30 Nov 2024

The Torridge Rivers Association

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Articles, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The Torridge Rivers Association

President: Lord Clinton

NEWSREEL: WINTER 2024

President: I am delighted to report that the late Lord Clinton’s son, who is now the current Lord Clinton, has agreed to be the President of our Association. This will continue our long standing relationship with the Clinton family and the Clinton Devon Estate. Our Chairman Paul and his wife Geraldine, Steve Phelps and myself attended the memorial service in July for the late Lord Clinton, who instigated the creation of our Association in 1979 and was our President for over 40 years.

The Salmon Hatchery: Great news: this week we have been able to trap our broodstock from the fish pass. After several weeks without any appreciable rain the rivers were almost down to summer level: then came the snow. Our first attempt at trapping coincided with the arrival of Storm Bert and we were in danger of being washed away. Three days later after the Okement had fallen back and cleared we tried again and in two sessions we netted 13 salmon from the holding tank: 8 hens and 5 cock fish. Three of the hens have been released leaving us with 5 hens and 5 cocks (the maximum number we are allowed to hold). All the hens are approx 9lb except one superb fish of at least 15lb. The cock fish are slightly smaller. We are confident that some if not all the hens will be ready for stripping in the next few days. Extra trays have been installed so that the eggs can be more spread out. Last year some of the eggs had to be taken to the Colliford hatchery in Cornwall but this year we will be keeping all the eggs at our own hatchery.

The Annual Egg Box Dinner and Raffle: over 40 members and guests enjoyed another wonderful evening at The Half Moon with good company and an excellent meal. We were delighted that our fishery protection officer, Sam Fenner, was able to join us. Our annual raffle to raise funds to support the salmon hatchery project was as usual extremely well supported. All the prizes were donated and the net profit was in excess of £1,300

Membership: we have recruited several new members during the year. If you know of anybody who fishes or has an interest in the well-being of the river please encourage them to join our Association. Our strength is in numbers.

The Fishing Season: for the salmon and sea trout anglers it was another frustrating season. After a very wet spring it was a cool cloudy summer with never enough rain to maintain the river at a good level for fishing. With numbers declining there is less incentive for us all to make the effort and go out and fish. Several salmon were caught in the last week of the season. In contrast the brown trout fishing has at times been quite outstanding. The trout don’t rise so freely as they used to so the fishing is more challenging but those who persevere are often rewarded with excellent catches including several fish in excess of 2lb coming to the net.

The 2025 AGM: the Association agm will be held at The Half Moon Inn on Friday 21^st March 2025. Make a note in your diary, come to the meeting and get fired up for another season. We are all optimists and no doubt 2025 will be a bumper year!!

Winter well. Charles.

14 Aug 2023

Torridge Fishery Association – Newsreel Summer 2023

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The River Torridge Fishery Association

President: Lord Clinton

Chairman: Paul Ashworth Secretary: Charles Inniss Beeches Sheepwash Beaworthy Devon EX21 5NW

e-mail: [email protected] tel: 01409231237

NEWSREEL: SUMMER 2023:

The Annual Dinner and Raffle: this is always a most enjoyable evening and hopefully our new fishery officer, Sam Fenner, will be able to join us. This year the dinner will be on the last day of the season: Saturday 30^th September. To book contact The Half Moon Inn: TEL: 01409231376 E-MAIL: info@ halfmoonsheepwash.co.uk

Jeremy Burden: sadly I have to report that Jeremy passed away about a month ago. He had lived in Sheepwash for 25 years and was a valuable committee member. He loved fishing the Torridge and with his dry sense of humour I know many of you will have enjoyed his company over a pint of beer at the bar of The Half Moon.

The Hatchery: we are determined to get our hatchery operational again this autumn. The number of Torridge salmon, like all the rivers in the UK, is declining at an alarming rate and it is now more important than ever to help arrest this decline by using our hatchery to rear upto 30,000 swim-up fry before releasing into the headwaters of the catchment in the spring.

