The Welsh valleys in late May provided a pleasing route to a fishing adventure that I will savour in my ever growing array of memories gathered throughout an angling life. The trip to Llyn Clywedog Trout fishery in Mid Wales had been anticipated for several months and as always it seemed slightly surreal when the day to set off actually arrived.
I was joining three old friends who I had fished with over many years in the annual Water Industry Game Fishing Championship ( WIGFC). Whilst we are no longer eligible to fish in the competition we still try to celebrate the old days with a trip together sharing tales of old and writing new chapters. It seems hard to believe that it was way back in 1995 that we were part of the winning team for South West Water at Sutton Bingham.
The glorious weather of late Spring was set to continue and a glance at the many rivers reflected this as we wound our way North. A road closure resulted in a short detour that proved a blessing in disguise as at just before 8:00am we spotted a sign to a Farm Shop with breakfast from 8:00am. The Valley was bathed in soft morning light, resplendent shades of green with rolling hills lay before us as we enjoyed a delicious full English with hot tea and coffee. Swallows and house martins were swooping to and from the eaves and all seemed pretty good with the world.
Fully refreshed we set off again pausing to take a look at the River Usk where Ray had enjoyed a day chasing the wild trout for which the river is renowned. So many places to fish and so little time. Talk of friends work colleagues and people we had known through the years who were now deceased or gripped by old age focussed the mind on life’s fragility.
The words of Francis Rossi’s song ‘Tongue Tied’ came to mind as we resumed our journey.
I’m just dreaming of a time long ago
I’m just dreaming of the past
I’ve been feeling that there’s not long to go
Why does living go so fast?
An hour or so later we arrived at Llyn Clywedog a spectacular reservoir nestled within steep valleys of bracken, forest and sheep grazed slopes. The water shimmered ruffled by a moderate North East breeze beneath a brilliant blue sky. We purchased our bank tickets from the fishing lodge and set up our tackles for the day.
We had three days fishing ahead of us and confidence was high as we explored the vast area available on the Southern Bank. Swallows swooped over the water and the cuckoo’s evocative summer call drifted through the air. The occasional trout rose just out of casting range and we fished hopefully.
The scenery was truly epic and I relished exploring each corner of shoreline. Lush greenery of late Spring, young lambs grazing on in an idyllic backdrop.
Ray was fishing to my left and I called to him as an osprey soared above its white undersides clearly visible as it glided effortlessly above the lake. It was a sight to lock into those memory banks for sure along with the many kites we were to see over the three days we fished.
We packed up at around 5.00pm to head for our hotel ‘ The Red Lion’ in nearby Llanidloes a small town located close to the source of the River Severn. We had left North Devon before 5.00am and were all feeling a little weary and ready for food and drink.
We reminisced about life and fishing over a couple of pints and a good meal. The same old stories resurfaced of past adventures across the UK. The annual WIGFC competition rotated around the reservoirs of the UK resulting in us visiting an array of locations. Stories of a pub in Northumberland where a raffle in the village Hall offered pots of paint, light bulbs and a starched white shirt were retold. The hostel where a bed bug resistant bag was offered on arrival. The trials and tribulations over the years recalled with fondness and a hint of melancholy as we pondered upon the passing of time.
Day two saw us head to the lake after a good breakfast. We fished from the boats. I shared a boat with Ray with Garry and Rob sharing another boat. The boats enabled us to explore a far wider area. Stepping out onto the boats we gazed into the clear waters to watch a large gathering of trout swimming around the jetties. A few trout pellets tossed into the water resulted in a boiling frenzy. These trout were not fished for and known affectionately as the pets. Some of these fish were well over 5lb and had apparently haunted the area for several seasons.
On day one we all found a sinking line productive with the ever successful olive damsel proving effective. I also experimented with the locals popular choice of tactic suspending a pink wriggly worm pattern beneath a bright bung indicator. Ray and Garry frowned upon my lack of etiquette; likening the tactic to Coarse Fishing. As an all-round angler I sometimes struggle with the rights and wrongs of fishing tactics. In truth it was nice to take a rest from continual casting and drift along watching the optimistic bobbing of the bright bund. Its disappearance and connection with a hard fighting trout just another tactic to employ and enjoy.
In short we caught close to forty hard fighting rainbows during our two days on the boats with Rob landing a pleasing spartic. The fish were all in superb condition, full tailed and hard fighting. The average size was around 2lb with the occasional fish close to 3lb.
On our last morning we learnt that booby’s often produced the bigger fish; deep and slow the tactic.
