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

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

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.

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

A good read – Tell me sweet little lies

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

Richard Wilson has launched a regular newsletter of angling prose that is well worth checking out.

“The Americans can’t decide whether I’m gloomy or funny …”

https://fishrise.substack.com/

Tell Me Sweet Little Lies

As Salmon & Steelhead runs decline, please spare a thought for the guides and gillies. Their job is getting harder.

24 Dec 2022

Dark Days – Ramblings from the waters edge

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

The Winter Solstice, light fades from the day and the natural world turns the corner. The journey towards Springs renewal begins again. I cannot understand why our own calendar is so out of sequence with that of the real world. The natural world we live in where the light is dictated to by the revolving world the moon and the sun.

Perhaps as anglers some of us are more finely tuned to the natural cycles of life. I certainly despair at what has happened so quickly. I first cast a line for salmon in the River East Lyn over forty years ago and in those first few seasons I was fortunate to connect with numerous salmon and glimpsed many more in the clear waters.

We walked the River today its tumbling waters rushing between boulders and fallen trees. The salmon should be spawning now; hopefully there are a few still cutting redds high up in many tributaries and head waters. I remember walking the river over thirty years ago in the depths of winter. Salmon were plentiful then with fish spawning even in the lower river. I gazed into the swirling waters of Vellacots today but sadly I saw no salmon.

It was good to see the new signs on the River today highlighting the amazing life cycle of the salmon. The river is still a joy to fish and has a good head of wild brown trout.

The reasons for their decline are both complex and many. Water quality probably isn’t a major factor on the Lyn. The main problems are probably out at sea where few salmon survive to return to the rivers of their birth. Predation by seals, otters, cormorants and other predators is undoubtedly a factor. The natural eco system is I believe out of balance and this has much to do with the hand of mankind. We exploit the vast oceans and seas depleting fish stocks and then do our utmost to protect the creatures that feed upon these depleted stocks. It is depressing to think that at the present rate salmon could be virtually extinct in South West Rivers within the next few years. I witness this dramatic decline in my lifetime and despair when I pick up todays Times newspaper. ” Conservationists have reacted angrily to the announcement that the target date for cleaning up the majority of England’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters has been pushed back by 36years to 2063.” FFs………

At least public awareness is growing regarding the rapid decline of the natural world. Is it too late?

Another sad note I have witnessed in recent years has been the increasing barriers to accessing the coast. This is undoubtedly a result of an increasing population and the demand to enjoy the marvelous coastline. Inconsiderate parking of cars and the dropping of litter are contributory factors. A lack of respect for Private land and over zealous land ownership can also lead to confrontation. When I started sea angling access to many areas of the coast were open access. Today no parking signs and barriers seem to blight the landscape.

In some parts of the South West fishing marks have become no go areas due to anti social behaviour. I dont have the answers to all of these issues but a little more tolerance and respect for others would go a long way.

10 Dec 2022

River Mole Polluter Pays £18,000 in Damages

by Wayne Thomas | posted in: Article, Articles, Casting around North Devon, Game Fishing, Sidebar | 0

River Mole Polluter Pays £18,000 in Damages

A company that polluted nearly 5km of the River Mole, the principal tributary of the River Taw, in Devon has paid £18,000 in damages to local angling clubs and fishery owners following a legal claim. In July 2019 liquid anaerobic digestate deposited by agricultural contractors AJ Sing and Sons Ltd on fields north of South Molton entered the river, causing what was described by one Environment Agency officer as the worst fish kill they had seen in 30 years. An estimated 15,600 fish died as result of the pollution, including juvenile salmon, adult brown trout, sea trout and juvenile brown trout.

Represented by Fish Legal, the anglers’ damages claim followed a criminal prosecution brought by the Environment Agency (EA) where the company and an employee were fined a total of just £2,667 at Exeter Magistrates Court on 28 July 2021.

The anglers are donating all of the damages to help fund projects run by the Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT) in co-ordination with River Taw Fisheries & Conservation Association (RTFS) that improve and restore the habitat and spawning potential of the River Mole, giving fish populations the best chance of recovery.

