In that case Ratman , it's a no win scenario, muck on the fields and the treatment plants pumping in during low water, or too much water and the dross n crap still gets pumped and washed in any way!.
Sounds very much like the system's not fit for purpose. If the system isn't fit what does that say about those who run the system, bet the executives bonus's and dividends are more than fit for purpose though!.

 

I don't know what other anglers think but there seems to be a real lack of fly life on the river this spring. There were some decent hatches of grannom early on but not much going on since. The river does seem to be in a sad state.

 

I agree - there were some great Grannom hatches but very little else. A few pale olives coming off. What has been noticeable is the distinct lack of rising fish, even now when the waters have warmed up.
There is some good news however, last week whilst fishing for trout I caught a number of Parr and a Smolt. That bodes well providing they don’t get hoovered up by the predators.

 

Saw fewer rising fish than I would expect when I had a few trips out last week. Enough for some dry fly sport but had to sit and watch to spot the odd rising fish rather than plenty rising in a pool.
I did rise and sometimes hook quite a lot of parr and small grayling.
No shortage of otters. Saw three in separate locations in about 5 hours on the river one day !

 

Mmmmm, Otters mean fish!
Pedro.

 

I met a chap who was on holiday at Masham whilst fishing 50 yards below the sewage outlet
he said the river was polluted with human waste amongst other things and I should camplain to the water authority
his work involved testing for pollutants that was twenty years ago, nothing has changed.

 

The only change is that it’s gotten worse

 

In terms of slimy weed and clouds of silt whilst wading in the spring, it has certainly got a lot worse at the top of the Ribble than twenty years ago.

 

To lighten things up a bit, yesterday afternoon on the river brought no fish (just trout) but saw 1 salmon and at least 6 Sea Trout.

 

Good to hear and it is certainly not all doom and gloom on the Ribble. I enjoyed my time on the river last week and caught some nice trout.

But I think we anglers do need to note and discuss any changes that we see to the river with the hope that a cause and cure can be identified.

 

Blood n sand!, carefully watching the rain and the water heights here right now, getting a little giddy over a trip over!.
Pedro.

 

Blood n sand!, carefully watching the rain and the water heights here right now, getting a little giddy over a trip over!.
Pedro.
[/QUOTE
Hodder catchment seems to have had more rain than ribble. Been working in both areas today. Will be worth a go over next few days. Could be a tad mucky mind

 

See the RFCA camera at Winkley on Hodder is not giving a true reading!,, been stuck on a night time for a while now!, must be the Sea Trout lads fettling it for their own needs, lol.
Pedro.

 

Hi Pete.
I need to go down to check it, but at the moment I just don't have time as my wife has just come out of hospital after a new knee fitting. I will have a look in the next few days.
Fred

 

Thanks Fred.
P.

 

 

Ribble looks promising for tomorrow...if it doesn't come up again...running at a good level at the moment...better tomorrow...

 

Going to be great this afternoon.
Pedro.

 

Posted Thread on General Board.....i thought I'd start a thread to congratulate Fred Higham known as 'Ribble Rod' on SFF who has been acknowledged in the King's Birthday Honours with an MBE for services to Angling and Environmental Protection. Fred has volunteered all his life to promoting Angling whilst protecting Salmon, Trout and the Environment, he is currently Chairman of Ribblesdale Anglers, a Director of Clitheroe Anglers, Trustee of Ribble Rivers Trust and Representative on Ribble Fisheries Consultative Authority not to mention being involved in other activities including wider conservation, education and writing magazine articles. He is also Ribble and Hodder Trout and Salmon reporter and over 84 is still going strong. So good to see Fred and angling get acknowledged in the King's Birthdays honours. Well deserved Fred, I hope you enjoy your day at the Palace.

