Last Day & Catch Returns

We’re down to the last day of the Salmon Season. Please remember it is compulsory to send a catch return to the EA. As usual we have a convenient link at the side of the page for you.

The club would also benefit from those catch returns, a form is provided on this site but if nothing else a copy of your EA return would be very much appreciated.

We hope you have enjoyed a great season, whether fishing for Trout, Sea Trout, Salmon or Grayling. There have been many reports of excellent fish with some back-end rods reporting their best ever catches including a high number of bigger fish being reported.

Grayling fishing goes on through the winter, we have the club’s 2nd Grayling Day coming up on November 19th, so if you want to fish or just come along for tips from experienced Grayling Anglers, including those from the Grayling Society make a date now.

Club members are able to fish right through until March 15th with a new Winter Grayling Permit now available for new members, priced at just £25.

In the meantime … don’t forget to send off that catch return.

Seen a Cormorant or Goosander

Please see below details of a campaign from the Angling Trust.

These predators are very much in focus and we all need to do our bit to help … please read on …

 

Seen a cormorant or goosander? Please let us know!

At the Angling Trust we recognise the enormous damage that cormorants and goosanders can do to fish stocks in both rivers and still waters. We want to do more to enable fishery managers to be allowed to control these highly destructive birds.

We’ve written to the Fisheries Minister, George Eustice, demanding a doubling of the number of cormorants licensed to be shot in England annually to 6,000 and for the removal of requirements for evidence that goosanders are damaging fisheries before a licence will be issued.

We’ve relaunched the Cormorant Watch website for you to log sightings of cormorants and goosanders. The data provided will help us push for more effective control of these birds in England, Wales and Scotland, where goosanders in particular predate heavily on declining salmon stocks.

Log your sightings on Cormorant Watch 

Find out more

 

 

Pressure from angling organisations and angling-related businesses initially saw a previous government introduce a limit on cormorants licensed to be shot of 2,000, with a temporary increase to 3,000. Since then, the work of the Angling Trust has led to fishery managers applying for a far greater number of cormorant licences.

The Angling Trust continues to believe that the best outcome would be for cormorants to be included on the general licence as long as the conservation status of the birds is not threatened. However, we have not been able to persuade ministers to adopt this approach which is why we are pressing for the best possible outcomes within the licensing framework.

We believe fishery managers should have the right to protect fish stocks from these highly damaging birds and the current system is woefully inadequate. Please log your sightings and help us change it!

Lost and Found.

A member has very kindly handed in a box of salmon flies. The box is pretty battered but there is a selection of good flies.

If these seems to be yours please contact the secretary. Identify the flies and box to be re-united. ( sorry, salmon not included).

Grayling Day

Last year we held our 1st Grayling day on Willington Waters. It proved to be such an excellent day with great company, excellent fish and very welcome refreshments that we’re doing it all again.

The Grayling Society have agreed to a repeat of last years event. The date will be Sunday 19th November.   It looks like being a very popular event this year with interest far and wide, so keep your eyes on this site for updates.
Meanwhile here are some of the images from last year to remind you of a great day or show you what you missed.
The Lady is waiting

Save our Salmon: Freemans Reach Massacre

https://www.facebook.com/The-Wear-Anglers-Association-1615327355394112/

Please take a look at this Face-Book posting. ( link above). It contains video of fish being thrown around in the Hydro at Durham.

You will see fish being battered by the machinery and it’s hard to believe they could survive. Looks like fish paste to me.

We need to do whatever we can to stop this massacre. Please take a look and share it with everyone you can. we need to bring this to the attention of anyone and everyone who can make a difference and at the same time shame those in control into taking positive steps to stop this in it’s tracks.

“Green” renewable energy is important, but at what cost? This plant can continue to produce renewable energy but needs a few changes to make it environmentally friendly.

Trout Season

and so another season has gone.

As trout anglers are cleaning reels, checking rods, clearing out the fly boxes or just chucking everything in the back of the garage for the winter could you spare a little time please to complete a catch return. For your convenience both PDF and Excel versions are available here. Feel free to return a hard copy or electronic by e-mail.

All catch returns are helpful to the club. Thank you.

2017 Catch Return

2017 Catch Return

Of course we have a month left for those with licences for migratory fish and don’t worry, if you are a full member you can carry on fishing through the winter for Grayling. We have an excellent stock of Grayling in our waters with fish towards 3lb reported over the summer.

Late Season Trout
If you want to catch these …

More fish from a great season.

These beauties were caught very recently, a couple of them on a Tenkara rod, apparently very exhilarating when a good fish takes off.

It really is worth fishing for trout right up to the last knockings of September.

We want more pictures of your fish please. If you have any good shots to share please let us see them, despite the great fishing which anglers have reported this season there are still some who don’t appreciate how good our waters are.

Close Season for Trout

Trout Close Season

It’s approaching fast. We’ve had an excellent trout season on our waters but at the end of the month it all wraps up until March.

Goodbye Trout – Hello Grayling.

The Lady is waiting
A Superb Wild Brown

Good news is that you can continue to fish for Grayling right through to March, just before the Trout Season re-opens, and if you’re not a member we have a new Grayling ticket introduced this year which runs from November 1st through to the end of the Grayling season in March.

Save Our Salmon: OUR Time to Act

The national salmon byelaw consultation for the future regulation and management of exploitation of salmon in both rod and net fisheries has now been launched.  The consultation can be accessed using the hyperlink below:

This is a critical stage in the protection and preservation of the Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout stocks and directly affects all anglers. This is a major chance for all anglers to have their say in what will happen in the upcoming Net Limitation Order. The link above will take you to the consultation document and all the relevant appendices.
The advice is to all read thoroughly before and during completing as some of the questions are complex and misleading.
Should any member feel that they cannot complete this or would like assistance then please let me know and I can complete this on your behalf and get this submitted before the deadline of the 9th October 2017.
This is important, when you read the consultation document carefully you will see that this could have major effects on Rod Fishing.
Please do not be someone who leaves this to others and later wishes that they had acted when the chance was there. Use the link and respond soon.

 

KD Johnson Memorial Trophy

Here we see anglers gathering at Tunstall Reservoir on Sunday in preparation for the KD Johnson Competition.

The KD Johnson Trophy

And the winner is: B Conlon won the competition with a bag of four fish to 6lb 13oz. Stuart Pearsall was just an ounce behind with his four fish haul (6lb  12oz) , followed by John Hartland (6lb 5oz) with Eric Johnson, Ken Dixon and Trevor Conway close behind.

Our thanks to the fishery at Tunstall for the warm welcome and an excellent day had by all.