Justin Neal, Fish Legal Solicitor, said: “The digestate was being spread at a time when there was rain and the leaking pipe was left for days, meaning that this highly damaging waste washed into what was a pristine river habitat, causing a total wipe-out of fish for a considerable distance.”

He added: “Whilst we are pleased that the EA prosecuted those responsible for pollution offences, we are finding in other cases across England and Wales that the spreading of digestate and fertiliser is not properly controlled with full oversight by regulators. Nevertheless, we hope that the money which was paid to our angler members can now be put to good use to assist the recovery of the catchment.”

Alex Gibson – River Taw Fisheries & Conservation Association

Alex Gibson, who was Chair of RTFCA at the time of the pollution incident and is also a claimant said: “It is not just anglers fishing below the polluted stretch, but all those who enjoy the river and its ecology that have felt the devastating effect of this pollution incident and unfortunately will continue to do so into the future. Our collective claim enables us to provide £18,000 to the WRT for river improvement work on the Mole.

He added: “We hope the fact that anglers on the river have come together to take legal action directly against these polluters will send a message to others in the catchment that they need to take care when dealing with highly toxic substances or pay the consequences.”

Statement from Alex Gibson

“We all remember too well the Mole pollution incident at the end of July 2019. Anaerobic digestate being spread as a fertiliser on fields north of South Molton by Alun Sing, a farmer and contractor, was allowed into the River Mole in large quantities.

The EA estimated that about 15k fish were killed over a 5km stretch. That made it an EA Category 1 incident. Adult sea trout, adult brown trout, juvenile salmon and juvenile brown trout, some of which would have become sea trout, were killed. Also killed were stone loach, bullhead and minnows. In short it was an ecological disaster.

The EA’s prosecution was successful and we then mounted a private action using the services of Fish Legal. This took the form of 5 RTFCA members of Fish Legal acting as claimants. I am pleased to say that our claim has now been successfully settled. The £18k received is being paid by the 5 claimants to WRT for river improvement work on the Mole.

Here are a few conclusions of my own.

Farmers should not be allowed to get away with polluting our rivers. Category 1 and where possible Category 2 incidents must be prosecuted by the EA.
Offers of Enforcement Undertakings should be declined as RTFCA did in this case. By offering money direct to affected parties the polluter seeks to avoid prosecution. If farmers are not prosecuted there is no deterrent effect to bad practice.
Private actions can be successfully brought, but only by concerted action using a specialist service, namely Fish Legal. It was disappointing that only 5 Fish Legal members could be found among RTFCA riparian owners. More members will be encouraged to join Fish Legal and I would make the point more generally for all owners of fisheries elsewhere.
As RTFCA has always been aware, anaerobic digesters, of which we have 3 on our river system, and the spreading of digestate from them are a continuing threat to our river and need to be properly regulated and overseen by the EA.

This incident happened during my chairmanship and has reached its conclusion during Andy Gray’s. I hope Andy never has to face anything similar. The RTFCA Committee asked me to continue taking responsibility until the file could be closed. Thankfully we have now reached that stage.

Thanks are due to the other claimants and to the RTFCA Committee, both of which groups, I would suggest, have made the right decisions during this long, drawn-out process.

The success of our private claim though is really down to the excellent work done by Fish Legal and in particular by Justin Neal. For many reasons this was never going to be a straightforward case. I have enjoyed working with Justin, but we will both be happy to close the file.”

Alex Gibson

http://www.rivertawfisheries.co.uk/html/current_news.html

Fish Legal is a not-for-profit organisation of dedicated lawyers who use the law on behalf of anglers to fight polluters and others who damage and threaten the water environment. Fish Legal secures compensation for its members to help restore polluted waters and challenges Government and regulators when they fail to protect fisheries.