Haydn, the proprietor at The Half Moon, has drawn up a lengthy document detailing the health/safety requirements and risk assessment statement regarding the use of the fish pass at Monkokehampton Weir to trap our broodstock. This has been forwarded to the EA. Once approval has been confirmed we can then prepare to open up the hatchery this autumn. All the hatchery team will have to attend a “confined space” training course and we will have to hire/purchase a portable hoist and harness to safely retrieve any member if necessary from the holding tank of the fish pass. This is all extra expense so it is even more important that the raffle is well supported this year.

Defending the sport we love: the future of river fishing is increasingly under threat. Rivers are no longer regarded as the preserve for anglers. Wild swimming, canoeing threaten the peace and quiet so important to the fishing fraternity. Conservation is currently the in-word. If we are not careful compulsory catch and release will be followed by the conservation lobby demanding a total ban on fishing with our rivers merely becoming a haven for beavers. Be warned!!

25 Mar 2023

River Torridge Fishery Association – Friday 24th March 2023

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, Club Page, Game Fishing, Sidebar, Uncategorised | 0

The River Torridge fishing community gathered at the Half Moon Inn at Sheepwash for the AGM of the River Torridge Fishery Association. Pauline and I always enjoy the twice yearly coming together of the membership for the AGM in the Spring and the annual fund raising dinner at the seasons close at the end of September.

The Inn was reassuringly busy as we stepped inside the familiar bar where many members of the association were catching up on all the latest news. After half an hour of rekindling friendships and fostering new ones it was time to head the meeting room for the formal proceedings to begin.

As with many angling clubs the River Torridge Fishery Association’s officers are long standing stalwarts with Secretary and treasurer Charles Inniss and Chairman Paul Ashworth controlling the meeting with an ease born from long experience in their roles.

Thanks to Charles for the below summary:=

“Over 30 members attended the agm on Friday 24th March. The Chairman announced that for personal reasons the North Devon Fishery Protection Officer had been transferred to work nearer his family home. The EA were currently interviewing for a replacement to the vacancy. The EA proposals for the mandatory release of salmon throughout the season had been deferred for twelve months. Members were keen for the hatchery project to continue and several members offered their support. Izzy Moser gave an interesting and informative talk on the work of The Devon Wildlife Trust, particularly the pros and cons of the inevitable spread of beavers into the headwaters of the Torridge catchment. After the meeting The Half Moon provided an excellent buffet.”

I would suggest that any anglers who fish the Torridge join the association and help support sterling efforts to protect the river for future generations. Subscription is just £20 per year. For details visit their website http://www.rivertorridge.org.uk

The report from 2022 was very concerning with the drought conditions resulting in perhaps the worst salmon season in living memory. A total of 15 salmon were landed from the river all of which were returned.

Fortunately, as I write this the rivers are brimming full last summer’s drought seems long ago. However, Roadford Reservoir is still at only 62% and Colliford in Cornwall 47%. In the Spring of 2022 these reservoirs were close to 100%. It doesn’t take a genius to conclude that another drought summer would have serious consequences. There is concern that South West Water would be forced to consider abstracting from the regions rivers an act that would be devastating for the rivers eco systems. Discussion reflected upon the apparent lack of water resource planning with no significant reservoirs constructed since Roadford in 1989. A new reservoir takes many years to come into being with years of consultation, planning and construction my own estimate would be at least 25 years before a new reservoir could be completed. One has to question why with an increasing population and climate change at the top of the agenda this is not happening?

The Associations Hatchery has been an ongoing project that unites the membership. The past few seasons have seen the project stalled by COVID and issues with permissions from the EA ,largely around risk assessments and health and safety concerns. The committee are working hard to progress with significant help and expertise from within the angling community many of whom bring skills from their roles within society.

*Torridge members at the Hatchery pre COVID*

The decline in salmon and sea trout stocks is alarming and many feel that the hatcheries are the only hope for slowing this decline. The EA hatchery at Colliford is to be an integral part of the future plans to rear ova to swim up fry stage. This hatchery has the facilities to enable essential temperature control a major problem for salmonoids as global warming takes a hold.

