[Alex C]

For a couple of weeks there I actually thought we may see a worthwhile early season but down it goes.. Roll on those 3 weeks in May/June! And bits of messy, sinking line and heavy tips casting practice until then.

 

[Alex C]

A surprisingly strong start on the Scottish rivers with plenty caught compared to previous seasons - 9 off the Tweed on opening day. So there's hope.

 

[Alex C]

All quiet for 2 of us yesterday , river a little cloudy, but not excessively. Anybody else been out over the weekend?

Many fish up and down the river daily. It's not the lack of anglers to blame and, for once, neither is water height. Just the maths of the early spring run on the Avon. A few dozens in the system of which a handful of takers which, in turn, can be anywhere between Christchurch and Salisbury! Not to say it's not pleasant to have a walk and a cast.

 

[Alex C]

Can anyone explain the water clarity at the moment, it's not too bad at Somerley but by the time it gets to the Royalty its like soup!! ? Plenty of rods out today, nothing to report as far as i'm aware

At Ringwood Weir it's already darker than at Ibsley Bridge, at Bisterne even more so, and so on. Silt from farmland and the flood plains slowly drained into the dozens of carriers present throughout the valley which in turn drain into the main river while it keeps receding. I'm sure if we would have new water into the system it would clear up fully a week after the rains, only for the process to start over.

 

[Alex C]

We could still have a good season despite the poor spring run. The consolidated pressure highs have been unprecedented. The sunniest March since records began and the 6th driest since 1836. Add that to the usually capped spring numbers and the count is no surprise. 2015 was a good year for numbers and had an equal March count.

 

[Alex C]

There was mostly light rain in the catchment today Peter. The river is in near perfect condition and we're at the back of the spring tides just about. I gave it a good go today through Somerley, Bisterne and Winkton. No knocks, pulls, nibbles nor any fish moved.

 

[Alex C]

End of every season I vouch to stay away from it all until the May spring tides, yet here I am. Don't mind not catching at all as long as there is some sign of salmon in the system, but fishing 12hrs and 10 miles of empty pools does take a toll. We never learn.

 

[Alex C]

Has that brown algae bloom gone ? I did the same as you albeit other middle and lower Avon stretches last Tuesday Wednesday but visibility was a foot at best till Wednesday evening when it cleared.I am still recovering from Wednesday fighting the wind .

It looks like it. Somerley is clear, at Bisterne she has a touch of colour and at Winkton a bit more, but improved a lot since I last had a cast 3 weeks ago. Visibility is about 2ft at its worst.

 

[Alex C]

Sorry not the best picture but I was more concerned in getting him back, had two small sea trout as well on a 2" Posh Tosh with a heavy sink tip and 25lb leader. Fish had been in the system for a couple of weeks I would say maybe a little longer.

View attachment 112553

Cracking fish Andy, congrats! Some achievement considering how this season started off 👏🤝

 

[Alex C]

Hi Charlie , nice chatting to you and thank you . With the river shrinking , by which I mean water plants and bank side foliage growing at pace, the big rod feels a bit over the top . The 13 foot option sounds good. As MAJ says there is also the hope that a change will magically do the trick 😂👍

I went from a cheap switch rod - 11ft, to a Loop NXT 14ft double hander to a Guideline LPX Chrome 12ft9'; very pleased with the latter. It's fast, strong and you can do short and accurate casts as well as occasionally get the running line out where the river is particularly wide. As for making changes to convince salmon.. they need to be in the river first.

 

[Alex C]

I fear we're headed for 2022 conditions. Two more weeks of NE winds and no drop of rain in sight where the earth is already stone dry. It will take gallons of rain now for any lift to happen, and as we approach June, chances are the moisture required won't arrive until autumn. If this goes through, half the run will hold in the tidal until October, and those which entered will suffer from warm and stale water, be prone to early onset of disease. Can't imagine the farmers having an easy life either. The only upside I notice is that two consecutive winters of strong flows have cleared a lot of gravel which will improve dissolved oxygen levels when tough times arrive.

 

[Alex C]

I fished the lower river on Saturday and visibility was certainly adequate, particularly given how shallow it is now. Although the temperature will fall back a little now, it's difficult to imagine fish coming in until we get a decent lift. If the water smells to salmon how it looks to us they won't be in a rush! Sadly the latest counts are worryingly low, let's hope for a spike when the rains finally arrive.

Thanks for your thoughts Peter, do you mind sharing the April count if you have it?

 

[Alex C]

Many thanks Peter, that's not great. My 2 cents: since end of March, the levels are in line with those in '22 but total counts are 46 as opposed to 115 we had by end of April in '22. It seems that catches (or lack thereof) largely follow the short episodes of Atlantic weather and the unusual, long spells of high pressure with NE winds respectively. It could be the weather, the water quality, another decline in numbers of returning fish, the continued shift away from spring runs, or most likely as always IMO, a combination. We'll be able to confirm or write off a couple of these with the end of season reports. If I was to place bets, I'm still somewhat confident in a strong run over the next 6 weeks.

