my wye

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Martin James
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Re: my wye

Post by Martin James »

Dear St John Yes I agree the roach started going as the barbel increased, though the plant life is good in many areas. At the same time there was an influx of cormorants in the lower Wye area. I must admit I haven't seen barbel upstream where the salmon cut their reds. You have a good point ref water quality, these days I wouldn't drink the water from the river as I did many years ago. Probably before you were born. In the old days 1950's I did witness many of the old river keepers killing chub if their salmon rod caught one which was quite often. I had many an augment with them over this practise. What I would like to see are the angling clubs allowing night angling in winter say until 9 o'clock in the evening. This would help deter some of the poaching that goes on. When I've been staying in Ross, I often walk the stretch above Wilton bridge where I turn away those fishing. I remember fishing the opposite bank one afternoon, when a pike angler come up to me and said. "That bloke over there has just caught and killed a pike" Now this guy was in his late twenties I was 72, but it was me who had to go round to the opposite bank and remonstrate with the person who couldn't speak English That's what he reckoned. I gave him a good verbal assault, he didn't even have an EA licence. there have been many occasions when I have moved people along through no licence or permit. I reckon the Wye is as bad as East Anglia for poaching. Most anglers reckon there isn't much poaching going on. But how would they know when they are not on the river in the darkness through antiquated rules. Its well documented in my book At The Water's Edge. You and I should join up one Saturday night a do a blitz. It certainly shakes the buggers up when I creep up close and shine my big search light in their face and ask for a permit. You can see them but they are blinded by the light. Regards Martin

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St.John
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Re: my wye

Post by St.John »

Anyone that thinks the wye's not that bad for poaching is talking rubbish. The reason I got a bailiff post is cos I fished my stretch for 3 years without being challenged. I rang up and told them, and said I wanted fishing rights for bailiffing. I turn people off or make them buy tickets weekly. The taking fish issue is a major problem, hard to manage, and i am yet to find someone with fish they have killed. I know it goes on, and need to stop it. My stretch is pretty easy to manage. No nightfishing. I allow people to fish an hour into dark if I know them. All night is probably not an option due to the few residents that do moan. Salmon are regularly poached, a friend was offered wye salmon a month ago. He took the car reg and contacted the e.a. they did nothing as far as we can tell. Anglers need to stand together. And as a majority we don't.
"Be patient and calm-for no man can catch fish in anger."

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Kingfisher
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Re: my wye

Post by Kingfisher »

Thanks Gentlemen for your accounts of the wye. I've read every word of this whole topic with anguish.
I live up the wye valley from you St John 7 miles below Builth Wells and have primarily fished the ithon for 30 years but also now I've got older and realsied my river needs a rest occasionally I've started to fish the wye too. I was told there are no Bailiffs on the ithon when a friend of mine asked the EA for a bailiffs job, he was told "We don't have Bailiffs for that river as there has never been a need"! Seeing as it's a tributary to the wye then I'd hazard a guess that they don't use Bailiffs on the wye either up this far.

St John, i would say that your theory on the Barbel and Roach is very plausible but i also think that's going to end up being the least of our worries. As I've said in another thread on here, there are so many otters about this area it's unbeleivable and once the food here runs out they'll push down the valley looking for food. I also think the amount of otter up here is due to the amount of cormorant taking the fish down lower, this to me seems the most phoesable explanation.

And you are all right about the chub in the river, I've seen shoals of fish up here that would make your heart stop also on my river ithon. That is before the otter came, nowadays I seldom see any in the ithon and if the otter have hit the wye in the same capacity then I fear it won't be long before most of them are gone. The main difference between the two rivers regarding chub is the ithon is a lot narrower than the wye and shallower, so you can see a lot of the chub whilst walking the river and now they've gone I for one have noticed them missing. However the wye being a bigger river and deeper, you are less likely to notice fish shoals dissapearing hence the fact they may have not noticed the number deminishing.

I only hope I'm wrong and that not seeing my own chub shoals is through some other reason and that soon they'll be back.

PS, if people ever tell you that Barbel don't come up this far, it's a myth, I was walking the groe in Builth some 15 years ago and stood watching a Barbel I would've estimated atleast 12lb in weight. I've also hooked fish in the ithon whilst chub fishing and got snapped off by substantial fish that were by no means chub.

St John,
In reference to your statement about how you became a bailiff, I've a good mind to do the same thing here. Last November I was out shooting rabbits and heard one massive bang which frightened me out of my whits, I looked down through the trees and across the far side of the river I saw 3 men.....i recon they'd just chucked some sort of explosive into the river and were after salmon. I had no way of telling from where i was but I would imagine i was the only one who even heard it because it was a rough day and you can walk all day in this neck of the woods and not see a soul normally. Even if i did ring the EA I doubt they'd've taken me seriously or even done anything about it.

God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.

