The River Taw Fisheries Association Newsletter

President: Michael Martin MBE, Hookway Farm, Pennymoor, Tiverton EX16 8LU Tel: 01363 866 417

Chairman: Alex Gibson Secretary: Bryan Martin Lower Braggamarsh House 2 Crooked Oaks Burrington, Umberleigh Alswear, South Molton Devon EX37 9NF Devon EX36 4LR Tel: 07785 232 393 Tel: 01769 550 840 Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Treasurer: E W McCarthy, Red Lion Cottage, The Square, North Molton. EX36 3HR Tel: 01598 740333

Web site: www.rivertawfisheries.co.uk

Treasurer’s Report Last year we rather boringly stuck to good the AGM this year, to the extent of £3,150. Thank housekeeping and balanced our books again with a you to all those who generously donated lots and in resulting transfer of funds to the River Taw Trust particular to Chris Taylor and Bryan Martin for of £1,376. marshalling the lots and running the auction so successfully; as a result we were able to support Thank you to all those who heeded the call to join the Access Over Weirs project with funding of the Association, we need to recruit at least 6 new £10,000. members each year just to stand still, due to deaths, retirements from fishing and those who sell and/or Finally - SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE NOW DUE and leave the area. can be sent to: Red Lion Cottage, The Square, North Molton, The major new cost was a payment of £250 to North Devon EX36 3HR support the setting up of the webcams on the Taw Rates System which are links to the RTFA for Full Members (Riparian Owners) £35 recruitment purposes. Associate Members £15

The Trust once again benefited from the Auction at Mac McCarthy

Chairman’s report It is good to be able to talk about progress on a and to the many people within the EA and the number of fronts this year. WRT who have provided financial and practical advice and assistance. This has been a real Most importantly, Head Mill Fish Farm has been partnership effort. bought out and is now closed. The consequential removal of Head Weir is scheduled to start early in The Taw Access over Weirs Project continues. On June with the work carried out by the Environment the Upper Taw we are looking at the most practical Agency‘s Operations Delivery Team. You will way to improve fish passage on the first two weirs, find the full press release put out by ourselves, the Colleton and Rashleigh. In partnership with the EA EA and the Westcountry Rivers Trust at the end of we intend to resolve access problems on two weirs my report. Getting this project off the ground has on the Lapford Yeo, a significant tributary of the been a massive achievement with thanks due to Upper Taw. On the Bray we are optimistic that riparian owners on the Lower Taw, Mole and Bray improvements can be made at Clapworthy Weir. for their financial commitments, to Humphrey Wood for his tireless efforts at the negotiating All these initiatives, current and future, are aimed table, to the new owner of Kingsnympton Park at delivering salmon and sea trout in greater Estate, Lord Lichfield, for his enthusiastic support numbers and in better condition to the spawning This seems to parallel performance on other UK grounds in our headwaters. rivers and many people are pointing to marine Moving on, but complementary to the survival problems as a major cause. There is Weirs Project, I can report that in a perhaps a link here to the smaller springers and project jointly funded by us through smaller grilse that we have seen recently. Simon the Taw River Trust and by the Evans of the Wye and Usk Foundation, who gave Westcountry Rivers Trust, Tamar such an interesting presentation at our March Consulting, a subsidiary of WRT, has AGM, has kindly let us use an extract from a paper been conducting a survey of 100km of our river of his called ―Problems at Sea?‖. It makes system, concentrating on the upper waters of the interesting reading and will be found later in the Taw, Mole and Bray as well as smaller tributaries, Newsletter. including the Little Dart, Lapford Yeo and Dalch. The survey is aimed at mapping fish habitat and The new 2010 season started encouragingly associated riverine and bankside features. It will be enough with more than 20 salmon caught in March completed shortly and will prove an invaluable plus a few early sea trout. April though was a tool for prioritising future river improvement and depressing month, cold, dry and with unpleasant protection works. east and northeast winds. As the river has fallen back, so have the catches. This unseasonable For the technologically minded I am delighted that weather has continued into May with the river we now have webcams on the Lower Taw and down to its bones. We must pray for warmer, Mole. We continue to search for a suitable webcam wetter weather to get everything on the move site on the Upper Taw. Also our own website is again. now up and running – www.rivertawfisheries.co.uk. This will be While we may have to grin and bear problems at expanded and developed over time and I hope it sea, we must I believe continue to push ahead with will prove a useful and well-used information our ―in-river‖ efforts as fast and as sensibly as we source for members. can. The broadest possible support of RTFA On the fishing front it is clear that 2009 was a members is a crucial element here together with a disappointing season despite generally favourable close working relationship with the EA and the water conditions, although the second half of WRT. September which is usually a productive time had My best wishes to all RTFA members for the low water. Unconfirmed but reliable catch remainder of the 2010 season. numbers for 2009 are 189 salmon and 482 sea trout compared with 287 and 570 respectively for 2008. Alex Gibson