Fish Legal represented five fisheries on the Mole and the River Taw including the Barle Fishing Club, the Wampford Syndicate and three riparian owners.
The River Mole sub-catchment is a highly important spawning and nursery area for salmon in the Taw catchment. The impact on juvenile salmon from this incident will potentially result in some reduction to the number of adult salmon returning to the River Mole in 2021, 2022 and 2023 migration periods.
The dead fish included 1,127 adult brown trout, 14 adult sea trout, 1,222 brown trout fry, 328 brown trout parr, 1,155 salmon fry and 315 salmon parr
For details of the River Mole prosecution and sentencing outcome: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/north-devon-company-fined-for-pollution-that-devastated-fish-population
Fish Legal took legal action on behalf of a member club on the River Leadon in a similar incident in 2016 when an employee instructed to fertilise one of the orchards at a farm near Dymock in Gloucestershire failed to check the valves before turning on the irrigation system designed to take the digestate fertiliser from a lagoon to the orchard. https://fishlegal.net/case-studies/river-leadon/

7 Dec 2022

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

NEWSREEL: WINTER 2022

The Salmon Hatchery

Sadly I have to report that the annual programme to rear 30,000 swim-up fry at our hatchery will once again not be going ahead. The EA would only allow us to access and use the fish pass at Monkokehampton Weir on the River Okement to trap our broodstock if unbelievably strict health and safety rules were followed. Our chairman Paul and vice-chairman Steve have worked incredibly hard in an effort to reach an agreed way forward: sadly to no avail. The main stumbling block has been the inability of the EA to respond promptly to any suggestions that Paul and Steve made. This confirms our suspicions that the EA would be delighted if the hatchery closed down permanently. But we are not giving up and are determined that the hatchery will be operational next year so that we can continue to support the development of a hatchery hub for all the south west rivers at Colliford reservoir.

Our Fishery Enforcement Officer

For personal reasons Callum Underhill, who has been the Fishery Enforcement officer for the North Devon rivers for the last two years, will be leaving to work nearer his family home in Wessex. Callum has been a great support for our river especially with regard to the hatchery and we wish him well for the future.

The Annual Dinner

Over 40 members and guests enjoyed a convivial evening at The Half Moon with good company and an excellent meal on Saturday 24^th September. Thank you all for supporting the raffle so generously which made a profit of £1,520. We were delighted that Mark Wormald was able to join us for the evening. He donated a copy of his book, “The Catch: Fishing for Ted Hughes” to the raffle. Much of the book is based on the Torridge where Ted Hughes so enjoyed his fishing. If you would like a copy contact Adam at The Half Moon who has copies: it would make an excellent Xmas gift.

The prize winners of the raffle: the case of wine Anthony Wilmington, the £50 Half Moon voucher Simon Hillcox, the £50 Snowbee voucher Martin Weeks and the book donated by Mark Wormald was won by a friend of Graham Henderson.

The Fishing Season

Due to a complete lack of water the salmon fishing was virtually non-existent and no more than 15 fish were caught by the rods for the whole season. Sea trout fishing was also extremely difficult. On the plus side anglers, prior to the heatwave in July, enjoyed some excellent brown trout fishing with several fish over 2lb caught. It has been suggested that the brown trout are getting larger as they are gorging themselves on baby signal crayfish. One thing for sure the whole catchment is now infested with signal crayfish. 2011 was the last really dry year and this was followed by a very wet year in 2012 with good river flows and good numbers of salmon and sea trout: so here’s hoping for better fishing conditions in 2023: we certainly deserve it.

My very best wishes to you all for the festive season. Charles.

6 Dec 2022

Depressing Statistics

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

We all know that statistics can be misleading but the facts above are pretty depressing taken at face value. The catch return data relates to the 2021 season so this year’s drought hit season will undoubtedly be even worse.

A 50% reduction in salmon caught is in itself a startling figure that is of course to some extent related to the reduction in angling effort as a result of the COVID epidemic. The vast majority of salmon and sea trout caught are now released in an effort to safeguard stocks that have tumbled in recent decades.

When I started fishing for salmon in the early 1980’s stocks were recovering from the blight of UDN a disease that decimated stocks across the UK. The number of salmon caught then was still far higher than today. On the River Lyn some individual local anglers caught in excess of one hundred salmon in a season. They reflected on times when salmon packed the pools like sardines. I suspect this season’s total catch will total less than 25 for the Lyn and little more for the Rivers Taw and Torridge combined.

