The latest from Bulldog Fishery

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Below is a post from Bulldog Fisherys near Barnstaple  who appear to have been victim to the scurge of keyboard warriors on Social media. The internet and social media spread gossip and false stories rapidly and those who fail to catch often invent the craziest of tales to explain their lack of success. I once fished a lake where nobody caught and was told that the water had been spiked with soap to put the fish off the feed! There are a thousand and one reasons why fish are not caught and the vast majority are simply bad angling.
Clearing up a few rumuors a post from Nigel Early at Bulldog 

Good morning everyone! It has come to our attention that a couple rumours regarding our carp lake have been circulating the local anglers.  Now, we don’t usually pay any attention to the general gossip/drama that inevitably takes place in the industry. However, we have now received contact from several concerned anglers asking what happened. So to avoid having to explain countless times we’d like to set the record straight…

Word has been spread that whilst we drained/netted the lake to extract the bream last month, we had some sort of disaster resulting in a lot of fish dying or not being returned to the lake. THIS IS TOTAL RUBBISH!
Whilst the work was taking place, the only issue we encountered was that the lake didn’t drain out quite as planned, a definite inconvenience at the time but far from a disaster.
We can say with 100% certainty that every carp removed from our lake was returned with ZERO casualties! With the exception of 5 fish that we decided wasn’t up to the standard we wanted for the lake. These 5 fish are being replaced as of November this year.
Please feel free to share this post as much as possible to help squish these daft rumors that I can only imagine have come from an industrial size game of whispers!
We look forward to the constant progress the fishery is on! And can’t wait to see what the future holds 🎣🎣

🎣 Tight lines everyone

( Above) Ongoing improvements
The latest twenty

(Below) there’s plenty of trout between 2lb and 5lb being caught from the trout lakes.

RIVER TAW FISHERIES AND CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION FOCUS ON WATER QUALITY

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       The River Taw Fisheries and Conservation Association held their annual general meeting at the Mole Resort (formerly High Bullen House Hotel) on Friday March 22nd.

Richard Nickell and Andy Gray

       Members from across the region reflected upon a disappointing season in 2023 with catch returns indicating very poor results for both salmon and sea trout. Sixty salmon and around one hundred sea trout were caught throughout the river season. River flow had been low during the early spring and summer but had been good for the second half of the season. A good number of kelt’s caught at the start of the season gave some cause for optimism for future seasons. Redd counting during the winter had been difficult due to high flows.

       Chairman Andy Gray delivered an outline plan for working closely with the North Devon Catchment Partnership to focus on improving water quality and habitat. This ambitious project aims to unite all who have an interest in the River Taw and its tributaries. Farmer clusters are now receiving payments to invest in environmentally beneficial projects and practices that will benefit the rivers. The Environment Agency are also focussing on agricultural issues with increased officers to both police and enforce regulations.

Measures to reduce flooding and slow the flow are being introduced on tributaries of the Taw investment in leaky dams and buffer zones.

       The recent North Devon District Council meeting was discussed with a recognition that there is greater public awareness regarding sewage discharge incidents by South West Water.

       An increasing run of shad into the river Taw each summer is a positive sign that the weir removal project partially funded by the RTFCA has benefitted the river.

       Pete Tyjas introduced guest speaker Nick Measham CEO  Wildfish. Nick delivered a passionate and enlightening talk and presentation about its work to protect wild fish. Nick highlighted the dramatic decline in salmon stocks estimated at close to 90% between 1970 and 2016. Nick highlighted the three essentials for salmon in our rivers. Clean water, enough water and no barriers. Pollution, over abstraction and barriers to migration are the key issues. Wildfish are working extremely hard to tackle all these issues with data monitoring via their smart rivers project, working to ensure compliance with existing regulations and campaigning to get farmed salmon off the table.

https://wildfish.org/about/

       The talk was followed by the associations annual auction to raise valuable funds for river improvements. Discussion  around the dinner tables after the meeting undoubtedly included debate on the preceding presentation and the prospects for the coming season.

A Visit to The Arundell Arms at Lifton a longstanding Country Hotel with a rich history for shooting and fishing

The Arundell Arms at Lifton is a longstanding Country Hotel with a rich history for shooting and fishing. When I saw that a new Orvis outlet was opening there in mid-March a visit for Pauline and I was undoubtedly in order.

After one of the wettest February’s on record and an exceptionally wet start to March the 2024 start to the salmon season has been very much  a non-starter. And as we drove through Devon crossing the Torridge and Tamar enroute we noted the muddy and swollen bank high rivers. There would be no fishing for a few days at least.

