The Atlantic Salmon 'salmo salar' considered by anglers as king of all fish. This fish deserves great respect for it's power & stanama not to mention the terrific fight it gives to the angler!
Over the years much research has been devoted to this mysterious fish & still much is unknown about it's movements & life at sea.THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE ATLANTIC SALMON
The female Salmon known as a hen fish makes her way upriver to spawn along with the male Salmon known as a cock fish. Eggs are deposited in November & December in gravel beds in the river. The hen Salmon digs or scoops a trench or pit known as a 'redd' where she lays her eggs. Her mate the cock salmon quickly covers them with his milt. They are then covered over with gravel and the eggs are now fertilised. It takes up to 90 - 120 days until the eggs hatch out. Depending on the temperture of the water it will be 12-15 weeks before a minute fish called an 'alevin' will hatch.
For the next 6 weeks or so the alevin will have it's yolk-sac still attached, enabeling it to have it's own supply of food. After this period this dissapears and now it must fend for it's self & look for food. At this stage many will perish due to not finding enough food to eat as it is only early spring and waters are generaly cold and food is reletivly scarce.
The fry soon turn into what is known as 'parr' and feed on everything they can find to eat. They will spend about two years in the Agivey river before they slowly acquire a silver coat. At this stage in their life span they are now known as 'smolts'.
During around May the young smolts, due to instinct begin to drop down river and eventualy after a long journey into the open sea. So far many will have perished over this two year period.
Many of the British & Irish Salmon go to the rich feeding grounds off the coast of Greenland, and a smolt can increese it's weight by 15 times in less than a year. During this stage of development the fish now becomes known as a 'grillse' and can now reproduce and make it's way back to the river of it's birth to spawn. Many fish however still stay at sea for another year and will double or trebble their weight before returning reaching 8 - 10 Ib in weight. A few Salmon will stay for anything up to 5 years at sea and can reach an increadible 30 - 40 IB or even more.
During the Salmons life at sea, at some stage it will get an urge to return to the river of it's birth to mate and spawn.
The first of the salmon to reach the Agivey river known as 'springers can be found as early as April & May. With grillse usualy appearing in June & July and larger fish comming into the Agivey from August and into the Autumn.
Shortly before the Atlantic Salmon returns to the river it stops taking food and it is not known why this happens and remains a mystery. During it's stay in the freshwater of the river a slow deteriation occours with all its energy and resourses being used to run the gauntlet of the fast flowing river and finaly the spawning process it's self.
After spawning taking place the fish drop back from the shallow gravel streems into deeper pools to rest and are now known as 'kelts'.
They now begin to make their way back down the river and make their way to the open sea. The fish are now very weakened by the trials of the river and many don't survive once at sea due to the many natural predatiors and few will make the return journy to the river, but some will live to return and spawn again.
