16th May: River Nairn and Findhorn’s low water levels prompts temporary halt to fishing amnidst concerns of saprolegnia outbreak

Warm days and a dry spell have prompted the closure of fishings on the River Nairn after water levels remaining “exceptionally low” in recent weeks.

The Nairn Angling Association has issued a notice to its members warning of the halt to fishing on the water course to protect its fish stocks.

It comes as Scotland experiences what has been reported as the driest start to the year since 1964.

According to River Levels UK, levels on the River Nairn at the Firhall monitoring station have been below normal for more than two weeks, with a level of 0.35m at the time of writing.

A Nairn Angling Association spokesperson wrote: “As many of you are aware, the river levels have remained exceptionally low for some time. This is having a detrimental impact on fish stocks in the River Nairn.

“In response, the committee has decided that, with immediate effect, all Nairn Angling Association fishings will be temporarily closed. Fishing will only resume once the river level reaches 0.45 metres on the Firhall SEPA gauge.

“Our river bailiffs will be actively monitoring all beats to ensure compliance with this policy. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping to protect the river and salmon\seatrout stocks.”