We arrived at the Arundell Arms mid-morning and walked into the new Orvis store to be greeted warmly by David Pilkington. A gentlemen I had not previously met but a name that is synonymous with West Country Fly Fishing.

David Pilkington joined the Cornwall River Board as a trainee bailiff at the age of sixteen and joined the team at the Arundell in 1976 as assistant river keeper and fishing instructor. We chatted with David about his years at the Arundell and inevitably reflected upon the catastrophic collapse in salmon and sea trout numbers. Like many anglers of our generation I feel that we perhaps share both a deep rooted sadness at what we have seen and an acknowledgement that we were lucky to fish through such wonderous days of abundance.

A wide range of salmon, sea trout and trout flies suitable for West Country waters were available  and I inevitably succumbed to temptation purchasing a few salmon and trout  flies. I just hope they appeal to the fish as much as to me! An impressive rack of Orvis fly rods and reels were on display, clothing waders and tackle adorned the opposite wall all exuding quality that was reflected by the price tag.

After chatting with David we engaged in conversation with the Arundell’s new owners. Simon Village and Arabella Munro. They took over the Hotel in 2020 during the height of the Covid pandemic a challenging time to embark upon such a venture for sure.

Simon was undoubtedly well versed in the Hotels rich history and traditions and recounted the glorious days when the Hotel was under the stewardship of Conrad Voss Bark and his wife Anne Voss Bark. The Arundell Arms is one of few remaining Country Sports Hotels left in the West Country. I recall with fondness the Carnarvon Arms and Tarr Steps Hotel  on the Barle in Somerset and several other establishments that were once thriving hubs of country life.

Simon and Arabella’s passion for preserving this rich cultural heritage was evident as we chatted about the river, its fish and its fishers. These Country Hotels with fishing and shooting have over the years hosted many with wealth and influence upon the land along with many of anglings greatest writers. Unlike many large country historic houses that are now preserved by the National Trust or run as theme parks these establishments still maintain a real beating heart of Country life and tradition.

Whilst the demise of salmon and sea trout is undoubtedly very sad. The thriving wild brown trout and grayling give hope for a bright future at the Arundell. Twenty two miles of glorious river meandering through the border lands of Devon and Cornwall.

After booking Sunday lunch we headed to the famous Cockpit to grab a fresh coffee before trying out one of the new Orvis rods on the lawn. The cockpit was once used for the barbaric sport of cockfighting. In recent years it has been the Hotels rod room and location for pre fishing briefings. There is a great deal of research carried out before these rods are released and it was a joy to have a few casts with a rod of undoubted quality.

Pauline and I enjoyed a delicious lunch in the Hotel Bar as warm spring sunshine beamed in through the windows. A smouldering log fire, Spring flowers, Suitably piscatorial pictures on the walls along with cheerful friendly staff made it a perfect way to spend a Sunday lunch.

Suitably refreshed we headed to Arundell’s Tin Hay Lake half a mile down the road. The lake is an old flooded quarry its gin clear waters providing superb fishing for stocked browns and rainbows. Today Orvis and Arundell team members were offering expert tuition to a mixture of experienced anglers and keen novices.

We chatted with members of the Orvis team and local anglers. We also conversed with Luke Bannister maker of fine split cane rods, we delved into the joys of fishing and how those magic wands that deliver flies to the trout are instruments of delight. I pondered upon the worth of rods with price tags upwards of £1000. My own analogy was to liken the difference between a cheap run-around car and a Ferrari. The distance can be covered just the same with both cars as a trout fly can be delivered with equal effect to the wily trout. And so the question we are left with is not in relation to the catching of fish but more the delight in using tools that ooze that essence of quality that cannot always be seen or quantified.  The difference between a true diamond and cubic zirconia ring perhaps.

We also drifted briefly into the toxic world of modern politics and the fight to clean up the nation’s rivers. There is certainly a growing and united movement of protest about the state of our rivers.

After a pleasant and engaging conversation we headed off for a walk along country lanes. The road took us over a bridge that crossed the River Thrushel a tributary of the River Tamar. The hedges and riverside banks were brightened with the carpets of yellow celandines. Daffodils were still in bloom but past their best an indication of increasingly early springs.

The river was alluring despite its turbid brown colour its gurgling sound adding a pleasing symphony to the spring day.

The country scene is one that will linger in my minds eye until the day I depart this earth.