Once again our WIGFC inspired trip had taken us to new waters. Vast blue skies, soaring kites in a wild and largely unspoilt landscape. Llanidloes the small town at the head of the Severn had an atmosphere of its own with a timeless aura that seemed to hang onto a retro 70’s vibe. Squadrons of swifts swooped high above as we strolled the streets embarking upon a little window shopping. It seemed to me that there was a greater abundance of bird life here in the depth of Wales. I certainly hope to return in the not too distant future.
As to next year there will hopefully be another WIGFC reunion maybe a bit closer to home.
Water temperatures are continuing to slowly rise, although some chilly winds have meant that the fish are often still feeding below the surface. During warmer spells insect activity increases, and trout begin to look to the surface to feed during hatches. The Trust has run a number of successful introductory beginners’ days at the rainbow waters in conjunction with the clubs, with many newcomers managing to catch fish – Stithians hosted theirs on 4 May, with future events planned for Burrator (15 June) and Roadford (29 June). The annual Peninsula Classic bank competition will be held at Kennick on 22 June.
Fishing:
Kennick – The excellent sport continued, with anglers averaging 3.5 fish per visit. Generally the fish were well spread out around the water (particularly popular areas included the East Bank, Clampitts, The Narrows, Boat Bank and Poplar Bay), with both boat and bank anglers both enjoying similar success. Fish fed at most depths, so a variety of line types, from floating to fast sink, all caught fish, with the occasional buzzer and sedge hatch bringing fish up to feed. Hawthorns started to make an appearance toward the end of the month, with the fish starting to get a taste for them. With fish hungry to feed, a wide variety of patterns all caught fish, from deep sunk Boobies (other successful lure patterns included Orange lures, Cat’s Whisker, Tadpoles and Ace of Spades), to mid-depth nymph patterns (Damsels, Montanas, Buzzers, Diawl Bach, Hare’s Ear and Pheasant Tail nymphs), with the occasional fish rising to Hawthorns and foam Beetles. Graham Roberts caught the best fish of the month – a rainbow of 4lb; Michael Peppitt caught a rainbow of 3lb 8oz – one of six caught from the boat; Michael Herring (from Thurlstone) caught a rainbow of 3lb 3oz (also from a boat).
Siblyback – The excellent sport continued at Siblyback throughout the month, with anglers averaging 4.3 fish per rod, with the banks proving to be slightly more popular than the boats. Stocky Bay, Crylla, North Bank and Two Meadows were the most productive locations. Fish tended to be near the surface, with floating and intermediate lines combined with a slow or medium retrieve proving to be the best tactic. There were regular hatches of buzzers throughout the month, with beetles, hawthorns and caddis putting in an appearance toward the end of the month. As the trout were eager to feed, a wide variety of dry (Hawthorns, Daddies, Gnats, Beetles, Hoppers and Klinkhammers), nymph (Damsels, Hares Ear, Spiders, Buzzers), and lure patterns (Tadpoles, Orange Fritz and Cat’s Whiskers) all caught fish. Ben Lang and son, Harry Cinnamon, caught 11 rainbows to 2lb between them, mainly using a floating line, long leader, with a Damsel on the point and Diawl Bach on the dropper. Ron Wilday caught nine rainbows to 1lb 12oz, pulling Damsels and Cat’s Whiskers. The Lawson brothers (Al and Andy, from Plymouth) both had an excellent morning session, casting Black foam Hoppers and Hawthorn patterns to rising fish, and each catching a bag of rainbows averaging 1lb 12oz.
Burrator – Anglers averaged 2.8 fish per visit over the month, with most fish being caught at Longstone, Sheeps Tor, Pig Trough, Peninsular Bay, The Lawns and Lowry Point. The banks were marginally more popular than the boats, and with fish feeding generally within three feet from the surface, floating and intermediate lines proved to be the most successful (fished with a variety of retrieve speeds). As there was plenty of insect activity (buzzer and sedge hatches), fish were looking up to feed, and could be caught on dry Claret Hoppers, Brown Daddies, Tups Indispensable, Dry Adams, Black Gnats and dry Sedge patterns; sub-surface feeders were caught on various nymph patterns (especially Damsels and Montanas, Buzzers and Diawl Bachs) and lures (Cats Whisker, Tadpole, Orange Blob and Cormorant).
