13 Mar 2023

Wistlandpound Club – Wimbleball Results

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club visited Wimbleball for their March Competition and all members tempted trout from various locations around the reservoir. The trout proved more difficult to tempt than expected possibly as a result of fluctuating temperatures with snow melt a potential factor. Prospects for are excellent for the coming months with large numbers of trout stocked. As Spring slowly settles in fish activity will increase with floating line sport likely on milder calmers days that are surely on the way.

*A typical full tailed Wimbleball rainbow*

Small dark coloured flies proved successful for me with a black lure on the point and black and green buzzers on droppers. Four of the five trout caught were tempted by the buzzers on the droppers. An intermediate line proved the best option it might have been worth drifting a set of buzzers beneath a floating line with a long leader and a gold head on the point.

I addition to hard fighting rainbows several wild browns were tempted with Colin Combe returning three fish to just over 1lb.

March 12^th – Wimbleball Result

1^st Wayne Thomas 5 – 9lb 1oz

2^nd – Andre Muxworthy – 3 – 6lb 10oz

3^rd David Eldred – 2 – 5lb 8oz

4^th Nigel Bird 2 – 4lb 11oz

5^th Dave Mock – 2 – 3lb 6oz

6^th – Colin Combe – 3 brown trout to 1lb +

11 Mar 2023

RIver Taw Fisheries & Conservation Association – News

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Chairman’s Report

Our AGM will be on the 31st of March at the Highbullen Hotel. We have a speaker from the Environment Agency called Harry Chance. Harry is an Agricultural Regulatory Inspection Officer and will update us on the greater level of enforcement that was first trialed on the Axe and is coming to the Taw.

We are running our annual auction online this year. The link is at the bottom of this piece which can be forwarded to as many people in your network as you feel might be interested. Chris Taylor, as ever, is rounding up auction lots. If you would be willing to donate, be it fishing, stalking, other experieces or equipment, then do email Christopher Taylor ([email protected]) or me ([email protected]). We will continue to add lots and run the end date through into mid April.

We have started the new season with a bang with around 20 fish caught on the lower beats, mainly kelt on the Barnstaple & District Angling Association water. Wisely, they immediately asked members not to spin and then brought in a voluntary cessation of fishing until the next large tide that should carry these valuable fish safely out to sea. I have checked with other rivers and these unusually high numbers have not been replicated elsewhere. They equate to a lot of eggs in our river and will only represent a proportion of the total spawning fish. This gives us some reason for optimism. Any angler who does catch a kelt should take particular care in returning this valuable fish to the water.

We hope the weather is an improvement on the 2022 season. Last year we had a promising start with several early fish caught. The rain then stopped and the summer and early autumn were a complete right-off. Our final figures were a miserable 53 salmon and 83 seatrout. The one lesson is to put in the effort when the conditions are right. Those lucky enough to fish the lower river did have sport in periods the water was cool enough to fish.

The Committee has been working away behind the scenes on protecting the ecology of our catchment. The toughest job was working with Fish Legal on a private prosecution. Alex Gibson coordinated this and his report is in this Newsletter.

There are rapidly increasing numbers of shad spawning in our river, most likely the result of the weir removals assisting their migration. We contacted various researchers through Jo Madden (Upper Taw Representative). An article on this fresh-water breeding herring can be read elsewhere in this Newsletter.

Over the years we have improved access over our weirs, bought out the estuary salmon nets, succesfully lobbied IFCA to ban other estuary netting, monitored fish numbers through fry surveys and beat surveys, collaborated with South West Rivers Association on various lobbying activities, cleaned compacted and silted gravels to assist with spawning, sued polluters and those that damage the ecology of our river and brought a multitude of other benefits. The two major causes of damage we continue to battle are sewage treatment works and poor farming practices. We can’t change these alone and so view collaboration as a necessary strategy. The North Devon Biosphere have a Catchment Partnership and Ian Blewett has a seat at that table as outlined in his article in this Newsletter. A major step forward will be in-river water monitors that have been trialled in the Umber and are now to be introduced in the Little Dart.

William Martin has just completed a new website for us. It will allow greater flexibility, easier communications – such as this email – and also online auctions. Bryan Martin has ably managed our previous website for which we are grateful and will continue to assist with the new one. The new model allows other officers to have direct access alongside Bryan.

Andy Gray

The Mole Pollution Incident

The Mole pollution incident has been extensively covered in
our website over the last 2 ½ years. Now that the legal processes have run their course, I have been asked to write a concluding article. We should remember though that the effect of so many of our fish being killed will be felt in our salmon, sea trout and brown trout fish stocks into the future.

Sadly we have become used to the drip by drip deterioration
in the water quality of our river caused to a great extent by the bad practice of farmers and our water company, South West Water, this despite extensive campaigning efforts for improved regulation and enforcement. There was always a feeling though that a major catastrophe could be around the corner.