PRESS RELEASE. May 2010

Salmon numbers set to increase on the River Mole as massive weir is removed

In the first project of its kind in the southwest, trout migrate upstream to their spawning areas. salmon and sea trout will soon be free to swim up The boulders, weighing up to 3 tonnes each, will the whole of the River Mole in North Devon. be carefully positioned to create a series of artificial riffles to aid fish movement. The Environment Agency and Westcountry Rivers Trust have joined forces with anglers and riparian ‗This is the first time a rock ramp has been used on owners to demolish a massive concrete weir at the a West Country river so this is very much a Kingsnympton Park Estate. Its removal will give ground-breaking project. We are grateful to migratory fish access to the top of the river and its everyone who has worked together to help secure tributaries. more fish in this important Devon river,‘ said Dr Kelvin Broad, for the Environment Agency. The £220,000 job, designed by consultants Halcrow and awarded by the Westcountry Rivers The project has been made possible by a Trust to the Environment Agency‘s operations combination of funding from Defra and the delivery team, will start in early June and should European Regional Development Fund to the take 12-14 weeks to complete. Westcountry Rivers Trust, plus the buyout and closure of Head Mill Trout Farm funded by The weir is being replaced by a ‗rock ramp‘, a fish- donations to the Trust by members of the River friendly structure consisting of a series of stone Taw Fisheries Association. Kingsnympton Park boulders and small pools to help salmon and sea Estate has given its consent to the removal of the River Taw Fisheries Association will keep affected weir. riparian owners informed.

In addition to helping fish migration, the boulders ‗The removal of this weir will improve the river used in the rock ramp will be positioned to ensure ecosystem and should boost the local salmon and the river continues to feed water to the mill wheel sea trout populations. These benefits are well at historic Head Mill. understood and well documented and are justification alone for this project,‘ said Dr Dylan ‗This is a major step forward for the Lower Taw, Bright, director of the Westcountry Rivers Trust. Mole and Bray. It has been well supported by riparian owners who have appreciated the ‗What is special about this project, however, is the importance of this project. We can now turn our partnership approach adopted. There has been an attention to the Upper Taw and improving fish unprecedented quantity of voluntary contribution passage over weirs there.‘ said Alex Gibson, of time and funds and a fluid and balanced chairman of the River Taw Fisheries Association. partnership between public, private and charitable sectors to deliver a very cost- effective and popular The river downstream of the weir may be project.‘ discoloured during the work but the Environment Environment Agency & Westcountry Rivers Agency team will do its best to minimise the effect Trust on the river and the impact on local angling. The