Izaak Walton

Tony1964

Re: my wye

Post by Tony1964 »

The EA do have some strange ideas. We are all caring anglers and I would like to think that we would all report poaching activities or anglers that we know do not possess an EA licence. The reality is though that they just don't seem interested. I bailiff for the Birmingham Anglers Association and we ask to see angler's day tickets or membership cards and at the same time we used to ask to see their EA licence. The idea was to help the EA but also winkle out those anglers that are rule breakers. If they won't obey the law and have an EA licence, what chance is there that they will obey club rules?
We have now been told not to ask anglers for their EA licences. When I asked why, I was told that the EA had told the club that it is not our job to check EA licences, it is theirs and any names and vehicle registrations that we supply will be ignored.
I am sure on my licence it states that the licence must be produced, on request by any EA bailiff or any other angler that holds a licence themselves. Hmmm :roll:

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St.John
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Re: my wye

Post by St.John »

Well that'd just daft. In 15 years of fishing I have NEVER seen an e.a. bailiff or been asked to show a rod license.
"Be patient and calm-for no man can catch fish in anger."

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Martin James
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Re: my wye

Post by Martin James »

The Wye desperatly needs more bailiffs, also its time every canoe was licenced. As a member of Ross AC and Prince Albert Angling Society, I spend part of my day asking members for their cards, also collectiong litter dropped by both anglers and the general public. We all need to stand up and be counted. We need to protect our fisheries for the children of the future not yet born. So they can enjoy what we have done for many years. As regards the EA I feel they are a wasted object. Lets have a system as in Scotland of Fisheries Boards run by people who do care. Last winter I found a net wrapped in black plastic hidden in a culvert. I was notified to the Ross AC bailiff and the EA. The latter organisation didn't bother to turn up to collect the net from the Ross AC. They should remember its we the general public who pay their wages, Enough said.

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Dave Burr
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Re: my wye

Post by Dave Burr »

I have to say that whenever we have reported incidents to the EA from the Bredwardine fishery we have had a very positive response. I've been licence checked a few times and we have had anglers ejected for not having one; one got a tad irked and was arrested by the police.

We had EE in a boat laying nets or longlines earlier this year and the EA were keen for us to locate the article so that they could get a team to observe it and arrest them when they return. Unfortunately we couldn't find it and the river came up overnight and stayed up - well, until now.

As for chub, I've seen a monster that I'd put at a minimum of a big eight but could easily have gone nine. It was up in the water, next to the bank and it was a perfect sighting along with the two 'smaller' six pounders with it. Another very experienced Wyeman saw them a few days later and he agrees that it was massive. Every Wyeman has a big chub story, catching them is a different matter.

I must also state that barbel do not go much above Builth Wells which is where most of the salmon redds are located, the salmon anglers are talking out of their botties when they say that they eat the eggs but then salmon anglers would have it that pike eat 40lb salmon and a chub eats its own weight in salmon parr every ten minutes. I have found many of them steeped in a folk lore of nonsense and reluctant to listen to an 'inferior' coarse angler. But when they do catch an eight pound barbel they always seem to think it weight fourteen pounds! Strange people salmon anglers. :)

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Hannay
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Re: my wye

Post by Hannay »

Having read the post about the licensing of canoes I can wholeheartedly agree! Having recently spent the weekend at Ross for a wedding (fishing banned) I spent a bit of time walking the banks and the amount of canoes was staggering. I'm sure that a good percentage of these are respectable river users but even my good lady commented on some of the antics we witnessed. I too must admit to never seeing anyone from the EA anywhere that I have fished. It's a real shame as they might meet a group of people that are passionate and considerate about the river enviroment as a whole. On a positive note tho I was lucky enough to see a chap catch a beautiful lean barbel just under 10lbs. They way that this fish was treated was a credit both to himself and the other anglers I talked to. I've never seen such care. I hope one day to return...

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Kingfisher
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Re: my wye

Post by Kingfisher »

Hannay,

Trying to fish the river in Hereford was always hampered by the canoes, alot of the canoeists were youngsters on a school activity day. I don't mind them atall but I wish their Guardians would stay with them and not just row off in front...maybe have someone else at the back behind the kids so they could see what their behaviour is like. They always used to come down in groups with five kids and the tutors at the front telling them what water to aim for. The kids would always aim for my lines where they entered the water just to act clever in front of their mates. I got fed up with saying anything in the end to their tutors.

StJohn,
When the time comes that you want to come and fish the upper Wye give me a shout. I can give you the names of some places where you can get day ticket waters at a fraction of the price the W and U foundation charges. I may also offer to join you if I have nothing else planned.

God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.

Izaak Walton

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Mario
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Re: my wye

Post by Mario »

i once was fishing and two canewist came down the river at fast rate i asked them to be carefull and he threatend to get out of his boat to sort me out this felow was middle class type i backed down but it spoilt my day and in the end of the day he pays nothing to be there but i have a licence

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