Stithians – Stithians fished fairly consistently throughout May, with anglers averaging 2.7 fish per visit. Most popular locations included Pipe Bay, Mossopps, Goonlaze, Pub Bay and Yellowort, with plenty of fish feeding tight into the shallows, and floating lines with a medium/slow retrieve producing the best results. Plenty of gnats and hawthorn flies on the water meant that the trout were looking up to feed, and could be caught on dry Black Gnats, Black Hoppers, Hawthorns and beetles. Deeper feeding fish took Black Buzzers, Diawl Bachs, Damsel Nymphs, Hares Ears, as well as various lure patterns (Orange Blob, Snake, Tadpole, as well as the occasional Booby).
Colliford – Anglers averaged 2.7 fish per rod, and while fish were well spread out around the reservoir, the most productive banks included Redhill Point, the Dam, Lords Waste, The Slipway, The East Bank and Pines. With plenty of fish showing, floating lines with a slow retrieve proved popular, with fish taking dry Hawthorns, Hoppers, Black Gnats, and Foam Beetles. Subsurface feeders were caught on a selection of nymphs and lure patterns (including Goldhead Bibio, Soldier Palmer, Zonker, Tadpole, Pheasant Tail, Kate McLaren and Alexandra). Kevin Rushton caught a grand brownie of 4lb 3oz (the best fish from Colliford so far this season), while Dean Boucher caught a brown of 2lb 4oz (as part of a bag of eight fish).
Fernworthy – The catch rates improved to an average of 2.9 fish per visit over May, with fish being caught at Thornworthy, Brownhills, the Boathouse and along the south bank, as well as in the deeper water by the dam. Floating lines fished with a long leader produced the best results, and when there was a buzzer hatch, fish could be caught on small beetle patterns, Hawthorns and hoppers. Deeper feeders were caught on Damsels, Buzzers, Blue Zulu, Pheasant Tail, Soldier Palmer, Connemara, Bibio, Mini Scruffy Tiger and Hares Ears.
Roadford – Floating lines with varied retrieves proved to be the order of the day, with the best sport to be had from the deeper water by the dam, The Oaks, Grinnacombe, Gaddacombe, Shop Bay and Wortha. Weekly catch rates varied, with anglers averaging 5.6 fish one week, and 3 fish per visit over the whole month. While some fish rose to dry patterns (Daddies and Black Gnats), most were caught in deeper water, taking a selection of nymphs (Damsel, Buzzer, Blue Diawl Bach and Hares Ear) and lure patterns (Blue/Gold Humungous, Cormorant, Leach, Muddler Minnow and Mini Scruffy Tiger).
Please see the Trust’s website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events.
Matches will be fished to full international rules and AT-TEFF River Qualifier scoring system. Measure, catch & release basis. Only in season fish 18cm and above be eligible for measuring / scoring / awarding fish points.
Entrants will be split into 2 groups:
Morning Group fishing am & controlling pm.
Afternoon group fishing pm & controlling am.
Draw to take place the evening before the qualifier at 7pm Fingle Bridge Inn
CLOSURE OF WATER
Competition water will be closed to competitors from Clifford Bridge to Dogmarsh Bridge (Mill End) from sunset on Sunday 11th May 2025. Members will be asked not to fish on the Sunday and the river will be closed to day-ticked anglers on the competition water for the Sunday as well.
PRACTICE TICKETS : £40 Practice permits include any 7 days of practice from 15th March – 11th May on all club water.
Contact Harry Chance on the number below to purchase a ticket via BACS and to inform him of the days you intend to fish.
Practice day tickets can be purchase for £15 which can be bought on a Westcounty Angling Passport Scheme or from Fingle Bridge Inn, Mill End Hotel or direct from the club. Contact Harry Chance on the number below to purchase a ticket via BACS and to inform him of the days you intend to fish.
AT TEFF Rivers National Qualifier – River Teign – Sunday 18th May 2025
Parking for practice: Dogmarsh Bridge on the side of the road, please be careful – what3words ///writings.shrug.count. There is parking at the other locations on the map further up the river at Chagford swimming pool and you can walk down to the top of the beat. Parking for the competition will be the same.
DRAW : 7:00 pm Saturday 17th May at the Fingle Bridge Inn all are welcome .
Match Briefing 07:20am
Fishing Times: Morning group: 09:00 am – 12:00 noon – Single bank session – download map here. Parking in public cap park at Clifford Bridge (bottom of the beat) and FingleBridge – the beat end is at the bridge – download map above
Afternoon group: 14:00 pm – 17:00 pm is at Fingle Bridge (bottom of the beat) to Dogmarsh Bridge – download map here. Parking is at Fingle and walk up the foot paths on both sides of the river to the suspension bridge. From the suspension bridge to Dogmarsh Bridge the foot path is on the true left bank.
