Saturday, June 08, 2024

My first sea trout of 2024!

Yes I got my first fish of the season last Saturday night! It was only about 2lb but it was a sea trout!

I could maybe have had more if the mist hadn't decended! An Otter was very active with a youngster which must be a good sign as well as a huge herd of heifers who wouldn't leave me be and were literally shitting everwhere including in the river! Don't worry about the Water Authorities dumping sewage in the river these cows were dumping big time!!!!

Monday, April 22, 2024

Earth Day today!


 

Monday, April 15, 2024

Fantastic turnout for the BIG RIVER - LITTLE CLEANUP!

2 seniors (me and Anthony Painter) and his wonderful son called Si.

Absolutely PARR for the Course! 

Tuesday, April 02, 2024

Llangadog River Clean Up - NEW DATE!

Big River clean Up - Sat 13th and Sun 14th April 2024!

Please bring waders if you have them!

Thursday, March 21, 2024

River Clean Up POSTPONED!

Due to the river height we have decided to postpone the Clean Up till April! A new date will be announced in due course. 

WMO State Climate 2023 Press conference! RED ALERT!!!!!


 

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Llangadog Angling Limited - Pre Season River Clean Up - Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th March 2024?

Notice to all readers!

We need as many volunteers as possible so please make an effort to attend at least one day?

Friday, March 01, 2024

Smart Rivers? Maybe this is the way we should go?

What is SmartRivers?

SmartRivers is our scientifically robust, nationwide citizen science scheme that is helping to fill the evidence gap caused by cuts to statutory monitoring regimes.
Our river hubs collect and analyse invertebrate samples to provide invaluable, high-resolution data on invertebrate biodiversity and the pressures impacting wild fish.
How to enrol a hub and the commitment required
  • To set up a SmartRivers hub we need a host organisation and a group of 8-10 volunteers to monitor 5 sites.
  • The first year is the 'set up year' in which all the benchmarking and training takes place.
  • For all rivers being added to the project, a professional scientist will come and complete an initial professional benchmark on your chosen 5 sample sites, in spring and autumn. This provides a scientific 'baseline' for your river and also helps us know what species we should teach you to identify. WildFish would be able to fund this.
  • Training is two full days. Hubs are responsible for covering the training cost which is £1950 (the host organisations usually help unlock local funding for this).
  • Once trained, the volunteers must sample twice a year (spring and autumn) and there are two pathways to choose from. Volunteers can 'sample and identify' where they do all the sampling and analysis themselves, or 'sample and send' where they collect the sample and post to a professional lab for identification. Sample and identify is free, whereas samples posted are £185 exc. VAT per sample. We provide the hub with a microscopes if completing your own ID, but you must obtain your own nets, buckets and sample preservative.
If this is something you feel would be of interest to your group I'd be happy to discuss in further detail - let me know.
All the best,
Lauren
Lauren Harley
SmartRivers Project Manager

Thursday, February 08, 2024

Save the River Tywi Facebook Group created and it needs your Urgent HELP!

I created this Facebook Group on Wednesday 31st January 2024 in pure DESPERATION! A week later we have over 300 Members.

I have watched my beloved river slip into oblivion over the past 10 or 15 years. I've fished it for 30 years I think and started this Blog in 2006. Runs of migratory fish have declined dramatically and these days you see very few anglers about. Rivers like this are an essential part of the eco system and in a healthy condition are essential for all creatures to survive and thrive. Without anglers Farmers will pollute the rivers with inpunity! NO FISH means NO ANGLERS means MORE POLLUTION!

The problem is huge and complicated. Things are being done. The Carmarthen Fishermen's Federation has over 500 followers and is working hard on improving habitat and restoring breeding grounds etc but still the river is DYING! The Welsh Government and the NRW are both complicit in it's destruction and that of most Welsh Rivers! The problem is all over Wales in all rivers, brooks, streams and tributories!

The aim of this Facebook Group is to gather support for immediate ACTION. We're not going to write letters! We're not going to create endess Petitions that nobody takes any notice of! In some way or other we hope to make things happen in other ways! We've all done the letters and Petitions and they don't work!

We are going to take a fresh approach if we can - an approach that displays URGENCY because if we don't ACT NOW Welsh salmon and sea trout (sewin) will become EXTINCT!

Please join this Group if you care about Salmon and Sea Trout and all things in Welsh Rivers! Please join us to save salmon and sea trout from EXTINCTION in Welsh Rivers! Time is running out!


SavetheRiverTywi Facebook Action Group 

Saturday, July 22, 2023

My first trip this Season?

Yes - I spent 2 hrs on the river Thursday night untill it went very chilly. Didn't see or connect with anything! Spoke to a guy on the Llandeilo Water who said he had had 6 fish so far!

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Some rain has arrived?

Something like 300mm of rain swelled te river today. A welcome watering!

Wednesday, July 05, 2023

It's July and I still haven't fished yet?

What an abismal season so far this year?

It's the 5th July and I haven't even cast a line! More disturbing is that there is little sign of any decent rain in the forecast? I spoke to Keith tonight who told me that he has been putting plenty of time in at Whitemill and has had little reward for his efforts!

