A FAMOUS Scottish salmon river is reporting the worst fishing season for 60 years although the juvenile fish on the Spey are "thriving".

A long, cold winter, followed by drought conditions in the summer are being blamed.

The Spey Fishery Board (SFB) has reported catches of salmon and grilse (salmon which have spent only one winter at sea before returning to the river) for the 2013 season as 5780, in comparison to the 7490 caught for the same period last year. That was the worst since 1952 when only 5590 were caught.

The report says that the low water throughout the summer had seen water levels dropping close to those seen during the 1976 drought. But despite the difficult conditions on rivers, anglers had responded positively by returning more fish caught to the river than ever before. Throughout the season, 88% of all salmon and grilse caught were released, an increase on the 85% returned for the same period last year. The release rate for spring salmon, traditionally caught between February and the end of April, was 92%.

SFB director Roger Knight said: "Release rates in the Spey are highly creditable. They are testimony to the conservation-minded attitudes that are prevalent on the Spey and they are particularly relevant as a means of compensating for the poor survival rate of salmon at sea. The Board is grateful to all of the ghillies, whom it recognises have played such an active role in persuading so many anglers to co-operate with the policy."

But SFB biologist Brian Shaw had more positive news and said: "Juvenile salmon and trout counts have been good in all areas, and at a level not seen in the last six years."