Harry is trying to sort parking in a farmer’s field next to the bridge. Otherwise, parking will be on the road which can be busy – download map above.
BRIEFING : 07:20 am at Fingle Bridge
Entry Fee : £30
Fishing Fee : £12.00 payable in cash on the day
Min entries : 12
For practice tickets : Please contact Harry Chance on 077919 302747 to make payment or if you have any further enquiries regarding tickets .
Match Organiser Simon Caddy 07884492300
AT-TEFF matches now have an AT membership requirement. If you need to renew or sign up please visit www.anglingtrust.net/membership or call 0343 5077 006 (option 1).
Cancellation/Refunds: Please note: If you wish to cancel a ticket, please inform [email protected] by email, and include your name, the name of the qualifier you would like to cancel, your membership number & postcode. We require 3 days-notice prior to the qualifier in order to process a refund. Any notification outside of this time scale will not be entitled to receive a refund. Please note: There is no secondary market for the sale or transfer of any tickets.
The Arundell are thrilled to host a Team England Fly Fishing qualifier competition right here on their home waters during peak trout season.
This exciting competition focuses on catching wild trout on the fly, and offers a fantastic opportunity for fly fishers, especially local anglers to showcase their skills.
Successful competitors will earn a place in the finals, with the ultimate chance to represent England
Don’t miss out on this incredible day of friendly competition, camaraderie, and world-class river fishing!
Entry fee is £55 (£30 TEFF fee and £25 for a day ticket)
Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club fished their May competition at Torridge Fly Fishing Clubs water at Gammaton Reservoir. I won the competition with three trout for 5lb 15oz. Nigel Bird was runner up with a brace of trout weighing 5lb with Colin Combe and David Eldred equal third with trout weighing 2lb 10oz.
Upper and Lower Gammaton Reservoirs hold many memories for me personally as I worked there over forty years ago when I worked with South West Waters reservoir maintenance gang. Whilst the old slow sand filters are long gone the actual reservoirs and the surround are little changed so returning always brings a sense of life passing as I ponder upon those who I worked with now undoubtedly long gone.
Conditions seemed promising as we approached the water with cloudy thundery skies. It was very still at first but I guess that a breeze would stir as the morning passed.
Within ten minutes Nigel Bird fishing to my left had a hooked trout which seemed a promising omen.
I set up with a floating line and a team of nymphs expecting fish to be high in the water. After an hour with very little sign of surface activity and no takes I decided to go deep and changed to fast a sink line. After half an hour a rainbow of perhaps 2lb 8oz seized my black booby lure and gave a spirited account before being dispatched.
I persisted and lost another trout a while later when it took the booby as I lifted it from the water. I tied a bright pink blob onto my top dropper and had a few follows before hooking another trout that was a lean sliver rainbow that again gave a good account.
It seemed that my tactics were worth persisting with as only three other trout had been tempted by members. I reverted to the black booby on the point after trying various lures and was rewarded with my final trout to complete my limit.
I walked back to the car relishing the wild orchids and May blossom.
In form Bulldog Fisheries have announced the date of their May Competition that will probably be the last until the Autumn. Big fish have been stocked so should be a good day.
Arriving at Winsford in the heart of Exmoor my wife Pauline and I were delighted to find the Village Hall packed with attendees all assembled for this conference focussing on the waters of Exmoor. Amongst the crowd were many familiar faces all of whom I knew shared a passion for rivers. After coffee and cake we took our seats to listen to the speakers the details of which I have added at the end of this feature.
Kate O Sullivan, Chair of the Exmoor Society welcomed us to the venue and gave a brief introduction highlighting the overall concerns relating to our rivers and efforts and collaborations to address the many issues.
Professor Charles Foster delivered an evocative story of a salmons life journey from its birthplace in the headwaters of the Exe to the sea, to its distant feeding grounds of Norway and Greenland and then its epic and miraculous journey back to its home water. The tale was a master class in story telling captivating the audience without a power-point presentation. The story was punctuated by the multiple perils faced by the salmon at each stage of its life long journey. The complexities of a salmons epic journey were the perfect start to the day’s proceedings in effect setting the agenda to follow..
The salmons strive to stay alive is so strong from birth to death in a constant evolutionary stream of life that has endured for millennia that is today threatened by mankind’s disregard for the natural world.
Mark Lloyd Chief Executive of the Rivers Trust gave a passionate assessment of the state of the nation’s rivers. In brief too much, too little, too dirty, too hot and too little nature. The situation has accelerated since the 1970’s with extremes of temperature and rainfall. Agriculture, Abstraction and urban pollution from sewage outfalls etc all impacting and overlapping to exacerbate the issues.
