A busy time for the Estate battling with the effects of a drought and hot weather meant a team had to be employed to start weeding the Spring Lake. Sadly the weed has taken hold and on the main lakes and lagoon some fish have inevitably given up we are just hoping as we are that the river gets an injection of clean oxygenated water soon and the temperatures fall off We also witnessed a family of cormorants  harvesting the lake and river which seems slightly unfair competition given the fishes sluggish state due to conditions.

I read an interesting article in the Fishing News online: https://fishingnews.co.uk/news/salmon-closure-fears-salmon-netsmen-fight-for-their-futures/

As they have stated their arguments clearly then perhaps its only fair to respond equally clearly. Firstly its all fair and well talking about jobs and 150 years of history but the article fails to define what exactly is truly going on today in 2018 the modern world of sea fishing. The technology used in fishing in our modern world means that sonar is available allowing a more accurate culling of fish to the point of knowing their size, direction and quantity, the nets used (yes gillnets) 150 years ago and more recently were hemp or other fibrous plant materials not made of virtually see through plastics which kill any marine creature swimming into them. So not only are modern nets highly effective they are capable of more fish killing when they are accidently lost ‘ghost netting’. Added to this the fishing bodies (correct me here if I’m wrong) don’t help the water courses environment that are fundamental in the lifecycle allowing the migratory fish to spawn and start their lives. As regards jobs that this is at best a part-time activity. Oh and finally are they unaware that the rivers are experiencing a severe decline in runs, no one is saying this is their fault but given this fact its odd the government is allowing netting of endangered migratory species anyway?