved by clicking on the button below.

Riverfly

The Riverfly programme is a nationwide initiative managed by Buglife Scotland. As part of this, volunteers take monthly kick-samples of invertebrates at selected sites on the river between April and October and then upload the results to the national Riverfly database. To become a Riverfly volunteer involves 2x 3 hour sessions, one online and one practical session on the river. The training is free and all equipment is provided.

We are very keen to get more EAA members involved. New online training sessions are available on 11th March, 10am - 1pm or 13th March 6-9pm with a practical session on the river on 21st April. Drop us a message if you would like to take part!

TWO MORE DATES ADDED: 25th March 10-1 OR 26th March 6-9pm

If interested you can contact Rebecca Lewis the organiser directly - rebecca.lewis@buglife.org.uk OR use the contact button below to send a message.

Invasive Species and Habitat Surveys

RESP is now in the process of contracting surveyors to carry out the work.  There will be more information about this soon.

In the meantime, we are working to create a bank of volunteers who will help with invasive plant species control. Again we are keen to get EAA members involved and so we are offering free herbicide training with all equipment provided. This could provide you with valuable qualifications in PA1/ PA6. In return, all we ask is a contribution to INNS management on the river. We are being advised on this by the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) to develop a proper catchment-wide strategy with this where we work closely with landowners and work our way downstream from source to sea. It is going to take years to make the difference needed but the more people that get involved, the better.

Contact us if you are interested.

RESP Landowner Event

RESP’s first event was the landowner afternoon on Monday 12th Feb.  About 120 people came. The big turn out was largely due to the recent floods.  The landowners welcomed the chance to make their views clear to SEPA, Scottish Water and Fife Council’s lead on flooding. There has been a lot of positive feedback about the importance of taking a catchment wide approach to meet the needs everyone who lives, works and plays in the river catchment. There were some points of disagreement regarding how best to deal with the excessive amounts of silt in the river with many landowners in favour of cleaning out and maintaining the channels while SEPA cautioned against this as a long-term solution.

river eden day 2nd March, Cupar

EAA stall on River Eden Day at the Old Parish Centre

Gerry Farrell fly tying at River Eden Day on 2nd March

The River Eden Sustainability Partnership (RESP) put on a day of stalls, talks, films, music and kids activities at the Old Parish Centre on Saturday 2nd March. The Association had a stall with permits on sale, a display of tackle, a fly tying demo (thanks Gerry Farrell - brother of EAA Secretary, Michael) and a range of information about fishing on the river. There was second hand tackle available for free (if you completed the quiz) and for a donation if not and a sign up sheet for volunteers. A huge thank you to committee and members who supported the stall on the day, especially Alan Miller, Billy Collins and George Houston. Our Honorary President, Bill Wardlaw came along and brought old historic maps of the river at Cupar which drew great interest from the public. In the afternoon there was an excellent talk about the work of the Tweed Forum by Professor Chris Spray on natural flood management on Eddleston Water which has been very successful in flood attenuation and habitat improvement. Click the button below to view his talk:

Opening Day Ceremony

Just a few short days until the first day of the salmon and sea trout season! The Committee would like to invite any interested members to come to our annual Opening Ceremony on Thursday 15th February at 3.30pm at Dairsie Bridge car park. After a quick photo opportunity and the traditional blessing of the river with some good quality whisky from a quaich, we invite you to have a cast on the river or alternatively just take a river walk, maybe do some litter picking.

The Brown Trout season will begin on 15th March.

Remember to purchase your permit! At £55 for the season it is great value for some excellent fishing for salmon, sea trout and brown trout. Permits available now from the usual outlets.

2024 Permits On Sale Now!

It’s less than a month to go before the new season starts for salmon and sea trout and the new permits have arrived! They are being delivered to our usual outlets and are available from the Secretary by BACS. All the information about where to get them, costs etc. has been updated on the permits page.

Every permit bought pays for our rent and rates for the fishing beats we have the rights to. It also means you are supporting the Association in our work to improve the river. We are grateful to you for this support and hopeful that the weather conditions will be kinder to us this coming season!

Tight lines everyone!

Get ready for the new fishing season!

Winter Newsletter

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



AGM 2023 - Sunday 3rd December, Pitlessie Hall 7pm

Dear Members,

We look forward to seeing you at the 2023 AGM of the Association on Sunday 3rd December at 7pm in Pitlessie Hall. We hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend.