It is of course essential that the habitat into which these future salmon are stocked is suitable. The Torridge faces many challenges with intensive farming resulting in pollution from sediment and nutrients and sewage discharge resulting in further issues with phosphate levels that promote algal growth.

The Torridge River Association are working closely with the Devon Wildlife Trust and the West Country Rivers Trust to seek solutions to many of the issues. Guest speaker Izzy Moser delivered an inspiring illustrated talk on projects to restore the river and the environment. These include slow the flow initiatives like leaky dams, meandering river courses, gravel introduction and creation of wild flower meadows and wetlands. The introduction of beavers was discussed with some concerns about their impact on fish migration and woodland.

https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/northern-devon-natural-solutions

There was considerable interest in Citizen Science Monitoring to flag up any pollution incidents and to assess the ongoing health of the river. River Fly Monitoring has also proven to be a valuable tool in tracking keystone species. Data gathering is essential in tracking success in any projects in our rivers.

Invasive species are an ongoing concern with signal crayfish reported from several locations along the Torridge. Any sightings should be reported to the Devon Wildlife Trust.

A good news story on the Torridge is the healthy population of wild brown trout that were caught in good numbers last season with wild fish to over 4lb caught and released. Dry fly tactics also resulted in several good sea trout. With dwindling salmon numbers many feel that the future of the rivers angling very much lies with trout fishing that I hope to promote over the coming season.

25 Sep 2022

AT THE HEART OF THE TORRIDGE ANGLING COMMUNITY

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

The Half Moon Inn at Sheepwash has long been at the heart of the River Torridge angling community and a meeting place for the River Torridge Fishery Association. Many of the anglers who visit the Torridge to cast a line have been visiting for decades migrating to this old fishing Inn in Spring and Autumn.

In Springtime the AGM greets a new season, plans are made for the coming months as swallows arrive to swoop over the spring countryside as life springs forth after winters chill. In early Autumn fishers return for the annual dinner as the swallows depart reflecting upon the season just past.

The salmon season of 2022 will go down in history as one of the worst on record with a long drought keeping the river low throughout most of the season. Fortunately, the Torridge angling community is still bound by its traditions and the Half Moon Inn is an integral part of that bond. Fishing Inns are sadly dwindling along with the iconic salmon that face an uncertain future as many factors combine to thwart a heroic drive to survive.

Pauline and I sat down with forty guests to enjoy a delicious meal sharing stories of life, fishing and the Torridge. Joining the association this year was author Mark Wormald whose excellent book ‘The Catch’ I read earlier this year. The book delves back into the life of the late Ted Hughes, poet Laurette who fished many waters with passion the Torridge being one of his favourite haunts. It was good to chat briefly with Mark about his book that is available to buy at the Half Moon where 50% of any purchase will be donated to the River Torridge Fishery Association. Mark pays several visits to the Half Moon throughout the books narrative with Charles Inniss and Adam vital stars of the books strong cast of characters.

Whilst stories of recent fish were scarce fish from other tributaries of angling provided vital piscatorial content with carp, bass, perch and the occasional trout peppering discussions.

As Pauline and I left on the Sunday morning Autumn sunshine illuminated the village square. I paused to note the plaque that commemorated the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ 1953. It seemed rather poignant to note this just a week after Her Majesty’s Funeral.

Just a few days remain of the 2022 salmon season on the Taw and Torridge and soon it is hoped rain will fall swelling the rivers and bringing salmon forging to the redds that will ensure the future of both salmon and the community that is brought together by their presence in the rivers.

