The first step is for a critical mass of people interested in salmon angling and conservation to acknowledge the problem, beyond the handful of active anglers who receive regular insights - us, here. There can't be a resolve if there isn't a problem. So I think fishery owners should publish and make their catch reports available to all, for the last good number of years if we want to have a glimpse of the trends. Similarly the fish counter needs a push to publish regular updates. Lastly, upholding the myth of the Avon as the country's big fish mecca without stressing the dangers our salmon run faces detracts from the real picture. I accept that fishery owners may view such transparency as detrimental to income in the short term, but I think it's a necessary first step if we expect solutions for the future.
Hampshire Avon 2023
Wishing all Avon anglers the best of luck for the coming season.....although it maybe difficult to access the river in some places at the moment!
Think it will be a little while before I cast a line, as I have some ongoing back issues, which are proving troublesome at present.
Sean
Think it will be a little while before I cast a line, as I have some ongoing back issues, which are proving troublesome at present.
Sean
181 - 200 of 230 Posts
I would say climate change also plays a part. Last year we had record low flows and this year we have the highest water in May for decades. We all see how this impacts fishing and the run. Similarly, we all know we should adjust our lifestyle to minimise our impact yet we somehow view this as a fuzzy and far away problem which is outside our control.It is universal. No doubt the EA & NRW will blame it on climate change rather than our rivers being full of crap. Also what is going on at sea? My guess is they are being over harvested in the Greenland and Barents seas by the Russian and Chinese factory ships and anyone else out for a quick buck.
Apart from local issues, it's been a poor spring run throughout the isles. Some of the early Irish systems are coming to the end of their springs runs and it's mostly sounding poor enough. Last year's grilse run wasn't great and 4.5 to 6lb springers are common enough this year in Ireland.
I can't help questioning whether the smolt cohort that produced these runs was either low in numbers or if some of them were small in smolt size or they failed to find feeding as post smolts/grilse.
Some returning springers are in normal, good condition 8 to 10lbs out of the same river systems, so they did ok, but the overall return numbers seem low.
I can't help questioning whether the smolt cohort that produced these runs was either low in numbers or if some of them were small in smolt size or they failed to find feeding as post smolts/grilse.
Some returning springers are in normal, good condition 8 to 10lbs out of the same river systems, so they did ok, but the overall return numbers seem low.
Where have our Salmon gone. The whole of the Avon system has yielded 14 Salmon which is down on what is regarded a spring run river. One fish on the Itchen caught. One recorded on the Test and a 3 to 4 SWF from the Frome, these two recorded by the EA, so not caught. That's a catch return of 15 fish from four mighty rivers. Thoughts please.
My local river is the Itchen and I can tell you that at times the tidal pool at Woodmill had good numbers of salmon in residence in 2022 yet very few of these fish made it through the counter at Gaters Mill barely a kilometre upstream. Why? and why now after we’ve had a pandemic, a cost of living crisis and a complete failure of England’s sewage treatment. One theory is that the pandemic and cost of living crisis has resulted in an explosion in the use of anti-depressants and anxiety relieving drugs that enter the sewage treatment works, via human excretion, in what had been previously considered acceptable quantities These drugs are not readily removed by current sewage treatment works and their appalling track record of late results in these chemicals entering our rivers in much greater quantity than they did before the pandemic, These chemicals do impact migrating smolt as they enter the bloodstream via the gills and as neurological drugs affect the brain. A fairly recent study found that smolt migrated twice as quickly to the sea after they were exposed to a relatively small dose of an anxiety relieving drug apparently losing all inhibitions that might have ensured their survival from predation. There are many other chemicals out there that pass through our sewage treatment works via CSO’s or as treated effluent that have unknown effects on invertebrates and fish. Is it possible that the olfactory sense of smolt is damaged as part of this exposure, a sense that ensures the return of salmon to their natal river?
At least they’ll die happy
Fished the Royalty today.....appeared very quiet.
Water was high but relatively clear. Seemed ideal, but nothing seen at all.
Water was high but relatively clear. Seemed ideal, but nothing seen at all.
I would have thought that the weekend conditions would have yielded a fish.Fished the Royalty today.....appeared very quiet.
Water was high but relatively clear. Seemed ideal, but nothing seen at all.
Was expecting to at least see a fish head and tail, but nothing at all.
Fingers crossed for the next spring tide!
Fingers crossed for the next spring tide!