The reasons for this catastrophic collapse are complex and many. Climate change is undoubtedly a big player along with historic overfishing by commercial fleets. There is also a complex imbalance of the natural eco-system with predators such as seals, cormorants, mergansers and otters taking large numbers of salmon throughout their incredible migration.

A relatively recent impact upon the salmon stocks of the West of Scotland has been salmon farming a toxic industry.

Pete Tyjas a well-known Local Fly Fishing enthusiast and editor of Fly Culture Magazine has launched a campaign to raise awareness surrounding the toxic nature of salmon farming and its devastating impact on wild fish stocks. Pete writes “Please DON’T EAT FARMED SALMON – Here’s Why – Huge and unnatural swarms of parasites (sea lice) that attack penned fish and kill young migrating wild salmon and sea trout. Serious pollution of the sea bed and coastal waters from chemicals, antibiotics and tons of fish faeces that smothers and kills sea life. Worldwide devastation of fish stocks, super trawlers to provide feed for fish farms that is destroying the life of coastal communities.”

Salmon have been migrating into the Rivers of the UK for many thousands perhaps millions of years. The last ice age ended around 25,000 years ago and at some point after this salmon the king of fish established a thriving population forging upriver in abundance. A couple of hundred years ago these fish were harvested and eaten in large numbers but it was not until Victorian times that the salmon was recognised as the king of fish sought after for sport by the wealthy upper classes.

During the early twentieth century salmon populations were able to support both a commercial fishery and a healthy sporting industry that supported many hotels, tackle shops and country estates. It still does in parts of the Scottish East coast where mighty Rivers like the Spey and Tay still have large runs of fish.

It is tragic that we have allowed wild salmon to decline to such an extent that they could be extinct across the South West within a generation. An iconic fish that has forged into rivers for thousands of years threatened with extinction largely due to mankinds failure to support and nurture natures complex system. If we had taken care of salmon and the oceans then surely we could have continued a sustainable harvest. Short sighted greed and failure to appreciate natures worth is a lesson that is only slowly starting to sink in.

Table 15: South West salmon rod catches

River	Salmon caught	Salmon released	Percentage released
Avon Devon	12	11	92%
Avon Hants	88	88	100%
Axe	0	0	0%
Camel	42	42	100%
Dart	5	5	100%
Erme	4	4	100%
Exe	108	98	91%
Fowey	94	92	98%
Frome	42	42	100%
Lyn	44	43	98%
Lynher	63	61	97%
Plym	3	2	67%
Tamar	178	162	91%
Tavy	30	27	90%
Taw	59	57	97%
Teign	33	30	91%
Torridge	18	17	94%
Yealm	0	0	0%
Other	0	0	0%
Total	823	781	95%

29 Nov 2022

Please Don’t eat farmed salmon this Christmas

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

In the lead up to Christmas, over 2 million farmed salmon are likely to die prematurely each month on farms along the Scottish west coast and islands. Farmed salmon has no place on our festive menus, and certainly not on sustainable ones.

Salmon Farming: why it’s not a cause for festive cheer
Since the 1970s, global populations of wild Atlantic salmon have declined by around 70%, from 8-10 million to just 3 million today. Open-net salmon farming has been shown to be one of the causes of this decline.
As salmon farming in Scotland continues to grow exponentially it spreads potentially fatal parasitic sea lice from farmed to wild fish. The threat to wild fish is further escalated by a rise in farmed fish escapes and as a result increased likelihood of extinction from genetic dilution.
In 2021, the Scottish salmon industry produced over 200,000 annual tonnes of Atlantic salmon. By 2030 it aims to produce 400,000 tonnes per year.
While the industry looks forward to increasing revenues, the true cost of producing this volume of farmed Atlantic salmon isn’t a cause for festive cheer.
Salmon farming wreaks environmental havoc
Salmon farming is not an environmentally-friendly menu option. It wreaks havoc on the surrounding environment, has severe costs in terms of resources and carbon use and it leads to the immense suffering of millions of fish – both wild and farmed.
The unsustainable practice of open-net salmon farming is a significant cause of the dramatic decline in populations of wild Atlantic salmon and the integrity of Scotland’s coastal ecosystems.

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.