7 Dec 2021

The River Torridge Fishery Association – Newsreel

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The River Torridge Fishery Association

President: Lord Clinton

Chairman: Paul Ashworth Secretary: Charles Inniss

e-mail: [email protected]

NEWSREEL: WINTER 2021

The Salmon Hatchery:

Sadly, I have to report that the hatchery team plans to rear 30,000 swim-up fry to be stocked out into the headwaters in the spring will not be going ahead. The EA has closed down all access to their fish passes except for essential maintenance work by their fishery staff. This decision was taken after a fatal accident to an EA employee although the incident did not involve a fish pass and did not occur in the South West. As a result we have not been able to use the fish pass at the side of Monkehampton Weir to trap our brood-stock. The EA gave permission for six of us to try and catch the brood-stock with rod and line. During November we twice tried to catch our broodstock using spinning tackle. Our Fishery Officer, Callum Underhill, arrived with an oxygenated tank but despite our best efforts we had no success. Knowing how difficult it is to catch just one salmon these days the chances of catching several in a few hours was extremely remote.

The Torridge Hatchery Team in November 2020

This also means that the plans to develop the South West Hatchery hub at Colliford hatchery on the River Fowey have had to be put on hold. Steve Phelps, our vice-Chairman, has liaised closely with the Colliford hatchery and together with the Axe Association we are all still determined to move the project forward. Hopefully next year 50% of our eggs will be reared at Colliford. As salmon stocks in our South West rivers continue to decline the aim is to expand the Colliford hatchery so that it can support several rivers.

The South West Rivers Association: Roger Furniss:

Since helping to set up the SWRA over 25 years ago Roger Furniss has been the driving force: for many years as Secretary and for the last three years Chairman. At the SWRA AGM in October Roger handed over the reins as Chairman to William Entwistle. Roger will remain a Council member. The committee would like to thank Roger for all the help and sound advice which he has given on many occasions.

The Annual Dinner:

Our Annual Dinner was held at The Half Moon at the end of September. It was a wonderful evening: well supported with good company and an excellent meal. The new proprietors, Haydn and Kim, joined us for the evening. We wish them well in their new venture. They are keen to support the Association in its efforts to improve water quality, stabilise river flows and restore migratory stocks to their former levels of abundance. Thank you all for once again for supporting the raffle so generously. We raised over £1,600 which will be used to make further improvements at our hatchery.

The Fishing Season:

Rod catches were disappointing. Due to Covid restrictions fishing effort was limited and even those of us who lived locally did not fish regularly. There were only a handful of anglers who did fish regularly and they all enjoyed some success. It is often said that 90% of fish are caught by 10% of the anglers. This season 95% of the fish were caught by 5% of the anglers. Let’s all make a New Year resolution to get out and fish our beautiful river more often. From the reports I have received 25/30 salmon and about 120 sea trout were caught. Several sea trout over 5lb were landed.

Best wishes to you all for the festive season. Charles

15 Apr 2020

RIVER TORRIDGE NEWSREEL – Paul Carter Retiring.

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The River Torridge Fishery Association

President: Lord Clinton

Chairman: Paul Ashworth Secretary: Charles Inniss

Beeches, Sheepwash, Beaworthy Devon EX21 5NW

Tel: 01409231237/07464190944

e-mail: [email protected]

NEWSREEL: SPRING 2020.

At this extremely unusual and difficult time, here is the Spring Newsreel with the latest news from the Association.

We cannot fish the river at the moment but it is the time of year when subscriptions are due. Please forward your cheque for £20 to the Secretary at the above address. Please make cheques payable to The River Torridge Fishery Association.

If you prefer to pay by BACS: a/c no 00827770 sort code 51:70: 16

The salmon hatchery: the rearing programme last winter and early spring has been our most successful to date and over 38,000 swim-up fry have successfully been stocked out into the headwaters of the main river and the major tributaries. All were stocked out during the weekend of 21^st/22^nd March: on 23^rd the government announced a total lockdown, which would have prevented any travelling to the stocking out sites. We were very lucky!! For the dedicated team of volunteers it is a great relief when the fry are stocked out after five months of hard work.

