River starting to clear on the upper beats now with good running water.   Must be some fish on these beats especially over the coming  weekend surely..

Did hear of another March fish today, caught by Cardiff angler Mike Jones, a regular on the HDAA water.   Spinning in high water on 31st March Mike took a 36" 18lbs springer.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indications from Welsh government sources seem to suggest that the canoe access issue is rapidly becoming less of a priority and may well be put in the 'too difficult to do' basket when they eventually do produce their Green Paper, though it's unlikely to go away in the future.

Saw this on the WUF facebook page;

"Monthly Wye Salmon Report: Why wait until May for your March river Wye report in a fishing magazine. Subscribe to our up to date monthly online fishing reports:"

ANSWER;    Because its likely to be more accurate and contain things anglers should know but which you- WUF- would rather they didn't!!!





THIS RECEIVED TODAY  -IF IT'S NOT ONE THREAT IT'S ANOTHER;


> Gents
>
> Tidal Lagoon (Swansea Bay) plc are proposing to build a tidal lagoon in
> Swansea Bay to generate power from the tides. The non-technical summary of
> the Environmental Statement at
>
> http://tidallagoon.opendebate.co.uk/files/TidalLagoon/DCO_Application/6.1_E.
> pdf
>
> describes the scheme. I'd email it to you but it's 17MB so I'll only do so
> if you'd like me to. Other documents are at
>
> http://www.tidallagoonswanseabay.com/planning-application-docs.aspx
>
> We in the Swansea Valley are concerned that it will harm our stocks of
> salmon and sea trout, detrimentally affecting the value of our fishery. This
> is likely to arise as a result of:
> - massive, unnatural flows in Swansea Bay interfering with normal migration
> routes and behaviour;
> - fish (smolts, returning adults and kelts) being drawn into the turbines
> and killed;
> - fish being drawn through the turbines into the impoundment and trapped;
> - fish being driven away from the area by unfavourable conditions.
>
> Supported by some of the local clubs and the Angling Trust, Fish Legal
> commissioned an independent expert fisheries analysis (attached), one of the
> key points of which is that "Due to extensive movement of migratory
> salmonids along the South Wales coast there is potential for populations of
> more rivers to be impacted than currently included within the far-field
> zone." The report says "Because coastal movements appear to be extensive
> more fish will be potentially exposed to Lagoon encounters than suggested in
> the Report. These potential effects may not be trivial collectively, because
> although proportionally far fewer salmon from say the river Wye will be
> exposed than Tawe or Neath fish, the abundance of salmon and sea trout in
> some of the South Wales rivers is much higher than in the nominal target
> rivers; the Wye, Usk and Tywi being notable. While the direction of error is
> clear the amount however, is not. It is not possible to predict with any
> certainty what proportion of say Wye salmon or Tywi sea trout will be
> exposed. It is likely however, that repeat encounters will arise, especially
> in the case of sea trout which are multiple spawners (they spawn and
> re-migrate to sea several times in their life time) and their migrations are
> more coastal that salmon, involving feeding on coastally abundant pelagic
> prey species. Recent genetic and microchemistry studies (from the Celtic Sea
> Trout Project) on sea trout exchange in the Irish Sea (which extended only
> to the Tywi) suggest that movements maybe extensive."
>
> This is the first of a string of possible projects, including others further
> up the Bristol Channel.
>
> As the scheme is a "nationally significant infrastructure project", an
> application for a Development Consent Order under the Planning Act 2008 has
> been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.
>
> http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/wales/tidal-lagoon-swan
> sea-bay/?ipcsection=overview
>
> Interested parties have until 11th April to register an interest and make a
> "relevant representation". The Swansea Bay clubs (Tawe, Neath, Afan) and
> Fish Legal will be doing that but, because of the possible impact on stocks
> from your rivers, I wondered if you'd be willing to register an interest,
> making the point that your fisheries could be harmed but you haven't been
> consulted. I wouldn't expect you to get involved in detailed representations
> against the proposal but it might help to raise the profile of fisheries as
> an issue in the detailed examination of the application. I could help you to
> get it done with a minimum of effort.
>
> Regards
> Phil Jones
>
>
> =====================================================
> Phil Jones, Director / Treasurer
> 44 Bwllfa Rd, Ynystawe, Swansea, SA6 5AL
> Tel: 01792 843951 Mob: 07957 154992
>
> Pontardawe and Swansea Angling Society Ltd
> www.pasas.org.uk
> Reg'd in Wales No 6736638
> Reg'd Office: 8 Bwllfa Rd, Ynystawe, Swansea, SA6 5AL
> =====================================================