         After a pleasing and engaging day at Arundell I have plans to return later in the Spring rod in hand to explore waters that to me are uncharted. I will of course call into the store for some sound advice and maybe a fly or two recommended by David and the Arundell team.

www.thearundell.com 

01566 784666

 

SHOCK CLOSURE OF QUAY SPORTS ANNOUNCED

North Devon’s anglers will be shocked and saddened by the closure of Quay Sports. The shop has been a real boon to angling in North Devon over the past three years and its closure will certainly have a detrimental impact. I wish all at the Quay Sports the best for the future.

Due to rising costs and diminishing brand supplier margins the Quay Sports Fishing Tackle store will be closing permanently on Friday 5th July 2024.
The import, retail and wholesale side of the business will continue as normal as we have done for many years and we will look to expand this side of the business.
Gift cards will need to be redeemed in store prior to end of day Friday 5th of July 2024.
We will continue to stock bait up until this date.
We will be discounting ALL of the stock as from today by 10% so please pop in for a bargain.
Shop opening hours will be Monday to Friday 9am till 5pm until closure.
We would like to thank all of our customers for their support over the last 3 years.

 

WARNING – A SINISTER LURKING DANGER – PLEASE READ !

Many thanks to Richard Wilson for sharing his monthly prose on North Devon Angling News. I would urge all who tread upon our green and pleasant land to read this article. I have had many encounters with ticks over the years. When fishing some of our overgrown rivers I have returned home later in the day to find these nasty critters sinking there teeth into my skin. Its a bit like Russian roulette some are loaded with deadly lymes disease whilst others are not carriers. I have heard of several people who have been infected and we constantly remove them from our cat. Others find them in abundance upon their dogs. Awareness is undoubtedly a major factor in getting treated but thats not always straight forward as Richard explains below. 

https://fishrise.substack.com

Lyme Disease: Running Riot

I’ve got it, you may have it too.

This is a good time to be a tick with Lyme Disease to share. You and I may bemoan the weirdness of the weather, but ticks love it.

As the world gets warmer and wetter, they’re partying. 10 years ago, in the wooded valley I call home, we had two distinct tick seasons – from mid-March to June, and a shorter burst in the autumn. Last year I picked up my first in early February and my dog had his last in November, and they continued without a break right through summer.

Ticks are the original muggers. They lurk on the tips of grass fronds, often in and around woodland, waiting for an unwitting victim to brush past. They’re looking for a free meal which, for us, turns into a lose-lose transaction. The tick gets our blood and we get Lyme Disease, a bacterial infection with very unpleasant consequences.

I’ve been paying attention to this because I’ve just been diagnosed with Lyme. Worse, I’ve had it untreated for about 8 years, which is why I can also say that most doctors wouldn’t recognise it even if they caught it, and that I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

There are two basics to understand about Lyme Disease, and they come hand-in-glove: An early diagnosis is both essential and very hard to get. Speed is everything because, given the chance, there’s no organ in your body or corner of your central nervous system that the Lyme bacteria won’t vandalise.

So how do you know if you’ve been exposed? A lot of people never see the tick that infects them. It can latch on at 1mm long, infect and then fall off. Others gorge themselves, growing bloated with their head buried in your flesh. The longer they stay, the greater your risk of infection. Thankfully, dog tick removers do a great job for us too.

The official advice is that the first visual clue of infection is a circular red rash around the site of a tick bite. This is where the medical profession starts to screw up.

In 2016 I had a tick bite and circular rash which I took into my doctor’s surgery. The nurse said it wasn’t Lyme (it was solid red from centre to edge and didn’t match the bull’s eye photo on her screen). No treatment was offered and, back then, I was as clueless as the nurse. I now know that anysort of rash or blistering (no rash) that might be tick-related should be treated as Lyme Disease. I also know that many Lyme cases never show a rash or blisters.

For patients and doctors, it gets worse. Blood tests, if done at all, deliver false positives and negatives in equal numbers in up to 25% cases. So even if a doctor suspects Lyme, and mostly they don’t, the test results are very likely to be wrong.

The next problem is your doctor. Once the bacteria get to work, your symptoms will be mistaken for heart disease, flu, a mild stroke, dementia, diabetic neuropathy, fatigue syndrome, Bells Palsy, arthritis, all manner of intestinal and organ malfunctions, viral infections, Parkinson’s, slacking and so on. Victims are constantly exhausted and, in my experience, at times look unevenly grey. This last blotchy observation is not in the textbooks – it should be.

There is no slam-dunk symptom for doctors to see that couldn’t be something more familiar. And to get an idea of what’s familiar, a quick look around their waiting room is revealing. The majority of patients are obese and bring diabetes, coronary heart disease and the such-like. Those who are not obese are mostly old with all that goes with advancing years. There are a small number of children with sniffles and one or two adults who’ve lost arguments with power tools. There are super-size chairs, but no dispensers of free tick removers and no warning signs or leaflets on how to avoid Lyme. It’s invisible.

