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Urgent Message To All
Members.
We are receiving reports of
members accessing the waters of ERW WASTAD via the lane through
Erw-Wastad Farm. May we please remind you that there is not yet an
access to that water from or through the farm. Please use the new car
park at Tycroes to access this water at all times until such times as
an agreement for foot access is achieved. If anyone knows of anyone
who uses the farm to access this water then please let me know so that
I can contact them as this is of great importance to the club. |
Newsletter 2010
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All the news from the 2009 Season
A season to remember or a season to forget.
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The 2009 season was not our best season
and to be honest it felt like one of our worst for many years.
Although some really good fish were taken during the early part of the
season the later part of the season became very stale and the usual
head of fish we would see at this time of the year just did not seem
to be there. We can blame this on the world wide problem of global
warming, we can blame it on fishing practises at sea but my money is
on a great deal of poaching that has been going on this year in the
lower reaches of the Loughor nearer to the estuary. Indeed one of our
members had a conversation with a fishery officer for the Environment
Agency who told him that the Loughor is one of the most poached rivers
in Europe and not just Wales. Pontardulais Angling Association have recovered no less than
five nets from the river and we have recovered one net from our waters
near Garswllt which an indictment of the inability of the Environment Agency to
control this relatively small area of river. You have to ask yourself
the question as to why the Loughor is so heavily targeted by poachers.
Is it because the river is an easy target, is it because the poachers
know that the Environment Agency are not able to protect the river or
could it be that we ourselves as association members fail to report
things we see along the river bank, or just people we know to be
poaching the very river we pay money to fish. We all need to be a
little more vigilant in our attitude to this problem. There are so
many things we can do to increase the pressure on the people intent on
taking fish from the river illegally. If you see a car or van parked
near to the river which does not display our members car sticker then
take the vehicle registration number. Even if you do not have a pencil
and paper handy you will be able to make a note on your mobile phone,
they may be there completely innocently but if a problem arises from
the time the vehicle was seen then it could set the Environment Agency
up with a lead as to who was there and what they may have been doing.
If you see people known to you as poachers walking the river without a
rod then they may be looking for a pool that's holding fish. In all
these instances you need not approach the person or persons but make
mental notes of when and where you saw them. As members of this
association we all have the right to ask anyone fishing our water if
they are a member of our club which will in itself cause some poachers
to move away from the water. In all instances you should never get
involved in any argument with these people but do all you can to try
and get these people identified. In any event we all need to be a
little more aware of what is going on in and around our river. From
April onward we had a good head of water and fish to match with many
fish to 7lb caught. Andrew Jeffries took a clean Sewin of 7lb and so
did Wayne Jones, Stewart Bowkett and Clive Jones and almost all these
fish were taken on spinner during the early high water.
As
the water levels remained higher than normal summer levels we saw a large amount of
fish running through the lower and middle water earlier than usual
with reports of fish being caught as far up river as Betws Fall's by
mid June.
As the season moved on we never seemed to get a settled water, which
again this year made it hard to catch fish on fly late at night but
quite a few fish were caught by those who persevered. The 2009 season
turned out to be quite wet and kept water levels quite high for most
of the season but hopefully helped more of the early fish move up into
the upper reaches of our waters where they are relatively safe from
heavy poaching. Although it has not been one of our best seasons it
certainly has not been our worst so maybe this coming year will see an
upward trend in the numbers of fish running the water.
All in all
it was a slow and fruitless time for many fishermen but being on the
river and actively fishing is the only way you will catch fish so get
yourself out on the water this coming season.
After the season had ended and just before Christmas we were all
shocked at the news of the freak accident that had befallen one
of our committee members, Mike Williams. Mike sustained some very bad
injuries which had left him in a paralyzed state and many Months in
intensive care. The initial reports were quite alarming and gave Mike
very little chance of pulling through the ordeal. I have to say that
if it had happened to me I don't think I would have survived it. Since
then Mike has made a little progress and is showing signs of fighting
back. It will be quite a few month's yet before Mike will be anywhere
near ready leave hospital but I am sure that his tenacious attitude
will help him through this. I am sure that every member will be
wishing Mike as speedy a recovery as is possible.