The fishing season so far: not much to report. After an incredibly wet winter, culminating with over 10 inches of rain in February, the river was in full spate for the first fortnight of March. On 13^th March a salmon was lost at the tail of the weir pool at Beam. I saw a running fish at the tail of the Junction Pool, where the Okement joins the Torridge, the day before the lockdown came into force on 23^rd March. So for the time being all fishing has come to a halt. Walking the river at Sheepwash I have seen trout feeding on the surface, which has cheered me up. Since the monsoon season ended in mid-March, there has been no appreciable rain in North Devon for four weeks and already the river is showing its bones. The forecast for the next few weeks is for very little rain. If we are able to fish later in the season, maybe this will coincide with a period of more unsettled weather. Here’s hoping!!

*Luke Bannister maker of fine Split Cane Fly Rods fish a previous spring day on an Upper Torridge Beat for Brown Trout.*

The AGM: the agm which was due to take place at The Half Moon on Friday 3^rd April was postponed and will be held later in the year.

Our Fishery Officer is retiring: after 33 years at the helm, Paul is retiring at the end of this month. We have been so fortunate to have a dedicated fishery officer who has always held our beautiful river close to his heart. He has been a wonderful ambassador for the river and a good friend to us all. Paul will continue to fish his stretch of the Lower Torridge and I am sure will give help and advice when asked.

At present the EA has not appointed a successor, but in the short term three other fishery officers from Devon and Cornwall will be covering Paul’s patch.

Enjoy your retirement Paul and keep fishing.

*Paul Carter with a previous seasons salmon fry ready to stock out into a tributary.*

*Paul Carter stocks out fry into a Torridge Tributary.*

16 Mar 2020

River Torridge Postpone AGM as a result of Covid-19

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The River Torridge Fisheries Association have reluctantly had to cancel their AGM that was due to be held at the Half Moon Inn at Sheepwash on April 3rd. The Covid-19 outbreak is causing widespread anguish and will leave a long lasting legacy as it spreads to cause ill health and both social and financial hardship. It is to be hoped that anglers can at least access the waters edge and enjoy a reprieve from the concerning news from around the world.

The latest news from the association can be found on their website –http://www.rivertorridge.org.uk

21 Nov 2019

TORRIDGE FISHERY ASSOCIATION – NEWSREEL

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The River Torridge Fishery Association

President: Lord Clinton

Chairman: Paul Ashworth Secretary: Charles Inniss

e-mail: [email protected]

NEWSREEL: WINTER 2019.

The salmon hatchery:

On Tuesday 5^th and Wednesday 6^th November we successfully trapped our 10 broodstock (5 hens and 5 cocks). Four of the hens are about 9lb together with one superb fish in excess of 13lb. All the cock fish are in the 4.5lb range. All the fish are in excellent condition and are now being looked after back at the hatchery. We were concerned that with the rivers having been in full spate for the last six weeks all the salmon may have gone through the fish pass, but our worries were unfounded. Indeed there seems to be a steady run in the Okement which is very encouraging.

The lid of the main broodstock tank needed repairing and this was completed by Ken Dunn and David Williams in time to receive the broodstock.

Last year there was a high mortality from the eggs of one of the hens, so the team will be looking closely at out procedures for stripping and fertilising the eggs to minimise the risk of high mortalities.

Juvenile Surveys:

During the summer the EA carried out juvenile surveys at a limited number of sites on the main river and major tributaries. The results were encouraging. The site at Okehampton Castle on the River Okement always produces good results but this year it was quite outstanding particularly with the numbers of salmon parr.

The Annual Dinner and Raffle:

Another superb evening at The Half Moon. 47 of us enjoyed an excellent meal followed by the raffle and auction. Once again member support for the annual raffle was tremendous and over £1,500 was raised which will go towards continuing our efforts to improve the fishing on this beautiful river. In particular this money is used to finance the running of the hatchery. Particular thanks to Paul Ashworth, our Chairman, and his wife Geraldine who organised the raffle and the auction which as always went off without a hitch with the usual wonderful array of prizes.

