Here's hoping that the 2012 season finally gets the river back over the 1,000 fish mark.

The WUF have started the year by campaigning for the removal of Geoff Franks as T&S correspondent for the river, too much criticism of the WUF apparently.

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“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

its not an attempt to control the press is it?

scandalous

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The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'

Imagine how bland and uninspiring Wye & Usk reports would be if penned by Commando1 type spin-doctors?

I keep T&S, a valuable collection, so as to be able to compare reports with previous years. Continuity is important; and it does not bear thinking about if Max Coventry wasn't penning the Conwy information. My favourite correspondent, probably best of all, but closely followed by Geoff Franks on the Wye and Jean Williams on matters Usk.
Some of the other correspondents seem very hit or miss, Dee & Clwyd reports sometimes poor, but at least there to read every month... unlike the Severn, at least one missing in 2011. A missed deadline I was informed.

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Save the softmouth trout

No love lost between Geoff Franks; and the WUF then! But Geoff, does seem a little bit quick on the draw with that pencil of his, no matter if it be fact or fiction.

The problem is Mostyn that after many many requests by the Trout & Salmon correspondent Mr Franks, the Wye and Usk foundation refuse to supply any information in any form for him to use in his correspondence. I'm sure people can see from the answers on this forum that the WUF are strong in rhetoric but short on facts and information which is quite strange as they are a charity funded mainly from public money. Even their 2011 newsletter (5 years in the making or at least since the last one) only carried 1 named yes one electrofishing report for a river the size of the Wye!!! (and on perusal of the EAW's electrofishing study I would be interested to know where those figures came from)
It seems to me that there is personal vendetta being waged here and it may be that it is in the opposite direction to the one claimed and that person is using the weight of his 'charity'. to try to force change.
Mr Franks says it how he finds it after many many years experience on the river as a ghillie often in the company of the very man who is perpetuating this campaign. Sometimes he may be a little too frank for some people's liking but he lives and breathes the river and would do anything to see it returned to its former glory.
So Mr Wye and Usk Foundation if you want Mr. Franks to write some good things about the river, make it good as promised or maybe even supply some data encouraging or otherwise and grow up and stop the petty personal vendetta.
You wanted comments, there. you have mine!!
Maybe I should write the WUF river report and Brickbatt should write the canoeing report!!!!

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The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'

Geoff gets my vote!

There is something rather sinister about an organisation setting out to suppress an individual, how ever much that individual might offend them.

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"Couple o' roach, couple o' tench, couple o' perch..."

Or the reverse - There is something rather sinister about an individual setting out to suppressan organisation, how ever much that organisation might offend them.

The Foundation employs a number of people who are passionate about the river, are committed to its recovery and are actually making a difference. There's no attempt to surppress anyone, the correspondant made a public statement that was completely untrue and could've had serious repercussions for WUF.

I have to agree, Max and Jean very good but like all correspondents on a large river system they depend on timely reports from clubs, fisheries, hotels and individual anglers. The Dee and Clwyd reports are a little disappointing but my club supplies Brian Hodgson with the monthly catch data for both rivers in the same way as we supply Max with our data for the Conwy. With the Wye Geoff has the benefit of having fish logged on the RWGA site which has slightly but not worryingly different data to the WUF and over time the Wye reports are probably the most comprehensive for a river in England and Wales, the problem is that Geoff often has very few fish to talk about and then turns to other subjects, these often being connected to the lack of fish.

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“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

I'm glad it's out in the open at last even if only to illustrate what a thoroughly *********{insert what ever word you consider suitable} crowd we're dealing with here and it's not the first time a campaign has been waged to silence any opposition. Many of you will remember the quite recent "Hoppy Affair" and the threats to the Sea Trout Forum where the proprietor felt that not only the forum but also his employment was threatened. There's much more I could say but without solid evidence in the form of letters and/or e mails {and I do have some} it would be "unwise". I am afraid word of mouth is not enough in situations like this.
Although I have chosen to say little at this present time I would like to close with a recent comment from a gillie in Scotland. "Make sure Geoff keeps the T&S job otherwise they will just print any s**t they want."
I leave you to decide who "they" are!

Hi SF, there is only one answer to that! If in doubt? leave it out. I receive regular information from WUF via News-letter and regular updates! As you say the WUF is a charity funded by us and other benifactors, an organisation that works towards the maintenance and conservation of the Rivers Wye & Usk. I'm certainly in favour of the work they do for the future of our rivers and the environment surrounding them. A TS correspondent should be sure of the facts before writing any article.

You could write for the Wye & Usk? Then all interested parties could read your comments! ( I hear there may be an opening ) Could you do the canoeing write up also? Only joking! As I do see your point, and understand the dilema that Mr, Franks has in getting all the information needed to fulfil his obligation to T&S