I fished on Saturday, the river was quite dirty at first but cleared as the day progressed, really surprised in these conditions not to see a fish at all. The Hobbies were giving a fabulous display of acrobatics as they caught flies, and an eagle drifted by making its way up the valley so plenty to enjoy as ever. But, not even a chub to my rod this year, really very surprised.
I fished UW yesterday afternoon/evening. Had a good pull on the fly but nothing stuck and two pike fell to the spinner.
I wasn’t referring to recreational drugs. However all drugs and how they are broken down by sewage treatment processes is already a major area of research particularly for drug companies.At least they’ll die happy
As you may have seen the knapp mill count was released for last year: https://www.avondiary.net/news/2022q4.pdf. If we add the numbers on tables at page 6, we find that almost half of the total salmon run (405 out of 837) entered the system after the fishing season close - as consequence of weather and water conditions. Otherwise, the total count was close to the last 17 years' average. What do you make of this?
PS: I remember meeting the EA last summer on the bank as they were taking measurements to see if there's enough flow to extract water from a carrier - like simply looking down or checking a public measurement wasn't an obvious enough conclusion.
PS: I remember meeting the EA last summer on the bank as they were taking measurements to see if there's enough flow to extract water from a carrier - like simply looking down or checking a public measurement wasn't an obvious enough conclusion.
I think overall the daily recorded numbers are at best indicative of periods of fish movement not actual numbers, otherwise in good fishing spring years it feels like a quarter of the recorded running fish from Feb and March are caught, and I don't think that's possible, especially with mostly fly only and very limited fishing pressure. It was indeed interesting to see that the fish held in the sea last Summer till the autumn rain came and then rushed in. The warm river water must be a signal to them perhaps as the river is almost always navigable for them is it not? What will be very interesting is Q1 counts for this year, are the fish passing through in the full river, or are they not there as we fear... Well we should be approaching peak run, looking forward to Saturday!
One interpretation is that salmon have been running pretty much as normal - a guess!! but possibly faster and further because the conditions are right and the ‘change of protocol’ at Knapp Mill - presumably turning off the cameras and closing some of the hatches and concentrating flow on the main channel has had a devastating effect on the Royalty fishery with fish hardly pausing for breath. Still no fish at the Royalty! Unheard of!!I think overall the daily recorded numbers are at best indicative of periods of fish movement not actual numbers, otherwise in good fishing spring years it feels like a quarter of the recorded running fish from Feb and March are caught, and I don't think that's possible, especially with mostly fly only and very limited fishing pressure. It was indeed interesting to see that the fish held in the sea last Summer till the autumn rain came and then rushed in. The warm river water must be a signal to them perhaps as the river is almost always navigable for them is it not? What will be very interesting is Q1 counts for this year, are the fish passing through in the full river, or are they not there as we fear... Well we should be approaching peak run, looking forward to Saturday!
Is this the way forward?
Another interpretation is that due to such fluctuations in weather in terms of droughts, heat waves and flooding , general degradation of river purity through abuse by the water companies and poor agricultural practices, throw on some over fishing possibly and netting/poaching and you get a general picture that the British North Atlantic salmon population is on the verge of extinction
I think the change of protocol on the hatches was in the very dry months last year, not this spring, and was intended only to help the fish get past the barrier when flow was poor, the absence of fish on the whole lower river this year must in part be due to high water levels allowing fish to push on as they like to!One interpretation is that salmon have been running pretty much as normal - a guess!! but possibly faster and further because the conditions are right and the ‘change of protocol’ at Knapp Mill - presumably turning off the cameras and closing some of the hatches and concentrating flow on the main channel has had a devastating effect on the Royalty fishery with fish hardly pausing for breath. Still no fish at the Royalty! Unheard of!!
Is this the way forward?
Good man. Much more realistic explanation.
I agree, looking at roughly constant numbers over the last 17 years there's no reason to believe this year is drastically different out of the blue; It's why I'm planning to prospect some stretches upstream of Somerley tomorrow. Nonetheless, it's incredible to see how sensitive the species is to changes in the ecosystem, specifically how half a meter of water either way can break a whole season's fishing! Their fragility is one of the attributes that makes them special after all..I think the change of protocol on the hatches was in the very dry months last year, not this spring, and was intended only to help the fish get past the barrier when flow was poor, the absence of fish on the whole lower river this year must in part be due to high water levels allowing fish to push on as they like to!
Sri g tides this weekend so fingers crossed for some fresh fish coming into the river.
181 - 200 of 230 Posts
Salmon Fishing Forum
Salmon Fishing Forum - Discussion board dedicated to salmon fishing.
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Recommended Communities
