A few fish were caught on Golden Grove last night. This is just one of them and a beautiful specimen too. Hopefully we will start to see fish like this up at LAL water in the not too distant future.
Tight lines!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Rodny Byles goes to Sweden in search of some sport with sea trout!
Rod has sent me this report from his recent trip to Sweden. At last I have some pictures of sea trout on my blog!
'I have been going to Sweden for well over 30 years on business and always wanted to fish there but never seemed to have the time. So during my last and recent visit I decided I would definitely make time for fishing the fly for Baltic sea trout. I opted to fish one of Sweden’s best sea trout rivers, the Dalaven at Alvkarleby, around 100 miles north of Stockholm and a few miles from the Baltic coast. There is a good train connection from Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport to Alvkarleby costing about SEK300 return (about £25).
I stayed at the local and comfortable Alvkarleby hotel – they also have much cheaper self catering options – and bought my fishing ticket costing SEK160/day, about £13.60. Fishing when I was there in mid April was from 5am to 9pm. I was in for a big surprise. The river was very wide, about 150 yards in places, very fast flowing between 400 and 500m3/sec and water temperature quite cold at around 4ºC. The nearby hydroelectric power station regulates the flow and the river was up and down like a fiddler’s elbow.
I stayed at the local and comfortable Alvkarleby hotel – they also have much cheaper self catering options – and bought my fishing ticket costing SEK160/day, about £13.60. Fishing when I was there in mid April was from 5am to 9pm. I was in for a big surprise. The river was very wide, about 150 yards in places, very fast flowing between 400 and 500m3/sec and water temperature quite cold at around 4ºC. The nearby hydroelectric power station regulates the flow and the river was up and down like a fiddler’s elbow.
My new 10ft Sage, equipped with fast sinking line and heavy tube, was also the wrong tool and much too short for the task in hand. All the other “sensible” local fly anglers, were deep wading and using 15ft double-handers with 750 grain fast sinking lines and casting well over 50 yards or more. Interestingly all were using large arbour Loop reels. Still I gave it my best shot with my little wand and stuck to the margins and managed a “first” by catching and releasing two bream on a 2inch tube!!!
There were some nice sea trout caught on the sunk fly (see photos) up to 3.6kilos (8lb in old money). But most anglers were either spinning or using the preferred method of a paternoster system of a fly tied on a longish cast linked to a heavy weight trotted down along the bottom in the fast flow. Salmon also run up in the summer and biggest caught a couple of years back weighed just under 28 kilos, that’s around 60lbs!!!
The Alvkarleby fishery bailiff and local Swedish and Finnish anglers were all exceptionally friendly and helpful, making for a very enjoyable but “blank” visit. I even made friends with a very tame Red Squirrel (see photo) and the miles of walking I did in the fresh air was also a great tonic for my recently repaired “ticker”. However, I was very disappointed with the amount of nylon line left discarded on the riverbank just waiting to get tangled up in birds’ legs. I picked up hundreds, yes hundreds of yards of the stuff and put it in the numerous waste bins along the river.
As I left the river I looked over the main bridge with my polaroids and watched for about 10-15 minutes in the bright warm sunshine a constant stream of sea trout nose to tail and 3-4-5 abreast slowly making there way upstream. There were hundreds of them and never seen so many in one place before. An amazing sight.
For those interested have a look at the link'.
http://www.alvkarlebysportfiske.nu/
Monday, May 12, 2008
Gravel extraction - the story continues!
Rodney Byles has kindly sent me a piece that he has written which describes his findings and views on this very important matter!
It's not very often that I find it necessary to publish other peoples articles on this blog but this report is so detailed and informative that I felt it in everyone's interest to do so! Clearly Rodney not only shares my views but that of many others too, about the environment in which we live and the place that we all value so dearly - the River Towy!
