The Flyfishers’ Journal: Winter 2019
Thanks especially to the Norwegian contingent of the Flyfishers’ Club, the latest issue of the Flyfishers’ Journal has a strong Viking vibe. And that’s as it should be, to celebrate the International Year of the Salmon 2019, by drawing attention to the mortal perils that threaten the ‘king of fish’ in local, regional and global terms…
From restoring spawning habitat and maximising smolt numbers, to understanding marine survival and making sure that catch and release is safe and effective, salmon conservation is a vastly interconnected subject, and Salmo salar’s champions have been trying to integrate these different aspects successfully for many years.
As far back as 1983, Michael Wigan tells us in his insightful profile of his godfather, Scottish conservationist Andrew Tennant was playing a key role in ending netting at the mouth of the Deveron, and started to encourage catch and release on his beats from a similarly early date. Today, the rivers of the Moray Firth are still making history, with pioneering initiatives like the Atlantic Salmon Trust’s Missing Salmon Project, which aims to cast new light on the life cycle of salmon migrating through these waters.
Salmon inspire fascination wherever they swim, and it’s their adaptability to the conditions of many continents that we salute throughout this issue of the Journal. In the northern hemisphere, I’ve managed to persuade Morten Harangen to open his flybox and tell the tale of the Norwegian Blue salmon fly pattern – closely followed by a wonderful mini salmon saga and photo story from Nick Gooderham (which also captures the moment that Morten’s brother Terje took the photo that appears on the Journal’s front cover!)
Continuing our theme, John Carroll reports in depth from the famous Atlantic salmon rivers of New Brunswick and the Gaspé peninsula, while Neil Patterson, vividly tangential as ever, takes us on a trip way down south, to introduce the mysterious ‘landlocks’ of Chilean Patagonia. And since we all want to know How to Catch More Salmon, we’ve included John Carroll’s reflections on Henry Giles’s eponymous new title among our book reviews.
Finally, just as we were putting the finishing touches to this issue, everyone in the Club was shocked to hear news of the death of our Life Member and former Editor, Timothy Benn, who won the Peter Lapsley Award earlier this year. Tim was an endlessly charming and talented contributor to the Journal, and a constant source of cheerful encouragement and personal support. We will all miss him tremendously.
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