Anglers and wildlife groups celebrate damning verdict on the Severn Barrage

Posted on 11/06/2013 by Admin
atrAnglers and wildlife groups are celebrating the damning verdict of the influential House of Commons Energy & Climate Change Committee on Hafren Power’s proposals for an 18 km concrete barrage across the Severn Estuary which could have seen the end of viable salmon, seatrout, shad and eel runs on the Wye, Severn, Usk and their tributaries as well as doing irreparable damage to important marine species such as bass, pollack and rays.
The Select Committee, which heard powerful evidence from the Angling Trust, concluded that the consortium’s plans are inadequate, poorly researched and completely fail to address the environmental issues that would arise from such a construction including the damage to fish and birdlife. A technical report from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology was released at the same time, highlighting the massive environmental impact of a barrage in such a sensitive environment.
The Angling Trust, as the representative body for all anglers in England, has challenged the Hafren Power proposals robustly over the past year, repeatedly calling for evidence to back up the many spurious claims made for the barrage including that the 1,000 turbines proposed might be ‘fish friendly’. Former MP Martin Salter, who is now the National Campaigns Co-ordinator for the Angling Trust, gave evidence at the Select Committee inquiry alongside the RSPB, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the National Trust.
His oral evidence and the Trust’s written submission are extensively quoted in the report: • “Martin Salter…described claims about the ‘fish-friendly’ characteristics of Hafren’s turbines as ‘guff’ and ‘spin’, reflecting a sense of distrust toward the Consortium on the part of some environmental groups”; • “The Angling Trust feared the further degradation of fish stocks and the resultant impact on the angling economy, which it described as a “vitally important part of the social and economic fabric of communities along rivers throughout the Severn basin and along the coastline” • Martin Salter described the species composition of the estuary: In terms of fish, there are 83 species of fish recorded in the Severn estuary. It is an incredibly dynamic habitat, both for migratory fish and freshwater fish upstream of the intertidal zone and obviously as a nursery area for bass and many other important sea fish. There are five Annex II species. These are the highly protected species under the Habitats Directive [including] the twaite shad, the lamprey and the salmon. There are 11 Biodiversity Action Plan protected species.” The Angling Trust has played a leading role within the coalition of environmental organisations opposed to the Severn Barrage.
All these organisations share the view that there is an urgent need to increase the country’s renewable energy sources and agree that the Severn estuary offers significant opportunities to generate power but not with schemes that cause unacceptable damage to the natural environment. The Angling Trust argued for testing a wide range of smaller scale renewable energy projects that can be monitored, modified and extended only when proven to be economically and ecologically-viable. This was an approach shared by the Select Committee who said: “Government should consider a more proactive approach to managing Severn Tidal Resources to harness its massive tidal range in the most sustainable and cost-effective way”
They added: “Hafren Power has not overcome the serious environmental concerns that have been raised. Further research, data and modelling are needed before environmental impacts can accurately assessed – especially regarding fluvial flood risk, intertidal habitats and impact to fish. The need for compensatory habitat on an unprecedented scale casts doubt on whether the project could achieve compliance with the EU Habitats Directive.” In response the UK Government said: “We welcome the committee’s report which supports our views on the current proposal for a Severn Barrage by the Hafren Power consortium. We are very keen to maximise the opportunity to extract energy from the seas around our coast, and our rivers – including the Severn Estuary. “Harnessing the power of the Severn Estuary could be a very significant asset for the UK. The Government is open to working with affordable, environmentally responsible projects that represent good value for consumers.”
Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Angling Trust said: “I’m really proud of the role played by Martin Salter and the whole Angling Trust team who have worked so hard with the other organisations to expose the half-cocked and wholly unsubstantiated proposals from Hafren Power and to highlight the very real threat they pose to fish and fishing. “We are delighted that the committee has accepted our position that there is no evidence to support Hafren Power’s many spurious claims, including that they had found turbines which are in some way ‘fish-friendly’. Anglers from Swansea to Shrewsbury will be celebrating that the many of the 83 species of marine and migratory fish in the Severn estuary have been saved from having to pass back and forth through 1,000 turbines on every ebb and flow of the tide.”
Martin Salter, National Campaigns Co-ordinator said: “Through the Angling Trust our sport is now operating at a higher and more professional level than ever before. With the support of our colleagues on the All Party Angling Group we have played a significant role in facing down a multi million pound private sector consortium which was trying to press ahead with the installation of 1,000 fish mincing turbines in one of the most important fisheries in our country. Both Parliament and the Government have actively sought out our views and, for once, have come down on our side. I have no doubt that this was because of our willingness to defend important fish habitat in the European Courts and the strength of the case we made to the parliamentary select committee. These plans for a Severn Barrage should now sink without trace and we need to get on with finding ways to harness the power of the Severn without destroying the environment for birds and fish.”
George Hollingbery, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Angling said: “It's been great to see angling organisations and conservation groups working together and raising in parliament the importance of vital ecosystems like the Severn Estuary. Of course renewable energy is important but so are our genetically unique spawning runs of salmon, sea trout and other species which could easily be lost forever. I congratulate the Angling Trust and my colleagues on the Select Committee on a job well done.”
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Water Report for May shows river flows normal for time of year