The Fishing Season:

Following on from 2018 the salmon anglers were hoping for more water and more fish: but it was not to be. It has been another season with predominantly low flows with few salmon caught. We were all hoping that the autumn rains would arrive in time to provide some good fishing at the back end of the season. The rains did arrive but our weather went from one extreme to another. The river was in full spate for the last 10 days of the season and since then there has hardly been a dry day. In the last fortnight there have been two large floods, with the river over the top of the hedges at Sheepwash on 25^th October.

The brown trout fishing in May and June was at times quite outstanding. Often although there was little surface activity anglers who persevered with a dry fly were rewarded with some excellent catches. As in 2018 several trout upwards of 2lb have been caught.

There seemed to be a better run of sea trout this year. A small spate in June encouraged fish to move upstream and they spread throughout the system. I haven’t heard of any very large sea trout being caught and the main run seems to have been in the 2/3lb range with some fish up to 5lb.

6 Apr 2019

Latest from the River Torridge

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

It was good to once again arrive at the Half Moon Inn at Sheepwash as members of the River Torridge Fishery Association assembled for the AGM. This is always an enjoyable occasion with members coming from far and wide to reaffirm their commitment to the river Torridge by supporting the great work that is undertaken each year to protect and promote the river, its fish and ultimately the unique community that it supports.

Charles Inniss announced the sad news that Mrs Terry Norton Smith had recently passed away at the age of 94. Mrs Terry Norton Smith is fondly remembered by many who have fished the Torridge as she lived for many years at Little Warham Fishery with her husband Group Captain Peter Norton Smith https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1555385/Group-Captain-Peter-Norton-Smith.html

LITTLE WARHAM FISHERY

Last summer was one to be forgotten so far as salmon fishing is concerned with the long dry summer resulting in very low flows and consequently poor fishing. Catch returns show a rod catch of around 30 salmon and 75 to 100 sea trout. The nets took a total of 35 salmon and 23 sea trout from the Taw and Torridge Estuary.

The Torridge Fishery Association Website carry full details and all the latest news :-

Torridge River Association

The Half Moon Inn at Sheepwash gives a discount of £5 on fishing for Association members.

Below is the latest Newsreel from the Torridge Fishery Association giving a full round up of the AGM reports.

NEWSREEL: Spring 2019: Issue 40

Chairman: Paul Ashworth: Secretary: Charles Inniss,

Beeches Sheepwash Beaworthy Devon EX21 5NW

Tel: 01409231237

e-mail: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS: for 2019 are now due please. If you have not already paid, please forward your cheque for £20 to the Secretary at the above address, making cheques payable to The River Torridge Fishery Association.

EA Proposals to reduce exploitation by rods and nets: Just before Xmas DEFRA gave us the good news we had been hoping for. The new salmon and sea trout byelaws have been confirmed. All netting for salmon in our estuary has now ceased. This together with the ban on drift netting twelve months ago means that there is no netting in our estuary apart from netting for sand eels.

Catch and release remains voluntary but the EA expects a release rate above 90% for salmon. This effectively means that anglers are expected to release all salmon. If the release level above 90% is not achieved, DEFRA will not hesitate to make releasing all salmon mandatory.

Your committee is concerned about the stock of sea trout and recommends that as well as salmon, all sea trout are released.

Please follow the following guide to good practice when releasing fish:

Use barbless hooks.
Use a fine knotless net.
Use strong tackle so fish can be played out and netted as quickly as possible.
Always net the fish: avoid handling fish and certainly do not pick them up by the tail to weigh or photograph.
Keep the fish in the water all the time: If you want to know the weight, measure the fish in the water and calculate accordingly. If you want to take a photo, do it while the fish is in the water.

