The fishing season has begun on the Carron and a Spring-run salmon has already been caught. The female fish was caught (and released!) in the lower reaches of the river. It was carrying a number of egg-bearing sea lice indicating that it was fresh from the sea. A number of salmon kelts are also still present in the river, resting before their return to sea. A number of these fish, identifiable by panjet dye marks, were also caught in the Autumn and have been in the river for several months. Electro-fishing surveys later in the year will measure their spawning success.
Meanwhile at the hatcheries the eggs are developing and eyes are now visible in the ova. A number of sea-trout eggs have already hatched and the warmer weather in the past week should mean that the others will follow quickly.