Posted on 11/06/2013 by Admin
Penton HookThe South East Region received average rainfall during May. The soil moisture deficits have risen as a result of higher evaporation and plant growth and there was little response by the rivers to the rainfall. Groundwater levels and flows remain normal or higher for the time of year after the wet winter .
Rainfall
The South East Region received average rainfall for May. West Thames was slightly wetter than the rest of the Region, with 106% of the long term average . Last y ear, the rainfall during April and May ended the Region – wide drought, with 162% average rainfall being recorded. By contrast , this year the Region received 88% of the long term average rainfall during April and May . The first ten days of the month were largely dry. However, there was widespread rainfall on the 14th when up to 30% of the monthly total fell in the west. The highest total was 22.6mm at Bourton (Cotswolds West). Kent received up to 15mm on the 24th of the month.
Soil Moisture Deficit
Recharge and Groundwater Levels Soil moisture deficits have risen during the month as would be expected at the beginning of the growing season. The deficits were close to average in West Thames, but higher than average for the other three areas. The defi cits were above average for the Region as a whole and t here was little effective rainfall during the month . Groundwater levels are now falling at all the key reporting sites, as would be expected at this time of year. With the exception of Jackaments (Cotswolds), the key sites are at normal or above levels . A number of the Chalk boreholes are at the highest May levels since 2001 as a result of the higher than average rainfall during the last year . Levels at Carisbrooke Castle (Isle of Wight), Stonor (Chil terns West) and Lilley Bottom (Lee Chalk) are all notably high . Levels at Lilley Bottom were the 3rd highest on record and for West Meon the 4 th highest levels for May.
River Flows
River flows are continuing to decline after the peak flows of January an d February. There was very little response to the rainfall on the 14th. All the key sites except the River Teise at Stonebridge have flows normal or above for May, reflecting the local groundwater levels. Bibury (Coln), Eynsham(Thames) and Allbrook and Highbridge (Itchen) have all recorded the 2 nd highest flow s on record for the 5 month period ending in May , and the majority of the ke y reporting sites have had the highest flows averaged over the 5 months to May since 2001. No flood alerts were issued during the m onth and the groundwater flooding alerts were lifted by the end of May .
Reservoir Storage/Water Resource Zone
Reservoir storage remains at or above average for the time of year in the South East . The exception is Darwell reservoir in the Eastern Rother catchment.
 
Full Report
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Carping on the River Thames – A Seasonal blog

Posted on 03/06/2013 by Admin

Returning a nice common to the river
 Carping on the River – Part 1
By Richard Crimp
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.”
Laozi (Lao Tzu) – 6th century BCE
Fishing the river for carp, in many ways, is no different to fishing anywhere else for the species. There are so many factors outside of your control that, it is all that you can do to increase your percentage chances of catching a fish or two, by simply committing yourself completely to the task at hand and by using as many tools as you are able, to assist you in your goal.
In this, the first part of the summer's carping, I'll try and give those of you that are interested a few pointers as to how I went about the river campaign, thereafter, in Part 2, I'll put up the pictures of the fish caught by myself and Adrian, as well as a little bit of background to each capture, where appropriate.

Tackle

Firstly, I would have no hesitation to advise that a boat will give you a massive advantage over those that are fishing from the bank, for many reasons. Fishing from the bank will restrict you in terms of location, and location is absolutely crucial when you begin to throw hundreds of pounds worth of bait into a river full of bream, dace, crabs, birdlife etc. that will all take advantage of the free offerings you're supplying in bucket loads. When fishing the bank you will also have a far greater chance of turning up and finding someone sitting in the swim you've been baiting, maybe they've been baiting it too? Equally importantly, a boat allows you drop bait 100% where you want the bait to be placed, be that pre-bait or hook-bait, far more quickly and with greater stealth. By 'stealth', I mean from other anglers, as well as your quarry.
More often than not, however, I can almost guarantee that, once you start to catch a fish or two from the bank – and even if you tell no one – mysteriously people always find out? This is usually due to someone seeing you catch fish, baiting up etc. and it doesn't necessarily have to be another fisherman seeing you either, people have angling friends and word gets around very, very quickly.
That said, I've had reasonable successes from the bank and despite the negatives, there are plenty of positives too. Never ignore the margins, so many cast to the sun, it is rarely necessary if you've done your homework.
This summer I have been using my 3.25 Harrison Chimeras, Daiwa Emblem Exceler reels, 22lb Berkley Big Game/Carp as my mainline, ESP Leadcore in 6' lengths.
The landing net is quite an important issue on a river, the mesh needs to be large enough to allow moving water to pass through fairly easily, nothing worse than seeing a fish close to landing and having your net being pulled away by the force of the water.
I use a sack on the river sometimes. It's not often used when I'm fishing in company, but when I'm alone, it can sometimes be a necessity, especially from the bank. It allows me to prepare the weighing equipment, camera etc. without worrying too much about the fish for a few minutes. Often, on the boat, however, I can sit on the landing net handle and don't need the sack.
I use the Fox Digital Scales generally but when another reading is necessary, I have a few friends that are never a million miles away, who are quite prepared to bring weigh bars and dial scales etc. to confirm the weight of notable fish. At times when I've "lucked out" it can be one of the few occasions when I'm really pleased that I've come to terms with using a sack, as those few friends that are very close, would never forgive me if they weren't offered the opportunity to help and assist in the recording of a notable fish from the Ol' Father!
I would also strongly recommend that you have good photography equipment, no point in spending fortunes to catch a fish and then taking a few pix from a cheap phone, I use a Canon G6 Powershot, which is good enough.

Rigs (KISS)

Don't complicate things, "Keep It Simple Stupid", is the rule of thumb.
There are many methods that you can use to catch carp on the river, floats, floaters, zigs ad infinitum, but this summer I simply had two rods to hand, employing two different rigs.
The Helicopter Rig has always been my favourite rig. Back in the day – when I was bothering more experienced carpers that were fishing the South London Park waters I used to frequent as a teenager (and before as a whipper-snapper) – it was this rig coupled with the [at the time] new concept of the hair-rig, that opened my eyes to the then future possibilities which lay ahead regarding my own desire to catch carp. Suffice it to say, that it is my 'go to rig' in many situations, and certainly one that I usually start with – on at least one rod – on any particular water.

