Clwyd/Elwy 2017

[Sewinstar]

Thought I would start a thread for 2017. Any catches to report going out for the first time in the few days...

 

[stuartpengs]

Only thing I've got to report about the Clwyd is news of yet another slurry incident. Just heard about it, at Llanerch area. Enough is enough surely!!

 

[Sewinstar]

There goes my chances for tonight then....

 

[stuartpengs]

There goes my chances for tonight then....

Probably a bit longer than that.

Public told to avoid beach following slurry pollution incident | Wales - ITV News

For reference the 'beach' where the public should avoid is about 4 or 5 miles AWAY from the pollution incident in the river.

 

[Sewinstar]

Read that a little earlier didn't realise it was such a mess!! Hope it doesn't affect the system to much.

 

[sewinbasher]

Plenty of sewin up both Clwyd and Elwy.

 

[Sewinstar]

Had a go last night very bright moon fished for a couple of hours one small fish of about 1lb half for my efforts. Nothing showing on the beat I was on fairly low down the river.

 

[Sewinstar]

Fished again Friday not great conditions rain plus wind didn't make for easy casting. Had another small fish at around 11pm around the 1.5lb mark. One other fish showed but then it got cold. Hoping I contact something a bit bigger next time I seem to be a magnet to the smaller fish. Any one got anything else to report?

 

[sewinbasher]

It's been a particularly good season on the Elwy and I would not be surprised if there were more sewin from the Elwy in 2017 than the Clwyd. What has made the difference is good rainfall giving good lifts in level every week or so, this combined with easier entry to the river from the tide and easier passage over Maes Elwy weir has taken good numbers right through the system. A notable fish was Shaun from Foxon's 5lb 8oz brown, a cracking fish.

 

[Alwyn]

I'm not a member of this club so none of my business really, but I will say that I'm member of a club in the south of England which uses a very effective "tally board" system. You go to the fishery or beat that you want to fish and there is a board with plastic tallies on them, each one fitted on a metal loop. You select a tally that says "Free" and turn it over and it then displays "Taken". Then when you've finished fishing, you switch the tally back to "Free". It's easy and works a treat and some beats also require you to sign in using a book which is housed in a waterproof box and you also enter your catch return into the book before you leave. Occasionally someone will forget to turn their tally back to the "Free" position but the club will then email that member (whose name will be in the book) to tell them to be more careful in future. This is much easier than booking beats - you just show up at where you'd like to fish and you can see instantly whether you can. If the fishery is full, you go to another beat. Simples!

 

[apprentice 2]

Marafisher,

Seems like an item for the next club AGM??

Brian M

 

[phl]

When I fished the Clwyd and Elwy, a few years ago, I liked the booking system: it only involved phoning Foxons in advance of the trip, which is no problem unless you really are making a last-minute decision, and then you know you won't arrive at the beat and find it's already fully occupied. I do agree, however, that (in my experience) the system was unnecessary: I don't think I ever found a beat to be fully booked, and on my favourite beat, which had a limit of 6, there was rarely more than one other fishing.
It would be nice to hear more of your fishing experiences on these rivers, marafisher: sadly, I'm now a long way away from them, and haven't fished them for several years, but I have very fond memories of my fishing there, and would love to read reports of others' experiences.

Paul

 

[sewinbasher]

Does anyone else who fish the Clwyd/Elwy, ( be honest!) get very frustrated with having to book certain beats?? ( especially with one club, were you have to book half of the beats).
Now I just don't see the point in this rule nowadays. It is extremely rare when I see another angler on the river, what ever time I go fishing, so begs the question what is the purpose of this rule? I am sure I am not the only one, who has a job, family responsibilities etc that often has to go fishing on the spur of the moment, when I happen to be free, and then we can only book when Foxons is open!!
Now I can perhaps understand this rule, ( though if a beat has plenty of cars parked on it, just go and fish another beat if you don't like company - simple) in by gone days, when the clubs were heaving with so many members, but nowadays I think it may put off potential younger members, who seeing fishing as an escape from the stresses of modern life, do not want to have nonsensical rules imposed on their free time.
I think that is why I have been attracted to seafishing this year, as I am getting very jaded with all the game fishing rules............very liberating to just turn up anywhere on the coast and fish what ever methods you want.

Any thoughts on this guys?

I understand your frustration but there are reasons for this policy. I'm not in the club you mention but I am involved with two other clubs on the river and in one we just have three beats that require booking and this is because the lease imposes a maximum number of rods on each beat and the booking system ensures that we don't break the lease and lose the water.

