Oliver Burch's Game Fishing Monthly Report - July 2024

At the beginning of July this year, a 49 pounds sturgeon was caught in the River Trent. According to ancient tradition, as a “royal fish” it should have been sent to the sovereign. I think this was the first fresh water catch there has been since a sturgeon was caught during 1993 in the River Towy. As one of the most critically endangered of all rare species, this fish was of course returned to the river, hopefully to spawn. I am sure our ecologically minded King Charles would have approved that. The different species of sturgeon are under pressure almost throughout the world. In Iran I remember professional Caspian fishermen dreaming aloud of catching a great sturgeon whose caviar would make them rich one day. Like Atlantic salmon, and for many of the same reasons – pollution, habitat degradation, dams and weirs - sturgeon are now extremely rare throughout their former range. Today there is a pan-European committee for sturgeon and there is an action plan. It all looks impressive, at least as a Power Point presentation. Judging by what has been achieved by concerted human action on behalf of some threatened species of birds, might the sturgeon yet return in numbers? Meanwhile you never quite know what might be in a river. It’s extraordinary to think that these slow-growing giants once used to turn up in our Wye, even as far upstream as Hereford. A monster from the early 19th century is preserved in the museum there.

July is not usually the best fishing month on British rivers, but after this strange spring I felt ready for anything. It started at least cooler and cloudy, with the levels low but rain showers in the offing. AP from Chippenham with two friends fished Llyn Rhosgoch (Aberystwyth AA) and took 18 mountain trout by fishing Hopper patterns through a wind-rippled surface. HC from Exter with a friend had 19 trout and a grayling from Craig Llyn. JA from Rhayader visited the Edw again at Cregrina and reported 11 trout, while MH from Swansea reported 16 trout and 6 chub from Abernant. On the lower river, SB from Birmingham had 3 barbel and 17 chub at Upper Hill Court; CA from Taunton led a party of 5 to take 4 barbel and 88 chub at Middle Hill Court. They were using luncheon meat, which is a pleasantly old-fashioned and effective approach. TH from Woodbridge took 16 small barbel and 23 chub from the fast water at Wyebank. The rivers were still pretty low for salmon catches, but Ian Thorpe had a 12 pounder from the Golden Mile on fly while JB from Ledbury reported a fresh fish of 8 pounds, also on fly from Whitney Court.

There were some remarkable days. NB from Bournemouth had his “best session in 5 years” on the Wye, fishing at Home Fishery for 5 barbel to 9 pounds and 16 chub to 5 pounds. GC from Sale with a friend fished at Lower Canon Bridge for 22 chub to 2.5 pounds, an eel of 1 pound, and 3 perch to 2.2 pounds. That brought back some memories of boyhood; 2 pound perch are comparatively hard to find these days, but we used to catch them on live minnows, gudgeon and a Mepps spoon as well as worms of course. TH from Woodbridge and friend again recorded 9 barbel and 36 chub from Foy Bridge. HK reported a 5 pounds barbel and 15 chub from Upper Breinton. MO from Bromley in Kent took 1 barbel and 15 chub at Caradoc, while AT from Grimsby with a friend took 1 barbel and 40 chub at Middle Ballingham and Fownhope No 8. RA from Swindon fished at Fownhope No 5 for 10 chub and commented: “I decided to go all out for the barbel in the evening and switched from 8mm Robin Red to Hinders Barbel Bomb. Big mistake…” (I’m afraid that detail about baits is a bit technical for me. Luncheon meat, now that I can understand).

Brambles, nettles, bracken and balsam; never have I seen such thick growth as this wet spring has produced on our hedges and river banks, even country roads have been narrowed and there were inevitably complaints about access to the river. CD from Ystrad Meurig was pleased with his 10 chub from Sugwas Court, but commented on the number of unfishable swims and reminded that there is no point in having a strimmed path which leads only to a 10 foot drop. Steps down to the water usually need re-cutting after winter floods. AP from Malvern had problems with access to the Teme at Newnham Farm, where he couldn’t get down to the water. I looked at this one a couple of years ago and found it very like Monnow Valley: a mixed trout, grayling and coarse fishery where the river is sunk well below the level of the land, occupied in this case by a hops and fruit farm. I imagine you could have an interesting day on this fishery, but some strategically placed ropes hanging down the banks might be a big help. GC from Sale had 11 chub to 4 pounds from Lower Carrots and Luggsmouth, but remarked on the risks of exiting the fishery onto the main road. That blind turning has been a subject of warnings for years, but GC thought a mirror on the main road would be safer. Bad news arrived on the 3rd as the WUF advised that fishing on the Irfon was closed until further notice. The reason was the discovery on 28th June of what looked like an outbreak of crayfish plague among the white-clawed population on a 3 mile section of the upland river. NRW have sent specimens away to the laboratory for confirmation of the disease.  

