Two more fish reported from yesterday.  18lbs from Lower Carrots on a flying C and an 18lbs fish from Rockfield on a rapala -I think by Mark Norwood. Three of the fish reorted are under 71/2lb -pretty unusual for Wye springers to say the least.  kelts are still being caught up to about 12lbs.


Regarding the proposal to discontinue stocking on Welsh rivers this is what our 'esteemed' WUF Director had to say on the subject.

Executive director Dr Stephen Marsh-Smith said: "We've been dying for this to happen. It is very questionable whether hatcheries actually work.

"The scientists will tell you too much inbreeding and various genetic problems result from hatcheries."

He also disputed the claim by Mr Bradshaw that the move would end with a ban on keeping salmon catches.

"I don't think that is going to be the case," he said, pointing out that hatcheries often source breeding stock from the wild.

"When you take fish out of the river to go to a hatchery, you are depleting somewhere else, and that's the part of the equation that nobody does the sums for."

The NRW consultation runs until the end of May.

So there you have it.  Some of us always knew his views on hatcheries and now that some scientists, with no evidence whatsoever that it is other than an opinion, have suggested it might cause genetic problems, he says it out loud so as not to seem out of step with his peers.

Begs the question as to how the Wye Owners feel whose money he took to run their hatchery at Painscastle which he constructed on a signal crayfish  infested site and at which he lost the hatchery site and equipment lock stock and barrel.  Notwithstanding that when operating it he claimed stocking successes on the Lugg and Arrow. Even last year his staff were engaged in catching up broodstock for the hatchery at Abercynrig for stock for the SNR ponds on which he has also done an about turn.  Talk about double standards, double dealing and in my opinion moral bankruptcy.

I suppose like the hatchery debacle, which they swept under the carpet, the Wye Owners Association will still keep pumping in the money as they have absolutely no ideas of their own.  Most supported the SNR scheme, some with hard cash and the dog they fed now bites the hand that feeds it.

Also this from Peter Gough NRW some years ago. Note in particular the last sentence;

To fully utilise the smolt production potential of the upper Wye an egg deposition density of 4.0 to 6.0 eggs m-2 is probably required. This is equivalent to 4000 to 6000 redds, or 8000 to 12000 spawning fish above Glasbury, representing a two-fold increase on the spawning escapement of 1982 and a four- fold increase on 1984 In order to achieve a “natural” recovery of Wye salmon stocks, exploitation of adult fish must be reduced. Ideally, cropping of adults would be reduced simultaneously in legal and illegal high seas and river fisheries. In practice the most realistic management options are probably to further restrict poaching and angling pressure within the Wye river system. Even a complete moratorium on angling and netting, combined with continued anti-poaching measures, is unlikely to result in a dramatic increase in spawning stock. However, such an approach may initiate a gradual recovery. A large scale programme of artificial propagation aimed at maximising smolt production should help to accelerate recovery of spawning stock to optimum level.

Another I think whose personal expediency results in a change of mind.

Sad times indeed.!!

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A few fish seem to be reaching the Moccas area but they are pretty thin on the ground everywhere it seems  Those on upper beats above Glasbury will not be pleased to hear that there is a huge diagonal bank of gravel, 100yds long across the river below Glasbury.  A couple of days ago there was but half an inch of water over the gravel up which no fish could possibly run. Canoeists poor dears , have to get their feet wet and walk across it. Tomorrows rain might be helpful if not if you have no fish on your upstream beats you may not get any more until the next spate