Saturday 13 May 2017

Well there was a fish yesterday.  Cadora Backs, spinning a mepps a 10lbs fish to Richard Barnes.

Otherwise prospects remain the same.  Hope below Monmouth - a leap of faith on the middle river -and don't even think about it on the upstream beats.  (Cue someone to catch one now)
Some high tides again but will there be many fish arriving on them for the below Monmouth beats.??

LATEST  today.

3 fish so far from Bigswier.   Steve Brady 12lbs blk f/c  Derrick Maund.13lbs  blk/yellow  f/c and
Kenny Powell 14lbs on a spindle fly.  All clean hen fish.
3 also from Wyesham : 5 lbs to Philip Bellamy; 13.5 lbs to Stuart Foxall; 11 lbs to M. Hellman. All on fly.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I suspect many of you have received WUFs latest glossy brochure.  Make of it what you will.

However as usual projects are hailed a scuccess even before they have had time to take effect.  notable the Elan river re-gravelling.   The large pile of gravel placed on the edge of the river last autumn has , well much of it, been swept downstream and the project hailed a success. Perhaps one could point out;

1.Has it settled in places suitable for salmon spawning. Picture shows a flat slack area and a gravel bank out of the water???
2. Will the gravel be deep enough to enable fish to spawn with enough depth and pace of water to make it suitable for the fish.
3 Apart from that shown how extensive is the gravel spread throughout the river. to make a significant spawning area.
4. Will the gravel still be there in the Autumn if we have a big spate or two?.
5. Will there actually be any salmon to spawn on it should they find it suitable.
6. Is the river suitable for the rearing of any offspring.?

Just asking!!!   Until some of those questions have been answered and some monitoring has been done how can you say its been a success. Bit like the recent NRW?WUF  'Bliss' project/   Miles more fencing  asimilar to that which has been done over the years and -bingo- river 'restored'.
Much made too of the water releases from Elan reservoir - well yes but only if there is the water available atg the time.!!!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.