Dartmoor monsoon

4/01/2016

Happy New Year to all members and friends of the Dart Angling Association.

Well the monsoon broke in early November and shows no sign of abating. What effect this has had on salmon and sea trout spawning remains to be seen. . . .in 2019 at the earliest. Whereas  late running fish have had magnificent water to travel on, there must be serious concerns about redd washout.  Redd counting has been virtually impossible in the high water but the general feeling is that spawning effort has been sparse, and the absence of sharp ‘triggering’ frosts another worry. Given that fewer fish seem to be returning and that autumn are storms appear increasingly violent, we can be forgiven for being less than optimistic.  That said, everyone will be hoping that 2016 brings a welcome change of fortune after last season’s tales of woe.

The Totnes Weir Pool project appears to be  pretty much up and running , and though it is any bodies guess how this might change things, it would be a real bonus if it, and the recent force of water,  somehow combine to move the build up of silt and create a deeper, healthier habitat for our returning fish to rest in.

The dates for bank clearing will be published asap – obviously last Sunday was a wash out.