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Post by severnfisher on Apr 20, 2006 17:58:51 GMT
Anyone else out there fishing the Severn or Teme?
Only had one encounter so far this season and I lost. Pods of fish spread throughout the system, but not in numbers yet. Well not anywhere I've seen.
Any views on the daily catch return postcards? They've been sent to everyone who filled in a Severn catch return last year and are designed to improve the information available about the size of the run by specifying the time we spend fishing, rather than just the number of trips. I guess most Severn anglers just do short trips before and/or after work and fish intensely when there are fish about. Different to say the Wye were there are still plenty of folk who book days and fish full days.
Grapevine suggests improved figures for the 2005 catch (everything is relative) and some surprises too.
Tom
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Post by stoater on Jun 6, 2006 8:22:02 GMT
Whilst out on the Towy last week, my pal and I struck up a conversation with an interesting and seemingly plausible Severn angler. He mainly fishes Diglis but moves about. In short, he reckons the Severn is in very good shape and has healthy runs of salmon. He has apparently returned 9 out of Diglis's 70 odd fish this season, plus a couple more upriver. He came from Oxford. However much effort was put in, that's still some catch rate, isn't it?
Can anyone else verify what's happening on the river? seems I could be wasting a awful lot of petrol!
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Post by severnfisher on Jun 7, 2006 18:57:58 GMT
Hi Stoater,
I fish the Severn regularly myself and that sounds perfectly plausible. An awful lot of salmon run the Severn every year and apart from the ones that take a left up the Teme they all have to wait at Diglis for some period of time even if it is only a pause of a few minutes.
Diglis has always produced large numbers of fish and must be one of the most prolific couple of hundred yard long stretches of salmon river in the UK.
However Diglis might not be your cup of tea. Have a look for yourself and judge. Day tickets at £17 or so are available from Alan's Tackle at Worcester No fly fishing, bait allowed after June 16th.
Personally I like to fish away from the weir pools which comprise about 80% of the Severn salmon scene. I also enjoy fly fishing which is very much a minority thing on the Severn (actually It makes you a oddball eccentric to most severn salmon anglers).
Diglis is also one of the best early fisheries in England so 70 is not unusual by this time of year.
More later must put kids to bed.
Tom
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Post by severnfisher on Jun 7, 2006 20:06:38 GMT
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Post by severnfisher on Jun 8, 2006 7:20:53 GMT
One last point.
Between '64 and 77 the average catch on the Severn as a whole was 659. The average catch at Diglis was 300 or so.
I don't know if the figures for 2005 have been released yet, but the provisional figure was something around 500 for the whole river system, a significant increase on the figure of 300 or so for the previous year. Remember also that the Severn has significant spring runs.
Hopefully this puts the puts the report you got about Diglis for the period up to the start of June in perspective.
Tom
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Post by stoater on Jun 13, 2006 7:41:37 GMT
Cheers for the info Tom, very interesting. You say the middle river fishes best with low water, that's interesting. Without asking secrets to be divulged, what areas do you favour? Diglis sounds good, but, is fly fishing not an option there? I live near enough to be at say Atcham area in 30 mins. Is that accessible on a day ticket? Tight Lines Severnfisher
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Post by severnfisher on Jun 14, 2006 11:45:57 GMT
Hi Stoater,
You have a pm.
Most of the salmon fishing in the Atcham area and just downstream is controlled by the Prince Albert angling Society, if you are not yet a member you might consider putting your name down on the waiting list (they have a website).
Below that there is some fly water available on the BAA stretches and some of the other local coarse based clubs have suprising good water too. The problem now is that come June 16th the long runs, the fords and the necks and tails of the pools will have barbel anglers parked on them. Weekday evenings and early mornings will provide the best chance of fishing unoccupied water. It is also the best time to find travelling fish.
Tom
The other problem is the water temperature. It has been up to 22c+ over the weekend and a long period of hot weather will inhibit fish from running in from the estuary and moving up river.
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Post by severnfisher on Jun 17, 2006 8:58:44 GMT
Levels:
0.04m above normal summer level Shrewsbury to Bridgnorth
0.15m below normal summer levels Bridgnorth to Bewdley.
Water temp 20.5c at Bewdley
Fish running hard through the middle reaches towards Shrewsbury.
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Post by severnfisher on Jun 27, 2006 17:18:07 GMT
River cooling a bit but levels continue to drop.
A few fish running in on the bigger tides. Most movement at dusk.
Any views on the EA circle hooks idea?
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Post by severnfisher on Jun 28, 2006 10:17:41 GMT
Hi Springer.
Circle hooks for bait fishing. A trial in Cornwall apparently showed that catch rate not affected, but deep hoooking greatly reduced.
EA are offereing free samples to Severn anglers.