Secretary’s Report The 2009 salmon season was poorer than recent produced the final river basin management plan for years throughout England. After 2 years of good the South West. RTFA replied to this during the returns, 2009 was one of the lowest for several consultation period using SWRA‘s response as a years. Reasons for this are no doubt complex as reference. Our reply focussed on the plan‘s lack of there are many factors affecting survival. Water ambition and over complex structure. The final levels were again generally higher than average document shows improvement, but still falls short and although this is no doubt good for returning of the spirit of the Water Framework Directive. fish it reduced the amount of time that good fly fishing levels were present in the rivers; however, The Association now has its own website. Initially as usual, those who were on the river at the ‗right‘ this will be very similar to the pages on the times caught fish. Umberleigh webcam page on the Rising Sun Fishing Club website. We will develop this over Our earlier attempts to sign a time to include topics of interest to members and Voluntary Access Agreement with non-members who are encouraged to join the the British Canoe Union to give Association. The website address is canoeists the opportunity to use the www.rivertawfisheries.co.uk . Lower Taw during the close season for fishing were stymied by their insistence on 12-month Please keep me up to date with your email address access. After a great deal of work on our part this so that we can keep you in touch with Association was disappointing, particularly since our proposal communications. It is planned that all future had received the unanimous support of Lower Taw communications will be by email. If your email riparian owners. We took a back seat for a while, has recently changed or you think I may not have it allowing the South West Rivers Association to then email [email protected] with a handle negotiations on behalf of the Taw and other short message to identify who you are. concerned rivers. Progress has been made and we At this year‘s AGM we again included an auction are hopeful that our original proposal may now be of fishing days and other items. This provided the accepted. We are keen to demonstrate that we are opportunity to fish beats which are not normally sensibly open-minded about sharing our river with available. The Auction was well supported; funds canoeists subject to certain safeguards. Thanks are raised for the River Taw Trust continue to assist due to all Lower Taw riparian owners for their improvement of our rivers. Thanks again to those patience and continuing support for this initiative. who generously donated items to this year‘s Following the consultation period that ended on auction. 22nd June 2009, the Environment Agency has Bryan Martin

Westcountry Rivers Trust

Westcountry Rivers Trust has been very active on through a successful example, as follows: South the river Taw over the last six months. We have West Water have agreed to fund extensive been helping to fund and deliver the ‗Taw Access catchment restoration work to improve water over Weirs‘ project in close collaboration with the quality in rivers because it is cheaper, by far, than RTFA and the Environment Agency. The first blending and filtering water post abstraction; there stage of this exciting project is the removal of are also huge environmental benefits arising for the Head Weir and its replacement with a naturalised ecology of rivers and their catchments, which the river section, which allows unimpeded fish passage company is happy to support. Catchment for all species at all flows in both directions. The restoration of this kind can also deliver better project funding was available over a very limited tourism revenues, flood amelioration and many timescale and the task itself threw up the full other more subtle benefits. We intend to make the gamut of issues associated with such engineering economic case for directly investing in catchment projects, and some new ones besides. It is restoration obvious to these other sectors so that testament to the strength of the partnership and the they can confidently invest in it in the future. dedication of members of the Association that the project is on track for completion this summer. WRT have also recently landed the prestigious Plans are in-hand to tackle the next on the list of AARC Fisheries Project. Within this EU project priority obstacles to fish migration and funding we will be working with partners to genetically bids have been prepared and submitted. The Trust identify sea trout, shad and lamprey populations is also investigating groundbreaking approaches to across the EU so that we can establish real the improvement of fish passage over weirs that do population boundaries to inform management. not lend themselves to removal. The novelty is not Currently, as we all know, sea trout are a associated with fish-pass design but with the considerable mystery and as soon as you think you funding mechanisms; intrigued? Watch this space understand what your river‘s population is about, it for further updates. does something unexpected which contradicts all your theories. We hope to shine a penetrating Recently WRT have won several large project scientific light onto these mysteries but will need applications to deliver good river restoration works the help of anglers to collect across the Westcountry and some more strategic samples. We will contact groups projects to safeguard the future. The WATER in the near future though the project will develop cost/benefit studies to enable South West Rivers Association those who benefit from river catchment and we hope that you will consider helping us. restoration- i.e. not just the anglers but the tourism sector, water companies, flood defence engineers Several other projects are on the cusp of and the general public- to be able to contribute to commencement, too many to include here. We will the cost of the restoration, directly out of a sense of update our web site if you are keen to know more. ‗enlightened economic self-interest‘. This sounds All the best for the coming season. complicated and is probably best conveyed Dr Dylan Bright, Trust Director

