July has seen one of the best salmon fishing months in living memory and I am happy to report that I have had my fair share. But what is a ‘fair share’? Some would argue that killing just one salmon is one too many. Thus, catch-and-release has become policy on most of Scotland’s salmon rivers.

I have problems with this. Of course, there are many who would claim that the act of catching a fish does not cause the creature pain. I disagree. I believe that fish do suffer pain. So why do I persist in fishing? Is it simply for the adrenalin rush? I suppose that has something to do with it, but, for me, not ending the process by killing the fish is in itself an act of cruelty.

Which does not mean that I kill all the fish I catch; most, trout, sea trout or salmon, are returned. But this is by my own free choice, not by official dictate. If the rule on the river or loch was that all fish were to be returned I wouldn’t fish; there are other ways to obtain an ‘adrenalin rush’ than inflicting vicarious distress on fish.

Government, in its wisdom, if you will forgive the oxymoron, supports catch-and-release. It argues that it is essential to the survival of the species. Why then does it allow the netting of wild salmon around Scotland’s coastline? Whilst rod and line anglers experienced outstanding catches in July, with the vast majority of these fish being returned, the netsmen also had a field day, but killed every single fish they caught.

It is a criminal offence for anglers in Scotland to either sell or buy rod and line caught salmon. But it is another ‘law’ for the netsmen. They can, legally, kill as many salmon as they like. This sounds daft to me, as I am sure it does to thousands of my fellow anglers.

In the meantime, my five summer salmon, three of which were returned, have been added to my lifetime total of salmon caught: 20 fish in near 60 years. I remember them all, and, most of all the wonderful fish I caught a few weeks ago that is shortly to become the finest smoked salmon in the world.