River dropping and clearing well now upstream. B OK tomorrow on some beats unless tonights rain spoils things.
14lb fish at Ingeston yesterday to David Slade
SEE below from WUF
Hmm. £20 quid to go for a brisk walk. Cant't you do that for nothing anytime?
Good that at last something is being done about the Elan.though isn't it a bit late in the year. Will the gravel have time to stabilise before fish might choose to spawn on it with the fist dam overflow disturbing and distributing much of it. There again what do I know!!
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WUF Project and Activity Update
Tuesday, 27th
September
The
sights and smells of autumn are with us again. In this part of the world,
the upper Wye, nowadays that is the rather un-alluring and sweet smell of
sheep dip, chicken factories and manure of cow, recently spread on the
land!
So
what has WUF been up to? Starting with our fish access project, we have
taken out the weir at Lugg Green. This was a very significant project. The
rather modest fish pass frequently blocked with debris and in a river such
as the Lugg, which takes a time to recharge after summer, it often became a
complete 'stopper'. In addition, the dead water above the weir has been
eliminated, an area that caused a predation problem for downward migrating
smolts.
Two
huge timber jams that were stopping fish migration have been removed from
Clettwr and Sgithwen. Also the Garth Dulas, Ballsgate (Lugg), Honddu and
Trostre passes (both Usk) have been modified or repaired. Plans have been
drawn up for a permanent pass at Ballsgate. Still to complete are easements
on the Arrow and Garren and we hope to be able to report shortly that the
raised weir at Kington has been properly restored.
Elsewhere,
the fencing teams have been out on the upper Arrow and the farm teams have
continued to work with farmers to achieve the changes required for our
rivers to run clean. The videos on the Wye Catchment
Partnership website show how farming is changing for the better and WUF
is playing an instrumental role in this.
This
week, after many years of preparation, the plans to reinstate gravel into
the Elan finally get underway. The first pebble was relocated at dawn
yesterday and the team will be working to introduce the planned 2,500
tonnes in the next week.
The
autumn/late summer assault on Japanese Knotweed has resulted in another 50
stands getting sprayed. This is the best time of year to achieve a high
eradication rate, especially if the plant is in flower.
We
will be holding a different version of our Autumn walk this year. Instead
of travelling around the upper catchments looking for spawning or ascending
fish, we will be holding a farm walk in the middle Wye catchment at
Caradoc, near Ross-on-Wye on
Sunday 6th November. During the walk we will be
demonstrating what farmers are doing to protect the river and how WUF's
farm team work. Places are limited so we ask those interested to contact us
on 01874 711 714 to book their place. The cost for the day is £25
(discounted to £15 for regular donors to WUF) and includes a pub lunch.
For
those that want to see salmon and trout spawning in the headwaters of the
Usk and Wye, there will be spaces with WUF staff during their surveys on
the 27th Nov and 4th Dec. Please note that you will
need to be fit and able to walk several miles at a decent pace! Spaces are
limited and on a first come first served basis. We ask for a £20 donation
to WUF to anyone wanting to come along.
Finally,
as reported a few weeks ago, we (or rather you!), are still having trouble
with BT with not everyone receiving these emails or booking confirmations. |
Lugg
Green weir, nearly gone, save for the metal piling which will be removed
next.
Elan
4km of this large tributary can be enhanced for salmonids by restoring lost
gravel
The
start of the re-introduction of gravel to the Elan yesterday, the first
time the river below the dams has received a replenishment for over 100
years!
The
emails are sent out as normal from our system, are accepted by BT, then
disappear! BT won't talk to us, nor our ISP as we are not customers.
Our
message to those affected rather reminds me of a talk I gave in Germany
during our Life + project a few years ago. As you would expect, it was
extremely well organised, right down to the PA system and a team of
translators. The Italian who was on before me spoke perfect English and,
phrase by phrase, this was slowly translated into German. It took ages.
When
my turn came, I asked the audience to raise their hands if they understood
English - they all (or nearly all) did and so to raise a laugh, I then
asked those who couldn't to raise their hands. It's a bit like that now
with us, asking those with BT who can't get our messages to complain to
them!
All the best from WUF.
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WHATEVER NEXT. WHO THOUGHT THIS ONE UP!!!!!!!
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The Angling Trust is supporting a campaign to stop people throwing cigarette butts into water, down drains, or in fact any place where they might end up being washed into the water environment.
There is clear scientific evidence that cigarette butts are toxic to fish and other aquatic wildlife.
Anglers who smoke can play their part by carrying a portable ashtray or a Litterbuggy, available to Angling Trust members on a special two for one offer
HERE. They’re also useful for discarded line and other angling litter.
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