The river was still low but Wyesham picked up 3 more salmon on the fly: 10 pounds and 14 pounds on the 5th and 10 pounds again on the 6th.  By now we were being affected by clouds and drizzling showers, so that the sun was rarely seen. DD from Abingdon with a friend fished at Wyebank and caught 4 barbel to 8 pounds and 7 chub. They recommended Lydbrook’s nearby Forge Hammer Inn. If anybody ever wonders at that building’s distinctly odd-looking flat roof, it is because a railway viaduct (removed during the sixties) used to pass close overhead. WL with a friend caught 15 chub and an eel trotting with centre pins at Middle Ballingham and Fownhope No 8. MN from South Croydon with a friend caught 4 barbel and 29 chub at Foy Bridge, where next day SM from Carshalton recorded 5 barbel and 19 chub to 4 pounds. KM from Hereford had a cold day on the Lugg at Lyepole. Nothing was rising but he picked up 8 trout and 12 grayling on nymphs. LH from Caerphilly had 2 common carp, 12 and 15 pounds, from Trelough Pool.

PM from Yeovil fishing the Creel on the 6th reported 22 chub and “lots of kayaks.” DD from Abingdon with a friend caught 7 chub at Upper Breinton, but were very concerned about slippery banks and the need for ropes. They had two falls, one angler going into the river. SL from Alcester wrote of ropes provided at Middle Hill Court, which: “…at the bottom end of the fishery saved me from going in from the slippery banks. Thank you for keeping them in place.” At Upper Hill Court, PC from Sidcup described: “…very slippery banks, dog spike essential in the wet.” There were still big catches. DL reported 50 chub from Fownhope No 5, while RG from Twickenham with two friends reported 2 barbel and 75 chub from Holme Lacey 3 and Lechmere’s Ley. WW from Tredegar had 1 barbel and 44 chub from the Creel, while RE from Cwmbran had 5 barbel and 10 chub from Caradoc and RD from Hillingdon had 39 more chub from Fownhope No 5. SB from Birmingham caught 3 barbel and 17 chub at Foy Bridge.

The grey weather and soft light, still combined with very low water levels, was not yet proving particularly helpful to salmon anglers, but the odd fish turned up. Tomasz Gorczyca from Bristol took a fish of 12 pounds on a Cascade from Llangoed and Lower Llanstephan, a particularly attractive upper Wye salmon beat. At Goodrich Court I had the pleasure of helping Edan Edison catch his first salmon, a small summer fish of 30 inches, using a size 10 Bann Shrimp. Not only was it his first salmon, it was also his first salmon fishing day and in fact his first fly fishing day altogether. I hope it goes on like that for him! On the 10th Wyesham reported a 6 pounds fresh grilse on a Monkey Fly and they had another of 8 pounds on the 13th. Otherwise, salmon fishing continued to be fairly quiet.

RL from Woodbridge caught 4 barbel and 13 chub at The Creel before moving on to Caradoc where he added 1 barbel and 5 more chub. SG from London with two friends fished Holme Lacey 3 and Lechmere’s Ley for 5 barbel and 120 chub: “…chub avoidance techniques highly recommended.” I imagine so, whatever those techniques may be. MC from Desborough fished Aberystwyth AA’s Pond Rhosrydd and caught 8 trout to 2 pounds. RL from Woodbridge spent the 9th sitting under his brolly in the rain at Foy Bridge where he caught 10 barbel to 6.5 pounds and 31chub. The river rose 30 cm during the day. He was at How Caple Court the following day to take 8 barbel to 10 pounds 3 ounces and 7 chub to 4 pounds using feeders. RP from Hereford appreciated improved access to the Lugg at Lyepole with new gates just erected. That sounds like a step in the right direction and I look forward to seeing them myself. GL from Dinas Powys with a friend reported 3 barbel and 26 chub taken with feeders at Home Fishery. On the 10th they were at Wyastone Leys where they caught 9 chub to 8 pounds and 4 chub. However, they found the beat crowded with 6 rods fishing including themselves. As this beat carries a maximum of 4 rods, it follows that 2 were poachers. When in doubt, I recommend the routine procedure of politely showing your ticket and asking to see the tickets of others. 

