Himalayan balsam

[steelheadnut]

Hello folks, bet you thought I'd jumped ship and deserted you.
No chance, not letting you off the hook that easy, things are moving along slowly but surely.
With the dreaded balsam showing itself it's nearly time to target it.
Hopefully will know what gear we can get hold of/purchase in the next few weeks,machines, safety gear etc.
If everything goes to plan we will have a (training day) on the gear, so I do need to know how many are willing to come on board and commit to this programme. So if you don't mind giving your names again on here or pm me, I don't mind.
Just a footnote to say this programme is aimed at the Teify catchment for now.

Cap

[grey duster]

Sent you a pm.Looking forward to it,so long as there is a physio standing by.

[mepps4me]

Cap
As soon as I find out my weekend rota for next month I will send you a pm

[Highwater]

Himalayan balsam

Hi id like to be involved can only do weekends though

[mepps4me]

Cap
Hopefully you have a pm. As Thom mentioned some time ago, it is confusing when you cannot see anything in your sent item folder. I can't see what I am doing wrong.{;

[teifi88]

How many clubs on the Teifi have shown an interest in this Cap?

[steelheadnut]

How many clubs on the Teifi have shown an interest in this Cap?

Apologise teifi88 for not replying sooner, been away and going again for a week as of Sunday.
Hopefully will have more information when I come back.
The response from ALL clubs in the Teify catchment area has, to be honest, dire.
Considering all the talking, or should I say moaning about the balsam put forward on the forum over the last couple of years I would have expected a few more responses.
Wishful thinking methinks.
Again it's left to the few do'ers to do the work while the majority of the angling fraternity have a moan about the lack of work done to combat this plant.

I thank those that have responded and you will be contacted soon.
To all those of you on the sidelines it's not too late for you to make a contribution by giving of your time to this project, just send me a pm with your name, and your in.

We will be targeting the initial growth late June early July.
If anything changes you will bee notified.

Cap

[grey duster]

Each plant can produce up to 800 seeds,which are broadcast up to 3 metres.If we do not make a concerted effort,we will not be able to get near the river, never mind fish it.Come on,do your bit.

[grey duster]

I know i said "i give up",but that is not in my nature.
Me and the better half went down to Hendy this morning and had a go at the balsam.
Tried strimming,but the best way is to pull it up by the roots,It comes out easily.We will keep going until it is eradicated.

[mintylad]

Good on you gd. One of the clubs on the Towy has just emailed members asking them to pull up 50 plants every time they go to the river. I bet if everyone did as asked if would make a significant dent. It wouldn't take that long to do but I bet very few bother and yet will still moan about it's increased presence. The next time I'm out I too will set aside half an hour just to see how much can be done in a short space of time.

Mintylad

[grey duster]

Mintylad

I suggested pulling up plants about 6 months ago every time we fish.No response.

[grey duster]

Hello Cap

Any news on this yet.I believe there is a "rust fungus" programme already in place in England by the Environment agency.Are NRW following suit.The wife and myself are cutting and pulling like hell in the top field at Hendy(with little progress),and i believe Fiskeking is working up from the bottom of the beat.The stuff is already 3 foot high.

[grey duster]

Thanks for the phone call Cap.You obviously have your finger on the pulse.lets hope you can get a good turnout of Teifi anglers|\

[steelheadnut]

Well were nearly there.
After a meeting with NRW, SSSI and Teify Rivers Trust representatives on monday last we are now in a position to make a start.
Firstly there will be a quick survey done, this entais checking bridges, if balsam is seen above then we move to the next bridge up until we see none. This gives us an idea of where to start the eradication process. The survey is for the whole of the Teify catchment, tribs as well as main river. All this is done by car so no walking miles over terrain.
We will start with the cutting/pulling of the plants soon after.
The date for the survey is hopefully the 4th of July, which is a week from today and we will be meeting at the Porth hotel in Llandysul at a time to be arranged.
I won't know for sure until early next week so more details to follow.
It will only take a few hours to complete this survey providing we have enough bodies on the ground so please come.
As for the "rust spores" that's been talked about lately, well it has been introduced into a specific number of sites around Wales, one of them being the main source of this infestation in the Teify catchment area.

Cap

[steelheadnut]

The date for the meet has changed to the 11th of July and we will be meeting at the NRW offices in Lampeter at a time to be announced in the next few days