It has been a while since you have had a newsletter from the Association. Apologies for that. It has been a busy time! At the last AGM we agreed to make the AGM papers available for members prior to the meeting. Our intention was to give you at least a few days to have a look before coming to the meeting. However, we have only managed a day in advance! Click the button below to download a pdf of the AGM papers. As agreed at the time, this is a password protected document. Please contact the Secretary for the password.

As we get better at this, we will work out a way to make this process easier.

In the meantime thank you for your patience and thank you for your continued support of our river.

Midsummer Newsletter

There is a lot to report since the last newsletter in March. 

In this newsletter:

Let’s get to the basics first..!

How's the fishing?

How’s the fishing?

There are some nice reports on the Facebook page of decent brown trout being caught both on small Mepps and on the fly and some sea trout showing lower down the river.  And if you are in the right place at the right time, you’ll see some steady rising fish.  However, the low water and warm conditions are already having an impact even this early in the season.  We could do with some rain but at the time of writing it looks like it’s going to be mainly dry and warm for the next week or more  - apart from the odd shower.

Beautiful brownie!

Committee member Cammy Spears had a good morning this week but gave up early as it was too hot. Still, he managed 8 brownies all in mint condition, all returned.

Please keep putting your reports on the Association Facebook Page to share with the members.

If you still don’t have your permit, remember they are available from outlets across Fife and also from the Secretary if you email your details and transfer funds to the Association account. 

More details here >>

How's the river

How’s the river?

It is always a pleasure to be on the river even when you’re not catching.  You can still enjoy the wildlife, see the flash of a kingfisher or a dipper and hope that the next time you cast alongside some trailing cover, a monster take will straighten your line…

But as already said, water is low and we continue to have concerns about the pressure on the river from a number of sources: diffuse pollution from agriculture, raw sewage, too much silt, lack of river weed (ranunculus) especially in the lower stretches, water abstraction for irrigation of crops, invasive species like Giant Hogweed, Himalayan Balsam and American Signal Crayfish.

Improvements

What are we doing to improve things?

Crown Estates Environment Fund

In March we found out that our bid for £11.3k funding for river restoration and water quality monitoring was successful.  This money is being spent on getting expert advice on how to restore the river and improve the habitat.  This includes

  • modifying small boulder weirs which hold back silt and cause erosion when the river is high.

  • planting and hinging trees to create shade and cover. This should lower water temperature and where there is wood in the river, create a refuge for fish from predators. It will also stabilise the banks and prevent erosion.

  • adding woody deflectors in certain stretches to create more diverse flow which will scour out the silt and create better pool and riffle structure.

  • transplanting some of  the vital river weed ranunculus which has disappeared from the river below Cults Mill.  More details below.

  • Carrying out water quality monitoring to gather data on nutrient levels and other pollutants that are affecting the habitat.

We are grateful to the Crown Estates Environment Fund committee for recognising the value of our project.

RESSSP

River Eden Source-To-Sea Sustainability Project (RESSSP)

The Association is also working in a new partnership called RESSSP.  Along with several other organisations (Sustainable Cupar, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, St Andrews University and Fife Councillors) we aim to promote a whole-catchment approach to improving the river.  We have applied for funding from the NatureScot Nature Restoration Fund (NRF). If we are successful, we will be able to appoint a project officer who will manage projects on the river recommended by the steering group.  This will include developing a long-term strategy for the entire catchment to control Giant Hogweed and other invasive non-native species like Himalayan Balsam and Skunk Cabbage.  In the process of writing the application we have been discussing the project with Scottish Water, SEPA and landowners as we need the agreement of all parties to get the work done.  This has led to lots of positive conversations where we are trying to find a win-win situation for everyone involved.

We will continue to seek funds to promote a vision for a biodiverse natural river corridor for community benefit – and that includes improving the habitat for fish!!  We will find out if we have been successful with the NRF at the beginning of July.

Ranunculus Transplant

Ranunculus Transplant

A few months back the Courier reported the Association plans to transplant the vital river weed ranunculus from above Pitlessie to key locations downstream where it disappeared in around 2016 and never recovered.  Ranunculus is amazing stuff.  It is full of insects, provides cover for fish from predators like otters and fish-eating birds and it encourages diverse flows in the river, helping to create gravel beds for spawning salmon and sea trout and feeding lanes for rising fish.

Members digging out a clump of ranunculus to plant further downstream

We are still keen to find out why it has not reseeded but a report from SEPA in 2018 was inconclusive and they promised further tests to try to work out why.  The SEPA cyber-attack together with Covid put a stop on that but we have recently been in touch again and we will find out soon if more ecology and water testing is to be carried out. 