 
The components for the above set up are fairly straight forward. Six foot of leadcore attached to the mainline using a needle knot; an inch of shrink tube to facilitate the beads; a 5oz gripper lead; a large eyed swivel; six to seven inches of 25lb Kryston Snake-Bite; a Tandem Baits size 1, beaked, heavy wire, super strong hook, tied with a reasonably long hair (varied length), and, a shrink tube kicker covering the knotless knot's whipping down the shank.
In the picture above, you can just about see another knot in the hair, above the knot that forms the loop. I tend to tie a very long hair when preparing these rigs, which I can then adjust the length of, should I wish to use a single large bait, or two large baits; a single tipped with a pop up etc. This additional 'buffer' knot also allows me to prevent the bait from being moved up the hair by the bream or ferocious mittens!
The Chod Rig is a wonderful rig and I will only say this once… if you fish water that rarely sees this rig, and most river stretches could be placed in this category, the chod is devastating! The advantages of this rig on a river seem obvious to me. When you're scratching around trying to find a few fish, you can place the chod into areas that you know little about and be very confident that you have a bait that is presented well.
 

 
For the above rig I once again have six foot of leadcore but what you can't see is the top bead, which is over 2 foot above the bottom bead. This, in many situations, is crucial to the rig's mechanic, as it helps prevent the fish from using the lead as a means to eject the hook. The bottom bead is perched to the top of a boom. The boom helps when you lift into a take and creates a buffer, it's surprising the amount of fish you 'bump' without the boom. It also reassures me that the hook doesn't prick the bottom of the lead when 'nuisance' species (inc. crabs) attack the pop up baits, as sometimes I have the bait critically balanced and lying on the bottom, as opposed to it standing up and proud of the river bed. ESP Stiff Riggers (above is a size 3) tied with a 3-turn knotless knot does it for me, and I use a palomar knot to connect to the swivel with 25lb ESP Bristle Filament. I don't use floss, and I simply form a loop and use a hair stop to attach the bait.
Baiting and Baiting Methods
It ain't rocket science, carp in most situations are attracted to bait, lots of it, and at regular intervals. We (as a team) tend to buy maize in bulk and use this as the foundations of the baiting campaign, and on two particular spots throughout the summer, we were using over 50kgs of the stuff on a weekly basis. This would be applied at the end of each session, equalling 5 to 6 times during any given week.
To whittle it down to those two particular swims, was time consuming and full of perseverance and nearly a month of blanking. It can be very mentally challenging when you hear of others catching elsewhere, not more than 15 minutes drive away, and the blanks are adding up. In that respect I can be quite single-minded, and when it all started to come together, I was very pleased that I had stuck with the plan! In addition, the minimum amount of boilies that I tended to use/prebait [on the two spots] – on a weekly basis – was around 15kgs. It sounds like a lot of maize and boilies, but believe me, it goes nowhere on a river and initially we were just baiting boilies. That meant that four of us were getting through 60kgs, or more, and I had to press the lads to get the maize on the go! The expense of the boilies, in that period, doesn't take a degree in maths to calculate!
Prior to finding the fish, there were numerous areas that received my attention, on a stretch that spans 4 miles; that has many features and likely areas, and the search was a difficult one. Half of "The Team" had given up the ghost and had begun to fish elsewhere, Adrian could only fish the odd day with me, so, for a time, it was basically me on my own.
I couldn't just bait a few likely areas and sit on them for an hour, I had to bait over half a dozen at any one time and fish them over days, and then do the same – once those areas didn't produce – in the next area I fancied. Eventually the carp's presence is unmistakable and I then thought that I had finally figured out as to why they were there, and I kicked myself for not thinking of it sooner! In truth, that was really being a bit unfair on the logic and reasoning processes on finding fish that I adopt, and had I have gone to where I eventually found the fish first, they may not have been there at that time anyway? Such are the vagaries of the species and the fickle minds of those that pursue them.
 

 
 
In Part 2 I'll try and build a sense of the mental anguish that can eat at the mind and you'll get to see a few of the fish that are eventually the reward for all the hard hours, all the silent soul searching, as when it starts to click…
Part 3 will give you more!
Link to: Part 2
Link to: Part 3
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Carping on the River Thames – A Seasonal blog (Part 2)

Posted on 03/06/2013 by Admin

Cormorant drying its wings
“One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing.”
Socrates – 5th century BC
Carping on the River – Part 2
 
Bizarre really, I tend to box any anxiety I have and shove it to the back of mind, occasionally, whatever's 'the matter' within the box bursts out and takes nice bite sized chunks out of my confidence… so I got wrecked and learnt what so many hate about living in hotel rooms while working away from home. You learn something new every day.
The river, back home in London, was in spate, so I wasn't missing anything carp wise but the barbel were (and still are) going mental. While that was of some comfort me (selfish, I know) I still wanted to get on the river, as I didn't believe it was completely unfishable for carp, surely not! A week or so later I managed to get the time to fish and this as the flood water dropped, but as usual, 'the film' I'd made in my head before the season begun had been washed away. The flow was still too fast, I was restricted to small areas off the main river, and there wasn't much of that to be fished at either.
I started building up around half a dozen swims regardless and I decided that, although practically no one else was fishing the reach (with good reason); I was going to stick it out…

 

My resolution to fish it out until the water slowed lasted about 10 days. It was becoming increasingly obvious – I catch on slowly sometimes – that the flow was still too strong to fish effectively. To be fair though, it was raining often enough and I just kept thinking, 'well if it doesn't rain for a few days…' My confidence was starting to switch my motivation off, like a flickering ray of hope, which was being increasingly obscured by encroaching blankets of dark, wet clouds.
Continuing to fish for so little reward, can be a bit of a lonely game, so I decided a change of tack was necessary. It wasn't that the river wasn't looking healthy, the colour had dropped away and I can honestly say that I hadn't seen it looking any better for years, it was perfect. But that was the problem, the previous few years the river had had the life sucked out of it, the water levels were generally low and it crawled along at a canal's pace, perfect for carping on a boat and just as handy when bank fishing. But now the water was 'healthy'… so not much kop for where I was fishing.
 