CE from Worcester reported 11 small trout taken at Dany y Parc with a Pheasant Tail Nymph on the 10th. The water was up 6 inches and coloured, and it does seem that the weather has kept the Usk trout fishing on form for longer than usual this year. SD from Cheltenham with a friend caught 7 trout including a specimen of 2.5 pounds at Buckland. RA from Swindon was fishing the Wye “first time on the Bolo float” at Fownhope No 5 and reported 1 barbel and 8 chub. He thought the beat was rather too overgrown: a common complaint this year. Incidentally the Bolo float is a design evolved by anglers of Bologna to fish deep water far out in the River Po of Northern Italy. Originally it was a pretty heavy float, intended to achieve similar results to our wire stemmed Avon. MG from Oakhampton with a friend fished at Lower Canon Bridge. They reported 1 barbel and 19 chub, but thought the directions to the beat need updating. PC from Coleford reported 6 barbel, 12 chub and 4 eels taken with feeders and luncheon meat at Thomas Wood. It was a bright day with a bit of colour in the river. SF from Hockley with two friends fished at Caradoc for 8 barbel to 9.5 pounds and 30 chub to 2.5 pounds. They also noted coloured water and a rise in the level. PF from St Albans with a friend was very unhappy about a booking he had made to fish at Lower Symonds Yat: “Possibly the worst place I have ever tried to fish.” The rest of his report was similarly outspoken and he eventually went home without fishing at all. His problem had been lack of access to the water in a section of steep banks, which I must say is quite typical and to be expected of the lower Wye, Severn and many other similar rivers. Even without a long handled net, I am surprised he was not able to find somewhere to get down to the water. I used to fish this section for salmon on occasion, and I usually managed to get my feet wet. GL from Dinas Powys and a friend reported 3 barbel and 29 chub taken on feeders at the Creel. JC from Reading fished at Caradoc for 1 barbel and 15 chub. RL from Woodbridge also fished with a friend at Caradoc, taking 5 barbel to 6.5 pounds and 19 chub to 4 pounds. In contrast to the reports of some other anglers, he had kind words for the WUF and landowners for the pre-season strimming completed and mostly good access provided on the beats he had fished over the last few days.

BG from Exeter had an 18 inch trout (2.5 pounds) in a bag of 18 he took on dry flies at Upper Tower on the 12th, while GM from Shrewsbury had 20 trout from Fenni Fach on dries and spiders. Again he noted that the water level of the Usk was a little up and coloured. Another outspoken report was one received from CB of Aberdare who caught 3 trout at Llwyn On Reservoir, but thought that they were much too small for the ticket price charged. AG from Taunton with his nephew fished the fast water at Wyebank with trotting gear and feeders, taking 9 barbel to 9 pounds and 28 chub to 4 pounds. Quite a day! JP from Ilchester recorded 10 barbel and 32 chub from Upper Hill Court. TT from Henley on Thames also fished Upper Hill Court the following day and recorded 3 barbel and 5 chub, hinting that he thought 25 pounds for the day ticket was expensive given that the river is known to have its problems. Well, maybe so, but I have to pay 53 pounds for a salmon ticket just downstream. I only wish I could get that for 25 pounds. PS from Southam fished Middle Ballingham and Fownhope No 8 for an evening, trotting off one of the croys to catch 12 chub to 4 pounds. The following day he fished Lower Carrots and Luggsmouth, trotting luncheon meat for 20 chub to 4 pounds and 5 roach. JP from Whitney reported 11 chub from Upper Hill Court, although he tells us he had really wanted a barbel.