I was Chairman when I received a call from the EA on the
morning of 1 August 2020 telling me that there had been a major fish kill incident, Category 1 in EA terminology, as a result of anaerobic digestate used as a fertiliser getting into the Mole in large quantities. For reasons of continuity I stayed involved until all the legal loose ends were finally tied up towards the end of last year.

An estimated 15,600 fish in a 5km stretch of the Mole were
killed, from above the link road to the junction of the Molland Yeo where fortunately sufficient dilution took place. This stretch is an important spawning and juvenile area for the river. The salmonids actually counted by the EA were: 315 salmon parr, 1,155 salmon fry, 14 adult sea trout, 1,127 adult brown trout, 328 brown trout parr and 1,222 brown trout fry. Although no adult salmon were killed the loss of three generations of juvenile salmon will be felt for years to come. The same situation applies to the sea trout killed and to the unknown number of juvenile brown trout killed that would have migrated to sea as sea trout.

The EA mounted a successful criminal prosecution of Alun
Sing’s company and one of his employees. The total fine was £2,667, an amount viewed as derisory by those concerned with the health of the river. The proceeds went of course to the Treasury not to the river. With the criminal prosecution out of the way it was open to us to mount a private action for damages. It turned out that amongst all the riparian owners below the polluted stretch on the Mole and on the Lower Taw only five RTFCA members, a
disappointing number, could be identified as members of Fish Legal. These five, acting as claimants, engaged Fish Legal and after a long, drawn-out legal process compensation of £18,000 was paid. Each of the five claimants agreed that the proceeds should go to the Westcountry Rivers Trust for river improvement work on the Mole and this has now happened.

What lessons can be learned?

Taking legal action in relation to river pollution is a
time-consuming and expensive business which requires specialist skills. This we found out through working alongside Fish Legal and through the excellent efforts of Justin Neal, Fish Legal Solicitor. I do urge riparian owners to protect their own and the river’s interests by becoming members of Fish Legal, thereby in effect insuring against the costs of legal action and making legal action affordable.

Those who pollute our river should be held to account and
pressure needs to be brought to bear on the EA to prosecute Category 1 and where possible Category 2 incidents.

Criminal prosecutions do have a deterrent effect. It is therefore important to decline offers under enforcement undertakings as RTFCA did in this case. By using the enforcement undertaking arrangement and offering money direct to the affected party the polluter seeks to avoid a criminal prosecution. It is important to note that after a criminal prosecution there remains the option, as in this case, of bringing a private action with proceeds going to river improvement work. A successful criminal prosecution by the EA
increases the likelihood of a successful private action.

We will never eradicate all the threats that our river faces,
but we must do all we can to minimise them. This means that anglers should act as eyes and ears on the river and report pollution incidents to the EA via its hotline (0800 807060). It may seem dispiriting that individual cases are not followed up by the EA unless there is a fish kill, but action becomes more likely against the repeat offender if incidents continue to be reported and logged.

Three anaerobic digesters on our system are three too many. There
is always the threat of a major incident directly or indirectly connected to them. I would urge any member who hears of plans for others being built to bring that information to the attention of the RTFCA Committee so that a concerted campaign can be launched to nip such plans in the bud.

Fortunately major incidents are rare and I hope my successor, Andy Gray, has a smooth ride in this respect.

https://fishlegal.net/2022/12/09/anglers-successfully-sue-river-mole-polluter-and-donate-18000-settleme

Alex Gibson

The ‘May Fish’ – Shad

In recent years Westcountry Rivers Trust has been hearing
reports of shad (Allosa sp.) seen and caught in the Taw, Exe,
Tamar and Torridge catchments. Thanks to those of you that bring these sightings to the attention of everyone and are keen to promote the wildlife in our rivers. The recent Severn Rivers Trust
EU and National Lottery partnership project which aimed to open up the River Severn for shad (Unlocking the Severn) has certainly raised the profile of the species and possibly their notoriety, as they seem to be getting noticed and recorded more.

It is well known that shad exist in the Tamar and whenever they have got over Gunnislake Weir they have been recorded travelling far into the catchment. In the southwest shad have also been recorded in the Taw, with some caught above Head Weir Falls on the River Mole. Considerable numbers have been seen on the Barnstapl & District Angling Association waters.

There are two types of shad, the Allis shad (Alosa alosa) and the Twaite shad (Alosa fallax). Both species look very similar, but pure bred Allis shad tend to be larger than Twaite, which rarely exceed 40cm.

Visually the species are difficult to tell apart, both will have varying markings and body lengths. Having recently spoken to someone who has researched shad for many years, I learned that attempts to identify the species should not be made. Aside from their genetic code, the only reliable way to accurately identify the species is by counting how many gill rakers they have.