The other club has a rod limit on most beats and this is mainly to ensure that members don't find popular beats over-crowded, the rod limit is usually one less than the number of pools. Most of the season rod pressure is such that booking is not actually required to control numbers but, when the fish are in (like now), most good beats get fully booked. Booking is by an on-line system and can be accessed from the river bank if necessary. The added bonus of this system is that we know who is fishing and where and, if we have an incident with farmers or owners, we know exactly who to talk to. Anyone who finishes early in the day or wishing to move to another beat can cancel out releasing the rod for someone else.

Sea fishing is easier but not rule free as there are of course limits on the number and size of bass that can be taken.

 

[apprentice 2]

Marafisher on 16/09/17;-
Does anyone else who fish the Clwyd/Elwy, ( be honest!) get very frustrated with having to book certain beats?? ( especially with one club, were you have to book half of the beats )

Then Today;- But I am not talking about the clubs that you are in and their arrangements am I?? If one has to have booking as part of their lease, then fair enough. Later:- With respect, you can't really comment on the situation with one club if you are not in it. (Not quite consistent with your "Does anyone else who fish the Clwyd/Elwy")

SewniBasher's post seems perfectly consistent with your first post, which is what he was responding to. I was in the St. Asaph club and at the time was quite content with their booking system. I am also content with the booking system in my current club on the Clwyd /Elwy.

I respectively suggest that if it is a major problem for you that you should raise the issue at the next AGM with an agenda item.

Brian M

 

[sewinbasher]

I'm not a member of this club so none of my business really, but I will say that I'm member of a club in the south of England which uses a very effective "tally board" system. You go to the fishery or beat that you want to fish and there is a board with plastic tallies on them, each one fitted on a metal loop. You select a tally that says "Free" and turn it over and it then displays "Taken". Then when you've finished fishing, you switch the tally back to "Free". It's easy and works a treat and some beats also require you to sign in using a book which is housed in a waterproof box and you also enter your catch return into the book before you leave. Occasionally someone will forget to turn their tally back to the "Free" position but the club will then email that member (whose name will be in the book) to tell them to be more careful in future. This is much easier than booking beats - you just show up at where you'd like to fish and you can see instantly whether you can. If the fishery is full, you go to another beat. Simples!

I know that club, I used to be a member, and have used the system, however having a facility like that would not be appropriate in places with public access, you'd need an endless supply of tags.

There are still fresh fish entering the system and the Clwyd seems to have picked up, even better news is that some salmon have shown up and one club already has more reported to date than the whole catchment reported in 2016. Can I please ask that, despite this, all salmon are returned if possible.

 

[Alwyn]

I know that club, I used to be a member, and have used the system, however having a facility like that would not be appropriate in places with public access, you'd need an endless supply of tags.

There are still fresh fish entering the system and the Clwyd seems to have picked up, even better news is that some salmon have shown up and one club already has more reported to date than the whole catchment reported in 2016. Can I please ask that, despite this, all salmon are returned if possible.

No, the tags are fixed on the board on a metal loop so you never actually remove them, you just turn them from "Free" to "Taken" and then back again when you've finished fishing.

 

[marafisher]

sewinbasher seems to think he has superior knowledge on everything.
Not much of a forum anymore. If anyone has an opinion contrary to what a little clique on here don't agree with, they don't like it.
No one seem to put up any catch reports, and yet we get second hand information from sewinbasher, that the river is full of fish, etc. its really boring.
Although it is a seatrout forum, I think this should be expanded to include brown trout fishing. It really isn't all about the seatrout, which I have lost interest in and have stopped to concentrate on brown trout.......often a lot of effort and late nights, this are they in or not nonsense , and often for mostly small fish that we are pressurized to throw back, despite having to fork out 80 pounds for a useless license, while the river continues to get ruined by predation and pollution ( another massive sewage incident reported on river dee ) Rant over.
There is some great brown trout to target..........just look at the size of the trout that Shaun has caught this year. Larger than most seatrout people catch. In my opinion a large brown trout is more beautiful than its silver saltwater sisters and often a lot harder to catch too.
I think that if the clubs concentrate more on brown trout, they will attract more members and retain others.

 

[phl]

I don't quite understand what you're complaining of, marafisher. Although some people have disagreed with you, I don't think anyone has done so discourteously - least of all sewinbasher.
I do agree with you about the lack of catch reports, which is disappointing. In my previous post in this thread, I expressed the wish that you would post some of your experiences on the Clwyd and Elwy, and I still hope that you will.

Paul