Mark then highlighted some of the solutions and how working with nature can help to address.
Professor Alistair Boxall delivered a very concerning and thought provoking presentation highlighting the issue of pharmaceutical pollution of the National Parks. Sampling of water across National Parks showed high levels of pharmaceutical residue including paracetamol, metformin, caffeine, carbamazepine, gabapentin and fexofenadine. All commonly used by many in society and discharged into sewage networks that are not designed to remove them. The long term effects on our rivers are not yet known.
Professor Sir Dieter Helm delivered an economists perspective on a fresh approach to how we address the many issues using a catchment based approach. I found his delivery enlightening and inspiring as he pointed out the uncomfortable truth that we are all collectively to blame. He set out sensible solutions to the issues highlighting that what we do is not sustainable. Food production, sewage infrastructure we create the demand yet we do not want to pay. We need to rethink, design, polluters must pay and those who do not should be rewarded for their endeavours.
Question time was skilfully coordinated by Mark Lloyd who introduced the panel.
The panel face a packed Village Hall
Each panellist introduced themselves highlighting their work.
Dr Rose O’ Neil talked about the vital importance of rivers that flow through National Parks.
Dr David Smith outlined the work of South West Waters dedicated team who look after the regions catchments and rivers. South West Water are large landowners and invest in invasive species control and many fish passage schemes. Upstream Thinking is one of the company’s flagship projects and focuses on the headwaters that are vital to a catchments overall health. David acknowledged the need for future water storage and told of collaboration between Wessex Water and Bristol Water with the planned construction of Cheddar 2 adjacent to the existing Cheddar Reservoir that will help to preserve Wimbleball for the South West region.
James Thomas delivered an extensive and passionate overview of the work being undertaken by the National Trusts Wetlands Team across North Devon. James explained the historic connections of landscapes to water and how working with nature helps to improve water quality, reduce flood risk, act as carbon storage, improves drought resilience, and boosts opportunities for wildlife both increasing abundance and biodiversity.
Toby Diggens talked enthusiastically and with infectious optimism for setting rivers free using descriptive illustrations and art work to portray the long term benefits of restoring natural meandering flow of rivers.
Toby Diggens talks of the benefits of setting rivers free
A Personal Perspective
Walking out of the Village Hall we were inspired by the passion shared by all the speakers to a receptive audience. The fact that so many came together on this beautiful spring day brings hope for the future.
The problems that face our rivers are many and extremely complex. I have long held the belief that rivers are the arteries of the land. As an angler my connection with rivers has been life long and I have witnessed a dramatic and sad decline in my lifetime. I was able to share this story as we embarked upon a strenuous walk that took us to a high viewpoint that enabled us to view the beautiful valley of the river Exe.
Exmoor surely the star of the show…and top of the bill!
I bought the new book from Seven Fables by acclaimed author Robert Macfarlane who asks the question ‘ IS A RIVER ALIVE’ ? I look forward to reading this tome. But in answer to the question if we consider the entire planet a living entity then is it not sensible to consider the rivers as the veins and arteries that carry the planets life blood for water is vital to life on earth.
As we paused for lunch between the conference and our walk. I noted the martins swooping to gather mud from the stream, swifts swooping high above quaint thatched cottages their evocative screams of summer drifting through the valley and swallows those birds that are surely the true harbingers of summer. It was easy to be lulled into a sense that all is good. And yet I looked into the stream a tributary of the Exe and noted the sediment and algae in the stream and how this was far more pronounced below the ford where cars frequently drove through washing mud and oil from their undersides.
Beneath the fordAbove the ford the river runs clear its gravels less tarnished by sediment
A lady walked her dogs that splashed across the river potentially releasing powerful toxins designed to kill the ticks that are now prolific throughout the seasons, a result of infrequent winter frosts. The lack of rain throughout the spring reduces dilution of this toxic mix that enters the river. All is certainly not as it should be and the insidious invisibility is perhaps the greatest concern.
It brings hope that our eyes are slowly opening to the many issues and yet there are still too many in society who are either oblivious or turn the proverbial blind eye for it is convenient not to see.
On a final word many thanks to the Exmoor Society for all the hard work that is involved in hosting and organising such a thought provoking and informative event.
