Worrying situation at Redmire

[Pentonhook]

Scandalous

[GhyllManor]

It sounds like yet another example of unethical farming. Education is a long term solution therefore this appears to be extremely serious for the Pool, which is of considerable importance as the Holy Grail of piscators.

[Olly]

Just a simple question but have they tried ground chalk or liming at any time?

[Rutland Rod]

This may have been covered earlier but I would have thought this was a case for Fish Legal / Angling Trust, apart from the perpetrator/s being pursued to restore the pool to as near condition as it was, re-stock with suitable fish, and pay the owner of the fishing rights for the revenue which has been or certainly will be lost ( considerable in this case )

However perhaps for political reasons upsetting the estate / agricultural contractors / tenants etc by solicitors letters arriving may not be in long term anglers interests if angling is to continue at Redmire.
Tight lines Dave

[Jardine]

Rob Foxs post reproduced by Snape is pretty compelling evidence as to the main cause of the problem.
This being the fact that the farmer is poisoning Redmire.
Just wonder if the Redmire management team or the owners have confronted the farmer? They could take out a court injunction against the farmer to remove the drainage.
Redmire has been mismanaged for a long time now, this could turn into a real disaster if someone doesn't step up and take immediate action.
Something needs to be done super fast before its too late.

[AndyD]

I'll retry this. I was wondering when the works in the photos were carried out. I first fished Redmire 5 years ago and then each of the subsequent seasons, this year being the first I've missed. The first three of those years (2103,14,15) the pool was red/brown coloured all over with little or no weed whether it be summer, autumn or winter. Fish were only visible when right on the surface. However it 2016 the pool looked resplendent. The water was gin clear, absolutely loads of weed everywhere - it was great. I was wondering what, if anything was different in 2016 to the other years? Potato farming/run off as being blamed for the (dis)colouration back then.

However I agree that having a large drainage ditch leading straight into the pool can't help. Does water still enter the pool in the vicinity of the Oepn Pitch as well?

[Shed_Monkey]

Gents - one of the things that sets the TFF apart from other inferior forums is the genuine kindness and gentlemanly conduct displayed by its members. Lately, there seems to have developed an increasingly personal and politicised sniping which detracts both from the topic under discussion and the feeling of the forum. Can we please get things back to the normal spirit of cordiality which makes this forum so special?

[Mark]

Gents - one of the things that sets the TFF apart from other inferior forums is the genuine kindness and gentlemanly conduct displayed by its members. Lately, there seems to have developed an increasingly personal and politicised sniping which detracts both from the topic under discussion and the feeling of the forum. Can we please get things back to the normal spirit of cordiality which makes this forum so special?

Nicely put Shed_Monkey, please keep personal jibes and politics off the open forum, thread tidied up chaps.

[AndyD]

I do wonder what the future holds for Redmire. Although the pool is held in high esteem by many folk with a certain attitude, I for one think that perhaps it's decline may be hard to arrest. I'm obviously not privy to everything that goes on in the management of the pool and the estate, but I always get the impression that it is somehow neglected, or perhaps a better description would be not given as much love and attention as it deserves.... rather like a ageing relative living alone who you don't visit as much as you should. You still love them, don't want them to come to any harm, thinking fondly of the all the good times you've spent with them, but in reality don't actually do much else but send them a birthday and Christmas card, when you really ought to visit or at least call.

Redmire needs a lot of TLC, but in my experience the recent measures have been a bit half hearted. Am I right in thinking that there is a still a heavy reliance on volunteer work parties in the close season and the good will of anglers to get jobs done?

Looking forward, I think we'd all like to see the following:
1. The large oak that fell in, what was it, 5-6 years ago needs to come out. It was going to be removed in the 'close season', but which one? It's still there.
2. The ghost/koi carp need to be removed. There was a cage affair floating near the dam a couple of years ago for them, but this has gone.
3. Given how the current depths compare with the ones given in old maps of the pool, I'd say it needs de-silting.
4. Something to be done about the run-off situation from the surrounding land.

However Redmire is no longer a pool where a few people are allowed to fish for legendary monsters in perfect hazy summers as in the halcyon days of yore. The fact is it is now a fishery, albeit a unique one. It is run as a business with all that entails. As with any business, it is not surprising that the owners would like to keep costs to a minimum and revenue at a maximum. The big problem is that any remedial works are going to cost money and take time - a LOT of both, thus increasing costs and decreasing revenue. Based on current prices and a full occupancy the gross revenue (not profit) from fishing tickets at the pool is give or take £50K per season. It sounds a lot, but given existing running costs and the work that is required for remediation I doubt that the fishing sales alone will be able to fund them. Although WE can all see a long term benefit in preserving/restoring a unique piece of angling history for US, in the cold light of day the owners have to be prepared to invest considerable money, time and effort to achieve this. I really do hope they will , and that they think it's worth it in the long term but it is a big ask.

The decline of Redmire isn't due to "scandalous" or "unethical" farmers or farming. The farmers are just doing their job, doing what farmers do and trying to make a living in a very difficult occupation. What is in the best interests of the few eccentric people in the little green igloos who sit around the little pool next behind the trees every year isn't really their priority, and why should it be. I doubt very much whether they are doing anything untoward, however much chagrin it may cause us. Growing potatoes isn't illegal, and when it rains water does have this annoying habit of going downhill. Sure, things could have been done a lot better, but I can completely understand why they have done what they've done.

The decline is due to a combination of factors that have inexorably crept up on all involved over a long period of time, and with that useless thing called hindsight, action should have been taken far sooner. All is not lost, but something needs to be done soon if we are to have the future Redmire that at least we on here all want.

[Santiago]

I can verify that there's definitely a steep decline in insect life in at least the Thames. When I first bought my narrowboat about 15 years ago, each May thereafter I have noticed hundreds of white casts from some form of nymph, on the sides of my boat. But over the last five years I have seen barely any. I also use to have to close the doors in summer because of the mosquitoes, and now I don't because the number coming in is down from dozens to just a few. The cause is most likely nicotinamide based pesticides that are highly environmentaly stable and slowly leaching into our rivers. Incidentally, it's been shown that there's enough nicotine/tar in one cigarette butt to kill all daphnia within 1 metre cube of water. Another problem, not just agricultural, is golf courses, particularly next to rivers, because they use higher levels of chemicals from moss killers to pesticides, to keep the greens nice. All those chemicals are now leaching into the rivers, and will to continue to do so through aquifers for decades; this will be particularly damaging to chalk streams! There's also many other pollutants, such as car exhaust fumes etc.etc. Yes, we're told the rivers are cleaner, but those reports don't cover systemic pollution; they only address the obvious such as slurry etc.etc. So unfortunately, we just have to hope things won't get worse before they start to get better!