Stand in most doctor’s surgeries and you’d never guess that Lyme Disease is the most prevalent insect/parasite-borne disease in North America and Europe and one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in both. That’s big. According to the CDC, almost 500,000 Americans get it every year. Many, many more in both North America and Europe are infected but undiagnosed. There’s a lot of trouble coming for a lot of people.

Here’s why it took 8 years for me to get treatment: As said above, I first went to my doctor’s surgery in 2016 with a circular red rash caused by a tick. Patients treated with antibiotics at this stage mostly complete a fast 100% recovery, which is why medical guidelines say treat first and confirm the diagnosis second. Antibiotics are very low risk, but the consequences of delaying treatment are serious. In my case, medical ignorance delivered the wrong diagnosis.

The trouble started slowly. Within 2 years the fatigue, aches and pains were worryingly intrusive. Multiple trips to the doctor, scans and tests revealed nothing. Increasingly worried, I remembered the tick rash and asked for a Lyme test. It came back negative. Nobody told me how inaccurate the tests were, and still are.

Fast forward through many more scans, tests, a gall bladder removal that was supposed to resolve my woes (and didn’t), a 2nd negative Lyme test and more. I was a minor medical mystery. Then, this autumn, I paid for a 3rd test and it came back positive. The next day my doctor re-tested with both the standard LISA test and a Western Immuno Blot test. Both came back positive. 3 positives in a week, including a Western Immuno Blot, is as good as a positive diagnosis gets.

Such a late discovery brings problems. Given time Lyme bacteria also attack and disrupt our Autonomic nervous system which controls all those things that just happen without conscious thought: Blood pressure, breathing, heart rate, digestion and so on. They also disrupt our short-term memory, which is why, if I stop to make a coffee, I may have to remind myself that I’m writing about Lyme. That’s very disconcerting. Weirdly, I don’t forget why I culled an adjective or shunted a sub-clause down a paragraph. It’s also why my blood pressure can veer from 180:140 to 80:50 and my heart sometimes sounds like Animal, the Muppets drummer, playing deranged rhythms with one hand. And as medications are added to treat the symptoms, so cause and effect get complicated.

If getting a diagnosis is difficult then getting rid of Lyme is even harder. Symptoms can persist long after the antibiotic course is completed and the longer you’ve had the disease, the longer they’ll last. When this happens researchers are very careful to refer to Post Treatment Lyme, and not Long-or Chronic-Lyme. This may sound like semantics, but it’s important.

I have been treated with 2 courses of antibiotics (the sledgehammer and then pile-driver versions) and it’s extremely unlikely that any of the bacteria have survived this onslaught. They’re dead. So now I’m living with the damage the Lyme bacteria have done, especially to my nervous system. I felt like sh*t then, and still feel it now. Mending this could take years.

Imagine a human-scale version of a deserted battlefield. The war is over, the armies have gone home and all that remains is a landscape of devastation and dysfunction. Eventually, the land will recover, the trees will grow back and any unexploded munitions will be removed. How long will this take? We don’t know. Welcome to Post Treatment Lyme Disease.

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A Footnote: Whole-genome sequencing of Borrelia burgdorferi, the tick-borne bacterium that causes Lyme Disease, has shown a huge range in variety and complexity. This is thought to explain the multiple Lyme disease symptoms, from severe arthritis in children to fatigue and debilitating joint, neurological, and cardiovascular impacts in adults.

For further reading, I recommend the Lyme specialists at Johns Hopkinsand Harvard.

Soon there will be a vaccine (it’s in Stage 3 trials). And about time too.

 

 

Sam Fenner Environment Agency Fishery Officer

Sam Fenner Environment Agency Fishery Enforcement Officer

Sam Fenner the Environment Agency’s North Devon fishery enforcement officer is keen to engage with the local angling community and has recently attended several club AGMs.

Sam previously worked in Scotland gaining valuable experience working with the farming community in byelaw enforcement. He brings this extensive knowledge to his role in North Devon that involves a wide patchwork of rural landscape.

( Above) Paul Carter a previous Fishery Enforcement Officer has worked closely with Sam to pass knowledge gained from years of experience whilst working across North Devon.

I joined him for a walk along the River East Lyn one of North Devon’s most beautiful and historic rivers. It was early March when we met and the river was running high and clear after one of the wettest February’s on record.

