Campaign For The Protection Of Welsh Fisheries

What a mouthful!  This is your opportunity to let the Welsh Government know how you think they should be communicating with anglers about all matters relating to our sport as well as seeking your views about the way our rivers water quality is to be improved. Not a complete description but I hope enough to get your interest.  To connect to the Welsh Government web site page from which you can download the document: which is remarkably short and concise,  just click    HERE

Well, that’s another year past and how they fly. This note is just to say thank you to those who continue to support the work of the Campaign with there time as well as their practical support. Following the launch of the volunteer’s  Bailiff Handbook in December of last year we have received a number of requests for copies of the book which can be edited and tailored to other river systems, and have been pleased to supply them: so if you or your club would like a copy, just drop us an email.

You will remember, or perhaps not, that we have been working with and under the direction of the Environment Agency Wales and carrying out some environmental improvements to the small tributaries of the upper river Clwyd. This followed a survey which was carried out of a small stream called the Dwr Ial, once a major spawning tributary of the system, where we discovered that, due to changing farming practices, the vegetation and bushes had so overgrown the water that  light was unable to penetrate the canopy, leaving the water void of either in stream aquatic life or even the simplest of weed growth. However the last half mile of the stream, just before it entered the River Clwyd was relatively open with nicely dappled sunlight being let through the canopy and as if by magic, the scene was transformed to a miniature chalk stream with healthy blooms of Ranunculus, tiny fish darting hither and thither and the stream running gin clear: a total transformation!

The Clwyd and Conwy Rivers Trust have funded the fencing, provision of cattle drinks and crossing points along about one and a half miles of the stream and more is planned. We will now maintain the banking and see that dappled light is permitted to penetrate the canopy and thus allow life to blossom in the water below. The work is not hard, nor is it tedious, rather very rewarding. We have news that an electro fishing survey of the stream found fish life in the water a little after a year after the work was carried out. We are in currently planing this years trip to carry out further work. All volunteers will be made most welcome,

The point is this: these tributaries are not generally visited by anglers, are not let to owned by angling clubs, they are in the ownership of sometimes numerous landowners, most of whom are far to busy working their land to make a living to give a thought to the quality of aquatic life in these little tributaries, yet these are the breeding grounds of the salmon, sea trout and  brown trout, it is to these little waters that they come to make their redds and mate. Without these streams we can not expect to maintain fish stocks and a healthy ecosystem.  These important waters remain, for the most part, forgotten and neglected. We are appealing to you all to take up the challenge of  seeking out these little streams and working, with the permission of the landowners, to let some light into these waters, where they are overgrown and neglected. We believe, as anglers, we owe it to the fish. Contact the Environment Agency Wales for some guidance: they will be pleased to hear from you.

We at the Campaign Team wish you all a happy, health and prosperous New Year with many tight lines.
We also ask you to remember that the fish we pursue are not in infinite supply, they are worthy of our consideration and protection, so we urge you to use this web site to report any information you have about illegal fisheries activity. When you do the information is sent to both ourselves and the Environment Agency so that we can build a fact based case for more fisheries protection funding. All in confidence of course. There is no point in speculating about poaching or other illegal fisheries activity: we have to actually report it. If you don’t report it: it is not happening as far as the powers that be are concerned. We also support voluntary catch and release: we are anglers not fishmongers, so please consider returning fish unharmed. Tight lines.

We have received the following statement today 7th December, from Mark Isherwood A.M. following his presiding over the launch of the new Bailiff Handbook

“Having been involved with the Campaign for the Protection of Welsh Fisheries for a number of years, it was a great pleasure to be invited to formerly launch the Bailiff Handbook for the River Clwyd System and to celebrate the collaboration between the Campaign, Environment Agency Wales and North Wales Police Environmental Crime Unit which produced this”.

We are pleased to thank him for his continued support and for the time and effort he has put into helping us over the years. Thank you.

The Handbook launch, which took place last Friday at Brookhouse Mill, hosted by the Denbigh and Clwyd Angling Club, one of the founder member clubs with the formalities being in hands of Mr Mark Isherwood AM, a long standing supporter of the Campaign and to whom we are most grateful.

The Handbook Cover

Mr Mark Isherwood presenting the first copy of the Handbook to Mr Ian Roberts on behalf of the Campaign.

Some of those present

If any clubs wish to have a copy of the Handbook as a word document, which they can edit for their own river, email 1highplains@gmail.com and we will be pleased to forward you a copy.

Click the following link to view the consultation documents. You will be offered the opportunity to contribute and make suggestions as to how we can work together to meet the water framework targets. Which essentially means how we can improve our fisheries as well as other issues. Please take a look and ask your club representatives to respond and why not have a go yourself? Click here

Friday 23rd November, Brookhouse Mill Denbigh 7:30pm Mark Isherwood AM, accompanied by members of the Environment Agency will officially launch the Campaign Bailiff Handbook. It is specific to the River Clwyd  system but if you would like a copy to use as the basis of preparing a similar handbook for your river system, email admin@cpwf.co.uk  and we will send you a word or pdf version which you can edit. The handbook is a joint effort with the Environment Agency Wales, the Police Environmental Crime Unit and the Campaign Team. All those interested in joining the Clwyd system River Watch Scheme will be most welcome. The system is based upon pro actively keeping a look out NOT confronting poachers: that’s the Environment Agency’s job.

Use this link to obtain an app for your phone that enables you to report the location of invasive weed: Himalayan Balsam etc. click here It’s easy to use and feeds in to a national data base at Bristol University.

Here at the campaign team, we are happy to announce, the continuation of the Season Extension Trials for the Rivers Clwyd, Conwy and Seiont for 2012. This year, we also welcome the River Dyfi to the trials

Anglers may ONLY apply for the season extension by registering on this website or by supplying their name, address and license number via the contact point for each river (as described on the registration page) to register on their behalf and by the appropriate closing date.

Registration now closed

This consultation gives more details on creating the new Natural Resources Body for Wales.

You will soon be able to register here for the Season Extension Trial. Watch this space as without formally registering you will not be permitted to fish during the trail period. As a general reminder we do urge you all to complete and send in to the EA, your catch return before the end of the year. It really does matter.

This link is worth a look and wider publication: the benefits of angling. target=”_blank”>http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2012/05/hooked_on_fishing_reels_in_the.html>
I guess we have something to learn?

This link is worth a look and wider publication target=”_blank”>http://www.defra.gov.uk/aahm/guidance/angling-under-threat/

Please pass it on.