The Environment Agency Wales (EAW) is working in partnership with CCW to deliver Wild Fishing Wales.

This £2.6million project will achieve sustained and measurable benefits.

The project will enhance environmental quality and improve access to a network of river and still water fisheries throughout Wales.

The objective of the Wild Fishing Wales Project is to develop and make more accessible a network of river fishing beats and still waters. It will help fisheries, angling clubs, landowners and rivers trusts to deliver access and habitat improvement projects.

The project also supports the development of an accredited training course for angling guides and the introduction of guides to the network of improved sites.



Click here to find out more about Wild Fishing Wales.

Click here to buy a rod licence online.

Email: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Not another bout of money frittering!! What normally happens is that all this beaurocratic twaddle usually ensures is the appearance of rainbow trout in a lake that was previously only inhabited by brown trout. The Seiont Club has one and the Ogwen Club has one and the Club at Cwmystradllyn has one, each conveniently near a roadside and guaranteed to attract the paying public. The fact that the ecology of the lake is altered irrevocably and therefore the habitat of the original wild brownies is gone seems to matter not a jot. Just consider this: if a lake currently supports a head of 6 ounce browns, why would that same lake be suitable for the introduction of two pounds rainbows which require far higher amounts of nutrition just to stay the same weight never mind thrive! The real reason is that because of the low amounts of food, rainbows are particularly susceptible to spinner, powerbait and worm or maggot, and thus they generate an income for a Club.

The money would be better spent fencing off the lakes that remain in good condition, culling heavily where necessary and stopping the destruction of the lakes eg Llyn Anafon which has been emptied and refilled many, many times recently, resulting in a lake now devoid of insect species and thin, tiny undernourished trout (previously to 1lb 6oz). The lakes need help from real anglers not people who have never been near a wild lake. TC

My view is this warrants support and if anyone has concerns then they should write to the EA. Point is without efforts from organisations such as the EA and funding who else is going to improve things?

I agree IF the money is going to be spent on stocking rainbows in ponds then it will be wasted but the fact the initiative is called Wild Fishing Wales hopefully indicates there is an intention to help wild fish not just introduce more stockies.

It does seem to me that Richard Benyon MP (Rural Minister) as a fisherman is taking some new intitatives such as the Angling Summit and is listening to logical argument such as with the Cormorant problem. Also there are lots of cutbacks at the EA and there are opportunities for other angling bodies to have more influence. (Hopefully!).

Perhaps Fish & Fly/FFF could collate a constructive list of the best way capital of this size (£2.6m) could be spent to improve the fishing offering in Wales and could submit that for sensible debate?

At least there is an initiative under way.

TippetUK

I can't help feeling cynical about this. On the face of it it would appear a good initiative as long as it promotes wild fishing and not stockie rainbow fisheries but the WAG is currently engaged on trying to open up the wild rivers of Wales to canoeists, wild swimmers, rafters and others and are prepared to trample over the rights of angling clubs and riparian owners to do this.

The EA do not seem prepared to enforce legislation designed to protect spawning salmon and do nothing to stop or punish canoeists from disturbing redds and yet they are going to promote wild fishing?

Perhaps the intention is to have a mile of river for wild fishing and then perhaps five miles for canoeing and then a mile for wild swimming? There may be brown and white tourist signs indicating "River Conwy - Rural Playground"

__________________
“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

Over my dead body sewinbasher.

Incidentally, I hear a prosecution is at least being sought for willful disturbance of spawning fish this year. Watch this space.

Has this scheme not been running for 3-4 years?
If it is there were rumours in November that this years funding(round 4) was under threat due to cutbacks.
If I remember correctly one part was that they wanted to train local guides so that visiting anglers could book a package ie. accommodation, guide and fishing in one.
Grants were/are also available for walkways, fishing platforms for the disabled etc as well as habitat improvement.

I think all that is true. I visited my cousin, Ianto Terreblanche in Wales some two years ago and we went to a presentation of this scheme by Ben Wilson et al of the EAW. My cousin tells me that since then, local AAs have made use of the grants to generally improve access to their fisheries.

I had a chat in a pub to a local environment officer in Dolgellau last year discussing this proposal and he was of the opinion that one of the suggestions put forward was to build access roads to some of the less accessible lakes.
Some that were mentioned were Glaslyn, Llyn Llydaw,Llyn Cowlyd, Llyn cwm Bychan, Llyn Goddionduon, etc.
There was no suggestion that rainbows would be introduced at any time, indeed he said that through better access to them the many smaller lakes could be more closely studied and that the habitat and eco systems could be better managed as a result.

Mm? I attended one of the meetings organised around Wales, last year! There were representatives from many angling clubs and associations present.

We sat there listening to the presentation put forward; and the carrot dangled to attract the officials of the Welsh clubs; money and educational guide courses, in remuneration for their time and effort spent on the proposed project. Also outlined were the necessary objectives to be achieved before getting a slice of the 2.6, million cake! Must say; I was impressed by the set out of their market stall! Wild Fishing Wales ( NOT, Wild Fish) the project would create access to areas that are completely inaccessible for many people, create an opportunity for Welsh angling to thrive. Business opportunities for the welsh angling leisure industry, basic level guides; and easier access to our rivers and streams. I liked the idea of the EA striving for cleaner waterways!

All in all? I'm a bit dubious about the proposals put forward! Do we need to interfere that much with our wild environment? I like it wild! The fact that there are places to fish without easy accessibility, suits me fine! Sorry if that seems selfish. I'd like to leave some of the wild and natural areas of Wales as they are, there for others to find and view in the future. I'm in favour of progress; but only where necessary.

CAUTION!

I'm inclined to agree with SB!! I'm also in the leave it as nature intended camp with the sentiment of Mostyn!

Change or improve only those things that are absolutely necessary! The 2.6 million could be put to good use, clearing out our rivers and streams of unwanted rubbish that mindless vandals have thrown in our beautiful waterways.