Only the one fish reported so far from yesterday, despite the conditions. All a little worrying.

I understand a really big fish was lost at Caemawr yesterday after on long fight when the hook hold gave right at the net.

LATEST, Fish on fly this morning from beat 1 at Whitney to Steve Dawes -again.
14lb fish from Backney on s single hooked F/C to Keith Maddox
14lbs fish from Home Lacy 4 to Robin Hemming on a devon.

Steve Dawes fish from Whitney today -see below

Alex Davies and his fish from the Red Lion yesterday

Latest on the pollution from err WUF. All very well yet the public bodies and water companies can pollute on occasions with impunity and indeed permission.

EA BRIEFING
Pollution on the Afon Honddu (Monnow / Wye catchment)
A quick response to a major slurry incident on Tuesday 4th April has resulted in averting a serious environmental incident on the River Monnow catchment. The incident happened after a retaining wall on a slurry lagoon failed causing a significant discharge into a small feeder stream of the River Honddu (see picture below).
We have been working with the Environment Agency (EA), Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water and the farmer concerned to contain as much of the slurry as possible to avoid further pollution. A network of ditches has been dug to channel the slurry into temporary catch pits and we have temporarily over-pumped the stream around the affected stretch. A large clean-up operation is ongoing and the slurry store has been emptied to reduce the risk of further discharges and allow repairs to be undertaken. All remediation work has now been taken over by the farmer’s insurers, guided by NRW officers and the site is now secure with minimal risk of further pollution.
Thanks to a quick response from NRW, its partners, and prompt action taken by the farmer in reporting the incident, it is thought that up to three quarters of the 450,000 litres of slurry in the lagoon has been prevented from entering the Honddu.
Officers remain on site assessing the impact of the pollution on fish and other river life in the Honddu. Early indications seem to show that the actions taken have restricted the worst of the impact to the tributary of the Honddu with only a small number of dead fish (single figures) currently witnessed and only local impact to invertebrate life.
Evidence is currently being collected on site for potential enforcement action against the owner of the slurry lagoon.
Once we’re happy that the remaining slurry has been dealt with and there is no further risk to the river, we’ll be focussing our efforts on how this happened, and are keen to work closely with our partners including the farming Unions and Welsh Government to ensure we reduce the likelihood of this happening again.
Rees, Christopher, 06/04/2017
www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Page 2 of 2
We ask anyone who see signs of pollution to report it to our incidents team on 03000 65 3000

Yet More Pollution

6th April 2017

With considerable sadness we write to report yet another significant agricultural pollution. This time it's the Honddu, a Monnow tributary, and you can read the BBC report here. Full details will remain unavailable for now, as there will no doubt be a full investigation.
Speaking from the point of view of both WUF and Afonydd Cymru (the latter is umbrella body for the six river trusts of Wales) it's clear that we are facing an epidemic: the frequency of these drastic events, coupled with underlying diffuse pollution is reaching the point where our fisheries in Wales may not recover fast enough to sustain themselves in the future. Please see here for a report in Carmarthenshire.
Nor do we know what chemicals or slurry is released during floods and there are some rives that have no fish to die and show the telltale sign of ongoing pollution. So what's to be done?
Afonydd Cymru have already written to the Cabinet Secretary about the the Teifi and more recently, the Gwilli pollutions. The NRW map showing pollution events opposite is surely a more compelling case for corrective action.
Back in the early '90s, we faced a situation that had some similarities. The Wye appeared lifeless - dead was how many described it. Trout, salmon and invertebrates were disappearing rapidly. The NRA (later the Environment Agency) assured us that they were "monitoring the situation closely". However, in 1996, WUF's only staff member, Richard White, reported that every invertebrate and crayfish in the Sgithwen brook was dead. It was as the result of a farmer discharging Synthetic Pyrethroid sheep dip into the stream.
It took a lot of pressure to get EA to bring a prosecution as generally, farmers escaped with a warning but it was successful and a follow up survey of sites in over 100 rivers and streams in the sheep rearing area revealed that over 98% contained sheep dip.
It might be wise, therefore, to take assurances from the regulators as more of a wish list than an actuality.
Here is what Lord Kimble, Under-Secretary of State for Defra said "We will ensure that the environment is properly protected in law and that--I emphasise this--the whole body of existing EU environmental law continues to be given effect in the law of our country, either as it stands or in a manner that ensures that it works as a UK regime".
Clearly further complaints to NRW and Welsh Government will again be fruitless. Even if prosecuted, the fines are paid by insurance companies and the farmers unions spend a lot of time and effort successfully defending what is in reality a small number of serious polluters. Those that don't invest in updated storage facilities for example have a commercial advantage over those that do and the current regulatory system does nothing to prevent taking serious risks with our environment. Why should they bother?