SPEAKERS PROFILES BELOW
Kate O’Sullivan
Chair of the Exmoor Society
Kate O’Sullivan has been chair of The Exmoor Society since September 2022, where she has concentrated on nature recovery. For many years she worked at the BBC as a science documentary producer, making films for the BBC-2 Horizon series and then at BBC Films. Since moving to Exmoor, she has worked on the family’s farm at Old Stowey to improve the pasture, hedges, woodland, and soil. She has a master’s in the history and philosophy of science from Imperial College.
Sarah Bryan
Chief Executive of ENPA
Sarah Bryan is the Chief Executive of the Exmoor National Park Authority. She has worked on Exmoor for more than 25 years, since joining the organisation as a Conservation Officer (Landscape) in 1992. She has used her roles to engage with landowners and land managers, forging strong partnerships with external agencies and partners, and leading key conservation and landscape projects. She has a degree in Environmental Science from the University of East Anglia, a second degree in Landscape Design from Manchester University, and is a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute.
Professor Alistair Boxall
Professor, Environmental Science
Alistair is a Professor in Environmental Science in the Environment Department and Director of the NERC-funded ECORISC Centre for Doctoral Training. Alistair’s research focuses on understanding emerging and future ecological and health risks posed by chemical contaminants in the natural environment. Alistair is a past member of the Defra Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances and past Chair of the Pharmaceutical Advisory Group of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. He regularly advises national and international organisations on issues relating to chemical impacts on the environment and has published extensively on the detection, fate, effects and risks of emerging contaminants (including pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials and transformation products) in the natural environment.
Professor Sir Dieter Helm
Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford
Dieter Helm is a Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford and Fellow in Economics at New College, Oxford. From 2012 to 2020, he was Independent Chair of the Natural Capital Committee, providing advice to the government on the sustainable use of natural capital. Dieter provides extensive expert advice to UK and European governments, regulators and companies on his three specialist areas: Energy & Climate; Regulation, Utilities & Infrastructure; and Natural Capital & the Environment. In his book ‘Legacy: How to Build the Sustainable Economy’, Dieter looks at what the sustainable economy would look like and what it would take to live within our environmental means. Dieter is a Vice President of the Exmoor Society, a Vice President of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, and Honorary Fellow, Brasenose College, Oxford.
Toby Diggens
Landscape Architect
Toby is the founder of Digg & Co. Studio, an ecological landscape practice which focuses on large-scale nature recovery projects and ecosystem and landscape master planning. He is also on the committee of the River Exe’s dedicated habitat and in-river restoration and improvement group – RETA (River Exe and Tributaries Association). Toby and his team oversee and design projects where ecological uplift, enhancement and revival are core principles. Their work spans river restoration, farm and estate designs and urban projects which prioritise wild self-willed systems to proliferate with people at their heart. He lives near Exmoor, where he and his wife Bella holistically graze 500 acres of mixed natural farmland and wilderness with their herd of pedigree Red Devon’s.
Professor Charles Foster
Writer and academic
Charles Foster’s books include Being a Beast (a New York Times Bestseller), Being a Human, Cry of the Wild, and The Screaming Sky. He is a Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford.
Mark Lloyd
CEO, The Rivers Trust
Mark Lloyd read Geography at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford and then completed a Master’s in Environmental Water Management at Cranfield. He founded Thames21 in 1994, a charity cleaning up London’s rivers, which he led for 11 years. He has since been CEO of a number of angling and conservation organisations before taking up his current role in 2019 as Chief Executive of The Rivers Trust, the umbrella body for the rivers trust movement, which comprises 67 independent charities in the UK and Ireland employing over 550 staff. The Rivers Trusts work in partnership to restore wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all.
Dr Rose O’Neill
CEO, Campaign for National Parks
Dr Rose O’Neill is Chief Executive of the Campaign for National Parks, the independent charity dedicated to the National Parks of England and Wales. Founded in 1936, Campaign for National Parks brings together a campaigning collective of organisations, including the Exmoor Society, and individuals from all walks of life united in a common cause: nature-rich National Parks for everyone. In previous roles, Rose was principal social scientist at Natural England and headed the rivers programme at WWF-UK. Rose has a Master’s in geology and a PhD in environmental science. Rose lives just outside the South Downs National Park and loves exploring its chalk streams with her young family. She is a trustee of Wessex Rivers Trust and a member of Natural England’s Landscape Advisory Panel.
Dr David Smith
South West Water
David is South West Water’s Natural Resources Team Manager. The team of over 20 leads SWW’s work on species, habitats, biosecurity and Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS), fish and eels. It also delivers Upstream Thinking, SWW’s flagship catchment management programme. David has worked in the water industry since 2010, leading on peatland restoration, catchment management, and biodiversity, and he previously worked as a farm advisor and an ecologist for National Parks and led the Exmoor Mires restoration Partnership. David is an ecologist from a farming and horticulture background, with a D.Phil in peatland regeneration in Northern Ireland. He has co-authored publications with research partners at Exeter, Bristol, and other UK Universities on peatland restoration hydrology, water quality, greenhouse gas modification, and vegetation changes.
