The catch returns for the 2008 season are now complete.

There were long periods of low water during the 2008 season. The June/July catches were made in the last few days of June and the first few days of July when there was some water. .July was lost to angling with conditions best described as hopeless.

From July to October there were no spates but on several occasions small rises in water allowed fish to enter the river. These fish either hid in the lower river or ran right through to Loch Clachan where they provided some sport.

In fact, there was the highest percentage of the total catch taken form Loch Clachan in 2008 since the Association took over the Creed fishery. When the rain finally arrived in early October the river came to life and provided great sport until the end of the season.

Although good runs of sea trout were seen running the river in late June and again in September the number of sea trout caught was very low. There were as many sea trout on the redds in 2008 as in previous years, so the poor catch may be down to the poor angling conditions.

The Matheson Pool was closed to worm fishing in 2008. This is the lowest pool fishing is allowed in  and in low water conditions considerable numbers of salmon were taken from this pool. In 2007 approx. 70 salmon were taken from this pool.

Without Matheson Pool worm caught salmon boosting the figures, the 2008 salmon return was satisfactory given the poor angling conditions.

 It must be remembered that there is no sea pool fishing on the Creed River so low water conditions affect catches more than on most other island fisheries.  

Permit sales were satisfactory when the long periods of low water are tasken into consideration.

Catch Returns

Salmon                  Sea Trout                   Finnock

Kept      Rtd            Kept     Rtd                Kept     Rtd

          June        2            0                     3        1                     0            5

          July        7             1                     4        1                     0           21

         August     41          23                  18        12                  0           60

         Sept         21           33                 11        11                  0           34

         Oct           0            62                   0        10                  0           19

      Totals        71           119                36        35                 0           139

  2007 totals   (168)       (148)             (219)     (190)          (58)        (443)

When time allows, I shall add the catch figures for all the other Association fishings.