Homeward Bound
There’s a moment each year - quiet, unseen by most - when the river holds its breath. The first proper rain reaches Dartmoor’s highest slopes, the Autumn chill returns to the air, and deep beneath the surface, one of the world’s great travellers begins their epic ascent. Atlantic salmon, shaped by evolutionary years of tide and current, turn homeward once again.
Until their return, they’ve been gone for years - out at sea, crossing oceans, feeding and packing on condition in the cold North Atlantic - and yet they never forget the faint chemical signature in the waters of the Teign. It’s imprinted in them from birth, a code written in the water itself. And, against all odds, they follow it back through the estuary and over weirs, through rapids, through the unpredictable obstacles of both nature and our doing. Every returning fish is a genuine, modern-day miracle of instinct, endurance, and faith.
A Species in Decline
For all of their strength and determination, Atlantic Salmon are in trouble - From North America to Northern Europe, numbers have plummeted. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) now lists the Atlantic salmon as Endangered, its alarming Red status signalling a stark warning that the species, which once filled our rivers in their tens of thousands, is now fighting for its very survival.
Here on the Teign, we’re blessed that we still see them at all - flashes of silver in deep water, the steady roll of a tail in fading light, but in modern times these numbers and sightings are far, far fewer than before. It’s remarkable to think that each fish that returns has overcome netting at sea, estuarine predation, warming oceans, pollution, barriers, and the relentless squeeze of changing habitats. Yet still they come - Still they try! Their persistence is humbling. Quite frankly, it reminds us of our duty to match their determination with our own.
What We’re Doing & Why It Matters
At TACA, Atlantic Salmon are very much at the heart of our mission. Every project we undertake, whether large or small, ties back to creating and protecting the conditions they need to thrive. From vegetation management and debris clearance to working with partners on habitat improvement, we are constantly asking the simple question, “Will this help the fish return, spawn, and survive?”
This season alone, volunteers have been out trimming back overgrowth to open up light for the river’s invertebrates - the very base of the food chain. We’ve walked banks checking for physical blockers: fallen trees, collapsed banks, and debris that might obstruct a salmon’s upstream journey to their natal headwaters. We’ve continued to monitor water temperature and flow, to advocate for clean, cool water, and to protect the tributaries that act as nursery streams for the juvenile salmon when they eventually develop.
Much of this work goes unseen, but you should know my message by now - Every action, every hour given, adds up, and it gives these extraordinary fish a fighting chance.
What can you do?
As Autumn deepens and the river rises in spate, this is the time when salmon begin their great return upstream to the spawning headwaters. This event is still one of nature’s most remarkable stories - and one of its most fragile. This Autumn, we’d like to ask for your collective eyes and ears on the river.
If you’re out walking, or simply exploring the Teign Catchment, and you spot salmon moving upstream or holding in pools, please let us know.
Yes, they might be sea trout - it can be hard to tell when peering into the murky depths, but your observations give us a vital clue as to where we should start looking for salmon redds later in the season. These redds (the gravel nests where hens deposit their eggs) are the future of the species. Knowing where to find them helps us protect them from disturbance and monitor their success.
You can share sightings, photos, or general locations with us through the website: thetaca.com. Every bit of information helps build a clearer picture of how these magnificent fish are using the catchment - and more importantly, where.
A Shared Responsibility
Sometimes, I think it’s easy to forget that the Atlantic Salmon’s story is bound up with our own. They are more than just a fish - they’re an emblem of persistence, a measure of river health, a symbol of connection between our land and sea. And when they thrive, we can rest a little easier knowing that everything beneath and beside the water thrives, too.
But they cannot speak for themselves. They cannot ask for cleaner water, cooler water, fewer predators, or a safer passage. That’s our role. And as the river swells in spate with Autumn rain and the salmon begin their final journey home, we are reminded once more that protecting them is not a task for someone else - it’s a collective calling for all of us who love this place.
The Teign can’t thank us for what we do, but it does carry every act of care forward. And if we act now, together, our gift of time and effort will become a gift of abundance, resilience, and hope for all who follow on from us.