In the meantime, we have been going ahead with a trial of the transplant.  This was attempted in 2020 but it was flushed out by floods and didn’t take.  This time we are using a technique recommended by the Wild Trout Trust. On Friday 9th June, some members dug out some clumps of the weed still rooted in river sediment and then transported them to the new site.  We wrapped the root ball in hessian and buried it more deeply in the riverbed protecting it with rocks.  We will be keeping a close eye on it this time to see if it works.  We will try again a couple of times this summer and if it takes, we can then be confident in transplanting more.

Riverfly

Riverfly Invertebrate Monitoring

Some EAA members have taken part in Riverfly training – a national scheme to monitor key invertebrates on the river.  On Sunday 11th June, a group of volunteers including EAA members, took a kick sample of the bugs in the river and recorded the number of each of 8 key indicator species.  We were delighted to pick up a stoneloach in the sample, carefully returned to the river. We are still learning the methodology but once we are in the swing of it and have more volunteers, we hope to monitor several sites to show how healthy each one is.  The data gets uploaded to a national database where it can be compared with rivers across the country.  We can also use the data to push for further improvements to the river to promote biodiversity.  We are delighted that Pitlessie Primary School are going to be involved too.

If you would like to be involved in this initiative, please contact the Secretary on eaasecretary2022@gmail.com or 07838820659.

Water Quality

Water Quality Monitoring

Thanks to the Crown Estates Environment Grant, we can purchase water quality monitoring equipment. Again, the aim is to gather data about our river that we can use to campaign for improvement.  The purchase of the equipment is under way and we will be looking for volunteers from the membership to get involved in doing monthly measurements at key sites on the river.  Again, if you would like to be involved, please contact the Secretary on eaasecretary2022@gmail.com or 07838820659.

Raw Sewage

Raw Sewage Spills into the Eden

We have all seen the reports nationally about the state of our rivers.  However, it still came as a bit of a shock to see the published figures on ‘Combined Sewage Outfalls’ or CSOs into the River Eden.  This made the local news last month when Councillor James Calder brought it up at a Fife Council meeting.

https://news.stv.tv/east-central/nine-million-litres-of-raw-sewage-spilled-into-fifes-river-eden-in-2022-scottish-water-figures-show

The full data is available to download for anyone on the Scottish Water website.

We contacted our local Scottish Water contact for comment.  Here is a summary of their detailed response:

Question 1

Are you aware of, and can you share, specific timelines for improvements to the monitoring regime for the Eden or plans to reduce discharges from CSOs or SSSOs?

 Answer 1

The majority of what is spilled from a sewer overflow is rain water, with less than 1% being sewage from toilets. They are an essential part of the waste water network as they reduce the risk of water backing up into homes, streets and businesses.

Our aim is to deliver water quality improvements to protect water quality and reduce Sewage Related Debris for 108 sites before 2027.

1000 monitors will be installed across the country over the next 18 months. They will include some locations on the Eden.

Question 2

Is it correct that only two sites (Cupar Haugh Park and Cupar Wastewater Treatment Works) are monitored?

Answer 2

Only two sites on the Eden are monitored as this is required in the license conditions of the sites.

At present in Scotland only a small number of overflows are monitored. Historically this has been because monitoring has been focused on the highest risk assets.

Question 3

Why is the River Eden not higher priority?

Answer 3

In terms of improvements, we are prioritising the CSOs which are unsatisfactory.

Discharges via CSOs can be unsatisfactory due to:

      • Operation causing water quality impacts

      • Operation during dry weather

      • Operation causing aesthetic (sewage related debris) impact

      • Failure to meet licence conditions

This page gives information on how we prioritise the installation of monitors on CSOs.

Question 4

To improve transparency in monitoring, should reported outflows not include information on weather conditions and river levels?

Answer 4

We share the desire for better integration with weather data and this is something which is being actively looked at over the coming years to improve transparency.

Our aim is to publish near real-time spill data for all monitored CSOs by December 2024.

At present, we do not map rainfall data against spill data but aim to achieve this in future.

Question 5

Are there any opportunities for Scottish Water to promote local initiatives to retain water within our catchment before it gets to into the sewage system, e.g. promoting household collection of rain water; encouraging natural flood management in the catchment; encouraging the development of more green space/ discouraging hard surfaces etc?

Answer 5

We absolutely share the ambition to reduce the amount of surface water entering the network and at working on this as a business.

