Category: General

  • Smolt run is underway and as usual, we need rain

    Smolt run is underway and as usual, we need rain

    As often happens, we come through winter when it rarely ceases to rain and as soon as our smolt run starts, the rain stops, the rivers drop and smolts become vulnerable and slow moving in ever shallowing pools. The first 3 months of 2020 were wet, incessantly wet with almost 500mm of rain falling in…

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  • Bywash upgraded at Catrine

    Bywash upgraded at Catrine

    The long awaited upgrade to the bywash at Catrine Dam was completed a couple of weeks ago just in time for the anticipated smolt run. This new bywash will function along with the old one that didn’t appear to be particularly attractive to smolts migrating downstream in anything but low flows. Hopefully now there will be…

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  • Angling during ‘Lock Down’

    Angling during ‘Lock Down’

    We have been contacted by several angling clubs on whether angling is permitted at the current time. The Government announcement on the 23rd of March included the following: The only permissible reasons to leave your home are as follows: -to shop for basic necessities and that should be limited to once a day -to take…

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  • Smolt migration improvements underway at Catrine

    Smolt migration improvements underway at Catrine

    Good news is that the work required at Catrine to improve smolt passage is underway. The Board and ART pressed SEPA to require Catrine Community Renewables to make improvements at Catrine Dam since the scheme was commissioned and while some alterations were made, smolts were still prone to delays in 2019. The original installed bywash…

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  • Catch returns from 2019      UPDATED

    Catch returns from 2019 UPDATED

    The reported catches from all Ayr and Lugar waters are as below: 44 salmon killed, 163 released making a total reported catch of 207 9 sea trout were reported and all were returned.   Missing catch data from 4 influential clubs within the catchment – Muirkirk, Tarbolton, Annbank and Ayr. This doesn’t help and it…

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  • Ayr DSFB Meeting

    Ayr DSFB Meeting

    The next River Ayr DSFB will take place on Tuesday 28th January 2020 at 6.00pm in Ayrshire Rivers Trust office. This meeting  is open to the public and limited seating will be available.  

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  • Sorn Hydro

    Sorn Hydro

    ART recently asked SEPA to confirm that the works to the fish pass at Sorn Castle had been completed. SEPA responded informing the Trust that they allowed the hydro scheme to commence operation and the operator’s were instructed to do the works over the summer. ART and the DSFB were of the understanding that the…

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  • Sunday Salmon Fishing Rules

    Sunday Salmon Fishing Rules

    The rules regarding fishing for Salmon on a Sunday are clear and haven’t changed….there is no legal right to fish for salmon on a Sunday. The DSFB highlights this as it has come to our attention that an angler was caught fishing in Sorn today and claimed he didn’t know that Sunday fishing for salmon…

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  • Glaisnock Fish Pass

    Glaisnock Fish Pass

    Over a year has passed since the Glaisnock fish pass was completed at the A76 road culverts. There have been many moans and groans about this but the fish pass is functional and there’s nothing to stop trout and salmon going through it if they want to. Ayrshire Rivers Trust staff checked the fish pass…

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