The research that he has done, including endless telephone calls and emails has uncovered a great deal of valuable facts that we all need to know. Much of the views that he expresses in the piece are I am sure shared by most if not all of us! I am sure that you will find it most interesting and that hopefully it will stimulate further debate on this very important subject! Clearly the story continues!
'I believe Cerith may have already had a chat with the farmer about some Llangadog Angling Association Ltd members’ concerns the gravel/shale extraction is having on the water course and the creation of the bypass channel shown in the Google satellite image, which I believe was taken sometime last season in lowish water. I do not know if this is now an accurate picture of the area as I have not been down there yet this season. Also I do not know what response Cerith got.
As many members will know who fish this section the farmer has been taking out shale for several years and this area, has at times, resembled a bomb site with heaps and craters everywhere. Last season the bank of the main river was finally breached and over topped during a flood allowing the fast flowing water to carve out a smooth bypass channel and preventing anglers’ access to the bend of the main river.
The action of the farmer was recently brought to the attention of Environment Agency Wales. However, the EAW’s Flood Risk Management section does not consider the alleged activity presents a fluvial flood risk to people or property; therefore, no action will be taken by flood risk management. The local EAW bailiff also made a site visit and concluded that no enforcement action is warranted from a fisheries perspective. The EAW has advised LAAL of its conclusions.
I spoke with our bailiff after this and his first visit to the area since gravel extraction started. He told me that he believed the channel had been caused by “natural erosion” as he saw no evidence of gravel extraction. I would probably have reached the same conclusion had I not known the history of its creation. However, he did say that without any evidence of actually catching the farmer in the act of gravel extraction or photographs of his action, there was nothing he could do. But he was adamant that if he had the evidence he would definitely prosecute the landowner for illegally extracting gravel.
Our bailiff was surprised, that as the gravel extraction had been going on for some years, it had not been reported to him before, especially as some LAAL members who have fished at this location since unauthorised gravel extraction started, are also EAW employees. I couldn't’t answer that.
I believe the EAW appears to have abdicated its apparent responsibility. The farmer has apparently extracted gravel in contravention of the Water Resources Act 1991 and the Land Drainage Byelaws and understand he has not applied to the EAW for consent. I have requested to know what action the EAW will be taking to ensure compliance and prevent further gravel extraction and to repair the damage done to the bank by the apparent illegal extraction of gravel. I also believe the farmer has not applied to the Council for planning permission. Maybe Defra should be informed as this may come under their jurisdiction.
The farmer has put LAAL in a very awkward situation as LAAL rent this water from the farmer and would not wish to take any action that may jeopardise future fishing.
But it cannot be right that farmers/landowners can extract gravel willy-nilly and change the course of a river without any recourse from the relevant authorities. I can just imagine the fuss and uproar from anglers if this was on Llandeilo AA water.
If the EAW does not act to protect our environment it will just create apathy.'
Rodney Byles
Llangadog Angling Limited Member for over 20 years
It's not very often that I find it necessary to publish other peoples articles on this blog but this report is so detailed and informative that I felt it in everyone's interest to do so! Clearly Rodney not only shares my views but that of many others too, about the environment in which we live and the place that we all value so dearly - the River Towy!
The research that he has done, including endless telephone calls and emails has uncovered a great deal of valuable facts that we all need to know. Much of the views that he expresses in the piece are I am sure shared by most if not all of us! I am sure that you will find it most interesting and that hopefully it will stimulate further debate on this very important subject! Clearly the story continues!
'I believe Cerith may have already had a chat with the farmer about some Llangadog Angling Association Ltd members’ concerns the gravel/shale extraction is having on the water course and the creation of the bypass channel shown in the Google satellite image, which I believe was taken sometime last season in lowish water. I do not know if this is now an accurate picture of the area as I have not been down there yet this season. Also I do not know what response Cerith got.
As many members will know who fish this section the farmer has been taking out shale for several years and this area, has at times, resembled a bomb site with heaps and craters everywhere. Last season the bank of the main river was finally breached and over topped during a flood allowing the fast flowing water to carve out a smooth bypass channel and preventing anglers’ access to the bend of the main river.