There is lots of information if you’d like to know more about their ecology. This can be gleaned from government websites, British Sea Fishing (britishseafishing.co.uk) – has a good, concise summary) and Canal & Rivers Trust where there is a short one-minute ?????SOMETHING WRONG HERE
video through the website.d and edit content here.

Given the conservation importance of shad and their
importance to aquatic biodiversity in the southwest, Westcountry Rivers Trust has obtained some ‘seedcorn’ funding from Natural England to sponsor Layla Ousley, an experienced ecologist who has worked at WRT for over ten years, to survey for shad habitat in the Taw and Torridge. The project will be running to the end of March 2023 with the aim of identifying and mapping potential shad spawning and juvenile habitat within the Taw and Torridge catchments.

We would like the surveys to add to our knowledge of the Taw
so that we can continue our work to recover, improve and enhance our river for all species. We want to create and restore wildlife-rich habitats which provide valuable corridors for wildlife and biodiversity to connect our landscape.

At the end of the surveys we will have an idea of potential shad
habitat availability.This will help us deliver positive action for the Nature Recovery Network. We will have identified key habitats for shad in order to help steer conservation efforts for these species in a catchment that has forged a pathway in opening up migration since 2010.

Defra and Natural England are bringing together partners,
legislation, and funding to create the Nature Recovery Network (NRN). The idea is to deliver the NRN by restoring and enhancing England’s wildlife-rich places. The NRN is a major commitment in
the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan and enacted by the Environment Act 2021. This is where the ‘seedcorn’ funding has originated.

If you have any interesting shad information that may be
helpful to our surveys then please let us know through the normal channels and if you see one or two of us out on the river over the coming months looking for shad; please say hello as usual.

Adrian Dowding

Westcountry Rivers Trust

CATCHMENT PARTNERSHIPS – THE WAY AHEAD

Many people will not have heard of Catchment Partnerships,
but they are a feature of our life on the river that is here to stay. Catchment Partnerships is the accredited name that Government , in this case Defra and Natural England, gives to a Catchment Based Approach (CaBA).

CaBA is a community-led approach that engages people and groups from across communities, encompassing a variety of environmental interests at a local level to help improve our precious water environments. The idea is to do this to by addressing environmental issues at scale on a catchment basis.

THE NORTH DEVON CATCHMENT PARTNERSHIP (NDCP)

RTFCA is a member of the North Devon Catchment
Partnership. The area covered is depicted on the map below.

You will see that area includes all of the Taw and
Torridge catchments. The NDCP vision states: “Our health and quality of life depends upon the natural environment. As a UNESCO Biosphere, the natural capital in North Devon is recognised internationally. However this has been degraded through unsustainable land use practices, physical modifications and pollution. Climate change is making restoration even more challenging. We believe that the North Devon community and its public, private and charitable organisations, must work together in order to achieve Good Ecological Status in our rivers, estuaries and coastal waterbodies.”

MEMBERSHIP OF NDCP

In addition to RTFCA the following are members of NDCP:
Devon Wildlife Trust, The Environment Agency, Natural England, North Devon Biosphere, North Devon District Council, N Devon AONB, Westcountry Rivers Trust, South West Water

NDCP Priorities are:

– action on on diffuse pollution from agriculture (improving or restoring water quality)

– working with landowners to manage river banks

– encouraging best practice in forestry to reduce sediment pollution removing barriers to fish passage

– investigating the extent of sediment pollution in our river

– tackling the tricky issue of non native invasive species

THE FUTURE

We face a number of significant and daunting challenges to our river’s health and whilst we do our utmost to neutralise or mitigate the effects of the challenges that face us, the reality is that some are just too big in terms of scale and scope to grapple with. The Committee is of the view that we must adapt our approach if
our efforts are going to mean anything and this means partnering with other organisations and forming new alliances in order to deliver the outcomes we want. The NDCP provides us with the opportunity to do just that.

We have been welcomed as a valued member and have already been able to demonstrate our worth through our wide experience of raising funds and delivering environmental enhancements throughout the catchment. The NDCP priorities largely chime with
ours and the interesting thing is that the CaBA is going to be central to Government’s approach to environmental improvements in the future. Indeed, from next year much of Government funding that is dispersed across environmental projects will be channelled down through Catchment Partnerships and much of this we will be eligible for if our case is strong enough. All the indications are that
our experience in delivering collaborative projects on the river will stand us in good stead and the fact that we will now be in line to find and receive Government funding can only be a good thing.

We believe that making new alliances and partnerships will be key to success in the future. The NDCP will be central to that success and the early indications are that we as an organisation have a great deal to offer and will benefit from being part of this alliance. As the old saying goes – you have to be in it to win it.

Ian Blewett

Secretary

SOIL MINERAL NITROGEN SCHEME SAVES FARMERS MONEY AND REDUCES POLLUTION IN RIVERS

A Soil Mineral Nitrogen (SMN) project in Devon delivered through Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT) has helped farmers save money and reduce the pollutants going onto the land and into rivers.

