Pity the Scottish Government fail to see things this way and close down soome salmon farms that are doing so much damage

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mowi-fish-processing-salmon-farm-licences-1.6319178 

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                          THE SECOND SALMON.

Whilst I admit my first salmon was somewhat unexpected well so was the second one.  

It came from the river Teme a river I have much affection for and which I fished pretty often over the years.  It was a medium sized river in a lovely valley with a wide variety of water.  No barbel then but some roach, plenty of dace and chub and of course trout and grayling plus pike,.

I was a single young PC at the time working in Tenbury town alongside which ran the Teme. I was in the street one day when a guy I knew pulled up in his car and said he had caught a pike well into the low twenties from the town water alongside the churchyard.   A couple of days later in the late evening I was there legering a deadbait.  This produced nothing so going through my tackle box I came across an old Colorado spoon,  kidney shaped blade with red and silver colours.  Not seen one of these for decades now,

I put it on the wire trace and started spinning.  It was nearly time to go when I suddenly had a savage take.  A good fight ensued and I really thought I was into a decent pike.  While playing it a voice behind me said, “Got one on then”?   It was a middle aged guy I knew briefly.   I only had a gaff with me with which I used to chin the pike causing them no damage.   The banks of the Teme are treacherous and steep mostly everywhere and he asked if he could help.    I agreed and pointed out the gaff without really instructing him how to use it, assuming he might know.

To cut a long story short he was down the bank and after a lot of splashing he struggled back up.  Street lights were on now and there on the grass was a cock salmon of about twelve pounds gaffed right through the belly and obviously not going to survive.  I had a salmon licence but the season had finished two or three days before, somewhat of a dilemma which we discussed,

“I know what i would do” he said and dashed off returning in a little while with an old gabardine raincoat in which he wrapped the salmon and we slunk off back to my car like two thieves in the night which on reflection I suppose we were.  Throwing the dead fish back in the river didn’t seem right then and under the present C&R with possible damage to fish still in my opinion does not sit comfortably with me.

 Was sent this lovely picture of what appear to be a superbly condition sea trout taken last week from a lower Wye beat by an angler fishing lures for pike.   Looks well into double figures.  Pity we dont get more of these on the Wye.

More pollution highlights 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60058188

https://afonyddcymru.org/    

Where have they been all this time I wonder.

    Yet more media attention though I guess everyone knows the problem by now but where's the action?

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/19845653.chemical-cocktail-sewage-slurry-plastic-coursing-worcestershires-rivers/ 

I see WUF are looking for a Programme Manager.   Judging from the list of qualifications they require will there be anyone out there brave enough to reply I wonder and are they expecting a new influx of cash to pay for him/her.

Bloody disgraceful;

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/17/cutting-red-tape-rivers-polluted-england-water-regulators?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

   Wye Salmon association Casting Clinic. 

https://www.wyesalmon.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Casting-Clinic-February-2022.pdf

                          SEA TROUT ?

Never really done a lot of sea trout fishing but did go to Abercothi on the Towy now and again and had a few fish from there.

However I got to know the well known sea trout angler Malcolm Edwards, who was well known to pretty much everyone if the Rheidol valley.   I ended up tying his seat trout flies and he was a great fan of smallish Waddingtons.

On this particular occasion he invited me to fish the Rheidol one evening below the bottom dam.  This was one of his favourite spots especially the tail of the pool whose name I cannot recall and where his memorial stone is now erected.

We wanted till the June night was almost dark before starting and as was his way he let me fish the pool down first.  Sure enough right in the tail at about midnight I had a really good solid take and a great scrap from what we thought was a big sea trout.  Anyway he netted it for me, bonked it on the head and carried on fishing and not using our torches too much.  It looked about 8lbs or so.

The twist in the tail however was at first light when we had a good look at the fish and were amazed to see it was in fact a salmon.   He was surprised as I was and he reckoned he had never caught one  in the dead of night all the years he had fished there.  Another golden b++++cks moment.