My mate Ashley had long since decided it was not boating conditions, so was fishing a bank spot and during our regular conversations he'd been telling me to just leave the boat at home and fish from the bank, so that's what I did. I decided I was going to pick a few reasonable areas, spots that allowed me to be selective in my baiting, and just dip in and out and try and nick a couple of fish in short sessions. It felt so much easier to fish from terra firma, a luxury!
After a few days Ashley invited me to fish his baited swim, he'd caught a few up to the mid-twenty mark and I justified accepting his offer by pretending to myself that it was going to be of help to him, through me assisting him to bait his spot, when he couldn't make it… Truth be known he was more than capable of baiting up his own areas as often as necessary and the absolute truth of the matter was, that it was the mark of a proper mate that invites you to fish a 'going' area, and not for the first time I might add.
We share an awful lot, be that our innermost thoughts fishing-wise and trying to help each other at the difficult times; be that buying bait in bulk; be that baiting up for each other whenever possible; be that tactics and rigs, in fact, when it comes to angling, I have no one closer. After taking him up on his offer and putting in around a hundred or so bank hours of blanking…
I then go and do the dirty on him…
 

30.13 Thames Common
 
What an ungrateful bastard I am! It was Friday the 13th and I knew he'd want to come down and do the shots, so Ash was the only person I called that day. I'd caught it a yard from the bank, on the chod, casting around a tree and up the bank to my left and then dropping the rig in by hand. Ashley had had quite a few fish from the swim but it was the only [carp] run I had in the couple of weeks I fished the spot. Incidentally, even though I've told a number of people of the capture since, I've never told anyone else the location, and I mean absolutely no one. I've thrown a few blinds though…
The day before the fateful 13th I was at work and wasn't due to finish until 9.30pm after a 12 hour shift and the weather had boiled up atrociously. I was very tired, as I'd also done a 12 hour shift the day before that as well, and it crossed my mind to just go straight home… for about half a second! The North Circular was flooded in places and it was quite a hazardous drive and I was due to leave on Ashley's arrival anyway, it's just that he had to come down a fair bit earlier than he'd planned!
Ever since I bought the boat and got it on the river, bank fishing always seems to make me feel as though I'm just marking time though, just waiting for the opportunity to get back out on the boat… and it wasn't long before I felt the river was ready for me to put Izaak back afloat and on the sparkling lid of secrets hid.
I spent the next couple of weeks working and fishing, searching out areas and baiting up on a stretch far, far away… Come the beginning of August I started to find a few fish in one particular area, plus I had the added bonus of not having to work for the rest of the month, things were coming together. I was now in a routine and was fishing four mid-week days, and as ever, avoided the weekends like the plague!
The couple of weeks previous that I'd been [evermore] desperately seeking any signs of fish, baiting spots and fishing them at regular intervals, were quite tough mentally. I'd left an area that had just given me my first Thames thirty and other stretches were starting to produce, but very few carpers were catching in my neck of the woods and it was a commonly held belief that the fish had moved from the area, as it was a particularly faster stretch of water and it didn't hold any known spawning areas to me, the weather was warm and there was plenty of evidence of fish spawning elsewhere on the Thames…
 
The first fish to come from one of the areas I was concentrating on fell to my boat partner Ades.
 

Adrian's 27.12 Common
 
As is ever the case when you take someone aboard, first and foremost you want them to catch, so he got first dibs and after we had a bit of a chat (as I'd fished the spot on my last session alone), we had a fair idea which part of the trees in front of us was going to prove the 'sweet spot' and so it proved to be the case.
The weekend was upon us, so I wasn't going to be fishing until the following Monday and I really thought the swim was starting to tick over, so I stuck my desire to fish the weekend in a box…
The reasons for not fishing the weekends are simple ones. I don't like being caught catching, the less people that know the better, and also, it allows me time to do other things with my life, which are as important to me and they are best done when the most important person in my life is not working.
The following Monday I was on the spot, I saw fish but not a lot happened, and I moved to another spot later on once the situation changed. In both swims I blanked, but they were baited and primed for the next day. Same again, both swims produced nothing on the Tuesday… now I usually have a mid-week break on the Wednesday, but I had to go back.
Just to give you some idea of the then situation, I had been fishing for close to 5 weeks (on and off) and we were now into the second week of August and I had had one run from a carp. Yes, it was my first Thames thirty but it now started to feel like a distant memory, as I had racked up quite a few hours and the preparation work was regular and arduous. I've fished plenty of waters where I wasn't expecting many fish, as they were hard waters and you understand what's coming and prepare yourself for the long haul, at least, as much as you can. So, while the Thames can be a bit of a stubborn ol' bastard, work hard enough and put the graft in, and as they say, the rewards should follow.
The driving was nearly an hour to the river, it was another 3/4s of an hour to get the boat on the water (at an easy pace), I would then spend between 12-14 hours fishing, and by the time I'd finished and packed down the boat, it would generally be at least one and a half hours to drive back home. Then I would unpack all the gear, haul it upstairs, take a shower and be in bed at around 11, to get back up at around 3 in the morning. I can't say I averaged four hours sleep though, as it was usually a bit less than that and it really saps me of energy, the body aches and is tired, especially when you're blanking and getting older by the minute!
Wednesday was the third day on the trot and I just knew that it was going to be the day. That isn't to say that I didn't think the same every previous occasion, as I always think 'today's the day!'
I set up two rods and this despite me knowing that the swim was really a one rod spot… and lost two fish within an hour of each other! Gutted, but my own fault, simply because I decided I needed to double up on the rods (getting desperate). It's a snaggy swim, hit and hold, and the first fish snapped the hooklink? I've never had this particular hooklink material break, but there you go, my Snake-Bite was 'Snake-Broke'! The second fish fell to the chod to the left of a tree and it went straight underneath the crack willow tree. I followed it into the branches, trying to maintain a semblance of pressure while manoeuvering the boat (very difficult on a flowing river on your tod), and eventually found the leadcore – after a year or two of sorting myself out – with no fish attached.
Carping is never easy and sometimes it can make a fool of you, and I certainly gave those two fish every opportunity to give me a proper slap, and so they did.
 

