River was quite coloured this morning in the Hay area but cleared a little later..  Didn't stop a pregnant hen from being caught at Spreadeagle today  and Builth Wells reports another hen fish taken on Sunday. Lets hope they are none the worse for wear.

Just received a copy of the below letter. There are hypocrites everywhere it seems.  The disgracefully inept WSFOA committee headed by the below mentioned Michael Timmis prevented the owners support of the SNR project, although the majority were in favour, made no representation to NRW on either the hatchery issue or the canoe access issue.
As you can see below they blindly allow the tail to wag the dog and so it's more of the same from them. At least some of it's members did the honourable thing and resigned. Pathetic isn't it.

Having said that there is no doubt in my mind who actually penned the email -is there in yours?

Subject: NRW Hatchery News

Dear Member,

As you may have heard already, the NRW have decided not to continue with salmon hatcheries in Wales.  A copy of their press release is attached.

The issue of the contribution hatcheries and Semi Natural Rearing have made, or could make to the river Wye, has caused much disagreement amongst Wye owners and anglers generally.  It has damaged the unity of the owners and has led to resignations from the WSFOA Committee and the departure of some members.

The habitat approach being pursued by our partners, The Wye & Usk Foundation (WUF), will carry on regardless.  While it is easy in a season when catches have been so poor to deride this work, I believe it is the only way to deal with our river specific problems such as siltation, high phosphate levels, acidification, impassable barriers and high levels of abstraction. 

Now the Hatchery issue is behind us, it is time for owners to re-unite and give their full support to the tireless efforts of the WUF.

As a result of the recent resignations we have vacancies on your Committee.  I urge anyone who would like to help restore our great river to put their name forward to me.  I also ask for your continued support for the work that is being done by WUF by ensuring that you all make your contribution through the River Improvement Fund.  If a dismal season for Atlantic salmon in Europe is down to factors at sea, we must do all we can to maximize natural reproduction of fish in the river.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the WSFOA AGM on Friday 24th October at 5pm at the Three Counties Hotel, Belmont Road, Hereford, HR2 7BP.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Timmis

The below appeared on the internet today.

"The message I recieved is as follows.

NRW will be reviewing the fishing license in 2015 and some of the proposals on the table give cause for concern. It remains to be seen which of these proposals is adopted but my sources in NRW say it will not encourage angling in Wales, the worst proposal is the adoption of the passport system used on the Wye as part of the license, this could include paddling, how this would work is unknown. The unilateral approach by NRW to hatchery closures probably means that they will just impose a system and ignore any suggestions from anglers.

This does tick boxes as far as NRW is concerned."

With WUF now going further into bed with NRW as one of it's stakeholders it appears from this there is a possibility that the WUF Passport may somehow be integrated into NRW Licences.

The inference too is that canoeists may be included in some sort of licence,

Having thwarted the WAG open access issue is it any surprise that this may be a way of allowing canoeing by the 'back door'   If WUF are involved in this would it surprise anyone. They are keen to embraced the welsh government as no doubt they see them as a source of funding and NRW see them as a means of trying to meet their obligations regarding the Water framework Directive.

Well if there are any shady deals to be done or any backstabbing with the angler as so much fodder then we know who will be first in line.  We shall have to wait and see.