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Mike Willies Update
A few of us recently went to visit Mike Willie's at Rook Wood
Rehabilitation Hospital in Cardiff and I am sure you will all want to
know how he is doing. Well let me tell you all, that I myself felt so
much better after visiting Mike but not for the reasons you may think.
I just have to say that Mike is an absolute inspiration to me in as
much that his mental strength and purpose of thought will help him so
much to overcome the injuries he has sustained during his unfortunate
accident. His outlook at one time was of a man staring down the barrel
of a gun and to be fair and in his own words he really is lucky to be
alive. The accident left Mike in a very bad way with absolutely no
feeling from his neck down and because of complications he lost his
right leg below the knee. After two months in intensive care he has
managed to lift himself out of a mental state that could so easily
have caused great depression. Of course it has to be said that he has
received the very best hospital treatment he could wish for and he has
been well supported by his family. When we were with him he was the
same old Mike we all know and did not stop talking from the time we
walked in to the time we left, which was way past visiting time. His
thoughts are that things are getting better day by day and that he is
getting some feeling back in areas which he has not felt for some
time. Obviously Mike is still in some discomfort and the verdict is
far from clear as to just how much he may or may not be able to do in
future month's but my money is on Mike to overcome his injuries
because he is so mentally strong and so completely at ease with the
fact that he has a long way to go. Hopefully the next time we go to
visit I would like to think that he will be out of the wheelchair and
walking about which of course would be great but I guess it is a day
by day thing at the moment and for a long time to come but I am sure
we all wish this for him. To sum it all up you have to say that he is
a very lucky man but I for one am convinced that Mike will beat the
odds because of who he is and because of the way he is.
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Level 1 Coaching
In the light of the ever-changing law's
governing the safety and welfare of our children it had become
important that we had enough registered Level 1 instructors available
to allow junior competitions and fly tying classes to carry on in the
future. Although we already had five level 1 coaches in place we
quickly found that it is not enough to cover every eventuality so
needed a few more qualified coaches to ensure constant cover. Last year
saw Brian Jeremiah, Steve Richards, Mathew Jones, Leighton Rees and
Peter Norman successfully pass the criteria required to become registered
level 1 coaches. This was done under the wing of the FWA (Federation
of Welsh Anglers) and covers most eventualities when instructing
children in fly tying, casting or attending competitions set up for
the junior section of our club. This now brings our total number of
coaches up to ten which should enable consistent cover at all times. As members of the FWA
we will benefit in all aspects of child safety and welfare which of
course is so important to the future of the club.
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Carry Your Permit
Last season we received several reports of people
fishing that were unable to produce their permits when asked. If you
are asked for your permit and cannot produce it for inspection then
you will be asked to leave the river. If you do not leave the river
then you will be reported and could quite possibly loose your
membership to this association. Please carry your permit at all
times. Another reason we ask you to carry your permits is that
there are emergency numbers on each permit that will enable you to
report pollution or poaching incidents which in turn could quite
easily stop a major problem arising on the river.
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Bank Clearance and Work Days
Last year a great deal of
work was carried out on the river to try and open up areas of water
that had become unfishable because of over hanging trees and overgrown
areas along our river banks. Quite a few
areas have now been cleared and are now fishable once more. This year
will see work carried out on the area adjacent to the Garnswllt
Sewerage works where we will be replacing the old style with a new
style closer to the river. We will also be clearing the same bank all
the way down to Buarthu and along the block stones. By clearing this
area we feel that we will be able to control the knotweed easier and
hopefully foot traffic from anglers will keep the area clear as it
used to be many years ago. The same
type of work will be carried out at Tro Will and the Plas. In order to
carry out this work the association has purchased a new brush cutter
to add to the one we already own so that we can double our efforts in
the eradication of the dreaded Japanese knotweed and make the river
banks an easier place to fish.
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Car Park at
Garnswllt
Last season saw the new posts
installed at Granswllt car park which will make the car park a little
more secure. There is still a little work to do at the car park and
will be finished this coming season. A new lock will be installed on
the gate which should be easier to use than the last lock as we had a
few complaints that it was difficult to turn the key rings on the last
lock that was installed.