 
I fished the next day as well and blanked, I was starting to feel a bit sorry for myself and I needed to rest, I had hardly slept since the previous Sunday and I needed to go home that Thursday evening and sleep and sort my head out. I went out the following Sunday on Ashley's boat and fished for a few chub on the float, nothing too serious, but I needed to get my head back together and rid my stomach of the pain…
 

 
The next day it was back out on the boat and Adrian was on board once again. He had been working since the last time he'd been out with me and was raring to get back out on the water. After fishing the swim he'd previously caught his 27lb common, and the swim I'd lost two fish in, we then moved to the only other spot that I was baiting now. Adrian took two lovely fish and all the hours were seeing the fish finally fall to the boat, and I was genuinely pleased in that regard but, personally I was starting to seriously need another bend in the carp rod!
 

18.8 Common

15.7 Common
The second common was milting, which surprised us, as we believed that we were fishing for fish that weren't spawning, this however, proved otherwise. I went out the next day and blanked again…
Link to: Part 1
Link to: Part 3

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Carping on the River Thames – A Seasonal blog: The Finale

Posted on 03/06/2013 by Admin
“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”
– Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Carping on the River – Part 3

 
The day would start something like this; get up at 3am bleary eyed, light a fag and drink a cup of black coffee (2 sugars), sort out the food, load up the car and then head for the dreaded A406. I tried listening to calming music for a while but it left me vulnerable to the road hogs, as it's a proper race track the North Circular. I also tried extremely aggressive and angry music at one stage, but that was worse, I wanted to take the hogs off the road "Come on, 'ave it you f@#?*%s!" That was just too much!
I had my midweek break on the Wednesday and was out again on the Thursday and was unfortunately not met in the parking place by Adrian as was working so I was out alone, and due to circumstances on the river, I flew straight down to the spot that he'd taken his two commons from on the Monday and blanked… I went to the other spot [the only other spot I was fishing now] and blanked… I went back down to the first spot and… Yes you guessed it… wrong! I actually caught a lovely linear that went a couple more pounds than I expected!
 

22.2 Linear
To say I was relieved is an understatement, as despite never believing for one minute it wasn't going to happen (sooner or later) it didn't happen until a fair bit later than I expected. That felt a lot better and I was a happy man trundling along to the sounds of Hawkwind, casually making my way back over North London on the race track that evening, inner calm…
I got up Friday and happily zoomed back down the river, hoping that there was still a bit of lightning in the air, crackling the surface of the water. I needn't have trusted being struck by lightning too much but I was certainly struck dumb by what I caught next.
 

32.6 'Little Fully'
 
I'd weighed it but hadn't recognised it at the time, as I was absolutely stunned that I had another thirty, plus it was very nervous in the net and went straight in the sack to calm it down. It wasn't the only one that needed a bit of a breather and I called Ashley, Paul and Adrian, to see who could do the photographic honours, and it was Ash that could get there soonest.
The rods went back out and when Ashley turned up I carefully got everything sorted, no rush, no panic. When we opened the sack he recognised it straight away, so I immediately knew it was down a pound on the two occasions it had been caught last year, what an unbelievable fish. I still don't think I've really learnt to appreciate how beautiful this fish is, or how lucky I am to have caught it, and to many folk that know of her existence she is one of 'The One's' to catch on the river. We have some wonderful shots of the lady but I can only put one up and she went back in the water and strongly swam off like nothing had ever happened. The 'Little Fully' is one of Izaak's pearls, long may she travel and wink at the carpers on the bank, 'cos she does like a bit of bait and she ain't shy! Oh, she was a new PB too, can't be bad.
Where do we go from here? I don't suppose I'll ever catch anything quite so pretty from the Ol' Father's collection and with such personal significance, but, as ever, we have to move on…
Adrian came back on board the following Monday and caned me again! Not only does he start me singing the words to all his constant humming of old tunes (I can't help it!), but he invariably tends to take the lion's share of fish too! One of them was a repeat capture from the week before (See Part 2 for proper photo!) and it weighed 4ozs less, probably because it had travelled one and a half miles to get to the other baited spot! Check out the 18.1 near leather, OMG, another fish to die for!
 

Flipper part two, 18.4 common!

12.11 Mirror

18.1 Near Leather
 
I didn't have much right to feel jealous, but that near leather does an awful lot for me, another old warrior from the Thames and one that can grace my net any day of the week, a truly superb old fish.
I couldn't fish on the Tuesday (dentist or something, I can't remember?) and on the Wednesday I shot back down the river where I was rewarded by one of the toughest scraps I had the whole summer, this little critter would not allow itself to be brought up through the water at all!
 

10.14 Ghostie
 
Cracking looking fish, even though I do say so myself, like a giant goldfish!
On the Thursday I decided to demonstrate how not to take a self-take and the following picture of a common was the better of two attempts! I had tried to lift it on a number of occasions – having landed it rather quickly – and on the third 'going attempt' it tried to go mental, again! I lowered the fish back above the cot that was on my lap but its shoulders were beyond my biceps grip and as I tried to release the pressure and redistribute the weight centrally, it kicked and slid straight back in the water neatly off the side of the rubber boat tube… I waved it good bye and thanked it fully!
 

Err… 21.10 Common!
 
I was starting to feel a bit spoilt now, I went back out on the Friday and just after midday another common swam my way, who said this game was difficult!
 

17.8 Common
 
The fish above also beat me up good and proper, it went under the boat, round the mud-weight, it powered on a number of short runs to and from the boat in front of me, both ends and behind. I eventually netted it mid-run as it tried to power back past the boat on a taught line, two foot under the surface, it never looked beat once.
 