Three year juvenile survey programme: Three years ago your committee agreed to fund a three year programme of juvenile surveys. The results of the initial survey (a semi-quantitative survey by the West Country Rivers Trust) in the summer of 2016 were disappointing. Salmon fry were present in only 10 of the 35 sites. In 2017 a full quantitative survey was completed by the EA. The results were much more encouraging with salmon fry present at most sites. Salmon parr numbers were poor but brown trout were evident throughout the catchment. This year the West Country Rivers Trust completed the third survey. This survey showed a continuing slight improvement particularly on the Okement and Lew tributaries. The three surveys have given us a better picture of the health of the river and where to target habitat improvements.Siltation and compaction of the spawning gravels continues to be a major problem.

The Salmon Hatchery: The rearing programme this winter has again been very successful. The broodstock of 5 hens and 5 cocks were all returned safely to the river. In the last week of March, 26,000 swim-up fry were stocked out into selected sites in the headwaters of the Torridge, Walden, Lew and Okement. For the dedicated team of volunteers, it is a great relief when the last fry are released into the river after five months of hard work.

Prospects for 2019:

After the disappointment of very poor fishing conditions in 2018 caused by the summer drought, we are all hopeful that 2019 will provide some good fishing. At least four salmon have been caught in March and even more encouraging sea trout have been caught as far upstream as the Junction Pool, where the Okement joins the main river. On 1^stApril I saw the first trout rise of the season and anglers fishing the Half Moon beats at Sheepwash have enjoyed some good sport on dry fly and nymph.

Clay Discolouration: on the middle and lower river continues to be a problem after heavy rainfall, sometimes making the river unfishable just when it is an excellent height and colour for fishing. Discussions between the EA and Sibelco are continuing to minimise the problem. The obvious time to discharge clay water is when the river is in full spate.

The Fishermen’s eyes and ears:Our fishery officer, Paul Carter, is now responsible for all the rivers in North Devon and more than ever he is dependent on the eyes and ears of fishermen. If you have any concerns (poaching or pollution) please call him direct on 07768007363, or the EA Emergence Hotline 0800807060 or the Association Secretary 01409231237.

The Annual General Meeting: held at The Half Moon Inn on 5^thApril was a great success with 46 members attending. The presentation by Adrian Dowding (WCRT) was particularly informative and interesting. We all enjoyed an excellent buffet and social get together after the meeting.

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY DONE SO, PAY YOUR ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIPTION, BUY YOUR FISHING LICENCE, AND ABOVE ALL ENJOY YOUR FISHING.

11 Apr 2018

Torridge AGM and latest River News.

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

The Torridge Fishery Associations AGM at the Half Moon Inn Sheepwash was as always well supported with members travelling from far and wide to meet up with fellow members and hear a summary of the last twelve months. There was a good deal of common ground between Taw and Torridge River Associations with a focus on the River catchments health. Guest Speakers were Paul Carter from the EA, Sam Baycock from the West Country Rivers Trust and England Junior Fly Fishing Team member Seth Tuson. Paul Ashworth and Charles Inniss gave a summary of news including a positive result from the Hatchery project with 24000 swim up fry ready for stocking out.

Sam Baycock of the West Country Rivers Trust gave an enlightening talk on his work to improve habitat for spawning salmon and to increase fry survival,targeted coppicing to reduce shading, soil containment, and removal of obstructions were key areas.

Seth Tuson aged 17 talked at length about his experience fishing with the England Junior Fly Fishing Team. He outlined the vast amount of travelling and hard work involved with training session most weeks at Lyn Brenig in North Wales. This year training is at Draycote Reservoir. One of the huge benefits of the experience has been an depth knowledge of fly fishing tactics. Seth is tying flies to raise funds for his Fly Fishing adventure and can tie most still water flies to order and charges £1.20 per fly. Seth can be contacted via email :- [email protected]

Taw Salmon

High river levels have curtailed fishing effort on the Taw and Torridge but Len Francis managed to get in a cast or two during a slight lull in the rain catching a fresh run spring salmon of 9lb from the Weir Marsh and Brightly Beats of the Taw. Another two salmon are believed to have been landed from Taw beats so far this year.

