Sick water?

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Paul Williams

Guest
Yesterday i passed over the Lower Severn on my way to the Teme, i always take time to look at the "colour" and yesterday it just didn't look "right"...it is fishing very hit and miss too.
A gut feeling tells me all is not well but how do i, just an angler get to have the water tested?.....i know the EA regulary "test" water and tell us all is fine but how do we know?
Anyone have any ideas? or could this be the first showing of all the disenfectant used in the containment of FMD?
 
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Paul Thompson

Guest
Paul, you may have read elsewhere on the forum, that I fished (badly) the larford stretch today. The water was full of orange/brown sediment, and there was a lot of soapy stuff on the top. I assumed both were to do with the rainfall and boat traffic. Is that the case or otherwise.
On stretches of the great ouse, especially at sharnbrook mill, its like a huge box of detergents have been poured in., and it stinks too. I've always thought it has something to do with the actions of the weir combined with all the chemicals draining off the arable land. Any ideas?
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
It isn't looking right is it?....the Wye never gets to be this colour, i know they are different rivers flowing over differrent land but the colour in the Severn yesterday just didn't look natural.....why i don't know and we may be clutching at straws talking about chemicals but there is something not right, i just hope i'm being over sensitive and it all comes good!
 
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Paul Thompson

Guest
Talking of things not right, i swaer i saw a cormorant chick on the river today. I didn't recognise it as any other waterbird, and it wasn't accompanied by adults. Curioser and curioser ;|
 
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Paul Thompson

Guest
I bloody swore when that second boat came within 10ft of me and cut my line(and nearly filled me waders). And to think I shouted thankyou instead :eek:) LOL
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
Surfactants - ie the stuff that makes the lather -from washing powder, washing-up liquid, soap etc. It biodegrades really slowly and gets into waterways via "clean" sewage effluent.

This probably accounts for some of the foaming.
 
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Gary Knowles

Guest
Paul,

Fished at Severn Stoke on Saturday from lunchtime until well into dark (naughty boy!). Two rods, quality bait, good rigs, river level slightly up and couloured, warm overcast day in fact everything was perfect.

Not a bite - not a single rap, and neither did anyone else fishing that day.

Spoke to a couple of locals who said it is fishing appaulling this year, totally dead. They had heard that there are some major structural work on the Clywedog dam and water is constantly being pumped of this. I don't know if its true, but I do know something drastic is wrong with the severn at the moment.
 
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Rob Brownfield

Guest
My local loch was "foamed" up at the weekend. Now, this is a very remote water so i know its not "sop" etc..but the keeper recons its to do with the algal blooms. It does seem to happen when we have had a few days sunshine followed by wind and rain. The fishing slows a little too.
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
Gary,
You are getting the same results as me on the lower Severn!!.....not even the eels were having a pull at the baits, in years gone by they have been a bloody nuisance, yes somethings wrong.
 
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Ron Clay

Guest
Even Des Taylor in his column reckons the Severn has a problem.
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
Ron,
There is no getting away from it there is definetly something amiss....sure it fishes OK sometimes, but very hit and miss.
I don't pretend to have the answers, but if i was pressed too give one i would have to give either dam workings, either the release water itself or are they possibly cleaning the walls with chemicals or both?.....another thought that has crossed my mind is FMD chemicals, the Teme doesn't appear to be suffering but could it be a case of the mother river recieving the chemicals from all it's tributarys......clutching at straws i know but this time Des is right, anglers will leave in drothes, clubs will suffer as will those whose livelyhoods depend on visiting anglers........perhaps the BAA owe it to their membership to look into this? after all phoning as an individual is not going to make anyone at the EA sit up to much is it?.......i'll phone the BAA!!!
 
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DAVE COOPER

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Everyone is saying the same this year. The Severn is awful right along its length. Des Taylor says today in AT that the water temperature is fluctuating significantly, with freezing water coming down in batches.

The EA must know what's going on and they owe it to us to make it general knowledge.
 
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STEVE POPE

Guest
Hi All,

Mike Burden has spoken to the EA who have given him their assurance that there is nothing untoward, and they are well aware of all that is being said.

I have just spoken to a good friend of mine who has caught getting on for thirty barbel in two sessions including two good doubles, plenty of eights and nines as well.

What I would say is the fish must be located, this seems to be far more important this year. They are certainly not in every swim, or perhaps the swims you may have caught from before.

Find them and they will feed, my mate and his pal had 23 from one swim in a day.

They also appear to be choosy regards bait, but you will have to work that one out for yourselves !

All the best,

Steve.
 
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STEVE POPE

Guest
Hi Mike,

These came from the lower river.

I haven't fished our new stretch at Hampton Loade, the old Mal Storey water, but I understand it fished very well early on with some multiple catches with fish making nine pound plus.

Steve.
 
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Dave Johnson

Guest
i did 16 from the ferry at HAMPTON EARLY SEASON, THEN ONLY MANAGED 4 A WEEK LATER FRO A BETTER PEG 500YDS BELOW.....strange.
I think the prolonged floods may have done more than we think. I know chub are notorius for shoaling come Jan esp in flood water-maybe even the regal barbel have all upped and moved to better/suitable feeding grounds?
One things for sure, the Dove tmorrow is gonna fish well eh Mike-and yes I am doing your hemp for you, with condensed milk additives.....
 
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Paul Williams

Guest
Steve,
I know fish are coming out mate and i know that location is the key but i'm not just talking barbs now, the "colour" of the river the river the other day when i passed over the bridge by your place was aweful!......the eels weren't active and the river was genuinely sad looking.
Activity seems to come in spurts doesn't it? perhaps the fish are learning to get their heads down whilst they can?
The EA aint convincing me that alls well i'm afraid......one swallow don't make a summer and all that!
 
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STEVE POPE

Guest
Hi Paul,

The latest info I have is this.
The EA conducted a survey in June on the lower river and found that from Worcester to Upton there was a low density of fish. At Upton the density was unusually high. From Upton to Tewkesbury there was an even distribution.
They put it all down to late spawning due to the fluctuation in weather, water temperatures etc.

They have taken water samples as well.

I'm fishing on the Severn for a few days from tomorrow, if you want more info regarding the EA, give Mike a ring.

All the best,

Steve.
 
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