Adriano had caught 3 fish on the Monday, no fishing on the Tuesday, and I had had a fish on each of the days I had been out since… I think you could say it had finally come together! Consistency and bait is the key, get out regular, keep baiting and keep at it.
It was a happy weekend of relaxing and we were looking forward to the next day's fishing on the Monday, as anyone would be, surely? It's funny in that regard though, it's easy to start becoming a bit lax and sit back thinking, 'I can have a day off, I've worked really hard and I deserve a rest…'
I will state unequivocally, if you think that and decide to ease up a little and start taking the odd day off – especially when you're on a roll; especially after all the hard work you've been putting in to get to this point – you will miss one of the very few opportunities that you have to fill your boots, seriously. Think 'that' and it's time to give yourself a good kick and to redouble your efforts.
We blanked (?), I blanked (?) on the Monday, I'm not sure? Regardless there were no fish caught on that day, but Tuesday was another productive session. We were entering the last week of August and we were generally seeing plenty of shows [from carp], so we knew they were in the vicinity and getting stuck into the bait and all we had to do, was be there… and wait… rod held in hand, a bit of singing and then… BANG!
 

11.11 Common
 
The small common above was another little battler and managed to snag me on a buoy chain, fortunately the leadcore probably saved the day, and after holding it solid for what seemed like an eternity, I just slackened right off for a few seconds then applied full pressure once again. Luckily it headed back towards the trees and not towards the open water, otherwise another unknown 'monster' would have escaped, as I really thought it was a big fish to begin with I have to admit.
 
Soon after Adriano was on the score sheet once again (need we expect anything less!) and after finally managing to get him to stop shaking and leaking, "Breathe Adrian, breathe!" this lovely split common struck a pose!
 

17lb Common
 
And not to be out-done for a change, I caught this rather brutish looking mirror below, which caused me a fair bit of grief as well. Having managed to keep it away from the trees (which I was very good at now, lesson learned!), it quickly found the strong flow behind and downstream of the boat, which whilst it was free from snags, had its own perils.
After a few minutes the fish came up to the top of the water, about 20 yards away from the boat, and it took at least ten minutes to inch back to the boat, it was horrible! I just kept waiting for something to give, as it didn't dive down to the depths (which would have allowed me greater control) and the rod was fully arched over as it turned and twisted in the strong flow, never more than a couple of foot from the surface. The line sang with a loud worrying whistle and it was an excruciating sound, a quiet desperation and tension filled my body and mind…
I had to sit on the far tube of the boat and almost treat the fish as if I was dragging a tree branch against the flow, as I daren't give her any more line whatsoever, as it would have been natural for her to go with the strong currents (and away from the boat) and I doubt I could have recovered the situation. Eventually she was alongside the boat and it was truly a relief, a war of attrition but there she was, nestled in the folds of the net!
 

25.7 Mirror
 
We were coming to the end of August and it would be remiss of me not to mention that Ashley was now on his boat and catching a good few himself! I don't know too much of the story but here's a pretty fully that he had from another area.
 

18.9 Fully
 
Needless to say, I was out as often as I could be during the week that followed, but the action began to slow and I blanked for the next four sessions. However, I lost my third fish of the summer when I put maximum pressure on a fish trying to make for a moored boat, the line parted at the needle knot and I wasn't a happy bunny, as usual, it must have been a whopper! But seriously, I think it was…
 
I stopped baiting quite so much – after the sessions ended – to try and help the fish become a bit more selective and induce more takes. A week to the day, Adrian caught 'The Brute' again, and it was up in weight, as well as a common just after dark.
 

'The Brute'

14.8 Common
 
Well, unbeknown to me at the time, the summer carping campaign was going to end shortly. 'Other lifey' things, as ever, swarmed around my time and was shortly going to put an unexpected early halt to the campaign. After fishing with Adriano for the last time on the Wednesday (5th Sept) I went out with Ashley on his boat ('Fools Gold') for the Friday and Saturday.

The Friday saw a couple of fish caught, one for each of us (which is nice when it happens!), and Ash was the first to strike it lucky with another amazing looking fully.
 

23.8 Fully
 
When we first saw the fish in the water we both thought it was the 'Little Fully' again, as we were fishing the exact same area, and Ash got a little keen during the playing/landing process! It may be in best keeping giving a little more context to how this next phase played out, as Ash has seen the secretly fabled fish (the 'Little Fully') caught twice last season, and both times it fell to his boat partner. He'd also been down to photograph it for me a few weeks prior to this particular session, and whilst he says that he's not obsessed with the fish, I suspect that he was more than a little bit hungry to see her roll over his net cord and attached to his line! Suffice it to say, that not many of those that are aware of her existence wouldn't have half an eye on catching the fish in truth.
 
Anyway, the fish in my opinion was nowhere near ready for the net as it swam and rolled – with energy – in front of the boat but Ash thought rather differently and told me so! "Swish the net my good man, sharpish!" I calmly replied, "My dear fellow, you barely have its measure I dare not 'swish' at it!" It got close to the boat once more and he uttered something similar, so I said – rather more firmly this time – "Ashley, my dear chap, bring the damn 'river rabbit' to heel and I'll gaff the chunk when it's blown…"
The fish was landed soon enough but as it dawned upon us that it wasn't the much sought after 'Little Fully' (and what with our gentlemanly discourse betwixt take and netting), it took some of the gloss away from the capture of the fish. However, we soon got our heads back on an even keel and it was just one of the moments really. It's not uncommon to get the 'ump with your boat fishing partner(s), especially when you fish as intensively as the team does (which means that we're often mentally and physically knackered), and we just have to move on quickly from such moments, simple as.
Later on we moved to the next spot and further reward was waiting.
 

17.9 "Crucian" Common!
 
The fish above epitomises the Thames as a 'carp water', the weird and wonderful shapes that it throws up are utterly fascinating, I find I like the weirder ones, not because they've got 'character' (an over-used phrase in my book), but simply because they're different.
We went out the next day and Ash came up trumps once again, with another 23lb fish.
 

23.2 Common
 
Funnily enough the common gave me the opportunity to net it early and Ash was delighted! We moved back to the other spot for the evening and I had a strange take on the very first chuck. We arrived and set up nice and easy, flicked a little bait about and the bream turned up rather quickly, which was always a good sign in that particular swim. I then saw a carp to the left of the 'sweet spot' and flicked the prepared rod straight on the spot… bang! I had it on for a couple of seconds, I applied the necessary brute force and the hook pulled? Strange really, I'm fairly positive that it wasn't even in the mouth, who knows?
 
