2016 to fish or not?

[laffingravy]

Although I agree with you LG, we need to be more responsible with the catch return ratio, let's set an example to both the Environment Agency and Riparian owners. I know your catch return is the best, however, I don't see anything wrong with the occasional fish for the table!
Regards, holly.

Brian, with all due respect I think you miss my point. I never make a secret of my personal philosophy that everything should go back into the river but my post had nothing to do with that. I personally feel that there is no finer past time in the world than game fishing. The runs of all species in the majority of UK rivers are depleting. I merely suggest fish for them now while you still can.

[holly]

Brian, with all due respect I think you miss my point. I never make a secret of my personal philosophy that everything should go back into the river but my post had nothing to do with that. I personally feel that there is no finer past time in the world than game fishing. The runs of all species in the majority of UK rivers are depleting. I merely suggest fish for them now while you still can.

Many thanks LG, 'Piscator non solum Piscatur'.
With reference to no finer past time in the world than game fishing, I agree, once again with you!

[Teifi-Terrorist]

People seem to get so offended nowadays,it's like they're looking for something to be offended by,say if you posted a pic of a few sea trout,I've seen folk get lambasted for it when in reality that will be there only fish for the season.

I'd like to think the majority of us think that way re fish for the table,I understand the need for restraint and I thought the 21 inch rule was perfect,it's not rod n line fishermen doing the damage as there were probably more anglers in the past all taking fish to eat.

Hi Andy,

it's 20 inches - just in case you get caught out |\

Nothing at all wrong with the occasional fish for the table - as long as it's the right one for the table and that the river can sustain it.

TT.

[andyantiquefly]

Oops thanks TT,I'll reiterate that 20" is perfect rule lol,I had the pleasure of being able to stand next to a well known member last June and like you say he was very careful about taking the right fish ie fresh off the tide and weighing around two pounds so well within the limit.
What we don't want to do is dilute the spawning stock down by taking the fish 20" or more,I'm sure we would all feel lousy if we were to blame for the loss of these legendary fish that run the rivers of Wales.

The poaching article in the last T&S about the Mawdach and other parts of Wales was sickening reading,I've seen first hand as I used to live in Bangor where every Xmas there would be coloured Ogwen salmon for sale in the town,it's the one downer on Wales I guess.

[phl]

Really Paul? Was 2013 not the worst return since records began, which was my statement? Furthermore, have you viewed the trend over the last 10 years? I would certainly recommend doing so if you think 2,098 is a positive figure...

TT.

Your post said 2014 was the worst year, Steffan, which was the reason I thought I'd lighten the gloom by pointing out that 2014 was in fact an improvement on 2013. However, I don't wish to be pedantic, and I do agree with you that the last 10 years show a worrying downward trend for the Teifi.
But, actually, there have been worse years in the past: for example in 1990 the catch return was just 813, in 1991 it was 1140, and in 1995 it was 1212. Cycles of good and bad periods seem to occur in most seatrout rivers, so we must hope that the Teifi's fortunes will turn again.

Best regards

Paul

[Teifi-Terrorist]

Your post said 2014 was the worst year, Steffan, which was the reason I thought I'd lighten the gloom by pointing out that 2014 was in fact an improvement on 2013. However, I don't wish to be pedantic, and I do agree with you that the last 10 years show a worrying downward trend for the Teifi.
But, actually, there have been worse years in the past: for example in 1990 the catch return was just 813, in 1991 it was 1140, and in 1995 it was 1212. Cycles of good and bad periods seem to occur in most seatrout rivers, so we must hope that the Teifi's fortunes will turn again.

Best regards

Paul

Hi Paul,

would you happen to work for the NRW/EA by any chance? Just for clarity

If not, I assume you are being fed this information from NRW/EA, so perhaps ask them to clarify the irregularities in those years then come back to me/us with the information you have gleaned...

Thanks,

TT.

[phl]

Hi Paul,

would you happen to work for the NRW/EA by any chance? Just for clarity

If not, I assume you are being fed this information from NRW/EA, so perhaps ask them to clarify the irregularities in those years then come back to me/us with the information you have gleaned...

Thanks,

TT.

No, I don't work for the EA or NRW, and I'm not in contact with them at all. All the information I have comes from the annual fisheries statistics reports issued by the EA. The last 5 years reports can be found at their website, at https://www.gov.uk/government/collec...ies-statistics
- but I also have earlier reports that were previously available on the site.

I have been looking at these reports for a number of years, trying to understand what is happening to seatrout populations throughout the country, and why some rivers are doing better than others (and no, I don't really have any good answers to that question).

Paul

[Teifi-Terrorist]

Hi Paul,

Interested as to how you got stats that far back, which were not available online. Hence the assumption that you work for or have worked for NRW. Also, your previous comments regarding coracle fishing, CPUE etc. You certainly seem to be 'on side' with NRW, which makes you a very rare creature indeed...

Again, please do look beyond those stats then feel free to get back to me/us with what you find

TT

[phl]

Hi Paul,

Interested as to how you got stats that far back, which were not available online. Hence the assumption that you work for or have worked for NRW. Also, your previous comments regarding coracle fishing, CPUE etc. You certainly seem to be 'on side' with NRW, which makes you a very rare creature indeed...

Again, please do look beyond those stats then feel free to get back to me/us with what you find

TT

The older reports were previously available online, but not long ago the EA revamped their web site and they are no longer there. However, a google search brought up this:
http://epub.sub.uni-hamburg.de/epub/...l_id=345&la=de

where, if you're interested, you'll find some earlier reports archived. The report for year 2000 has (in table 14) a summary of the returns for the previous 10 years - which is where I found the numbers I quoted.

Finally: no, I'm not an admirer of the EA/NRW, and am just as critical as most anglers of their inadequate approach to fish conservation.

Best regards

Paul

[Teifi-Terrorist]

Thanks for the link Paul. I will put my hands up and say that a. I have not seen reports back that far and b. I didn't appreciate that they reported back that far (i.e. 1990), so thank you or enlightening me and showing where I can access them |\ The furthest back I was able to gain access to was 1994.

My comment about the 'lowest since records began'; I have not seen the background figures for 1991 - as mentioned above. However, in 1995 something really odd happened; the total returns for the Teifi dropped from 994 in 1994 and then 1,076 in 1996 to just 743 in 1995. Over the same period the days fished dropped from 14,357 and 12,775 in 1994 and 1996 to just 7,950 in 1995. Hence why I view 1995 with a great deal of caution. Not sure what happened and I would not like to speculate, but looks like something was lost along the way.

As for the other comments; thanks and please excuse my intrigue/questioning.

TT.

[phl]

As for the other comments; thanks and please excuse my intrigue/questioning.

TT.

No problem, Steffan.
There is actually an earlier set of statistics, that you can find in a document at: https://www.cefas.co.uk/publications.../datarep38.pdf
This goes back to 1951 for some rivers, although the earliest for the Teifi are for 1972. The overall picture is interesting, but puzzling, with quite large fluctuations. Of course, the reliability of the data is quite low, I think, but it's all we have to go on. Anyway, mulling over the figures gives me something to do when I can't fish!

Best regards

Paul