An 8lb fish reported from Cadora Backs but no one seems to have asked who caught it?

Just returned from the latest canoe meeting at the Showground, Builth Wells.  Chaired by Rachel Evans together with George Barron, Mark Lloyd, Charles de Winton and Tony.Reese.  Stephen Marsh Smith was on the agenda to give a presentation on Voluntary Access Agreement.. He didn't appear and there was no apology from the Chair.  In fact the item was simply not mentioned with no apology from the Chair. Obviously something more important.

Rachel Evans suggested that our actions had in fact led to no mention of unlimited canoe access when the Green Paper that should have contained it came out. This plus the fact that the Minister John Griffiths had lost his position on this issues gave a breathing space.  She wished to thank everyone who took part in the writing of letters, attending meetingssend emails etc which apparently had a huge impact on WAG Ministers. So if you did take part in the campaign thanks again on her behalf.
However the issue is unlikely to go away and we must keep our guard up in case its inserted in through the back door possibly in the next WAG governments manifesto.

Basically it was agreed to offer access 'arrangements' even though it seems unlikely at present whether any of the official canoe bodies would engage but it may well have some leverage with WAG to show we are at least willing..  Have to say however it was the lack of any enforcement  that worried me.  Some good ideas but no redress if everyone chooses to ignore you arrangements.
Some wag suggested the upper Wye arrangement was working well -he needs to get out more.!!




I note that the salmon reported from Fownhope No5. was caught by a coarse fisherman on a pellet. and there seems to be some confusion, at least by the angler as to what the fish actually was .  A Check on the internet apparently satisfies him it was a grilse. Hmmm  Could have been something else of course but lets record it anyway..
It was caught on a beat recently cleared by WUF making a number of coarse fishing spots available including ropes to get to the river.
This of course gives access to a salmon pool and run much prized and fished by the opposite bank. Whilst I am sure they would have welcomed salmon fishermen,transitory as they are, but permant barbel/chub anglers with lines across the river as we all know makes any meaningful fishing impossible.
One has to ask just how much more degradation of the Wye's salmon fishery is going to be allowed


From WUF feedback.
"Fishing from the rocks and almost immediately landed a decent chub. A couple of casts later something snapped up my pellet tipped with corn and, after a short scrap, I landed a grilse. I have caught sea trout before but this didn't look like one at all. Having spent some time comparing it to pictures of grilse on the internet I'm sure this is what I landed. Very bright conditions and extremely low water made conditions tough."



WUF note - The wooded section of this beat has since received a lot of clearance and maintenance work and has been opened up allowing access to some of the best faster water and salmon pools. Please see the website page and Beat Gallery for more information.