In 2022, we worked with farmers in the Otter catchment to review their likely nitrogen fertiliser application and how much these had been adjusted due to cost, before sharing the results of nitrogen tests, to allow further adjustments (up or down) to improve the efficient application of N.

Over 425 hectares of conventional and organic land have been
tested. A total of 79 fields have been tested – 50% arable, 33%
grass and the remainder forage cropping (mostly maize).

The results showe significant opportunities for reductions in nitrogen applications, with the majority from the arable fields.

Total applications fell from 57,114kg N/ha to 49,521kg N/ha
– 2,632 kg N/ha of this was due to the high price of N and 4,961 kg N/ha due to adjustments based upon the SMN results.

Based upon a nitrogen fertiliser costing £841/tn in July 2022, the savings equated to over £14K, with an average saving per field of £234. Arable savings were considerably more at £340/field, £148/field for forage and £113 for grassland, with one field’s savings over £1,350.

These are unprecedented times in farming and costs of inputs are increasing, it is good to monitor efficiency across farming systems.

A 7,593kg N/ha reduction in application is the equivalent
of 22tn of nitrogen fertiliser. A lot of possible polutant removed from the system.

The main driver for this SMN work has been to empower farmers to undertake the analysis (where appropriate), to help their on-farm efficiency. This leads to financial savings and an improved environment, including of course water quality in our rivers.

Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT) has been working with farmers
for more than 28 years, offering impartial and confidential advice on all aspects of the farm.

The picture below shows an operator taking soil samples which can be tested for carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and a variety of other elements.

Yog Watkins

Westcountry Rivers Trust

11 Mar 2023

A GREY AND GLOOMY DAY WITH FROME GRAYLING

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

“Fancy a day trotting for grayling on the Frome in Dorset ?” Asked my good friend Bruce.

Sounds good I replied and booked up the adjacent beat on the estate hidden away between Dorchester and Wareham. Weather looked good, dry and cold.

A week later on the eve of our trip; severe weather warnings in place. Sleet ,heavy snow and strong North East winds. We were to be right on the border of the severe weather with potential heavy rain instead of snow!

The call of the river is strong and at 6.30am I was on my way to meet Bruce at Honiton; a convenient half way meeting point on the journey. As I drove over Exmoor trees coated in heavy snow and roads slippery with slush and heavy snow falling I questioned our sanity.

After a short delay in Honiton as we arrived at different car parks we eventually converged and I loaded my grayling gear into Bruce’s capacious van.

The higher ground was snow covered but as we got closer to the river the snow turned to rain.

Arriving at the river bank we were relieved that the rain had eased and the temperature had climbed to a balmy 3 degrees!

There was a bit of colour in the water but it looked Ok and running a little fast. The prospect of a good grayling had us both buzzing with excitement as we threaded line through the rings setting up with crimson topped floats, size 14 hooks and 3lb hook lengths.

Bruce walked the Upper beat with me showing me some promising swims where he had enjoyed success on previous visits.

*Wrapped up warm I set off for the river. No such thing as bad weather I was dressed for the occasion.*

I set the depth to allow the maggot or corn hook baits to trip over the gravel bottom. The fishery has produced grayling to over 3lb with 2lb fish highly likely.

After half an hour of trotting I hooked a powerful fish that fought hard in the strong current. I was disappointed when the flanks of a two pound plus out of season brown trout appeared. I netted the fish and slipped it back. This was followed ten minutes or so later by an almost identical trout. It might even have been the same fish.

I fished various swims as I fished slowly down river trotting baits through likely looking runs. It was good to be beside the river despite the damp gloomy conditions. I noticed the wrens flitting to and fro amongst the bank side reeds. Flocks of long tailed tits flew about in the adjacent trees.

The float dipped from time to time as the baits caught on the bottom but grayling were proving elusive. In a promising run the float dipped and I was delighted to feel a satisfying resistance and glimpse the dorsal fin of a good sized grayling. At 1lb 14oz it was a pleasing result.

By now it was gone 1.00pm and I was almost back at the van. I dropped Bruce a message and we met up for lunch in the back of the van. Comparing notes, it was obvious that the grayling were not in a cooperative mood. Bruce had tempted two grayling one of over 1lb the other a little smaller. He had also caught a brace of trout.

After the short break we set back out onto the river. I returned to the swim I had caught the grayling in before dinner. After a couple of trots the float dipped and a second grayling of around 1lb 8oz was brought to the net.

I spent the next couple of hours searching the beat with a couple of brief hook ups and another out of season brown trout. As the light faded my expectations waned and I headed down to see how Bruce was getting on.