The salmon fishing season commences on March 1st on the Environment Agency’s day ticket fishery. Trout fishing starts on March 15th. The salmon run generally gets underway in late April or May if conditions are suitable with the river very dependent on rain.

The dramatic decline of salmon was very much top of the agenda as we walked the river. Having fished the Lyn intensively in the 1980s I have many good memories of those days of plenty. Though when I talked with anglers back then the fishing was still just a shadow of its glory days in the fifties and sixties.

The water quality of the East Lyn is undoubtedly still good as there is no extensive agricultural pollution. Poaching is no longer a significant problem on the Lyn so the main issues facing its salmon and sea trout are undoubtedly survival at sea and predation.

The Lyn offers superb fishing for abundant wild brown trout at a very reasonable cost of around £5.00 per day. Tickets are available from Barbrook Filling Station.

We started our walk at Torrs Road and walked up to Ash Bridge half a mile above Watersmeet. I was able to relay plenty of stories relating to the Lyn and we paused at Overflow and Vellacott’s Pool both of which have a rich history. The recent decimation caused by ash die back is plain to see on the rivers banks and this has undoubtedly been a major issue for the National Trust. Sadly some pools that were prime salmon holding pools are now difficult to access with some angler’s paths now overgrown.

We sighted a pair of goosander above Watersmeet a species that undoubtedly predate on smolts and salmon parr within the river.

The boulder strewn river was as beautiful as ever and I look forward to returning its banks with the fly rod later in the Spring when its crimson spotted trout offer exciting sport.

Sam talked of the challenging role of being fishery enforcement officer. He is very keen to encourage more anglers to enjoy the superb fishing the Lyn has to offer.

Rod licence checking is one of Sam’s main roles, he also works to enforce local byelaws, assist with pollution incidents. Offers advice to fishery owners and clubs regarding stocking and fish health, promotes angling and its mental health and community benefits in conjunction with the Angling Trust. Sam also works with the D&S IFCA in carrying out estuary protection work.

Sam’s area consists of all of North Devon and its rivers and stillwater’s. Quite a challenge if you consider that there were up to eight fishery enforcement officers during past decades.

After walking the river we adjourned to the National Parks Pavilion Centre for a coffee and a chat with Julian Gurney who has a wealth of experience in relation to the River Lyn and its history. Julian has written a piece for the Exmoor Magazine that includes the fascinating history of fish traps at the mouth of the Lyn and the coastline.

The old salmon trap situated at the mouth of the River Lyn.

Sam urged that any signs of pollution or poaching should be reported to the Environment Agency via their hotline : 0800 80 70 60

 

Torridge Fly Fishing Club

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Torridge Fly Fishing Club.
Located at Gammaton Reservoirs ( 2 four acre lakes). Annual membership £180. Members can keep up to 6 fish a week.
Day tickets £25 (3 fish) available from Summerlands Tackle, Westward Ho!, Quay Sports, Roundswell, Barnstaple & Tarka Country Pursuits, Torrington.
Membership enquiries to Robert Chugg: 07491931003. Email : [email protected]

TREVOR TELLING MEMORIAL COMPETITION

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Trevor Telling Memorial Fishing Competition…

Wimbleball Lake, Sunday the 7th April 2024 and annually thereafter.
2 Fishing competitions in 1, from the boat and the bank, trophy & prizes for each.
Normal price for fishing plus £5 donation to charity.
The charities being supported are the South West Fishing for Life and the Exeter Hospicecare team.
For those that knew Trevor, and for those that didn’t, we are holding this match to commemorate a man who simply loved all fishing but especially fly fishing. His local knowledge of Wimbleball, Trout feeding habits and what flies and line to use and when, were readily shared with fellow anglers, he was much respected and a “one of a kind”.
The day will start with registration at the gazebo by the boat ramp between 8:00 and 9:00. The Fishing Competition will start from 9:30 with a weigh in at the end to be determined.
Entries on the day can be paid either by cash or cheque, boats should be booked in advance as normal, bank fishers can book online or turn up on the day & pay in the hut.
Some of Trevor’s “recommended” and favourite flies will be on sale on the day, all monies raised will also go to the charities.
2 shields are awarded, one for boat fishing and one for bank fishing. The winner keeps the shield for the year and is asked to ensure it is returned ready for the competition next year.
Karen, Charlotte, Matthew and Arthur thank you for supporting these 2 charities which meant so much to them during Trevor’s illness and hospice care and Trevor of course supported the south West fishing for life charity, teaching ladies to cast and enjoy the peace and tranquility of fishing after their own personal experiences of cancer.
Please share and get as many anglers who knew Trevor to come along, enjoy a fish and pay their respects…