Welsh Country March-April 2017

FISHING
Changes made to
Rod Licensing
Anthony Rees discusses the new Rod
Licence Structure and the devastating news
of pollution in the River Teifi
As I write this the New Year is upon us and anglers are
already inquiring about memberships of clubs around
Wales for 2017.
The New Rod Licence Structure has now been accepted and
approved by the Welsh Assembly Government. There are changes
in Rod Licence duty for the coming season 1 st April 2017. A yearly
licence will now last 365 days from when it was purchased. This is
a very helpful change, particularly when a person takes up fishing
mid-season. Young fishers (17 and under) will not have to pay, but
must apply for a free one. This is to encourage more youngsters
into the art of angling. Some of the costs of this free licence will
be borne by increases in prices for adult licences, so a full Trout
and Coarse licence costs £30, (£20 concessionary, £12 week, £6
day) and a Migratory fish licence costs £82 (£54 concessionary,
£27 week, £12 day). I would suggest unless you are fishing very
occasionally that you buy a full rod licence. Also be careful as the
new structure does not start until 1 st April 2017, before this you will
have to buy at 2016 prices.
The River Wye has recorded the best salmon catch for many
years with a final total in excess of 1,670 fish. The Usk has also had
a good year with a predicted catch of 800 fish. We need consistent
steady flows to allow salmon to run our rivers and the Wye Usk
Foundation has done much working with Welsh Water to achieve
these consistent flows that allow the salmon to run up river. But as
important is the right flow to help the smolts when they run back
to sea in April/May.
My report in Nov/Dec mentioned the lack of young salmon
being found in electro fishing surveys in some streams in Wales. At
this time there is still no clear indication of what may have caused
the problem. We do know however that many problems face the
salmon and once again new rounds of restrictions on methods,
baits and seasons are being looked at. Anglers are again the target
of these restrictions even though it has been agreed they are not
the cause of the decline. There is much opposition to the proposals
around Wales.
Early season Trout fishing on many rivers will follow the pattern
we see on the Rivers Taff and Usk. It can be very unpredictable
and is highly dependent on river and weather conditions.
Inexperienced or novice anglers are often of the opinion that
warmer weather is required to encourage fly hatches, but this is not
the case.
The large Dark Olive is the only fly the angler is likely to
encounter in any numbers on most rivers and this species is a cold
weather fly. Settled sunny and unseasonably warm weather will
usually curtail activity. Cold dismal and blustery conditions on the
other hand will usually see far better hatches. Indeed, some of the
best hatches can occur on the coldest of days. It is the angler who is
prepared to brave the elements who will enjoy the best of the early
season fishing on offer.
From mid-March to mid-April anglers fishing the Usk may
encounter the March Brown, numbers of which have increased
considerably in recent years following significant losses since the
late 1990’s. Once again, the cold and unsettled weather will see
better hatches of these as well. When either species is hatching
fish will often ignore a dun floating on the surface and prefer to
select the emerging nymph in the process of hatching. An emerger
pattern with some of the dressing sub surface will usually be more
effective than a “dry’’ one.
Some of the modern C.D.C patterns achieve this very well as
do more traditional parachute style flies, tied on either straight
or curved shank hooks. On some days fish will readily take a wet
fly and some of the traditional wet patterns such as Blue Upright,
Greenwell’s Glory, Water Hen Bloa, and Gold Ribbed Hare Ear,
have not been improved on over the years when using this tactic. If
the March Brown is present then a wet style pattern will suffice or
a deadly alternative the Partridge and Orange can be added to the
list.
At the time of writing the river Teifi has been subjected to a
devastating pollution reported as being from a major discharge of
farm slurry. This and the runoff from fields, due to the planting
of some crops on or near the river that contribute to soil erosion,
is one of the major problems facing a healthy river eco system. It
needs central Government, in our case the Welsh Assembly to act
firmly and in a positive manner with legislation if necessary to
control this problem. U
Words: Anthony Rees
Picture: Daniel Gardiner
Brown Trout Caught River Taff Sept 2016
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