Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms River filth

From a good source I understand rumours are circulating that due to a shortage of chemicals to deal with sewage waste, water companies are being given leeway to increase the dumping of raw sewage. If so its a complete disgrace with total disregard for fish, other creatures and the environment as a whole.

Even if untrue I don’t think people realise the regularity filth is put into our waterways and I have complained to my MP more than once. Each time there were mitigating circumstances or conditions that have made it necessary and lawful. Yeah!

Wild swimming is now popular on many rivers but with sewage, dead animals, field run off etc etc I cringe at the thought.

At one time I was only wary of catching wiel’s disease on the river but now use similar precautions as per covid. What a country!

I notice there's a petition currently active on Change.org attempting to stop raw sewage being dumped into Lake Windermere

Attended an open-air play on the banks of the River Teign last Sunday, entitled "Salmon" and performed by Med Theatre as part of the River Teign Restoration Project. The idea was to raise awareness of the plight of the salmon, sea trout and other species in this and other rivers, caused by all the various forms of pollution, water extraction, climate warming and so forth.

As a fully-paid -up Teign angler, I was probably not their target audience - but it was very thought-provoking. The river used to have very significant runs of both migratory species, but is now a shadow of its former self, gradually dwindling year-on-year. For the first time I am considering giving up my angling membership next year - which I had to wait nearly ten years to attain ("dead-mens-boots" and all that). Not just because the fishing potential has become so much worse, but also because hoiking these beautiful creatures out of the water, just to put them back again, does not any longer seem either sporting or fair somehow.

Even in the 60 -70s when I grew up in Devon I remember the traditional fisherman who used a rowing boat and a net on the Dart.
The net was tied to the bank and the rowed out in a circle to be drawn in.

At Stoke Gabriel we as Cub Scouts were having a camp fire & sausage on the foreshore. So I guess pre 1969.
One of the seemingly very old guys who was on the boat told us that the salmon was failing & they didn't think the could continue.
It was still going on in reduced form in 1975 when I went to Uni.

Interesting that John ... the last remaining netsmen on the Dart were bought out by the angling syndicates a few years or so ago in order to cease the practice. There are still two - possibly three - traditional netsmen remaining on the Teign estuary where I live. They refused to sell out their licences for what I understand was a fairly significant sum (several tens of thousands I believe). Now they have been stopped by the EA from taking salmon, and it's thought likely that their sea trout licences will go soon too. Perhaps they should have taken the money!

Although the netting seems a fine old tradition, the argument goes that - when their nets are out - they trap and kill almost every fish passing upstream (they generally fish just after low tide, when the channel is just a narrow gut); whereas the anglers miss hundreds of fish for every one caught, and these days put 75 - 90% back.

Presume https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/brexit-raw-sewerage-water-treatment-b1915765.html is what is being discussed here... yikes!

Note the footnote:
This article was updated on 8 September 2021 to remove an inaccurate reference to ‘raw sewage’. The water in question has been partially treated but has not undergone all the steps normally required. It also incorrectly referred to three risk categories in relation to different grades of waste water, whereas in fact the risk categories were assigned to different water treatment works.

I regularly go to the Wye to fish but it is regularly polluted and has significant losses of fish.

Investigations into the causes of the pollution are often half hearted and prosecutions, if they happen, result in very low fines.

As a Country we do not value our open spaces and wildlife as can be seen by the disgraceful littering that that took place in picnic spots following the lifting of Covid restrictions.

We live about 6 miles from a 24 hour Macdonald's, which give just enough time for people to consume their food before throwing their waste out of the car window.

Hi Scrambledsignals,

That’s a journey to the Wye for you!
I’ve been a Wye angler since a kid, presently a rod at Whitney Court. Feel free to pm me should you want to compare notes..

The river is but a shadow of its former self and I well remember an incident that didn’t help and raised my hackles…..

I get on ok with canoeists, always polite exchanges whilst we share the river. But, one day I was incensed. A joker tried to pass under an overhanging tree and fell into the river. Shallow, he was in no danger. He then proceeded to haul the canoe to the bank and tip it over so water and all came out. He then put everything back in BUT LEFT HIS LITTER AND PLASTIC BAGS ON THE BANK.

To say the least a right row followed and I would have happily thrown him back in.

So little environment respect.

I can't understand the littering mindset, nor the dog fouling mindset. Both are infuriating.

Geof,

I belong to the Wye and Usk Foundation but can't get over to fish too often as I live in Cambridgeshire!

I do enjoy the fishing even though it can be quite challenging at times, but that is probably due to my lack of experience on fishing for Trout on rivers as none is available where I live.

Hopefully this will change shortly as we have (hopefully) just bought a house near Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire and this should make it easier to get over.