Bruce was trotting his float expertly through a fast run and had just lost a good fish. The light was fading fast, as I watched the float shot under and Bruce was into a good grayling of around 1lb 12oz. I had packed away my rod and enjoyed watching Bruce fish until the float was barely visible.

*A pleasing grayling for Bruce of around 1lb 12oz in the fading light of the day*

It had been a good day’s fishing. Hard going in cold gloomy conditions with the grayling hard to tempt. The strong east wind forecast had not arrived and the heavy rain held off. We will be back next winter for sure.

We drove home through heavy rain with sleet on the high ground. I arrived at Tiverton to find the link road closed resulting in an unwelcome diversion over the snowy moors. I arrived home at close to 10.00pm a long but enjoyable day at the water’s edge.

5 Mar 2023

DYING RIVERS _ A VOICE OF CONCERN – WHO DO WE BLAME?

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Coarse Fishing, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

It is to be welcomed that the state of the countries rivers is now being vigorously debated across the media. As anglers we are all too aware of the issues and I for one have tried to promote any actions to raise awareness and address the issues. As a passionate angler and environmentalist, I get very angry at the way we as a species fail to value the planet of which the rivers can be likened to the vital arteries of the land.

Politicians will say what wins them votes and join in the clammer to apportion blame for the state of our rivers. We all do this to some extent venting our anger and pointing out what is wrong. Pictures of raw sewage discharging into rivers, dead fish killed by silage spills etc. Politicians play on our concerns; the water companies and farmers are singled out to blame.

But it’s not that simple. The Environment Agency one of the regulatory bodies who are accused of lack of action. They undoubtedly have good people working within but they cannot do their job because they are underfunded or mismanaged. South West Waters infrastructure frequently fails; underfunded, mismanaged ? Truth is that all of this is very complex and the fact is that if we focus on economics and profits the environment inevitably pays the price.

It is easy to blame not so easy to fix. One fact we all need to keep in mind is that it is us who produce the shit. Easy to blame SWW but it’s our crap they are processing. It is totally wrong to discharge raw sewage but someone has to pay. As more houses are built construction companies make money but does the system plan to enlarge sewer capacities, create new water storage reservoirs. The same can of course be said about health care, Council services, policing etc.

Privatisation of the water companies has been blamed for much that is wrong but it was failing as a public service as a Victorian infrastructure crumbled. The tory government passed the problem to private industry. We vent our anger at the fat cats and the shareholders creaming off the profits yet in the complex world of commerce this is where investment comes from. Morally the water companies should be publicly owned but that means funding from government and would voters pay the price?

We need to put the environment at the top of the agenda. But how do we fund this? The present model doesn’t work. Government bureaucracy moves slowly, too slowly for as we dither and think species decline the salmon being a good example of this. As we raise awareness and ponder the natural world slowly dies before our eyes.

Politics is beyond me. I don’t have all the answers. I know what’s wrong and I know what needs fixing. If you agree then who do we vote for to put it right? We can do our bit and raise awareness. Direct our anger in a constructive way. Report what’s wrong; apathy has no place that’s for certain.

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might get what you need”.

It is well worth tuning onto BBC 2 on Sunday night at 8:00pm when Paul Whitehouse is presenting a documentary about the state of our river’s.

Paul Whitehouse travels through the north of England, looking at the impact water companies have on its rivers.

Our Troubled Rivers

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001jw6x

Paul explores the change in the water industry since privatisation in 1989 and what regulations are in place when it comes to sewage discharge into rivers. He meets concerned locals in Yorkshire looking to highlight the health of the River Wharfe, a conservationist who warns of the ecological decline in iconic Lake Windemere, and the man at the front of the battle for the country’s waterways, Feargal Sharkey.

I REMEMBER WHEN

The old guy said,

I remember when the salmon poured into the pools,

Packed like sardines you could have walked across their backs, (1983)

I remember when some anglers caught one hundred salmon in a season, (2003)

It’s been a better season we caught forty from the river last year, (2023)

I remember when there were salmon in the river, (2043)

I remember being told there were once salmon in this river, (2063)

3 Mar 2023

From the River Bank

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Frosted grass as I walked to the river, stark trees and the river running a steely cold blue green.

The Fly was swung across familiar lies the line drew tight and it felt good to feel a fish throbbing with life on the line. No silver bar but a pleasing out of season wild brownie of perhaps a pound.

A skein of geese flew over their calls drifting through the cold March morning air. It was good to be out by the river; though I do look forward to those warmer days when the sand martins will be swooping low over the water.

On arriving back at the car, I met a fellow angler arriving to fish. We chatted and he told me he would have got here earlier but his wife was working and he had to walk the dog. I quipped that walking the dog was better than working. “Not so good as fishing though” came his swift reply.

Whilst relishing the joy of fishing the river I will mention that it is well worth tuning onto BBC 2 on Sunday night at 8:00pm when Paul Whitehouse is presenting a documentary about the state of our river’s.