James Thomas
National Trust, North Devon Riverlands Team
The Riverlands Team are working across four portfolios at Arlington Court, West Exmoor, Hartland, and Woolacombe. They are restoring significant areas of wetland habitat across North Devon. This is being done by identifying areas where drainage and modification of watercourses have had a detrimental impact on the environment, and working closely with natural processes to allow the hydrology of the land to function more naturally. Working with partners at a landscape scale, a multitude of opportunities are being explored to maximise gains; from simple measures such as creating new ponds and scrapes to increase open water, strategically blocking land drains and drainage ditches to expand wetland habitat, all the way through to wet woodland creation and floodplain reconnection and resetting the land through innovative ‘stage 0’ style techniques. These measures will all combine to hold water across a wide area for longer, thereby improving water quality, reducing flood risk, acting as carbon storage, improving drought resilience, and boosting opportunities for wildlife, increasing abundance and biodiversity.
Bulldog trout Fishery held their April fly fishing competition on Sunday April 27th. Starting the day off with little to no wind alongside plenty of cloud cover it was looking like conditions could be perfect! A coffee & a bacon roll later, it was time to get started!
The first hour saw a lot of action, particularly from pegs 7, 8 & 12. All of which are within casting range of the current ‘hot spot’ bay.
Soon the cloud cover shifted and the anglers were met with arguably one of the best days of the year so far. Lovely weather to be out in, but far from perfect for fly fishing Plenty of fish following the flys but shying away at the last moment lead to an extremely frustrating afternoon! However as always in the fishing game, perseverance is key! A steady trickle of fish were landed including some of the bigger rainbows that were stocked specially for the comp
Lunchtime soon crept up and the competitors looked forward to Nigel’s signature roast pork bap & roasties
Stopping for lunch is always a good chance to allow the lake to rest a moment from the line pressure of the morning, giving the spooked fish time to settle back down in the hope they will switch back on to the feed. A theory that was proven by Wayne Raistrick as he hooked a fish immediately after his fly hitting the water, in fact, the starting horn could still be heard echoing in the valley the hook up was that quick! Giving the bright sunny conditions, it was surprising just how active the lake was after lunch! Sure enough more fish were landed successfully
Top results from the day:
1st – Ian connabeer 26lb14oz (6fish)
2nd – Reef Patten 22lb9oz (5fish)
3rd – Adrian Kruger 21lb15oz (6fish)
Biggest fish of the day:
Peter Phillips 7lb9oz rainbow
Honorable mention:
Nick Tamsin – For a brace of 5lb Tigers
Fran Eastwood – For not giving up, staying in good spirits and finally getting a bend in the rod!
Archie Raistrick – For catching a 4″ trout that wasn’t supposed to be in the lake
No Spartics or browns out today, this means that some of the big lumps are still lurking in the lake ready for the next unsuspecting angler!
Roll on May comp! This will be the last one before the summer hits, date will be posted soon!
Whilst the algae blooms witnessed along the coast are nothing new there are a couple of observations I will make. First the bloom often referred to as May bloom is earlier than normal and secondly the amount of surface froth is unusual and whilst large spring tides and a big surging swell have contributed I personally consider that this could be largely due to extensive run off from rivers into the Bristol Channel carrying worrying levels of enrichment from agricultural run-off and sewage overflows.
Frothy waters off Lundy – Image courtesy of Predator 2 Charters
There is increasing awareness of the many issues that impact upon water quality with considerable focus on rivers with many groups with environmental interests now joining together to campaign for a revision into how we manage our environment. This is certainly complex and requires extensive effort across government and society.
Although the temperatures have at last started to rise during the day, nights have been cool, meaning that water temperatures are still low, and while there have been some insect hatches during warmer spells during the day, the trout are still generally remaining in the deeper water, with most lakes requiring a sunk line to find fish. The Trust has run a number of successful introductory days at the rainbow waters in conjunction with the clubs, with many newcomers managing to catch a fish. Most lakes are still at top level.
