Himalayan balsam

[fiskeking]

totally agree GD

Does seem to me that as much as you think you are getting rid of, just comes back!! It would be nice to see some areas that were cleared last year not come back, I will be back again!!! Hope to get more time on it this year. |\

[grey duster]

Do not give up Fiskeking.Me and the dragon had a few goes at upper Hendy.Bloody hard work with little return.The more we broadcast the issue the more other members may feel an obligation to actually do something.

[fiskeking]

well said

I'll be there again plugging away. I hope to get at it a bit earlier this year. Its just nice being down by the river doing something to help.|\

[fiskeking]

Balsam 4 inches high already, is it worth blitzing it now? Seems scarcely there where I got it last year. Is it better to leave it until its bigger? :@

[grey duster]

Blitz away FK.You are obviously concerned and want to do something.I have given up.Members are not interested.I suppose when we all disappear in a mass of pink there will be an outcry.

[fiskeking]

seems it worked.

Well the few areas I managed to get at last year are definitely much less this year. Hardly any growth. So it does work. |\

[grey duster]

Sorry to bring this up again,but is anything going to be done this year on the Teifi balsam.I am sure our new balsam manager could organise a gang on here to do something on at least one beat.

[grey duster]

I have been told that a balsam pull is being organised at Llandewi Brefi for half a day next week.If done it will mean no balsam down to Lampeter bridge!It is being organised by NRW.I have volunteered.As soon as I know more details I will post.More there the better.

[steelheadnut]

Yes I'm afraid the dreaded balsam situation is here again, although Dewi Roberts is taking over the reins on my behalf, who is also a Llandysul Angling Association committee member of long standing, I am willing to forward any members or non members who are wiling to give a little of their time in helping with the balsam eradication project and hopefully for the next couple of years from about this time until it produces it's seed heads which will happen in the next couple of months.
I took Dewi out to show him one area which was cleared by two of us over a period of two days the year before last and it was virtually devoid of the plant.
Considering nothing was done by us last year due to my misfortune it shows that it's not an impossible task.
On the way back yesterday we saw the NRW representative Mike Jenkins - Biodiversity officer, Natural Resources Wales (Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru) and he told us about a breakout north of Lampeter just outside Llanddewi Brefi which he wants to tackle some time next week, so we are looking for some volunteers for about a half days work.
So if your interested, and I would think if your part of the angling fraternity, but not necessarily so send me your names and email addresses by my PM board then I can forward theis information to Dewi.

many thanks

Cap

[grey duster]

Latest info I have is to meet at the Coop supermarket car park in Lampeter at 1.30pm on Friday 28.7.2017.for a couple of hours pulling and strimming.

[grey duster]

3 of us turned up including 1 representative from NRW.Managed to clear one field towards Llandewi Brefi ,before rain arrived.Pathetic.Enough said.

[Teifi-Terrorist]

I managed to clear a large area of Balsam on County Gate beat on Sunday - every little helps and all that. |\

It has been encouraging to see areas that I have cleared over the last two seasons now being totally balsam free; it really does work and is easily achieved, just needs a bit of donated time.

Anyway, whilst strimming away it got me thinking about a scheme we could try. I was thinking about something down the lines of 'adopt a beat', whereby members (or non-members for that matter) adopt a beat to attack and control. This could include things like litter picking too, of course.

It would simply be a case of numbering our beats then anyone looking to help out placing their name alongside the number - perfectly fine to have a few on one beat, of course, as work parties can then soon be arranged.

What do you think? Worth a try surely?

Beyond that, is there any mileage in the club buying a couple of rechargeable strimmers for this purpose? Whereby anyone partaking in the scheme can borrow one then bring it back to e.g. the Porth Hotel. This is what I use and they are really superb; they cut through balsam no problem at all and last around 30 minutes per battery - I usually take it when fishing, so cast a bit and strim a bit :>

TT.

[grey duster]

Not sure about carrying a strimmer around with everything else.I try to keep weight to a minimum:>
I did suggest a couple of years ago that every angler should pull 20 or 30 plants every time they fish.It would take about 5 minutes,they come out remarkably easily. I believe a club on the Towy is now instructing members to do that.
Spoke to Mike Watkins of NRW and he said they have recently electrofished the river in the slurry area towards Tregaron,and while there are no bigger brownies,there are plenty of fry.