A bid by anglers to restrict the amount of time rafters can use the Upper Tay has been rejected by Perth and Kinross Council.
The Tay District Salmon Fishing Board had asked for a byelaw limiting access to the fish-rich waters, claiming rafters are overusing them.
The dispute between the anglers and other river users has been a lengthy and often bitter one, dating back to the river being opened up by the Land Reform Act.
Police were against a law being created, stating it would be impossible to monitor even if the force was not facing financial restrictions.
Council officials also said there was no evidence of wrongdoing by the rafters and preferred mediation as a solution to the dispute.
Wednesday’s meeting of the community safety committee unanimously rejected the request for a byelaw but councillor Barbara Vaughan whose ward covers the disputed area sounded a warning.
She said, “Rafting brings in an income to the area but those fishing the area bring in a considerable amount of income and jobs to an area where employment is hard to come by.
“The fishing community is not as visible … but when the rafts and canoes are there they are affecting the fishermen because it is not possible to fish at the same time because the disruption to the water is too great.
“If there is no voluntary agreement we should come back and revisit this. I would hate to see a byelaw but someone has to make a stand publicly and formally that there must be an understanding and if that has to be legal, it has to be legal.”
Committee convener Elspeth Maclachlan said, “What we’re hoping is, by not agreeing to the byelaw, we’ll send a message to the two parties that they can sort it out themselves or we will have to bring it back.
“It shows both sides we’re treating the matter very seriously because both give employment to the area.”