A GLASGOW man who told cops “no fish, no evidence” after being caught salmon poaching has been fined in court.

Joel Julienne, 31, was sentenced at Elgin Sheriff Court having previously pleaded guilty to fishing for salmon on the River Spey.

Meanwhile, Barry McKinlay, also 31, admitted to being in possession of cannabis.

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Both men also pleaded guilty to obstructing a water bailiff who attempted to detain them.

The court heard that Julienne was spotted fishing with a rod and line, upstream of the Telford Bridge, on Sunday, April 11, 2021, by a water bailiff.

It is an offence to fish for or take salmon on a Sunday.

The water bailiff contacted police for assistance before he was approached by the pair.

The bailiff saw that the lures on their fishing rods were black flying condoms or black flying c's, which are used when attempting to catch salmon lawfully on the River Spey.

The men said they were not trying to catch salmon but were fishing for pike, but pike are not found in the section of the river where Julienne had been fishing.

They were asked to provide their details and were told the police were on their way.

However, they refused to do so, and despite repeated requests to stay, they left the area.

The police later stopped their silver Mitsubishi Shogun near Birkenhill.

Cops saw fishing rods and other fishing equipment in the car and made them aware of the allegations of salmon poaching.

The police were invited to search the car and found a small glass jar containing cannabis on the rear seat, which belonged to McKinlay.

Both men were arrested and taken to Elgin police station. Meanwhile, the car and fishing gear was seized.

Julienne stated, "no fish, no evidence. I didn't even catch anything".

The court granted the prosecutor's motion for the forfeiture of four fishing rods, various lures, tackle, bags and clothing.

Julienne was fined £240 and McKinlay was fined £280.

Roger Knight, director of the Spey Fishery Board, said: “The Spey Fishery Board is pleased with the successful outcome of this case.

“Anglers travel from all over the world to fish the River Spey, spending millions of pounds which secures almost 400 jobs and supports an often fragile rural economy.

“Illegal fishing impacts upon all of this and our water bailiffs will continue to work tirelessly to protect the River Spey and its iconic Atlantic salmon from the damage caused by these criminals.

“Unfortunately, there has been an upsurge in cases of illegal fishing on the river during the last year, with more cases reported for prosecution.

“This case should act as a deterrent and shows that those who take part in such illegal activities will be caught, arrested and prosecuted.”

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Fiona Caldwell, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, added: “Salmon poaching is a wildlife crime.

“Specialist prosecutors within the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit take all reports of this nature seriously.

“We are committed to taking appropriate prosecutorial action against those found to have been involved in such offences in our waterways and would encourage anyone who may have information on salmon poaching to contact the police or other relevant enforcement authorities."