 

[Alex C]

The decline is global and advances South to North; the Loire catchment lost their 100k strong salmon run in the 50's, then our chalk streams started to decline through the 80's and 90's, Scotland in the 2010's, and last year - the SW of Norway. Our oceans are 1C warmer than 50 years ago and parts of the North Atlantic are often 2.5C warmer due to marine heat waves. As a result, the bluefin turned up in Cornwall in greater and greater numbers and the Moroccan octopus are decimating crustaceans along the coast of Devon to name a couple of phenomena at the top of the iceberg. The imbalances in marine ecosystems are beyond comprehension and repair.

As for Avon spring fishing, did anyone expect better? I think with the 10 or so fish caught by Royalty rods in the last month, the total catch numbers to date are no different if not slightly better than previous 3 seasons.

The foreseeable looks perfect to me: temps in the teens and rain for the next 9 days. I expect the river to not exceed 18C highs during this time either. My fly pouch has been updated with summer size 8 and 10's, and my spinning reel is getting re-spooled with new, top notch 40lb PE to ensure swift landing and no surprises. As always, what we had to date was lottery, with lots of skill, grit and knowledge being a minimum but not sufficient requirement. Congratulations to all successful rods! What's coming, patchy and with interruptions as it will be, is salmon fishing. Tight lines! 🥂

 

[Alex C]

I am not advocating campaigning.
But we cannot ignore we are but stewards of what our forefathers left for us to enjoy and that we should atleast be seen to make an attempt to pass on in a similar condition.

We do not need government nor their puppet agencies.
We could simply stop fishing for a season.
Something similar happened in the winter of 1962 when wildfowlers stopped shooting voluntarily because with many wetlands frozen over waterfowl became so easy to shoot.

As for what our forefathers left for us to enjoy with regards to salmon fishing, I find myself wondering what exactly that is other than a vast collection of photographs of 40s and 50s hanging on gaffs?

 

[Alex C]

I would be willing to bet our forefathers thought the huge catches of salmon they were making would last forever. History has certainly proved that assumption wrong.


"Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end"
Mary Hopkin may not have been a salmon angler but that line in her song certainly resonants with me every time I step onto the bank.


.

Having followed the salmon runs closely from the South, to Scotland to Scandinavia for a few years now, I don't think the conduit of the previous generations of fishers made much difference. It was probably not possible to stop the decline by C&R and, unfortunately, it's likely not possible for us to steward and leave it in even the poor state in which it is now, with all the care in the world, wether we fish or not. Every fisher and ranger in Europe finds faults which are particular to their local river on which they blame the decline: seals, dolphins, pollution, goosanders, cormorants, too little water, too much water. Yet, despite continuous improvements to riparian habitats, they all go in the same direction.

There will be singular success stories along the way, of which, the only notable ones I know of involve different forms of hatcheries. Considering the low level of income generated by Avon fishers and also the discussion around the subspecies of chalk stream salmon, paired with the concern regarding the genetic degradation caused by hatcheries, I don't see this ever becoming an acceptable option.

Long story short, I think unless the imbalances in marine ecosystems go in an unexpected direction where suddenly abundant food sources and new, more protected feeding grounds become available for salmon, the decline will continue slowly until it reaches unsustainable levels, fishing stops, 100 or so fish continue to run the Avon for a couple of decades until they are wiped out for good likely by successive years of extreme weather events.

This doesn't put me off though, you can't be frustrated over what you can't do a thing about. We are direct, on-the-ground witnesses of the major changes our planet is going through. My grandkids will probably not believe we ever had them in the South of England until I show them a photograph of one of the last, carefully handled salmon to ever run the Avon.

 

[Alex C]

I lived and breathed the river for 2 days, Peter, thinking the low pressure and wet weather will encourage some runs. Temps averaging 16C - not getting any better than this till autumn. Level change barely noticeable, running clear. There may be a trickle of running fish but not in numbers - nothing seen. I suggest waiting to see if the next band of rain tonight and tomorrow turns into a lift.

 

[Alex C]

Oh well, our 2025 Avon season starts to look a lot like bum hair... short and full of

 

[Alex C]

Would a split season , say Feb to May then break till September, but extend to the 31st of October ever be considered?

I think it mostly weighs on what the fish are doing over the next few seasons. If overall numbers drop, then no chance, best you can hope for is not getting further restrictions or even a ban. If the numbers stay constant or somehow improve, but they consistently arrive later in the season and Avon salmon fishing is to be preserved, then I think it may be considered. Irrespective, June is the best month of the season most years so it should not be taken off in any scenario. February on the other hand doesn't see a single fresh salmon caught most years.
Yes, all studies and experiments show that coloured fish are better adapted to fresh water and handle C&R pressure a lot better than when they first enter the system. However anglers' preference for silver salmon, inherited from times when culinary value came first, is still a factor.
Lastly think of the riparian owners. Some estates are very traditional and don't think much of fishing past mid June either way. Most, revolve around and get most their income from shooting which I think starts on the 1st of Sep with partridge. Having anglers on the banks would be nuisance at best or lose money at worst. The Royalty is the only one which I think would support any form of season extension but they would be blocked by the others.
I personally enjoy their autumn colours and would like to annoy a 30lb amber crock on the Avon knowing that, as opposed to a silver fish caught in the full summer sun, it's 'tough as an old boot' as Northeners say. However all things considered, I would say no chance to even start a meaningful conversation in the near future.

 

[Alex C]

21.5 deg at the moment , and probably going higher!

Well one thing is off-the-chart this season, quite literally! Perhaps not bad that so few have entered the system to date after all.