 
And that was that for me, I've hardly been fishing since, I just haven't got any time at the moment.
Neither have I had the time, up until now, to reflect on the summer's campaign that I thought was going to continue well into the autumn or at least until the weather dictated that I could no longer fish from a boat! My life, much like most people I suppose, is always moving at pace and I've hardly had a moment to appreciate what happened over those warmer months, which have well and truly passed. It was very intensive, and whilst I allowed myself a quiet chuckle after I'd had a fish, I always stopped myself from basking in the sunshine for too long, as there was a job to be done…
 

 
The Wonderful River Thames
 
Link to: Part 1
Link to: Part 2

Copyright of the Thames Anglers Conservancy © 2014

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Thames Water fined 27K for pollution and fish kill on a Surrey river

Posted on 31/05/2013 by Admin
Engine River Fill KillThe Environment Agency received a report from a member of the public on the 10 November about sewage pollution in fields where horses were kept. On 14 November, Environment Agency officers visited the site after a report of dead fish and checked the river, where 480 dead fish were found.
(Photo © Thames Anglers Conservancy)
An Environment Agency fisheries officer estimated that a minimum 1550 fish had died, including perch, roach and carp. Thames Water were interviewed under caution on 27 March 2012 and were not clear why they did not make sufficient efforts to contain the pollution in the days immediately following the pipe burst. Subsequently they have stated that they did not want to take heavy machinery onto the field.
Environment Agency Solicitor Marie De Viell said: “Rivers and water courses are an important part of the environment; they offer an essential resource for wildlife, fisheries and recreation. It is distressing when incidents such as this one occur and cause fairly significant environmental damage, with several hundred fish killed by this sewage spill.
Thames Water​
“The prosecution and fining of Thames Water sends a clear message to other companies that if you fail in your environmental responsibilities you may be prosecuted. “The Environment Agency will continue to work within local areas and with companies to protect river wildlife. If you see a pollution incident please immediately call our pollution hotline 0800 807060 open 24 hours a day.
” The River Engine was a very healthy watercourse prior to this pollution incident, at the time the deeper section contained a significant number of fish and was used as an amenity by the landowners, and was occasionally fished.
The incident also caused significant disruption to local landowners
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River waste repels Olympic rower amid Thames Tideway Tunnel works

Posted on 24/05/2013 by Admin
Andy Triggs Hodge, a gold medal-winning rower at the Beijing and London Olympics, stopped training on Britain’s most famous river when it turned out water wasn’t his biggest obstacle: raw sewage on the Thames was. The capital’s sewer network, built by Victorian engineers after the “Great Stink” of 1858, can’t cope. Too many people, too much waste. Read More
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Thames Tideway Tunnel – Registration as an Interested Party

Posted on 18/05/2013 by Admin
Thames Tideway Tunnel – Registration as Interested Party
The Thames Anglers Conservancy and Angling Trust are founder members of Thames Tunnel Now, the coalition set up to press for the completion of the Thames Tideway Tunnel which will intercept 34 of the worst polluting Combined Sewer Overflows, and help put an end to the scandal of 39 million tonnes of untreated sewage polluting both the tidal river and the estuary.
Sadly there are those who don’t care about dead fish and wildlife or polluted rivers and who are trying to stop or delay the project. They will be raising their objections during the planning process which is why those of us who care for our rivers and the environment must make our voices heard loud and clear.
It will only take five minutes to stand up for a cleaner tidal Thames – the deadline is May 28th so we need to move fast.
It is very straightforward and can be done entirely online.
Unless we register as interested parties at this stage, as individuals or organisations, we will not be able to make representations to the Inspectorate during the all-important six month long examination which starts in September. Registering as an interested party will not require anyone to give evidence in person but it enables us to attend the initial meetings, examine the evidence of others and to provide any submissions of our own. The Angling Trust is happy to represent any registered angling clubs who want us to during this process.

At this stage all the Planning Inspectorate needs is a short statement of no more than 500 words setting out why as anglers or as an angling organisation you have an interest in this project. To make things easy we’ve included some key points that you can include in your statement.

Key Points to consider for possible inclusion in your statement:
The reasons for proceeding with the TTT are as strong as ever, namely:
  • Anglers from across our region love to fish the tidal stretches of Thames and further downstream the estuary is an important saltwater fishery. We have seen regular fish kills over recent years, often following summer storms during periods of low flow.
  • London’s Victorian sewers, built for two million people, can no longer cope. The city’s population is now eight million and rising. In a typical year up to 39 million tonnes of untreated sewage discharges into the River Thames after as little as 2mm of rainfall. This shameful and unnecessary scenario has created unacceptable environmental and public health hazards. The Thames and Lee Tunnels and associated improvements will tackle nearly all this pollution.
  • The sewage discharges breach the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive; British taxpayers would face the prospect of hefty fines, if the tunnel is not built.
  • It can take up to three months for sewage that has entered the uppermost reaches of the Thames Tideway to reach the sea.  The CSOs discharge not just urine and faecal matter into the river, but also nearly 10,000 tonnes of litter every year including toilet paper, wipes, sanitary towels, condoms, cotton buds and other ‘flushable’ items. The hidden dangers include harmful pathogens, viruses and bacteria, such as E coli, hepatitis A and faecal streptococci.
  • London’s sewerage system, founded over 150 years ago, has served the capital well, but urgently needs more capacity to meet the needs of modern-day London. Although the River Thames is capable of supporting greater wildlife diversity and has won recent awards for its improved condition these were contingent on the Tunnel going ahead. Without it the river will remain an environmental and public health hazard at times of CSO discharge.
  • Currently sewerage discharges occur more than once a week on average and in wetter years, like the one we’ve just experienced, the discharges can increase threefold. There are 30 rowing, canoeing and sailing clubs that regularly make use of the tidal Thames.
  •  Literally thousands of people use the Thames foreshore every day. Hundreds of thousands of tourists cruise the river every year. A cleaner, healthy River Thames is essential, not just for anglers, but for the prosperity and global reputation of London and the country as a whole. The Thames Tunnel will ensure that the excellent progress made to clean up the river will not be reversed.
So please click on this link before May 28 and join us in standing up for a cleaner Thames for everyone.
http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/london/thames-tideway-tunnel
Notes on registering as an interested party for the Thames Tideway Tunnel
The attached Planning Inspectorate advice note outlines how public can register to become an interested party in the application. In summary:
You can register to become an interested party when Thames Water begins advertising the application, subject to acceptance. Registration is now open and closes on May 28th
The Planning Inspectorate reference for the Application, which is WW010001, should be quoted in any correspondence.
Representations, which at this stage should be no more than 500 words, must be made direct to the Planning Inspectorate using the Registration and Relevant Representation Form. Representations may not be valid if the form is incomplete or received after the registration deadline (expected to be mid-May). The Registration and Relevant Representation Form is available from the Planning Inspectorate:
The Planning Inspectorate (National Infrastructure Directorate), Temple Quay House, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN.
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Anglers urged to stand up for the Thames