I'm currently praying for rain in the hope that I might get some fishing in this season but who knows? The Climate Emergency is showing itself ever more obviously now, especially with this sport but still the world takes little notice!

Thursday, June 08, 2023

My Granddaughter Jasmine illuded me to this beautiful poem - The River by Valerie Bloom!

The River's a wanderer. 

A nomad, a tramp, 

He doesn't choose one place

To set up his camp. 

The River's a winder, 

Through valley and hill 

He twists and he turns, 

He just cannot be still. 

The River's a hoarder, 

And he buries down deep 

Those little treasures 

That he wants to keep. 

The River's a baby, 

He gurgles and hums, 

And sounds like he's happily

Sucking his thumbs. 

The River's a singer,

As he dances along, 

The countryside echoes

The notes of his song. 

The River's a monster

Hungry and vexed, 

He's gobbled up trees

And he'll swallow you next.

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Not worth fishing till we get a good flood?

According to reports on Forums and information from angling friends the Towy is super low and full of slime! So I won't be visiting until the river has a good flush. Very sad yet again but it's very clear things are heading just one way!!

Friday, March 31, 2023

Countdown to the 2023 Fishing Season!!!

Yes, as I type these words it is less than 2 hours until the new season starts! I wonder if anyone will actually fish on the first day?

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Annual fishing get together!

We had our annual fishing lunch the other day at a lovely restaurant in Stratford called the Ventnor's. Sadly Rod and Vicky were unable to attend because of an unexpected funeral. Everyone was on good form and the meal was excellent! A good laugh was had by all!



Sunday, March 19, 2023

The season is looming!

12 days to go!

 Lets hope that the weather is warmish?

Tuesday, March 07, 2023

19 days to go!

The new season is getting closer! 

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

The 2023 Season is not far away!

The new season is not far away now?

If you are anything like me then the prospect of April 1st and the start of the new fishing season fills you with huge excitement but also anxiety in case the season is a repeat of last years!

Lets hope that we get some water April, May and June just to keep the river fresh.

So it's soon time to dust off the rods and reels, sort out the mess of flies you left last season (if you fished that is) and check those waders for leaks?

Tight lines for 23! Here's one from 2015!



Friday, January 27, 2023

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Temperatures are rising at a frightening pace!

It is quite possible that the increase in temperatures globally are something to do with why the quantity of migratory fish running our rivers has collapsed, especially in the south of the UK. The rate of decline looks very similar to this chart of rising temperatures I think?

By the way this chart was taken from showyourstripes.info


More details can be found in The Climate Book created by Greta Thunberg and Published by Penguin Books.

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

The UK Government blocked a law requiring Water Companies to dump less SEWAGE in our rivers!


 

NATIONAL DAY of ACTION - DIRTY WATER - WAVE ONE - January 28th 2023

Our waterways are the veins of our country, home to an incredible number of species and habitats. But our clean water and biodiversity are being sacrificed by politicians and water companies who see our rivers and seas as nothing more than a commodity to be exploited.

Everyone from across the UK is invited to join the first national day of action on January 28th 2023 to highlight the appalling state of our waterways, rivers, and seas due to government regulatory failure and profit-grabbing industries.

Dirty Water is suitable for any group that has an interest in our waterways, and you will be able to adapt the campaign and messaging to your own locality, e.g. sewage outfall, intensive farming pollution etc. This is a campaign for everyone - from water-focused groups such as wild swimmers, anglers, surfers, boaters, standup paddle boarders, and kayakers; to nature groups including Wildlife Trusts, educational and organic businesses and concerned citizens.

This campaign will provide a concept and the information you need to amplify your voice and get your message across or you can get really creative and use your own ideas for awareness-raising, fun and campaigning. You don’t need to be part of a group for the first Wave of the actions; wherever you are you can take action.

The Dirty Water campaign builds on the work already done by Extinction Rebellion Deep Water, Make The Wave regional actions ahead of the 2021 G7 conference and a host of other community-led river campaigns and protests around the UK. It is riding the wave of the recent publicity about the dreadful and deteriorating state of the UK's waterways.

Saturday, December 24, 2022

A BIG THANK YOU to Nick!

There is much apathy in the angling community, as can be seen by the lack of engagement in the Fishing Forums, so I am not surprised by the fact that I only have one contributor here!

I would like to thank the only person (pretty much) who can be bothered to comment on any of my posts!

Thank you Nick for your support over the years . It is very much appreciated. Merry Christmas to you and your family!



Friday, December 16, 2022

To anyone who may read this blog?

 Happy Christmas and tight lines for 2023 wherever you may fish!

Friday, October 14, 2022

What a dismal season?

I'm certain that this season is my worst ever!

Severe drought, high temperatures, weed infestation - you name it and it happened!

I've fished just a handful of times and landed just one measly sea trout! I spent a few days last week with my long time angling friend Rodney Byles on the river but we both failed to connect with a salmon whilst 2 other anglers had at least 1 salmon each.

So, is this finally the time to give up? I don't know!

Monday, September 05, 2022

Water at last!

Finally, after a summer of extremely low water levels the rain has arrived!

1.700m on the gauge at 9.00am this morning! Lets hope that the salmon, who have been waiting patiently out at sea can now begin their journey up river. You never know maybe I might catch one again?