Paul Whitehouse travels through the north of England, looking at the impact water companies have on its rivers.

Our Troubled Rivers

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001jw6x

2 Mar 2023

A new Season underway – With silver success

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

http://www.quaysports.com

March 1^st is the first day of Spring and salmon fishing on the Taw and Torridge. I was keen as always to get out on the river despite the chill North East wind that was blowing. With the rivers on the low side after one of the driest Februarys on record I figured that the club water on the Taw would be as good a place to try as anywhere. I was in no rush to get to the water’s edge as I figured the salmon would be likely to respond as the temperature began to rise later in the day. In truth I was not expecting to hear much but my optimism was boosted when I received news of a fresh run salmon from below Umberleigh caught by Simon Hillcox.

I pulled into the layby at Newbridge to find keen river angler Chay Boggis setting off . He had already caught a kelt and reported that river keeper Don Hearn had caught a fresh run springer.

*Don Hearn enjoyed first day success tempting a springer on a spinner*

I donned my waders, and started to take my rod from its tube when realisation of my first blunder of the season dawned ! I have forgotten to pack vital items of gear on a few occasions. This was the second occasion in over fifty years that I have forgotten to pack my reel. I cursed loudly; should I go home and get the reel or just take a walk along the river bank to catch up with fellow anglers. Fortunately; Chay saved the day grabbing a spare reel from his truck. An 8 Wt floating line would be fine with a fast sinking braided leader added to get the fly down.

*Chay Boggis with one of several kelts caught on opening day.*

It was good to once again wade out into the cold river that was running clear after weeks without rain. Whilst it was cold, signs of spring were all around pussy willow bursting forth and birds singing beside the river.

I swung the fly, across the river and after a few casts the line momentarily tightened. Was that a pull? I drifted the fly across the same spot and felt no resistance so maybe it was a chance or just a trout….

It was good to be out a new season ahead. I strolled down the bank met up with Don Hearn, John Webber and other club members. It was good to talk of the river and its salmon. The club is enjoying a revival with a strong membership with efforts made to improve river access and promote fishing. The club has for many years given the opportunity for local; anglers to enjoy salmon, sea trout and trout fishing at a very reasonable cost. For full details visit their website; –https://barnstapledistrictangling.co.uk

*Barnstaple Club members gather on opening day*

The first visit of the season always tell a tale of the winter floods. Lies change new snags appear yet much remains as it has always been. The deep water of some pools are almost certain to hold silver treasure and the hope to connect is strong as the fly is drifted.

Several club members have elected to try a spinner a method that can be effective in cold water of early spring. Spinning is permitted on the Taw and Torridge until March 31^st with single hooks mandatory. Always check individual fishery rules as many are fly only.

*Club Chairman – John Webber stands beside new steps giving easy access*

I fished a couple of hours and did not connect with that spring dream. It was good to get news of several fresh run fish and kelt’s. The kelts are welcome sight as they are evidence that fish have spawned during the winter months. The coming couple of months will see the downstream migration of smolts. Great care should be taken to return both kelts and smolts carefully.

*Debris tells the tale of winter floods*

Salmon face an uncertain future and need anglers to campaign hard for cleaner rivers and habitat improvement.. We must do all we can to protect and nurture the rivers for the future.

*( Above) Ever changing yet constantly flowing*

*The Lower Torridge looking great as the season starts.*

2 Mar 2023

Trip away in search of that big one. – Ollie Passmore writes-

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

Many thanks to Ollie Passmore for his article on wrasse fishing.

After a few successful trips away this winter targeting the ballan wrasse a window of prime conditions was forecasted. I knew a rough area that I believed could chuck up a big fish. All set to go with fresh crab and hand dug rag and prawns was our chosen bait. Arriving at the mark with very simple rigs that consist of a 3 way swivel with a short 80lb hook length and a 2/0 chino hook. Using a rotten bottom set up clipped up with a 15lb line so losing your lead is easily done. This is essential for fishing for wrasse. Wrasse are found generally in rocky areas and getting snags are often part of this fishing. Losing the lead is the best way of getting your kit back and also not tethering these fish up. 70lb braid is what I use for wrasse fishing so almost every time you get snagged you manage to get your trace back with either a bent out hook or lost lead. From first cast to last, baits where getting smashed. Lost count on the amount of fish we had over the two sessions. Most fish being around 3lb, and all being a variety of colours and patterns. Kody and myself where releasing the fish at sea level. This is important for the fish to go back well as they are fragile and tend to belly up if not treated correctly. Deep hooked fish I have found that it is best to just cut the hook length as they will often float away if you start digging around inside to try get your hook back. Wrasse are very important fish for our oceans as they keep the reefs and coral healthy and free from parasites and other things. But with a bit of fish care these fish will go back to carry on doing there important job that they were designed to do. Best fish of the session was a 4lb 4oz and a PB for me of 5lb 6oz. Kody landed lots of 3lb fish and some close to 4lb. It was a shame he didn’t get that 4lb fish. All in all, it was a trip to remember and has continued my passion and eagerness to get back out at the water’s edge targeting these very special fish that we have in our UK waters.