The Angling Trust Bringing anglers together to ensure the future of invertebrates in UK waters. Many tonnes of fish our sport are thrown back dead into the water for every tonne of fish which ends up on our plates. Foreign Restoring Fish Stocks trawlers are often not bound by rules to protect UK A succession of governments should hang their stocks, and enforcement of those rules that exist is heads in shame for the fact that we no longer have completely inadequate. ‗plenty more fish in the sea‘. Many fish, which were once regarded as a staple food, have become Governments bow to the demands of some rare and endangered as a result of generations of commercial fishermen, ignoring the fact that rod greedy over-fishing, pollution and habitat and line angling generates more money for the destruction. economy and employs more people and most importantly that the fish belong to us all. Catching Commercial fishing techniques fish with a rod and line is far more sustainable than have ploughed up the seabed dragging the depths with a net; anglers take what habitat and decimated they need for the plate, can return alive any populations of fish and unwanted catch, target particular species and don‘t  Campaign for better representation of damage the seabed. anglers on Inshore Fisheries Conservation What we will do in 2010: Authorities.  Appoint a marine Environmental  Campaign at a local level for control of Campaigns Manager, funded by a aggregate extractions to avoid damage to charitable grant, to campaign on behalf of fishery habitats. anglers for protection of fish stocks and  Campaign for conservation restrictions on the marine environment. fishing within the 12-mile limit to apply to  Campaign alongside the Bass Anglers‘ foreign as well as domestic vessels. Sportfishing Society (BASS) for the  Lobby and take legal action to get all fish minimum landing size for bass to be farms in the UK relocated away from runs reviewed in 2010 and increased to 45cm of migratory fish, and ideally based on and for bigger mesh sizes in general. land using re-circulated water, to stop the  Campaign for fundamental reform of the damage currently being done to wild fish Common Fisheries Policy to end the stocks by sea lice infestations, pollution lunacy of commercial fishermen throwing from farm fish faeces and uneaten food. dead fish back into the sea and to introduce controls on fishing methods and For more information visit the website: scientifically-based quotas. www.anglingtrust.net

Salmon & Trout Association Members of the Taw Fisheries Association, who days of instruction for children aged from 9 to 16 are not members of the Salmon & Trout years. Last year both days were held at Exe Valley Association, may not know that it became a charity fishery, near Dulverton, and some 18 children at the beginning of last year. The achievement of benefited from the excellent instruction given by charitable status has enhanced its ability to our instructors, one of whom is your Secretary, and influence Government and agencies on matters caught some very nice fish. We are extremely affecting the management and conservation of grateful for the sponsorship of the Taw and the salmon, trout and other fish species. Torridge Associations in helping to meet the costs of these days and hope that our partnership will One aspect of the Association's work continue. continues to be the encouragement of Duncan Michie young people to take up fishing and, as in past years, the Devon Branch has run two

SOUTH WEST RIVERS ASSOCIATION PROGRESS SUMMARY

The Taw continues to be well represented on His presentation titled ‗A Talk on SWRA through Council Chairman Humphrey the Wild Side: Salmon Wood, Alex Gibson, Bryan Martin and Mac Management on the Tweed’ McCarthy. described his approach to salmon river management based on detailed 2010 AGM knowledge of juvenile and adult The 100 members and supporters present were populations and the protection and treated to presentations from improvement of the in-river habitat  Orri Vigfusson, Chairman of the on which they depend North Atlantic Salmon Fund and our The Secretary, Roger Furniss, reported on the Patron, on the ongoing work of year‘s work with the following highlights, updated NASF where appropriate.  Dr Dylan Bright, Director of Westcountry Rivers Trust, on the HYDROGENERATION - This is now producing Trust‘s work which is benefiting the biggest workload at River, Regional and from considerable success in National level, driven by the demand for obtaining project funds renewable energy and the Environment Agency‘s  Dr Ronald Campbell, Fisheries active promotion. SWRA is not opposed in Biologist for the Tweed Foundation. principle but insists on proper protection of flows, wetted areas and fish passage, and has supported last year‘s Party Conferences. However their several rivers in opposing schemes or ensuring priority is clearly going to be public finances and adequate protection. the economy.

WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE - River The Environment Agency has already started to cut Basin Plans have now been submitted but are low jobs in fisheries and this will continue. Cuts in the in ambition and include excessive use of various ‗Grant in Aid‘, which supports their fisheries work, get-out are inevitable – of special concern to migratory options to defer acting on known problems such as fisheries given the low level of rod licence income diffuse pollution from agriculture. This has they generate. Increasingly partnership working, prompted Angling Trust and WWF UK to join funded by a mix of public, voluntary and charitable forces to commence action towards a Judicial funding, will be the only way to deliver fisheries Review of DEFRA and the Environment Agency‘s improvements. On the Taw the removal of Head approach to the Plans. Weir is a good example of how this can work and is a tribute to the Association. There is little doubt CANOEING - The British Canoe Union continues that rivers with strong associations will fare better to insist on 365-day access in any access than those longing for the past. agreements – a policy which alienates riparian interests but also makes life difficult for their own If any reader would like more detail on these or Local Access Officers with whom we have built other topics Roger Furniss can be contacted at good relations over many years. Happily the [email protected] previous Government was not persuaded to alter its policy and we expect to be confirming this with the Strong national representation is as important as new Government strong local and regional pressure. Angling Trust, with its legal arm Fish Legal, is now recognised as BEAVERS - SWRA‘s campaign against South the governing body for all types of angling and is a West Water‘s proposal to introduce beavers into key player in the development of public policy the catchment of Roadford Lake succeeded with towards angling and in the protection of fisheries the announcement that the company has shelved its and riparian interests – the Trust‘s involvement in plan. the Judicial Review outlined above exemplifies this. Details of the trust can be found at FORWARD LOOKING - The change of www.anglingtrust.net Government provides an opportunity to influence national policy following successful meetings at Roger Furniss, SWRA Secretary

River Taw Fisheries Association

If you want to know…….. About the state of the river visit the River Taw Fisheries Association Web Site on

www.rivertawfisheries.co.uk

and click on the web-cam for either the Taw or Mole

Problems at sea? There is strong and strengthening evidence of a reports have come from Tweed, Tay, Severn, problem at sea. Nationwide an unusually high Blackwater (Eire), Exe, Tamar etc. Not every fish proportion of fish are showing signs of poor has been affected, some well conditioned fish have feeding, typically in a reduced size. River Findhorn been present as well. (NE Scotland) grilse averaging 3lb 7oz in August when only a few years ago they would have been Sea mortality is a function of post-smolt growth 5-6lbs, scale readings of 2SW fish that weighed rate (Friedland et al. 2000). The faster a salmon less than 7lb in August from the Usk which grows the lower the probability it will be predated, showed virtually no growth in their 2nd summer so you need to bear in mind that when we are and a scarcely credible 12.5lb 3SW fish in looking at these small fish they are the survivors of September from the Tyne. These fish should have a group that has already fared disproportionably been 10-14lb and 20lb+ respectively. Similar badly at sea.

River 5 yr 2009 Change Source av. Tweed to 30/9 7,500 3,200-3,400 Down 57-55% Tweed commissioners/ Tweed Foundation (pers. com.) Usk 920 400-420 Down 54% EA catch stats/ provisional UUFA Conon 1,258 640-680 Down 49-46% Conon River Board (pers com.) Tay 7,020 3,891 Down 45% Fish Tay reporting beats Tyne (fish 24,210 14,045 Down 42% Riding mill fish counter counter, includes seatrout) to 30/9 Findhorn 1,439 840 Down 42% Fish Findhorn reporting beats Grimesta 377 232 Down 38% Fish Hebrides Wye 756 610-620 Down 19% EA catch stats/ provisional returns Aberdeenshire 4,542 4,864 Up 7% Fishdee reporting beats Dee to 30/9

