AS the autumn run of salmon into Northern rivers gets underway following heavy rain last weekend, the Environment Agency has is issued an emergency appeal to anglers to return their catches unharmed in rivers where stocks are under extreme threat.

And one of rivers listed is the Ribble, one of the most famous of the Yorkshire Dales game fisheries, which some 20 years ago enjoyed something of a revival as a salmon river following the closure of Preston Docks and work to clean up pollution in the lower estuary.

However, that improvement has recently gone into decline and the Ribble is one of nine rivers in the North West subject to the agency's "put them back appeal." It suggests that anglers should used barbless hooks and land and release fish as quickly as possible with a minimum of handling.