Welcome to the Forres Angling Association Website
SUSPENSION OF FISHING
On 14 May the following letter was received from the Chairman of the Findhorn District Salmon Fishery Board. Consequently the Association will stop taking bookings on Fishpal or otherwise from 19 May until the recommendation changes.
The Association urges its Members and other anglers on the River Findhorn to follow the recommendation of the Board.
The Association will post any update to this situation as soon as it becomes available.
Board Letter
Dear Findhorn Proprietor,
I would like to draw your attention to an important message from the Chairman of the Findhorn District Salmon Fishery Board on behalf of the Board:
‘As you will all be aware, the river has been extremely low for some time now and the initial run of spring salmon is suffering extremely badly from saprolegnia which is causing them to die in large numbers.
Concern has been raised by fishing tenants and others about whether it is appropriate to further stress salmon at this very difficult time.
I have consulted members of the Findhorn District Salmon Fishery Board and we strongly recommend that all fishing on the river and Bay should stop for a period of at least three weeks from 19th May. This will be reviewed two weeks later on 2nd June and extended if necessary.
I sincerely hope that you will agree to this course of action.’
Anthony Laing,
Chairman,
Findhorn District Salmon Fishery Board
Book your Fishing Permit on our PERMITS page
Forres Angling Association, established in 1933, controls aproximately four miles of double bank salmon and sea trout fishing on the lower River Findhorn, extending from the Red Craig pool at Mundole down to the tidal Sea Pool where the river enters the sea in Findhorn Bay. The whole of the association water offers excellent fly fishing, producing salmon in varying heights of water. There are seventeen named fishing pools, most of which are very accessible from convenient car parking places. All pools are easily fished with undemanding wading in most, when it is required at all – many pools are best fished from the bank. In low water conditions, a single handed rod, or perhaps a switch rod, is all that is required to fish many of the pools, while a 13 or 14 foot double handed rod may offer an advantage when the river is running high.
Membership of the angling association is available to anglers resident in postcode area IV36, with the annual local membership subscription currently set at £130 (plus £60 joining fee for new members).
Junior membership is FREE to all under 16 who live within the IV 36 area.
Weekly and daily fishing permits are available to visiting anglers (see Fishing Permits)
In addition to the day and weekly permits, a limited number of visitor season permits are issued each year.
Enquiries about membership and permits should be directed to the Secretary, Campbell Ross at f.ross266@btinternet.com
Salmon Fishing on the River Findhorn
The River Findhorn is one of the top ten salmon fishing rivers in Scotland, only beaten for total catch numbers by the big four – Tweed, Tay, Spey and Dee – and very few others. The graph below shows the total salmon catch on the River Findhorn for each fishing season from 1952 to 2020. As can be seen from the graph, catches in recent seasons have been disappointing, as they have been on many other British salmon rivers. It is to be hoped that runs of salmon will recover to the levels seen as recently as 2010, in which year the River Findhorn recorded a total rod catch of 3,479. Although salmon and sea trout catches vary greatly from season to season, depending largely on river conditions, Forres Angling Association members and visitors might, in an average year, expect to catch around 20% of the total river salmon rod catch, and around 60% of the total sea trout catch.
Recent Findhorn Salmon and Grilse Catch
Location Map – Forres Angling Association
On the Google map below you can switch between map and satellite view, pan the length of the River Findhorn and zoom in to any section of the river, to examine the nature of the fishing pools, access points etc. Further information can be viewed at Fishing Maps
Please use the navigation menu to explore this website, where you will find information, maps, photographs and advice relating to the four miles of superb salmon fishing available on the lower stretch of the River Findhorn managed by the Forres Angling Association.