The table above is a representative selection of the chub, goosanders and cormorants. Lacking the 20+ rivers I have looked at. Tweed still has time to protection of the turbidity of a flood they are easy improve, as half its run is yet to enter by 30th targets as they slip from pool to pool. Data from September. the Welsh Dee Index river monitoring shows that without a spate less than half make it to the sea Of the 20, only the Dee and anecdotally the compared to 80%+ when they do have a flood to Conway are in line with their 5-year average. take them away (P Gough pers. com.). Whilst I do not have data for the Spey, the other There is no density dependent compensation at this three largest hatcheries in the UK (on Conon, Tyne stage of the life cycle. Whereas, if a salmon fry and Tay) have not been a defense against this dies, another may be available to take its place year‘s collapse in sea survival. without affecting the total number that ultimately survive. Increased losses at smolt stage directly This seems to be a UK and Eire phenomenon with impact on subsequent returns of adults. This would anecdotal reports that Russia, Norway and Iceland not have affected the size of the returning fish. have recorded no obvious drop in numbers. This decline in 2009 rod catches can only be On the Wye, with its large coarse fish population explained by a 35-50% drop in sea survival across and extreme length of migration, the proportions of the UK and both the Wye and Usk will have been losses are likely to be even more extreme than impacted by this. those on the Dee. Further, this proportion will be worse in current times as predators impact to a Local factors greater extent on low populations. A second factor to take into consideration affected As an aside, this large variation in annual smolt South East and Mid Wales‘s rivers. 2009‘s 2SW predation rates provides a possible explanation for smolts migrated out in 2007. There was a why historically the Wye rod catch has such high prolonged spring drought with an absence of spates year-to-year variation. It‘s certainly worth further from late March until mid June. Once it started investigation. raining in mid June it didn‘t stop, but by then the These 2 factors, probably acting in concert, explain smolts had already had to migrate down both rivers the decline in salmon returns seen this year. without the assistance of increased flows. Simon Evans, Deputy Director Wye and Usk Foundation In low flow conditions smolts have to run the gauntlet of 100 odd miles of large trout, pike,

Advance Notice -RTFA AGM and Dinner River Taw Fisheries Association AGM Friday 25th March 2011 Highbullen Hotel, Chittlehamholt. In the Pavilion Time to be confirmed River Taw Fisheries Association Committee

President Michael Martin MBE*

Chairman Alex Gibson Secretary Bryan Martin Treasurer Mac McCarthy

Lower Taw Martin Maxse Mark Maitland-Jones Humphrey Wood Upper Taw Rowan Peto Simon Phillips John Smith River Mole John Macro Chris Taylor Peter Twomey Non-voting Members*: Associate Members‘ Rep. Ron Warwick* Land Issues Jeremy Holtom* Newsletter Editor Judith Kauntze* Salmon & Trout Association Duncan Michie*