Posted on 18/05/2013 by Admin
The Angling Trust, along with Thames Anglers Conservancy(TAC), are calling on all anglers and angling clubs in London and the South-East to speak out in favour of plans to clean up the tidal Thames through the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
An application to build the tunnel has finally been submitted and the public have until May 28th to register as ‘interested parties’ – this the only way that the Planning Inspectorate can now hear views and opinions. The Thames Tideway Tunnel which will intercept 34 of the worst polluting Combined Sewer Overflows and help put an end to the scandal of 39 million tonnes of untreated sewage polluting both the tidal river and the estuary.
Trust Chief Executive Mark Lloyd said: “ It is self evident that anglers are ‘interested parties’ which is why we are making it dead simple for as many people as possible to complete the registration form. Sadly there are non anglers out there who don’t care about dead fish and wildlife or polluted rivers and who are trying to stop or delay this vital project. They will be raising their objections during the planning process which is why those of us who care for our rivers and the environment must make our voices heard loud and clear.”
He added: “We are contacting each and every individual member of the Angling Trust and all affiliated angling club in the region to register as an 'interested party' for the examination of the Thames Tideway Tunnel application. We have some model text to help the process which can be done entirely online in less than five minutes.”
Dave Harvey, Chairman of the TAC, said: "The tidal Thames could be a world class fishery and wildlife superhighway right in the centre of London if we fixed the sewers and ended the pollution and fish kills. We urge every angler to stand beside us in fighting for a clean river for ourselves, and for future generations to enjoy. "
Registration is accessed via the following link
http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/london/thames-tideway-tunnel
Full details on how to register and key points to consider
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Chemical company to pay almost 100K for polluting 50km stretch of water

Posted on 10/05/2013 by Admin
Thousands of fish died and thousands more were damaged by agricultural chemicals that leaked into the River Nene in Peterborough and today the company responsible was ordered to pay £92,000 by Peterborough Crown Court. Some of the fish were bleached by the chemicals and others leapt from the water and died along the affected 50km stretch of water.
Chemical manufacturer and packaging company Safapac pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to causing the pollution on 18 June 2012 and claimed vandals damaged containers allowing 5,000 litres of three chemicals to get into drains. Today the crown court fined the company £50,000 and ordered them to pay £42,000 costs.
Mark Watson, prosecutor for the Environment Agency, told the court that the company reported the spill to them on a day when they had also taken 15 calls from people about distressed fish in the river. Investigators linked the two incidents. Drainage plans held by the company at their Orton Southgate site and initially shown to environment officers showed a drain on site led to a foul sewer. Further investigation by the company identified that it was, in fact, a surface water drain which discharged to the river. All three chemicals, an insecticide, a fungicide and a disinfectant, are known to be very toxic to aquatic organisms and can cause burns, drowsiness or dizziness to people.
The effect on the River Nene was seen as far as Wisbech and cockle fishing in The Wash was quarantined and closed 19-21 June by the regulatory authority. Mr Watson said that a survey at this time showed a ‘clear and substantial’ impact on all living things in the Orton Brook and River Nene for at least 14.7km. The pollution had an impact along 46km of the brook and river.
Peterborough and District Angling Association had to cancel fishing matches and members also cancelled because of the pollution, costing the club £928. Two cockle fishermen claimed they lost more than £10,000. The total cost to the members of the Greater Wash Fishing Industries Group was estimated to be £216,772 as a result of the pollution.
Mr Watson said the pollution could have been prevented if the chemicals had been stored securely. “Bulk containers containing the chemicals were stored in external bunkers near to the road. There was no bunding and no secondary containment in case of spills,” he said. “There was an open drain in the storage area and another just outside.” He told the court that Safapac’s high level risk assessment had failed to identify vandalism as a risk but on the morning of the pollution staff had arrived at work to find taps on the storage containers had been opened and a ladder had been used to get in. Police records showed that the company had made five reports of criminal or anti-social behaviour directed at the company or in the immediate area since 2010 involving youths causing damage to or trespassing on Safapac’s property or metal theft.
A Safapac manager told investigating environment officers that staff had closed an emergency valve within 15 minutes of discovering shattered valve caps and police and the Environment Agency notified. He said CCTV at the site was not recording at the time and the ladder used to get in had been stored on top of a container at the site. Chemicals are now stored in locked shipping containers.
Judge Madge said: “The environment is a precious heritage and we need to preserve it for the future. Companies need to keep premises safely.” After the hearing Environment Agency officer Adam Shamma said: “This case should serve as a reminder to companies who handle chemicals to ensure their storage arrangements are adequate. Safapac would have prevented this incident if their chemicals had been stored in a secure, bunded area. “Advice and guidance on pollution prevention is available on the Environment Agency’s website.”
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