Salmon science

Just back from a fascinating day up on Scotland's mighty river Tay with the fisheries biologist and author Richard Shelton. No salmon around, but the conversation was sparkling, covering threats to salmon from global warming and intensive fish farming, conservation, and I even managed to pick his brains for some scientific fishing tips.

Richard has just published a new book on the life of the Salmon, To Sea and Back, but really it's much more than a natural history book - it's a treasure trove of stories about Victorian naturalists, ghillies and gamekeepers and a personal history of his relationship with the fish.

And no-one knows more about salmon. Richard was research director of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, and spent years tracking and recording salmon at sea.

Threats to salmon abound, but Richard's scientific knowledge was a source of great optimism. This is what he says in his book: The enduring power of this remarkable fish to capture the imagination of naturalists and sportsmen has so far proved a sure shield against its extinction.

So what did I learn? Read all about our day in a forthcoming issue of the Financial Times Weekend Magazine. It will be illustrated by the usual stunning pictures from Ashley Coombes at Epic Scotland, who took great advantage of the wonderful Highland light.