BILL SMITH - A Taw fisherman remembered 20 Oct 1911 to 24 May 2009

It was the late Nick Cox, former RTFA Secretary weekend's fishing on his family‘s water. Bill‘s and my fishing partner at the time, who first grandmother, nee ‗Owen‘, was a keen angler introduced me to Bill Smith. It was the early 1990s herself and at one time owned much of the river and Bill was a familiar figure on the Taw and Mole Mole from the Bray junction to Watertown. Riding river system, but was unknown to me - a relative his Triumph motorcycle through the night he newcomer to the RTFA at the time, although I‘d would sometimes arrive in North Devon with his fished the river as a boy. Before our introduction gloves frozen to the handlebars. He would fish all Nick Cox described Bill as ‗old school‘, and day Saturday, sleep the night in his hut and then obviously held him in high regard as a gentleman travel back to start work on the Monday morning. and fisherman, all of which made me feel a little In later years, his family would accompany him nervous. But Bill was very friendly and welcoming and they would spend idyllic summers camping and straightaway invited us to spend a day fishing out by the river. with him on his beat of the Mole at Meethe - happily it was to be the first of many such days. Bill was trained as an engineer and worked initially at Morris Motors. He was not "called up" Bill had an irrepressible character and led an active during the war because of his occupation, but life as an enthusiastic cricket and rugby player in worked with Rolls Royce producing the first jet his youth, and later as a keen angler, accomplished engines. He later spent time at Rover and then at gardener and local bell-ringer. Each spring Bill Wedgwood in the Potteries until he finally retired could be seen on his beat, repainting his fishing to North Devon. Like Bill, I also have to spend hut, cutting the grass and clearing the banks ready time away from the river to earn a living, in my for the new season. He could wield a chain saw or case in New York. I used to call Bill from the a strimmer like a man half his age and twice his States regularly to see how he was doing and ask size, and I am ashamed to admit that he used to tire about the river and what our chances were of me out when I volunteered to help. I would often catching a fish on my next trip. He was always the end up handing him the power tool I was using to optimist, even in the face of ever decreasing catch watch him effortlessly finish off the job. I'm returns and his frustrations with the poorly convinced he enjoyed getting functioning Head Weir. the river in order as much as he did the actual fishing. As Bill grew older he was unable to walk very far and so we arranged a sort of swap. I used to take As a young man, Bill would him down to Hurdle Pool on the Taw at escape work at the Rover factory in Coventry for a Braggamarsh, which was easily accessible by car, and he would stand pretty much in one spot at the grandparents before him to regularly catch salmon head of the pool and cast a '0' size traditional of up to 30 pounds in October and November; to salmon fly across the lie. And he caught fish— the days when the river was full of brown trout and several salmon each year when I caught nothing! schools of peel eager to rise to a dry fly; and a time He returned the compliment, and I fished his water when Bill could send a spring-caught salmon by in the evenings for sea trout. When I would ring train from South Molton to London to be smoked him up the next day to relay my exploits, he was and returned the following week - how I wish these always interested, asking to know all the details- things were still possible today. the type of fly and time of day etc. I believe he enjoyed hearing about my experiences as much as Being ‗old school‘ didn‘t stop Bill from having a if he had been out fishing that night himself. good sense of humour and one of my last recollections of him is when I was fishing the Mole Bill was a generous person, and as my fishing just below its junction with the Bray, and he partner, he always insisted that I fish down the appeared on the bank looking like Lawrence of pool before him. He would then slowly follow me, Arabia. Bill explained with a grin that the tea towel casting a fly across the stream with his 12-foot rod, draped over his head was to protect him from whilst quietly offering words of advice and gnats! encouragement. Much to his embarrassment he was quite often the one to catch a fish. His theory It seems hard to believe it was almost a year ago that Bill Smith passed away. He was close to was that I must have ‗stirred them up‘ ready for his th fly. approaching his 100 year but didn't see this as an obstacle to him getting a fish or two in the He was a private man but was generous with his forthcoming season. At his funeral Bill Smith was knowledge of the river, happy to share its secrets laid out in full fishing gear with his favourite '0' over a glass of his homemade - and very potent - size salmon fly pinned to his jacket. I can think of sloe gin. Over the years, as I got know him, his no more fitting end to a life spent beside the river. stories introduced me to another time years ago Michael Coulson when there was no closed season, when it was Fish Cottage, Wembworthy possible for anglers like Bill's father and

The current Rod fishery regulations are as follows:

The salmon rod fishery is regulated by a series of byelaws, some long standing, some recently introduced and some are time limited.

 Fishing season from 1st March to 30th September inclusive.  Use of shrimp, prawn, worm or maggot, real or imitation, is prohibited at all times.  Use of spinners is prohibited after 31st March.  No salmon to be retained before 16th June.  No salmon greater than 70cms to be retained after 31st July.  The following bag limits for salmon apply after 16th June:  2 fish in any 24-hour period.  3 fish in any 7-day period.  10 fish in any season.

No rod caught salmon or sea trout may be sold or offered for sale.

 Sea Trout Limits: 5 in any 24hrs. 15 in any 7 days. 40 in a season. Season: 15th March – 30th September

Please remember our unwritten rule and return all sea trout of 5lbs and above.

The River Taw Fisheries Association is most grateful for the financial support given towards printing of this newsletter by: Strutt & Parker 24 Southernhay West, Exeter EX1 1PR Telephone: 01392 215631

Editor: Judith Kauntze, Harracott House, Harracott, Nr Barnstaple EX31 3JT Telephone: 01271 85 85 65