Salmon in Cromarty Firth river system would have been a whopper
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IT was clearly a whopper and would have been the catch of a lifetime for many an angler.
That was the verdict from the Cromarty Firth Fishery Board and Trust after a surprise find on a stretch of river within its catchment area.
Board staff who stumbled across the lower jaw of a cock salmon on the river bank were left open-mouthed imagining the size of the fish.
They believe it would have entered the river last year and then presumably died after spawning.
The kype to the jaw hinge measured 200mm and when placed against the jaw of a wooden carving of a 44lb salmon "it was more or less the same size".
The group said later: "How much the fish weighed we will never know, but it certainly was extremely big and had it been caught would have been a fish of a lifetime for the lucky angler."
The find created a ripple of excitement with one commenting: "Absolutely incredible. Some good genes hopefully been passed on. Always sad to see them die though."
Brian Stirling posted: "Amazing find. Good to know there are still large healthy salmon in the rivers and not a thing of the past."
The Cromarty Firth District Salmon Fishery Board is the statutory body responsible for managing salmon and sea trout in the Cromarty Firth region.
Cromarty Firth Fisheries Trust works with the board to protect and conserve native wild fisheries in the rivers and lochs draining into Cromarty Firth
The Cromarty Firth Fishery Trust is a charity with a remit for all native fish species in the Cromarty Firth region.
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