Wyesham reported another small summer salmon of 8 pounds on the 13th. IG from Pontypridd with a friend had an evening session at Dinas on the Usk, during which they caught 20 trout. They also found and thankfully saw off three poachers whom they caught spinning above the road bridge. The proximity of the bypass seems to put this beat at additional risk from poaching. SD from Pontyclun found the Talybont Reservoir unfishable due to thick green algae on the surface – which if accurate is a matter for concern. SB from Ross found the access to the Honddu at Lower Stanton too dangerous for a senior. There was a time when we listed Wild Streams by wading difficulty…although I think the problem here was more barbed wire and overgrowth. HA from Ammanford fished at the Usk Reservoir and caught 2 brown trout, 2 rainbows and 10 perch on the fly. GC from Ravenstone with a friend had a lot of trouble with getting their car in and out of the Home Fishery: “Five attempts to ascend the Hill of Doom. Either the road material here should be compacted or you will need a 4WD to get up and down,” he advises us (see below). BL from Derby with a friend caught 3 barbel and 21 chub from Middle Hill Court on the 15th. IC from Knaresborough fished the same beat beat and reported 6 barbel and 10 chub. This was the first time he had fished the Wye. MG from Chingford trotted meat and bread at Fownhope 5 for 30 chub and an eel. CM from Aylesbury reported 1 barbel and 33 chub from Holme Lacey 3 and Lechmere’s Ley. KM from London caught 6 barbel to 8.5 pounds plus 4 chub from the Home Fishery, while IP from Torquay was disappointed with the access at Sugwas Court, although he caught 1 barbel and 10 chub. Next day IC from Knaresborough took his turn at Fownhope No 5 and reported a “fabulous morning.” The water was a little coloured, so he fished with feeder rather than float and took 4 barbel and 30 chub. JA from Rhayader encountered a monstrous eel at Llandewi, apparently trying to feed on something among the rocks.

By the 17th something like a heat wave had developed and the levels in both river systems were once more low. When the Wye is like this, it is only the bottom salmon beats below Monmouth which score much. Bigsweir reported 10 salmon so far for July. Wyesham reported a 13 pounds fish taken on a McCormack Shrimp on the 15th. I don’t yet have much news about sea trout. Mid-July is normally considered the height of the night fishing season, and I had already completed an annual ritual by re-reading the Falkus sea trout book. I do this every June, but not because I believe that Hugh Falkus wrote the final word on the subject. There is much of the Falkus creed which does not appear to fit quite perfectly with the Welsh rivers I have known, including the famous “first half,” “half time,” “second half” and “extra time” division of a short summer night. I really read Falkus, because his words, more than those of any other writer, recreate the sheer excitement of fishing in darkness for such a powerful and angry fish. All I can report for now is that the Pontardulais AA boys who fish the Loughor believe most of the sewin run has gone upstream to the Ammanford waters. On the other hand the word from Ammanford members is that there is not yet much in their river. A few shoalies and 3 pounders have been taken from the top end of Llandeilo AA’s water of the Towy near Manorafon. KW from Abergavenny had this to report from Llandeilo on the 18th: “What seemed to be a perfect night was incredibly quiet. Is the sound of crashing sea trout at one in the morning a figment of my imagination? Great to be out though.”

CH from Parkham also took out a ticket for Llandeilo, but seems to have used it during the afternoon and evening. Using emerger patterns he took 7 brown trout, a couple of them over a pound. Many now think such day-time fishing may turn out to be the future for the Towy and other Welsh rivers. Rather unusually BH from Essex reported a rare Wye sea trout in a bag of 10 chub and 5 dace from Upper Breinton. On the 18th SJ from Caerphilly reported an 11 pounds salmon on a single hooked Flying C from the lower Usk. KM from Hereford had a good fly fishing day at Lyepole on the Lugg, taking 5 trout and 29 grayling on nymphs. MO from Bromley braved the heat at Caradoc to take 1 barbel and 12 chub, while DW from Hornchurch with a friend reported 3 barbel and 27 chub from Fownhope No 5. MV from Worcester reported 40 chub to 5 pounds from the Creel and BL from Derby with a friend had 10 barbel to 8 pounds 6 ounces at How Caple Court. GP from Lowestoft with a friend caught 2 barbel and 15 chub at Middle Hill Court in the bright sun, but was then assailed by what sounds like an attack of heat stroke. As those who have worked abroad will know, this is something to be taken seriously; July is still a hot month and heat can be dangerous. In these days of a so-called nanny state, we don’t want to be yet another voice sounding off about the supposed dangers of the world about us, but be sensible, cover up, use the shade and hydrate.