This car park has proved quite useful last season with many people now
using the car park to access our middle water from Two Rivers Meet
down to Tro Will. The beauty of this car parking area is that it has a
very easy, flat access to the river for disabled members. Please
ensure that when you cross the railway that you close all gates after
you and take care whilst crossing. One report received from a member of the committee
last season was that someone had entered the car park to fish but on
leaving had not tumbled the numbers on the lock. This meant that the
gate was still open.
Please ensure that when
you enter and exit the car park that you lock the gate after you and
that you jumble the numbers on the lock so that the gate is locked. Please ensure that you keep this car park clean and tidy
and take your litter home with you.
Remember that the combination for the lock will
change this season and will be printed on your Permit card.
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The Lane at Hendrewen
I would like to thank our members for the effort made to ensure
there were no problems caused in the lane at Hendrewen last year. Again
there was no complaint received so please keep this up for the new season as this is still one of our
most important stretches of water on the Loughor and of course our best
access to this stretch of water. Please remember that you
display your Ammanford Angling stickers in your car window as this really
worked well for us last season and helped to identify potential problems
before it caused problems. If you do not have a car sticker then
please ask the secretary for them at a cost of 50p each. New members will
receive two free of charge.
Please ensure that you only use the car park situated just 70 yds up
the road from the lane at Hendrewen to park your vehicle and
ensure that no more than three cars are parked at any one time. Close all
gates after you cross the railway crossing and do not walk through the
middle of the field and keep to the sides of the field at all times.
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Car Park at Tro
Will
Again this year the car park has been well used and
again my thanks for the cooperation of members in keeping the car park
clean and tidy. Last season we replaced some of the ballast stone at
the car park to try and stop the ingress of mud that was starting to
swamp one side of the car park.
Please
remember to take your litter home with you and please do not throttle
your car engine excessively when leaving the car park late at night.
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River Maps
This year will see
maps of the river, access areas and car parks for the river available
on the website but every member will get a set of maps with their
permits at renewal time. We will also have full size maps available
for sale which have been beautifully produced by one of the best river
maps producer in Wales and would be a wonderful item to frame for your
own home.
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Fly Tying Classes
Again this year the fly tying classes have seen a
good attendance. Our thanks again to the tutors who give their time to
teach the art of fly tying. The tutors are Peter Norman, Peter Davies,
Brian Jeremiah and of course Malcolm Edwards who is probably one of
the best fly tiers in Wales. The classes are held every Monday night
from November through to March and are open to anyone that wishes to
learn the skills required to tie a fly.
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Riverfly Monitoring
Over the past two seasons this association has
been taking part in the Carmarthenshire Rivers Trust kick sampling
reports covering the River Amman and Loughor. The process of kick
sampling ensures that we build an accurate picture of what
is actually happening in our rivers and is carried out four times
a year. The main reason is to monitor whether we have a healthy
habitat and clean river water to support not only the fish that
live in it but the invertebrates they feed on. Having a healthy
environment for the fly life in the water ensures that there is a
plentiful supply of food for our migrating fish to feed on
which in turn should return more healthy fish to the sea so that
they can fatten up and return once more to spawn in larger
numbers. Obviously the threat of pollution and sheep dip can
then be assessed more easily and hopefully rectified before it
causes so much damage that the river can no longer support the
head of fish we have enjoyed in the past. Recent samples taken on
the rivers Lash, Cathan, Pedol and Garnant have all yielded
a more than adequate population of nymphs and crustaceans in our
upper waters to support the growing fish we have in our rivers.