2 Mar 2023

FABULOUS FISH – LANACRE BARN GALLERY

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Jo Minoprio exmoor artist

Hi everyone, I’m really excited to be putting on this exhibition, 100% fish !! some amazing artwork by 11 professional artists. Please proceed to the website to find out more about whats’ going on and check out their work.

https://moorlandart.com/

There will be a talk by Phil Turnbull from The Westcountry Rivers Trust on March 27th at 5.30 (no charge) which you will have to book into via the ‘contact’ page on the website. There will also be groundbreaking footage to watch, available all day everyday, on the life of the salmon taken by Chris Conroy and supplied by The Atlantic Salmon Trust.

Incredibly grateful to all those that have helped me better form my views and have supplied me with equipment, words and advertising, The Atlantic Salmon Trust, The Westcountry Rivers Trust, The Exmoor National Parks, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust,The Missing Salmon Alliance and The Exmoor River and Streams Group. With much appreciated sponsorship from The River Barle Fishing Club and The River Exe and Tributaries Association.

http://www.lance-nicholson.co.uk

28 Feb 2023

2023 SOUTH WEST FLY FAIR – REPORT

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The 2023 South West Fly Fair was held at Roadford Lake on February, 26^th. This has become a very popular event in the West Country Fly Fishers diary heralding the onset of Spring fishing.

The format of the day allows plenty of time for social interaction with anglers from across the South West and beyond converging at the conference centre. There was a range of expert anglers at hand to offer advice on tackle, tactics, fly casting and fly tying.

There were numerous stalls with both new and second hand tackle, a vast array of flies and fly tying materials along with details of where to fish. Representatives from numerous angling club’s associations and trusts were in attendance.

Thanks must go to South West Lakes Trusts head of Angling Ashley Bunning and Dil Singh technical lead for game fishing who organised the event with their dedicated team. The event was opened by the familiar fair’s patron Charles Jardine. The fairs main sponsor was Chevron Hackles.

*South West Lakes Trusts head of Angling Ashley Bunning( Right) and Dil Singh technical lead for game fishing*

As always Charles Jardine’s enthusiasm for fly fishing was very apparent and was this year bolstered by the company of angling writer Peter Cockwill. Charles and Peter both highly respected fly fishing practitioners who have witnessed a huge amount of change in the fly fishing world and have remained at the fore front for several decades.

Charles and Peter are joining forces on June 21^st at Syon Park to “ Cast A Marathon”. Twenty six miles of casting using a mix of Orvis 4,6 and 8 weights to raise funds for https://www.fishingforschools.co.uk and Castaway and to promote their love of Fly Fishing. Full details to follow.

On arriving at the lakeside venue, it was immediately apparent that the lake is still barely half full following last seasons disastrous drought. This was undoubtedly a widely discussed issue amongst anglers as they debated last season and the coming months. Colliford in Cornwall is apparently even lower prompting the alarming question what if we get another summer of drought? Let’s hope it’s a more traditional British summer with a few downpours to keep the lakes topped up and the rivers flowing.

The experts , Charles Jardine, Snowbee’s Simon Kidd and Gary Champion delivered fine casting demonstrations with impressive flexing of rods and swirling of lines that all looked so simple in their hands despite the chill brisk North East Wind.

*Gary Champion explaing the art of fly casting*

The fly tying fraternity created many flies and lures to tempt the most discerning of anglers. Talks were delivered with humour and wisdom with plenty of audience participation.

The trade stands and expertise are an integral part of the show but above all it is the angling community that is at the heart of this event. Each year friendships are rekindled and plans made for the coming year. I’m sure its not just me who discusses plans for the season to then find that time and life intervene as for any keen angler will testify there is so much water and little time.

*Topping up the tackle – Homeleigh Garden Centre – Angling Department –*

A cheerful smile from John Aplin of Casterbridge Fisheries LTD

Put a couple of hundred anglers together for a day and there will be a huge amount of discussion. That great angling writer H.T. Sheringham penned several classic books in the early part of the last century the titles of which would cover many of the debates undertaken. Trout Fishing Memories and Morals, Elements of Angling and perhaps more appropriate “Fishing its Cause Treatment and Cure”.

Debate about tactics and morals have raged within angling for centuries. When does an artificial bait become a fly? Is Upstream dry fly fishing superior to upstream nymph. Is the use of an indicator akin to float fishing? Are wild trout more worthy than stocked? What of the future of fishing? Cane, carbon or fibre glass? Is social media toxic or is it the anglers that post upon it? Is competitive angling good or does it bring out the worst in people?