In fact, despite the bonanza for barbel and chub fishers, the heat was becoming quite a problem in the Wye below Builth and the Usk below Brecon. Many days were still cloudy and there were occasional showers, but the nights were muggy with hardly any temperature drop. As a result, with the river levels low and abstraction continuing, the water temperatures were now becoming dangerously high for the capture and release of salmonids and other large fish such as pike. On the 19th the Fishing Passport posted a message asking anglers to desist from fishing for salmon or pike unless the water temperature was below 19 degrees, or for trout unless the temperature was under 20 degrees. Sadly, this seems to be becoming an annual event. We might tentatively assign reasons for this, including the amount of abstractions resulting in a shrunken river and the loss of shade from the now almost disappeared ranunculus weed. We were still in trouble on the 22nd when I measured the margin of the lower Wye at 21 degrees. Bigsweir reported a total of 25 salmon for July to date, although their fishing was now paused due to the heat.

Cyprinids don’t mind warm water so much and coarse fishers continued to enjoy excellent sport. AH from Crewkerne reported a barbel of 5.5 pounds and 10 chub to 5 pounds from Upper Breinton. AR from Bristol had 4 barbel and 10 chub from the Home Fishery, while NT from Bognor Regis reported 2 barbel and 15 chub from the Creel. CB from Cambridge reported a barbel of 4 pounds and 10 chub from Foy Bridge and recommended Stay by the Wye for accommodation. AT from Basingstoke had 28 chub to 5 pounds 10 ounces from Middle Hill Court where LC from Cheltenham with a friend had 5 barbel and 57 chub on the same day. SB from Birmingham was also booked on Middle Hill Court and reported 10 barbel and 20 chub. NT from Bognor Regis reported a barbel and 16 chub from the Creel, while AT from Basingstoke reported 6 chub and 3 perch, including a nice fish of 2 pounds 6 ounces from Lower Canon Bridge. SG from London with a friend fishing at Holme Lacey 3 and Lechmere’s Ley reported 4 barbel and a remarkable 120 chub (conservative estimate).  Next day the same team on the same beat had 8 barbel and 90 chub, “the chub apocalypse continues…” RM from Witham with a friend took 23 barbel and 8 chub at Middle Hill Court. DH from Taunton used a waggler float to take a barbel and 30 chub on the Home Fishery. DM from Ross on Wye was thrilled with a modest 1 barbel and 4 chub from Middle Hill Court: “Just returned to fishing after decades and managed to catch my first barbel today. 6 pounds and I am over the moon…”  GM from Coventry with a friend had 3 barbel and 24 chub at Foy Bridge; RM from Witham with a friend had 7 barbel and 12 chub at Middle Hill Court; on the same beat CH from Bridport caught 10 barbel from 5 to 7 pounds and 8 chub during a morning session; CD from Ystrad Meurig had 18 chub on feeders at Whitney Court. And so on.

Game fishers had their moments. MD from Walton on Thames had 7 trout from Greta Farm in the Tees catchment area. JE from the Wirrall with a friend had 13 trout during a wet and windy day on Cwm Silyn. Their flies seem to have been entirely traditional: Teal and Black, Mallard and Claret and Kate McLaren. MH from Swansea measured the temperature of the Wye at Gromaine and Upper Llanstephan at 16-17 degrees, and went on to catch 22 trout, 12 grayling and a chub on wet flies: Usk Naylor and Woodcock and Purple. AM from Dorridge caught 6 trout and 20 grayling from the Lugg at Lyepole while GM from Shrewsbury had 12 trout from the Usk at Dinas. Seth Johnson-Marshall of Afonydd Cymru had an excellent evening on the middle Usk, taking 5 good trout to 3.25 pounds on a tiny Shuttlecock Emerger. I must comment that sport on the Usk, which has a reputation for dying off a bit by mid-summer, seems to be holding up well this year, whatever the vagaries of the weather.

However, another blow for the game anglers came on the 24th when a message arrived from the Fishing Passport on the subject of the disease affecting native white clawed crayfish recently found on the Irfon near Builth Wells. Crayfish plague with a risk of wipe-out of the native population has now been confirmed. As a precaution, Natural Resources Wales is asking for movement restrictions on other local streams with a significant white claw population. Accordingly, apart from the Irfon, fishing will also be suspended on the Clettwr, Edw, Escley Brook and Arrow (Wye system), and also the Tarrell and Honddu (Usk system). The situation is to be reviewed in several weeks, but it would seem that a significant part of the season might be lost. Remembering a few years back when we lost half a season of angling on our Forest Pool for the same reason, this sort of thing is becoming rather frustrating. It also strikes me that there is a risk that the restrictions will create undue angling pressure on the remaining streams available.