Ps I agree with the RAA member who suggested tapping up the king to arrange a rod share agreement between RAA and his Balmoral Beat on the Royal D

 

I couldn’t agree more with the statement above I have had the pleasure to know Fred for a long time with his involvement with the RFCA and his commitment and dedication to the Ribble catchment and protecting

 

I couldn’t agree more with the statement above I have had the pleasure to know Fred for a long time with his involvement with the RFCA and his commitment and dedication to the Ribble catchment and protecting our river and fisheries
John 🐟
John Rawlinson
Chairman RFCA / North West Fisheries

 

Many congratulations Fred, nice to see recognition for your dedication to protecting the Ribble catchment.

 

Off the mark today 4lb sea liced fish released

 

Cracking Salmo Trutta, looks chunky. Nice to see them fresh from the tide. See a few photos recently from members and friends catching decent seatrout at night kid river.

 

Nice sea-trout...fresh in is that...fished today from dinner till 5 .30...didn't see any salmon show. I'll try for sea-trout later in week...
.

 

Managed to get out for a couple of days trout fishing on the upper river and am very pleased to report that the river bed is in much better condition than on my last visit. A lot less gunk and slime and wading was quite easy rather than skating around on ice.
Not quite as many rising as I would like to see in mid June but caught plenty including a high proportion of good fish.
Fingers crossed for enough rain over the summer to keep it clean and healthy.

 

Just attempted to access the RFCA cam's after yesterdays down pours and all but the Waddow cam are stuck on the 8th of July !. The various height gauges are all working ok, so as a travelling Ribblehead I can still make a coherent guess as to if travelling over is on the cards comfortably or not. But if there's more information available for we long distance Ribbleheads, I'll take it every time.
Pedro.

 

Just attempted to access the RFCA cam's after yesterdays down pours and all but the Waddow cam are stuck on the 8th of July !. The various height gauges are all working ok, so as a travelling Ribblehead I can still make a coherent guess as to if travelling over is on the cards comfortably or not. But if there's more information available for we long distance Ribbleheads, I'll take it every time.
Pedro.

Just attempted to access the RFCA cam's after yesterdays down pours and all but the Waddow cam are stuck on the 8th of July !. The various height gauges are all working ok, so as a travelling Ribblehead I can still make a coherent guess as to if travelling over is on the cards comfortably or not. But if there's more information available for we long distance Ribbleheads, I'll take it every time.
Pedro.

Pete, advise you stay put as its still raining and the river will probably come up again and it will be coloured. The cameras I know about and have been on to our IT chap, he thinks there is a problem with the server to three of the four cameras. Early this morning( Wed) he said he hoped they would be back today. We will have to see.
Fred.

 

Thanks for that Fred.
P.

 

1'4" falling when I left gisburn bridge tonight if that's any use ribble catchment not had as much rain as hodder.

 

If there's no rain due through the catchment, not sure, not seen the weather, then it should be good for tomorrow. By then, if there isn't any significant rain, it should be fining off from the sudden showers we faced on Tuesday, when I was there. Was having a good day on trout and grayling, some lovely grayling, and was planning staying beyond dark to start trying for sea trout, but, just as we were thinking of swapping approaches, around 10PM, flash, kaboom, almost directly overhead, and we thought better of it, lol.

Anyway, if I had the opportunity to go tomorrow, I think the water would be pretty close to ideal and I would go, but sadly I can't.

Arnford weir gauge holding steady-ish at 0.6m, which in old 'Gisburn gauge' money would be around 0.4m, which, for where I am, is pretty much perfect.

All depends on what goes through the catchment overnight, but where I am, there's been nothing but super light drizzle, and maybe the same will be true for there tonight.

Nothing already heading down, if the camera at Craven Pothole Club is anything to go by.

HortonRibbleCam time-lapse video | webcam.io

The River Ribble from Horton-in-Ribblesdale

webcam.io

 

Fished till midnight Sat for sea-Trout...nothing...just see one decent fish show....that was it...definitely scarce again this season..was fishing just below Whalley...

 

I fished just above Whalley, until midnight too, for sea trout, also on Saturday. Nothing either, but sadly, I didn't even have the pleasure of seeing one show.