Fishery Returns
The graphs below show different interpretations of the catch returns for the River Doon (FRS Salmon and Sea Trout data)
The all methods salmon catch peaked in the 1960's. The vast majority of these fish were taken by the coastal nets at the mouth of the river. The netting effort declined in the early nineties and ceased completely in 1996. The graph below shows that the rod catch peaked in the Doon during the nineties, coinciding with the reduction in netting effort. There was one particularly good year in 1995 when over 2000 rod caught fish were landed.
In common with other Ayrshire rivers there has been a dramatic decline in sea trout fishery on the River Doon, although there is still a small but viable production of sea trout smolts.