The action of the farmer was recently brought to the attention of Environment Agency Wales. However, the EAW’s Flood Risk Management section does not consider the alleged activity presents a fluvial flood risk to people or property; therefore, no action will be taken by flood risk management. The local EAW bailiff also made a site visit and concluded that no enforcement action is warranted from a fisheries perspective. The EAW has advised LAAL of its conclusions.
I spoke with our bailiff after this and his first visit to the area since gravel extraction started. He told me that he believed the channel had been caused by “natural erosion” as he saw no evidence of gravel extraction. I would probably have reached the same conclusion had I not known the history of its creation. However, he did say that without any evidence of actually catching the farmer in the act of gravel extraction or photographs of his action, there was nothing he could do. But he was adamant that if he had the evidence he would definitely prosecute the landowner for illegally extracting gravel.
Our bailiff was surprised, that as the gravel extraction had been going on for some years, it had not been reported to him before, especially as some LAAL members who have fished at this location since unauthorised gravel extraction started, are also EAW employees. I couldn't’t answer that.
I believe the EAW appears to have abdicated its apparent responsibility. The farmer has apparently extracted gravel in contravention of the Water Resources Act 1991 and the Land Drainage Byelaws and understand he has not applied to the EAW for consent. I have requested to know what action the EAW will be taking to ensure compliance and prevent further gravel extraction and to repair the damage done to the bank by the apparent illegal extraction of gravel. I also believe the farmer has not applied to the Council for planning permission. Maybe Defra should be informed as this may come under their jurisdiction.
The farmer has put LAAL in a very awkward situation as LAAL rent this water from the farmer and would not wish to take any action that may jeopardise future fishing.
But it cannot be right that farmers/landowners can extract gravel willy-nilly and change the course of a river without any recourse from the relevant authorities. I can just imagine the fuss and uproar from anglers if this was on Llandeilo AA water.
If the EAW does not act to protect our environment it will just create apathy.'
Rodney Byles
Llangadog Angling Limited Member for over 20 years
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Latest NEWS from the Towy at Llangadog
Just returned Saturday from a 3 day spell on the river!
The water level is low but there is still a reasonable flow through the pools. Green slime is a bit of a nuisance when worming but not an issue with the fly! There is the odd fish around.
My brother-in-law John has seen a few fish in Crewel. One of these I saw too and it was a silver sewin of about 5lb. I also saw a smaller fish by the tin hut at the bottom end of Crewel and another under the railway bridge. Other than that we fished right down the bottom on Thursday night and the Churns and Cattle Drink on Friday night but saw nothing.
A good flood would now would be perfect but I'm afraid the forecast for this next week doesn't look very favourable!
Tight lines!
The water level is low but there is still a reasonable flow through the pools. Green slime is a bit of a nuisance when worming but not an issue with the fly! There is the odd fish around.
My brother-in-law John has seen a few fish in Crewel. One of these I saw too and it was a silver sewin of about 5lb. I also saw a smaller fish by the tin hut at the bottom end of Crewel and another under the railway bridge. Other than that we fished right down the bottom on Thursday night and the Churns and Cattle Drink on Friday night but saw nothing.
A good flood would now would be perfect but I'm afraid the forecast for this next week doesn't look very favourable!
Tight lines!
Friday, May 02, 2008
Think I might start fishing my 'home' river!
This 8 lb springer was caught the other day at Holt on the River Severn just a few miles from where I live!
The Half Moon Inn is producing fish now that I have left! 7 salmon to date! For more information and latest news on the Torridge click on the link below.
http://www.halfmoonsheepwash.co.uk/
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Gravel extraction is damaging our fishery!
It is clear for anyone to see. This is a low water picture! It may be too late to reverse this damage but lets hope not!
One thing is for certain we must do something!
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