I joined a discussion with well-known West Country Fluff chucker Rodney Wevil debating on how to catch mullet on the fly. Are they the most difficult fish to tempt? Despite considerable success with the species Rodney believes they are indeed among the most challenging of fish.

Talk of Fly Fishing and twenty years ago most would have thought of trout or salmon. Today fly fishing enthusiast’s target a very wide range of species in both salt and freshwater. Predatory fish such as pike have become top targets as have carp. The tactics used to tempt these species open up an entire new spectrum for anglers to debate.

Another item very high on the agenda is the river environment a topic that is now gathering a far wider audience due in part to the sterling efforts of Feargal Sharkey and the like. As anglers we have a very close affinity with water and are very aware of change.

As waters closer to home suffer from mankind’s actions it is perhaps inevitable that those who can afford seek fish from distant lands. I talked of fishing the richer waters of Norway and Iceland.

I also had a very interesting discussion about the fishing in the Southern Hemisphere. I had seen pictures of adventures with huge seatrout, brown trout and rainbow trout posted by Peter Cockwill.

Peter enlightened me about how these fish have thrived in pristine waters of the Southern hemisphere after being stocked many years ago by us northerners. Waters that had no significant fish populations now have these fish that many think of as wild. They are not of course truly wild but illustrate how mankind can redistribute nature to his own ends. Mankind is undoubtedly decimating the marine ecosystems of the world how nature responds is complex.

The 2023 Fly Fair was a very enjoyable event that will hopefully run as an annual event for many years. I arrived home late afternoon with a head full of fishy thoughts. In the middle of the night I awoke; discussions of fish populations in our rivers swimming through my mind. A common theme amongst anglers is how it used to be. Each generation has its own bench marks.

Keen to record my thoughts I left a warm bed to compose the following:-

I REMEMBER WHEN

The old guy said,

I remember when the salmon poured into the pools,

Packed like sardines you could have walked across their backs, (1983)

I remember when some anglers caught one hundred salmon in a season, (2003)

It’s been a better season we caught forty from the river last year, (2023)

I remember when there were salmon in the river, (2043)

I remember being told there were once salmon in this river, (2063)

*(Above) Zoe Latham keen Dartmoor Fly Fisher – With her fish and fly art works*

http://www.bannisterrods.co.uk

19 Feb 2023

FEBRUARY TROUT ACTION at WIMBLEBALL

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, At the Waters Edge, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

Matt Kingdon and I arrived at Wimbleball Lake for around 8:30am, misty drizzle drifted across the water and surrounding hills driven by a brisk North Westerly breeze. Wimbleball can be a bleak place in early February but the plentiful full tailed hard fighting rainbows draw anglers from across the West Country.

We headed for the picnic bank giving access to deep water; a reliable area especially early in the season when the recently stocked rainbows tend to shoal up. It was good to wade out into the cool clear waters of this vast lake and put a line out across the water. I had tied a small black Wooley bugger on the point with a small black and green nymph on a dropper, this was presented with an intermediate line. These tactics were the same I had used from the boat a couple of weeks ago with good effect. On each cast I paused for a few moments allowing the flies to sink before commencing a slow erratic retrieve. I often use the analogy of playing with a kitten when describing how to tempt a trout. The movement imparted into the flies or lure can trigger a take as can the pause. Each cast is made with thought, searching the depths and aiming to stimulate a reaction.

I watched Matt to my left employing a speedier retrieve that I thought was more akin to his competitive angling spirit.

After a few minutes my line zipped delightfully tight as a rainbow seized the lure erupting from the water in a flurry of spray. Over the next couple of hours another five trout were caught and despatched. All hard fighting full tailed fish between 1lb 12oz and 2lb 8oz. Matt also banked a couple of pleasing rainbows.

*Matt in action with a full tailed Wimbleball rainbow*

The relentless brisk cold wind and light rain was not pleasant so despite being where the fish were we decided to move to a more sheltered bank. With the wind at our backs casting was easier and the fishing more pleasant, there is often a balance to be had when deciding where to fish. The whole thing is after all about enjoyment so whilst catching is important its not always vital to catch as many as possible. Unless of course it’s a competition!

We resumed our quest searching the water in various locations and catching trout in each area we searched. Matt worked hard changing flies and tactics earning himself a full bag of five trout by the time we were ready to head for home shortly after 3.00pm. I soldiered on with the same tactics and caught and released a further three trout ending the day with eight trout. A great days’ trout fishing on a dark dank February day.

As we packed away we plotted to return on those warmer spring days when the fish would rise freely and a floating line would stretch out on a lake riffled by a gentle breeze. Despite the chill air there were signs of spring all around with frogspawn in the shallows and birdsong drifting in the air. Snowdrops were abundant on the roadsides with daffodils budding in every moorland village along the route.