He became ill well before his time and the last time I saw him was in Aberystwyth Hospital.  He was a good friend and companion and he fished the Wye with me once or twice too,   His memorial is a fitting tribute to a dedicated angler.

 

Double Standards everywhere it seems;   Absolutely disgusting while water companies pollute at will.

                                https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59999761

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   Yet another reason to join WSA

Once again this season WSA have purchased rods on alternate Saturdays at Bigsweir Fishery, one of the prime beats on the lower River Wye. This year we have two rods, so an opportunity for 32 members to have a days fishing on this beat.

 

The WSA rods will be part of a long established syndicate that has fished this beat for over 25 years. The fishery has six beats and two rods fish each beat. The rods fish a beat in the morning and another in the afternoon, rotating at 1pm. This fishery has the bonus of being influenced by tide heights which during high tides bring fresh salmon into the beats.

 

There is no Ghillie, but the syndicate organiser will be happy to show new rods all the beats in both high and low water conditions throughout the entire season. He will also be on hand to offer tackle advice for both spinning and fly fishing.

 

The allocation of rods will be via a draw and the cost for successful members will be £30. If you are interested in entering the draw please confirm this by email to Lawrence Birkin at membership@wyesalmon.com  by Saturday Jan 29^th.

Draw will take place during the following week and successful members will be notified immediately of which date they have won. You will we be required to pay your £30 fee immediately upon this notification, either by Paypal, bank transfer or posted cheque.

Upon payment receipt you will be supplied with further details.

Days not paid for by Sun Feb 13th will be forfeited and offered to next member drawn.

Note! If you win a day and were washed off when we last ran the draw in 2021 you can request a 50% discount on the £30 fee.

Regards

Lawrence Birkin
Wye Salmon Association

 

Well at least someone is off the mark;       

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/donegal-boy-takes-his-first-and-year-s-first-salmon-1.404855

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We all know the worlds gone mad in all sorts of ways with the vegan attack ever present.  However yesterday I was in the Co Op Supermarket when I came across a packet of, wait for it, FISHLESS FISH FILLETS.   Now excuse me but if there is no fish in it then its simply not a fish fillet and shouldn't be allowed to sell as such.  The contents were vegetable matter covered with a thin batter.    Who eats this stuff.

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                         Sea Fishing Trip.

Done a little sea fishing over the years from boat and shore and one day one of my trout fishing friends rang and said he had a friend who had a boat moored at Brighton.  Would I like a day’s bass fishing.   Well of course.

The boat was moored in Brighton marina and four of us set of to hunt for bass.

We needed mackerel for bait it seemed and this particularday they were hard to come by.  In fact no more than a handful.   In the meantime I rigged up a bomb with a paternoster on which I placed one of the 6/7” rubber shads I sometimes used for pike fishing.   I dropped it to the sea bed and imparted some action to the lure with an up and down movement.   A little later everything went tight and I was into a fish and the skippers teenage son came over to have a look and as the fish neared the surface all I could see at first was what looked like an orange blob.  “ Oh he said, that's a nice one” and he netted what turned out apparently to be a Gurnard.  Mostly orange in colour with bright  blue saucer size pectoral fins edged in white and strange little, what looked like legs. under its front end.  It was probably about 3 or 4lbs

I carried on and shortly afterwards was into another fish. The son came over again and as it neared the surface he let out an expletive and shouted out “skipper come and have a look at this.” The skipper came over and let out the same f***ng hell expletive.  Both seemed quite excited but frankly I had no idea why.  Anyway it came aboard and they fussed around it.  The skipper said it was the biggest one he had ever seen and must be close to the record, whatever that was.  Can’t remember the exact weight put probably between 7 and 8 lbs.   Anyway I took it home and was keen on taxidermy at the time and I set it up in a case.  It was a really impressive looking fish.    I stupidly sold it many years later and really wish I hadn’t.

 

 

 

 

Much more talk again today on the media regarding the state of our rivers.  As Feargal Sharkey said everyone now knows about the dire situation and it's time to do something asap.

This is the report it was based on.     https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59955624

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Found this picture of those canal carp I wrote about recently and yes it is me. hard to believe I know!!!!