Sea trout return to centre of Glasgow

The sea trout, one of Britain's most prized game fish, has made a surprise return to what was once one of the country's most polluted rivers - the Kelvin Burn, running through the heart of Glasgow, which for more than a century was a lifeless sewer.

The sea trout, one of Britain's most prized game fish, has made a surprise return to what was once one of the country's most polluted rivers - the Kelvin Burn, running through the heart of Glasgow, which for more than a century was a lifeless sewer.

"Anglers in recent weeks have begun to catch sea trout weighing more than five pounds," said Jim Smith, chairman of the Kelvin Anglers Association, which last year reported the catching of salmon in the 22 mile-long tributary of the Clyde for the first time since 1852.

With the return also of the sea trout, which spends some four years of its life cycle at sea before finding freshwater in which to spawn, the Kelvin is bucking the trend across Scotland, where the fish is in serious decline. The sea trout is revered by anglers for its spectacular fighting ability and by gourmets for its delicate flavour, described as the best of any among salmon and trout.

Last week anglers recovered and recorded several small salmon that had clearly spawned in a Kelvin pool, the first evidence that the returning salmon are beginning to reproduce. More than £75m has been spent over 10 years to clean the Kelvin, where since the Industrial Revolution had been plagued by pollution..