Tom
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Post by charlieh on Jun 28, 2006 13:55:29 GMT
Tom, interesting to hear that circle hooks are proving to be a significant benefit to C&R in the Cornwall trial. Silver Stoat (Dave W) mentioned this trial in a thread on Gethyn's sea trout forum last year, but the results weren't public at the time. There's a couple of bits of research into them that I linked in that thread, which you might find interesting, too (along with some more general stuff about c&r). seatrout.proboards21.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Game&thread=1128583799&page=1 |
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Post by severnfisher on Jun 28, 2006 18:11:39 GMT
Charlie,
Thanks for the link. Not had time to read the articles yet. I've used various carp hooks closer to a circle than a J and found them to be lip/scissor hookers when worm fishing.
Incidently the Usk Grub has accounted for one long distance C&R and a few good boils/follows so far.
Tom
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Post by severnfisher on Jul 7, 2006 14:55:00 GMT
Had one on the fly last week from the middle river and I know of a few coming out on bait, but situation is the same as reported on the Wye thread: i.e. water very hot and a big tail off in action since last weekend.
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Post by severnfisher on Aug 30, 2006 20:26:34 GMT
Fishing well at the moment, with a good run of grilse and big late summer/autumn salmon too.
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Post by stoater on Sept 18, 2006 20:03:54 GMT
Severnfisher very kindly showed me a lovely Severn beat a couple of weeks back. I saw fish, and the beat looked like it 'd flyfish well over most of it's length, I really rated it. The more I hear the more I am intrigued,
As Severnfisher says, this may be a bit of a secret jewel- only joking, but she does have her possibilities.......
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Post by acw on Sept 19, 2006 6:29:17 GMT
This thread has caught my interest ,partly because the severn might be just a Tad closer to london than the Wye,and the possibility that it might offer less expensive fishing .
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Post by severnfisher on Sept 19, 2006 9:31:08 GMT
Hi Stoater,
Pleasure was all mine. Thanks for the message i'll give you some dates as soon as I can.
acw,
The Severn is a more than a fair river. As I mentioned earlier in the thread Diglis is very productive.
Being the biggest river in the Uk with a huge catchment the Severn receives runs of fresh fish throughout the season, it still has a significant spring run and the salmon spawning grounds stretch from the slopes of Plynlimon down to the Worcestershire plain. Not wishing to upset any of our scottish friends there is good reason to believe that the biggest fly caught salmon ever landed in the Uk came from the Severn. The Attingham Salmon weighed 63 and a half pounds 24 hours after capture.
If travelling from London I would look to somewhere like Diglis or maybe one of the other weirpools. However, no fly fishing at Diglis and it can be very busy. Best thing is to have a look and see if it is your cup of tea. Less than twenty quid for a day ticket from Alan's tackle, Malvern Road, St John's Worcester.
For fly fishing you really have to look to the middle and upper severn. That means travelling distances/times similar to the Wye ie two and a half hours and more from central london.
Although it is a long way from the tide the middle severn gets pods of fresh fish moving through on surprisingly low water. The key times when the river is showing it's bones being around the 'default' peaks of spiring tides. This is the same as you would get on a beat much nearer to the tide and reflects the fact that if the fish want to they can negotiate the weirs and fish passes on the lower i.e. navigable river with ease. A small rise will see large numbers of fish on the move. Since the end of august we've had three very small rises. None of them have gone above 'normal river level' for the Bridgnorth to Worcester section, but all have induced very significant upstream movement that has produced the chance of good fly sport on the fords and runs.
Because of the position of the middle severn fly water in the river system, I wouldn't think that anywhere is as productive as Bigsweir, however, there is plenty of water on very unglamourous tickets like the Birmingham Anglers' Association (£30 per year) that I would stick my neck out and say has the same potential as some expensive Middle Wye beats.
The problems you would have travelling from London is the time to recce suitable places and then being able to hit them when things are right. The EA river line 0906 6197744 option #1 helps (it takes three days for water from Wales to reach Bridgnorth and four to get to Worcester.)
If you are still interested send me a message and I'll see if I can suggest a few spots within 'reasonable' travelling time for you.
Tom
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Post by severnfisher on Sept 19, 2006 13:33:34 GMT
A few bits of Severn fly water. Ideal when the river is up a wee bit.  This section is known as Lax ford. A bit of a giveaway that.  A lovely run into some deeper holding water.  Above and below. A couple of classic Severn fords on the Worcester/ Shropshire border  All cheap day ticket (£5 maximum) or free water. An average sized May/June fish from the middle reaches.  |
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Post by acw on Sept 19, 2006 19:27:28 GMT
Tom ,
thanks for the PM.
You Sir are a Gentleman and Scholar!!
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Post by stoater on Sept 19, 2006 19:54:35 GMT
Mmmm looks like the Severn could be just what I want, living where I do.
What do you call "a Ford"?. Sounds interesting, are these natural or man-made holding areas, I would presume these are shallow crossing areas, and hence suitable for the fly?
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