AH from Tredegar had harsh words to pass out after failing to catch at the Usk Reservoir on the 25th. In fact he filed two reports: “Pure rubbish, Used to be the place to go. Now it is not worth wasting your money on bait.” And again: “Have you even stocked the lake? Absolute rubbish. Me and my boy fished all day and in every corner. Not even a bite. Only two other anglers and they had none [not according to their report]. Cost me nothing short of £100 for the day out in total. Would of been cheaper if I bought my trout from Morrisons.”

Of course we do appreciate honest feedback from anglers, whether good or bad, and the WUF will try to improve the situation or put things right where possible. However, in this case it strikes me that AH might be on to something with his last sentence.

JA from Rhyader made another trip to Llanddewi on the 25th for 15 small trout. Back on the Wye, AT from Basingstoke took 23 chub to 5 pounds 10 ounces from the Home Fishery along with 6 eels while ledgering with meat. Accidental eels including some big ones seem to be featuring a lot in reports this month, possibly because we are getting to the time when adults will be migrating. RL from Woodbridge had 9 barbel and 4 chub at How Caple Court. AS from Wallingford fished the evening at Wyebank for 1 barbel and 5 chub, but “finished early because of excellent Indian food and good beer in the pub a stone’s throw away.” He meant the Forgehammer Inn.  Earlier on he fished with a friend at Sugwas for 25 chub, mostly on the float. RL from Woodbridge had another day at Foy Bridge and caught 5 barbel to 6 pounds 8 ounces and 23 chub to 6 pounds 9 ounces. AS from Wallingford with a friend had 4 barbel and 40 chub at Middle Ballingham and Fownhope No 8. TH from Monmouth had 5 chub and 5 eels, one of them a monster estimated at 4 pounds, at Wyastone Lees. ME from Towcester fished from 6 in the morning at Home Fishery for 4 barbel and 20 chub. There he encountered “two lads who had been stuck there overnight” due to the state of the access track, where “loose stone needs compacting – unless we are going to designate this for 4WDs only?” [We are for the moment]. TJ from Treharris enjoyed “fantastic fishing with light gear” at Wyebank, using a stick float to catch 7 barbel to 5 pounds and 39 chub to 4 pounds. GW from Reigate captured a common carp of 15 pounds 2 ounces from Trelough Pool. SW from London caught 17 trout fishing the duo at Dinas, where he was disappointed to find another angler’s litter on the bank. GC from Pontypridd had an evening upstream on the Breconshire Fishery, where he took 14 trout on dry flies. SD with a friend from Rowley Regis [in the Black Country I think] had a good day at Lyepole, taking 10 trout and 20 grayling with heavy nymphs.

By the 28th regular AM from Dorridge (Abernant, 4 trout and 2 grayling) described the level “…as low as I have seen the mighty Wye.” For various reasons not everybody enjoyed their day in what was now pretty hot weather and there were some more complaints to read. KS from Bridgend had this to say about fishing at Wyebank:

“Only fished till 10am! Never packed in on a day out before but today was utterly awful! The fishing was just starting to look good for the day then the armada started. In 20 years of fishing the Wye i've never seen so many people in kayaks, sib, sup boards, swimming, loud music, abusive, ignorant humans.... even a polite couple that came past paddling said they weren't enjoying the day! I honestly think the days of fishing the Wye are over for me! Dreadful ????”

And as it raises so many issues, I have reproduced in full JA of Rhayader’s report of 28th July about some of the Usk tributaries:

“A really disjointed fishing session to be honest!!! Saw my local streams the Clywedog and Ithon were booked up so a road trip it was !!!
I do take that quick journey from Rhayader for granted, as I did an hour initially to get to the Upper Cilieni .... ohhhhh dear, what a sorry state this stream is in !!!! No wonder it hasn't been fished this season !! The booking office should take heed of why a certain beat isn't getting booked !!! Anglers know things !!! I wouldn't have gone here if this dam crayfish plague hadn't put all our good beats out of action .... sods law hey, couldn't be the over grown, jungle ones that NRW close hey .... the good ones ....gggrrrrrrrrrr never mind, hopefully Edw , Arrow etc will be back in play soon .....
Interestingly the Ithon water above the very top of the Llanddewi beat looks cracking WUF ...perhaps a phone call, I'm sure Steve the farmer on the Llanddewi stretch knows him ...... its going to be one of two answers isn't it !!!! Make a great wild stream addition.... if you don't, I'll make my own enquiries .... We seem to be loosing a lot, either overgrown and not fishsble or permission has gone !!! Like Middlemoor and Mowley Wood ....fab beats they were too ......
Anyway , with the Upper Cilieni not fishsble bar perhaps the odd bit , needs some serious work done here, another one bites the dust, like the Pinsley Brook and the Escley beats !!!!!
Anyway onwards to the Bran ..... lovely babbling pools, not a huge head of fish I feel here ....With Polaroids on,i didn't see many tbh !!! Very spooky, but managed seven ... lots and lots of leg work today, did nearly five hours slow wade upstream......and driving too !!!! Fish between the six to seven inch range, all caught fair and square on the 18 Para Adams tight at the top of pools......
Lots of low hanging trees here in fairness, but my bendy spine gets used to this by the end of the season ..... Not a bad little stream ..... think I came here years ago with my Uncle .....Would I fish it again .... errrmmmmmmm maybe, tis a two day camel ride to get there in fairness ..... And, when the crayfish are all partying again, plenty to go at on the Wye catchment really .....
A nice end to a frustrating start ..... Home, dekit, and I think a stroll into town and a cold pint of Inchs Cider in The Crown ........ sorted !!!!!”

AW from Ledbury with his son-in-law caught 6 trout and 14 grayling from Ty Newydd on the 28th while MM from Barry caught a barbel and 20 chub from Middle Court on the 30th. By now we were in the middle of a heat-wave with air temperatures in the high 20s. So ended a great month for the coarse fishers, but a rather dispiriting one for game anglers.

 “If we don’t make wise choices now, we can destroy the entire future of salmon fishing.” Torfinn Evensen, Norwegian Rivers Group. On 23rd June, as had been forewarned, Norway closed salmon fishing for the rest of 2024 on 17 major rivers including the Gaula. Other rivers will remain open under a catch and release regime to be decided by local officials. The catches had dropped from a national total of 98,000 in 2022 to 70,000 in 2023, to the most recent evidence that this year the reduced run will not sustain adequate spawning to restock many Norwegian rivers. Norway has a history of drastic action when faced with environmental threats to its fisheries, including total river kills to counter-act the invasion of alien species. The collapse of the salmon catch in Norway has been linked to farmed salmon and sea lice contamination affecting wild fish. Of course some Norwegian-owned companies have much to answer for with their operations in other places and other countries. The angling journalist Matt Hayes, who with his wife keeps a lodge on the Gaula, also has a certain amount of criticism for Norwegian anglers, who by modern standards are still rather wedded to catch and kill. Certainly that has been my experience with Norwegian anglers I have talked to and Matt feels that the availability of catch and kill angling has also attracted some internationals to Norway. Otherwise the finger is pointing at ocean warming and likely problems also affecting the sea feeding of salmon from Denmark, Scotland and England. A study just published by the Missing Salmon Alliance indicates a massive reduction in zooplankton in the north-east Atlantic over the last half century. Zooplankton are what little sea fish eat and little sea fish such as sand eels and baby herring are what our growing salmon eat.

To add what seems to be some good news received during July, although it has been a long time in coming, Fish Legal and Afonydd Cymru inform that the Welsh Government is to conduct a review of all organic material spreading on land in Wales, including the spreading of anaerobic digestate. This comes after pressure applied over several years and we can only hope the review will be diligently carried out and the subsequent recommendations be followed up with legislation rather than mere promises or “kicking the problem into the long grass.” The wider public is now very much aware of the problems with our rivers.

I was sorry to see that blues musician John Mayall died earlier this month. He was 90 years old and somehow still running the band which opened up British popular music to the fascinating blues of the American South, the band which produced so many players who went on to become legends in their own name. Many, many years ago John Mayall and his Blues Breakers came to play a gig at my local youth club in Surrey (I was about 14 at the time) and I remember talking to his guitarist, a lad from the next village called Eric Clapton.

Good luck for August.

Oliver Burch 

Wye Valley Fishing