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Post by johnesmithson on Nov 10, 2021 17:35:47 GMT
It's a sad state of affairs when the wide-ranging monthly report for Devon in the latest Trout & Salmon contains no reference at all to the Dart or Duchy waters other than Fernworthy. Does anyone know the reason? It seems especially odd considering how much a champion and ambassador Mike Weaver has been for the moorland fisheries over the years. His writings and fly patterns have inspired many of my trips up there, and I for one will keep posting here about my modest catches and adventures on this lovely system.
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Post by terry on Nov 11, 2021 9:43:19 GMT
Johnny I can only assume that Mike gets his reports from the Westcountry Angling Passport group and to be honest I have had trouble all season in submitting a catch return. The last readable return from the Duchy was from July 2019. I guess they must be very short staffed theses days and probably COVID hasn’t help. I have seen a big decline in the management of the system over the years but I keep telling myself what do I expect for £70 per year. The fishing has also very much deteriorated and I’m not sure I know the reasons.
I don’t seem to meet anywhere near the number of anglers as in the past but I guess that’s pretty common anywhere these days.
The lower Dart is usually mentioned by Mike via the DAA but being very salmon and sea trout focused it has hardly been worth reporting over the last few years.
Regardless, I shall probably stumble up there next season ( not sure for how much longer though) and maybe we might meet up.
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Post by halfstoned on Nov 11, 2021 18:22:01 GMT
How very sad that such an iconic fishery doesn't have a functioning catch returns system.
I well remember reading and re reading the moorland chapters in Mike's book and promising myself that one day I would go and fish Cherrybrook during a bwo hatch. I never did, perhaps I've missed my chance?
Johnny, please do keep posting, it is nice to at least read about the Dart and its tributaries.
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Post by terry on Jan 7, 2022 18:21:04 GMT
Dear old Mike has included catch returns in 2021 for the Dart system in this month’s Trout and Salmon mag. I guess this was mainly an input from DAA members.
Sad to read that only three Salmon were caught on the whole system but there seems to be a lot of activity in trying to decipher the reasons of such a decline. I would be very interested to hear if there are any conclusions with regard to the effect of the relatively new turbines at the Totnes weir pool.
Good to see that sea trout faired better (93 in total) I assume the majority of these would have been from TWP and maybe downstream of the turbines.
Brown trout totalled was 71 with 18 from DAA water and 53 from the Duchy. Again I assume these figures were obtained fro DAA members who are entitled to fish the Duchy.
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Post by halfstoned on Jan 7, 2022 18:36:02 GMT
Hi Terry, is that 71 for the whole season? Doesn't seem like very many, do you know how this compares to previous seasons?
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Post by terry on Jan 8, 2022 13:03:30 GMT
My guess is that the 71 caught is from DAA members only and maybe not a true reflection of the total. As I posted earlier my many attempts of submitting catch returns for the 2021 season failed so I assume this also happened to others.
Would dearly love to find out the overall totals.
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