All in all our rivers water quality has improved over the last few
years and bodes well for coming seasons. We are also seeing more
kingfisher and Otters in our waters which also shows improvement
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Catch and Release
We all know that there is a general decline throughout the worlds Sea
Trout and Salmon stocks but there is something you as an angler can do
to make a difference however small it may be. Catch and release is a
great way to do your bit for the environment and ensure an ever
increasing stock of fish return to our river each year. This year the
association will be carrying out a catch and release policy that will
become compulsory on our waters from the 31st August till the end of
the season. This initiative is already being carried out on
Pontardulais Angling Association water and we felt that this could be
a great way to try and increase the number of spawning fish at the end
of the season. This policy is also initiated by our association and
not by the EA so can be reversed at any time. That is to say
that any migratory fish caught after this date must be returned to the
water for release. If we all
return a few fish each year to the river we could have as much as
13,000 extra fish return to our waters each year to spawn. If this happens year
on year the numbers of returning fish could conceivably treble in
numbers in future years. If we report pollutions early we can ensure
that any damage caused to the rivers habitat is rectified without any
lasting damage caused. These are things we can all do and should do.
Not one of us needs to kill a fish unless it is for the pot. Last year
saw new laws come into force in England and Wales that now make it
illegal to buy fish that have not come from recognized outlets such as
fish markets, superstores and the like. This means that the people who
catch or poach fish for a living will find it hard to sell their catch
and if they do, not only they be fined heavily but so will the people
who buy the fish. This is great news for fish stocks so we should all
try our hardest to play our part in improving our waters fish
population. Whilst I know that not all of our members approve of this
move we have to believe and understand that this could drastically
improve the quantities of fish we see each year so please get behind
the club on this initiative to see if it makes any lasting difference
to the quality of fishing on our river.
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New Water
This year will a small piece of water become
available for fishing. I am happy to say that we will be leasing
the water on the Tycroes side of the river known as the Plas water
( Tycroes syndicate) for the next five years. This will enable access to the river
and car parking space on
the Tycroes side during periods of heavy water and legal access to
the Plas pools during low water. It also enables easier access to
the Erw Wastad water. This water was lost to the association some
fifteen to twenty years ago and will no longer support a syndicate
on that side of the river. This is good news as it ties up the
water from Tro Will down to the Erw Wastad water on the elusive
Tycroes side of the river. Our thanks to Rhys Morgan for the
opportunity to agree a way forward which was agreeable to both our
association and the syndicate that was in place.
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Proposed
Loughor Barrage
Last year saw a re-emergence of the proposed
Loughor Barrage. This is a proposed scheme to build a barrage
across the Loughor at the site of the old road bridge near to the
Loughor Boating club at Loughor. The proposal is to create a
barrage that will produce electricity as the water flows over the
barrage. Of course this means that the sight of the estuary as we
know it today would become a huge basin of water retained by the
barrage. We have actively engaged our attention to this matter as
it could have a devastating effect on the whole of the river
system and our migratory fish. We asked the Environment Agency
whether they had any information regarding this press release
regarding the barrage. In a recent letter received from them it
was stated that they as the Environment Agency have not been
approached or indeed know anything about the scheme to create a
barrage at this site. They went on to say that even if this was
the case that there would be a consultation period of many years
and everyone involved from the various authorities, riparian
owners, wildlife habitat groups would have their say before
anything could be moved forward. Whilst I would not place bets on
the Environment Agency playing it down I cant see a reason for why
they should lie either. As a precaution we have joined one of the
many Carmarthenshire wild life groups that will have a say in what
would happen to the estuary in light of the barrage becoming a
reality. This way we will always have a ear on what's happening
should this barrage become a threat. |
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A Word of Thanks
Our thanks must go to those
that support the Ammanford Angling association in all we do year after
year.
To the committee of the Pick (Ammanford Social Club) for the rooms
that they allow us to use for committee meetings, AGM's and fly tying
classes and for their generous donation made every year in paying for
a bus to carry our junior members to the Llys-Y-Fran junior
competition.
Rob Williams at
Tight Lines for the support given to the club for junior
competition prizes and reduced cost's for fly tying equipment for the
fly tying classes. Rob has always supported the association and
understands that the juniors are the future of fishing in Wales. |
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Finally
My thanks to the membership of this association for
their support and cooperation throughout the the past year and the
hope that this year will be one to remember.
The committee of this association and in
particular the officers of this club that do so much to ensure this
association grows from strength to strength each year. This committee
has worked particularly hard in the last two years to make the fishing
experience with Ammanford & District Angling Association a happy one
Thank you
John Jones (Secretary) |
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