Salmon numbers soar in North East

The North East is being lauded as the salmon capital of England after official figures showed a surge in the numbers of fish in the region’s two largest rivers.

For several years, the Tyne has been the best river in England and Wales for rod catches of salmon. But last year the Wear nudged behind its neighbour as second-best waterway.

Last year saw the best-ever salmon rod catches in the area – 5,115 in the River Tyne and 1,531 in the River Wear.

And now record numbers of salmon have been counted after a new study in the River Tyne showed a threefold increase in the number of fish in the waterway over the first five months of 2011.

Full story in next week’s Angling Times, out Tuesday 5 July 2011.