Fishing:
Kennick – Fishing improved as the month progressed, with the overall monthly average of 4.6 fish per rod improving to a weekly average of 5.3 by the end of the month. Fish have been well spread out in the deeper water around the lake, with The Lawns, Clampitts, The Lodge Bank and Oak Tree Point fishing particularly well, with boat anglers also picking up fish in the mid channel. Sinking and Intermediate lines have been the preferred tactic, generally with a slow retrieve. Buzzers have been hatching during warmer spells, although most fish have taken deep-fished nymphs (Damsels, Buzzers, Hares Ear and Pheasant Tail Nymphs), or more often lures (Black Tadpole, Poodle, Tequila Blob and a selection of different coloured Boobie patterns). The best fish of the month (and at Kennick so far this season) was a 5lb 4oz rainbow, caught by Russell Bridgeman; Michael Peppitt caught a rainbow of 4lb 9oz, while Lee Cann caught a 4lb rainbow. Many of the fish caught contained black buzzers.
Siblyback – The early season success at Siblyback continued throughout April, with anglers averaging 4.5 fish per rod, with fish feeding throughout the water column, and being caught on Floating, Intermediate, and Sinking lines, generally fishing with a slow or medium retrieve. Crylla Bay, West Bank, Stocky Bay and Two Meadows produced the best sport, with fish taking a selection of nymphs (Montana, Damsel, Buzzer), lures (Blobs, Orange Snakes, Tadpoles and Scruffy Tigers), and even some dry patterns (Foam Hawthorn, Hopper and Grey Wulff) when midges were hatching. Nine teams of four took part in this year’s Snowbee Team Bank Competition, with 126 fish landed in total; the Kennick ‘A’ Team (John Hern, Darren Penfold, Paul Wicks and Alex Venn) caught 24 fish, weighing in at 35lb 2oz to win the competition, while Andrew Fotheringham caught the best fish of the day – a fine rainbow of 3lb 12oz. Ron Wilday (from Liskeard) enjoyed an excellent day’s sport, catching nine rainbows to 1lb 8oz fishing in Crylla Bay.
Burrator – Weekly averages varied between 0.6 and 2.8 fish per angler, with the best sport to be had at Longstone, Back Bay, Sheepstor and Pig’s Trough. Fish tended to be in mid to deep water, when either a sinking line, or a floater with a long sink-tip and a slow retrieve proved to be the most successful tactic. A few fish were taken from the surface using a Black Gnat, Bob’s Bits, CDC or Black Hopper, but the majority preferred either a sunk nymph (Pheasant Tail, Montana, Damsel or Hares Ear) or lure pattern (Tadpole, Orange Fab, Orange Zonker).
Stithians – The sport continued to improve as the month progressed and the conditions turned milder, with anglers averaging 3.5 fish per visit. The fish tended to be nearer the surface, with floating lines and a sink-tip fished with a slow retrieve proved to be the most successful method. Goonlaze, Hollis Bank, Pub Bay and the deeper water by the dam produced the best sport. Successful fly patterns included Cormorants, Orange and Black Blobs, Orange FAB, Damsel and Montana nymphs, as well as a few fish taking dry Black Gnats, Stithians Mayfly and Black Klinkhammers.
Colliford – Apart from one week, when a very strong easterly wind made the fishing difficult, anglers averaged 2.7 fish per rod, with fish being found in the deep water by the dam, as well as along the East bank, Pines, Menaridan Point and the West Arm. Generally floating lines fished with a variety of retrieves (fast strips, followed by very slow) worked well. Good hatches of Midges and Olives, as well as the odd Hawthorn and Beetle on the water meant that fish were looking up to feed, and could be caught on dry Hawthorns, Black Gnats, Claret Hoppers, Daddies and Beetles. Sub-surface feeders took Hares Ears, Mini Tadpoles, Damsels, Zulus and Soldier Palmers.
Fernworthy – The fishing was slower to pick up on this high exposed Dartmoor water, although weekly averages did pick up to 2.4 fish per visit toward the end of the month. The South bank and water below the Fishing Hut proved to be the most productive, with the browns taking Bibio, Hares Ear, Zulu and Goldhead Damsel, as well as rising to Beetles, Klinkhammers and Hoppers on the stiller, warmer days, when midges were hatching.
Roadford – The good sport at Roadford continued throughout the month, with anglers averaging 3.5 browns per visit. Floating or intermediate lines with a varied retrieve (Slow, Medium, and jerky fast strip) produced the best sport, with the best locations including South Wortha, Daveys Bank and Gaddacombe. Although the occasional fish would rise to a Green Hopper, most fish were taken on subsurface patterns (Black Tadpole, Mini Scruffy Tiger, Damsel and Olive Buzzer).
Please see the Trust’s website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events.