NEWSREEL: Spring 2018: Issue 37

Chairman: Paul Ashworth:

Secretary: Charles Inniss, Beeches Sheepwash Beaworthy Devon EX21 5NW

Tel: 01409231237

e-mail: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS: for 2018 are now due please. If you have not already paid, please forward your cheque for £20 to the Secretary at the above address, making cheques payable to The River Torridge Fishery Association.

EA Proposals to reduce exploitation by rods and nets: A big thank you to all of you who responded to the EA proposals. Because of the pressure exerted by the Angling Trust, the South West Rivers Association, River Fishery Associations and many individual anglers, the EA have only imposed mandatory “catch and release” on rivers were salmon stocks are dangerously low. “Catch and release” on our river will remain voluntary.

In simple terms for our river:

The spring salmon byelaw will remain in place: ie prior to 16^th June all salmon must be released.
“Catch and release” will remain voluntary, but the EA has stated that at least 90% of fish must be released. If this is not achieved the EA will reserve the option to introduce mandatory “catch and release”.
In 2019 seine netting for salmon/sea trout by the three remaining licensed netsmen will cease.

Your committee recommends that anglers should practice “catch and release” at all times and whenever possible use barbless hooks.

GREAT NEWS!! The proposed IFCA Bye-law has been confirmed. As from 1^st March this year, all drift netting for bass and mullet in our estuary has ceased. This will finally bring to an end salmon and sea trout being caught as a by-catch and having to be released either dead or so seriously injured the chances of survival were minimal.

Three year juvenile survey programme: Two years ago your committee agreed to fund a three year programme of juvenile surveys. The results of the initial survey (a semi-quantitative survey by the West Country Rivers Trust) in the summer of 2016 were disappointing. Salmon fry were present in only 10 of the 35 sites. Last summer a full quantitative survey was completed by the EA. The results were much more encouraging with salmon fry present at most sites throughout the catchment. Salmon parr numbers were poor but brown trout were evident throughout the catchment. This year the West Country Rivers Trust will carry out the third survey. The three surveys should give us a better picture of the health of the river and where to target habitat improvements.

The 2017 Season: it was a dry spring and early summer but from July onwards the weather was much more unsettled with the river holding at a good height resulting in improved salmon catches. Salmon and sea trout catches were both slightly better than in recent years. However there is a discrepancy between the official EA rod catch data and our known catches by anglers. There are still anglers who are failing to send in their catch returns. It is vital all anglers send in their return even if it is a nil return.

Prospects for 2018: March has been an exceptionally wet and cold month with the river rarely fishable. So far one salmon has been caught (10lb), on the Lower Torridge. As I write this Newsreel in the second week of April it’s still raining with the river still in spate. Patience is a virtue!!

The Fishermen’s eyes and ears: Our fishery officer, Paul Carter, is now responsible for all the rivers in North Devon and more than ever he is dependent on the eyes and ears of fishermen. If you have any concerns (poaching or pollution) please call him direct on 07768007363, or the EA Emergence Hotline 0800807060 or the Association Secretary 01409231237.

The Salmon Hatchery: The rearing programme this winter has again been very successful. The broodstock of 5 hens and 5 cocks were all returned safely to the river. Although the eggs of one hen failed to be fertilised there have been very few losses from the remainder and over 24,000 swim-up fry will be stocked out into the headwaters during the next fortnight. For the dedicated team of eight it is a great relief when the last fry are released into the river after five months of hard work and worry.

Sewage Storm Overflows at Torrington: thanks to the perseverance of the Torrington Commons Conservators SWW will be taking action to rectify the recurring problem of two sewage storm overflows repeatedly discharging raw sewage into the river at Torrington. The Conservators enlisted the help of Fish Legal (the legal arm of The Angling Trust).

The Annual General Meeting: held at The Half Moon Inn on 6^th April was a great success with over 40 members attending.

We all enjoyed an excellent buffet and social get together after the meeting.

BUY YOUR FISHING LICENCE, PAY YOUR ASSOCIATION SUBSCRIPTION AND ABOVE ALL ENJOY YOUR FISHING. HAVE A GREAT SEASON.