However, we cannot do this alone. We are working with several local authorities at present on a number of studies and pilots to identify the most effective ways of stopping surface water from entering the network. There are a number of considerations within this when considering their efficacy, including ensuring that any installations such as rain gardens / water butts are maintained.

We have a policy of surface water removal on new developments.

Giant Hogweed

Giant Hogweed

Members trying to access the river for fishing downstream from Cupar will know that Giant Hogweed around the Scottish Water Sewage Works is a big problem.  For years, members have worked hard to reduce the problem on access paths. Recently we have been working closely with Scottish Water to encourage them to take responsibility for this. As a result of the efforts of a number of people, particularly Councillor Margaret Kennedy, they have now agreed to tackle it.  You should notice that this year the massive stand of Giant Hogweed at the Sludge Beds near the sleeper bridge has been sprayed by Scottish Water. 

Giant Hogweed at the Scottish Water sludge beds

At the time of writing this blog it had its first spray treatment and will be due another shortly so should start to die back soon. They have said they will share pictures when this second spray has been completed. Members photos currently show that the spraying is incomplete, and photos have been forwarded to Scottish Water to make sure they are aware.

We have also contacted them to get exact information on any other land they have on the river in other locations so that we can make sure that they take responsibility for these too.

Giant Hogweed control across the whole catchment will be a big part of our Nature Restoration Fund work if we are successful. For the past 8 years contractors have been brought in by Fife Coast and Countryside Trust to deal with it upstream of Ladybank Bridge. The grant money would allow us to deal with the WHOLE catchment (which is really the only sensible way to solve the problem!). Fingers crossed!

If you are concerned about Giant Hogweed along the river, please let us know as we are trying to build up a map of where it is located so that we can contact the relevant landowner to support them to deal with it: eaasecretary2022@gmail.com

Permits Update

A number of anglers have contacted the Secretary in recent days about online payment for season tickets. This was not initially offered due to the club transition to new committee office bearers. Instructions for payment by BACS have now been added to the permits page. Please note, however, that there will be a gap between 7th April and 8th May when it will not be possible to respond to requests as the Secretary will be away. Click the button below for further information:

Season 2023 - Permits now available!

Permits for the coming season are now available from the following outlets:

  • R Dott Thomson - Cupar

  • Premier Stores - Cupar

  • Angler’s Choice - Dundee

  • Dan’s Goods - Guardbridge

  • The Kilt Shop - St Andrews

  • Alladin’s Cave - Leslie

  • Deals on Reels - Cowdenbeath

Get ready for the start of the Eden fishing season starting on Wednesday 15th February for salmon and sea trout, then 15th March for brown trout. We are happy to announce that prices remain the same as last year. Tickets will also be available by bank transfer to the Secretary soon.

For full details click here >>

Members Annual General Meeting - 2022

The Annual general meeting of the Eden Angling Association will be held in the Wilkie Memorial Hall , Pitlessie,, Ladybank Road, Pitlessie, KY15 7SP Sunday 4th December 2022 starting at 7 PM. to which all full members of the club are cordially invited.to receive reports on business of committee, the accounts, and to elect office bearers and committee of the club as vacancies arise. There is also an opportunity for any other competent business to be discussed under AOCB.. For more information click the link below. VOTING BY SHOWING MEMBERSHIP PERMIT.

BROWN TROUT SEASON CLOSED- CATCH RETURN REMINDER

Please note that the brown Trout season closed at midnight 6th October. Any Brown Trout caught between 7th October to 31st October when the Salmon & Sea Trout season ends must be returned.
Many thanks to those who have made their catch return on line or using their annual paper catch return. To all other members, please make a start to update your catch return to give the Secretary time to complete & make the statutory return. All members received a paper annual catch return with their Permit. If mislaid print off a copy here, make a start and when the season closes complete it and post it to the
EAA secretary, 49 Sandylands Road, Cupar KY15 5JP. by 30th November at the latest.

Annual Catch Return 2022

GATESIDE MILL WEIR FISH BARRIER REMOVED:

SEPA and their contractors have made an excellent job removing the Gateside Mills weir on time. In the dry hot low water years we are now seeing all too often this weir as a barrier to Salmon, sea Trout and Brown Trout accessing the head water spawning burns. The weir has gone and has been replaced with a series of deep pools formed from weir bedrock and quarried stone. This makes easy access in low water. This should benefit angling prospects for the Eden in the years to come

Useful Links

Car Parking & Permit Sales LocationsMap