Your comments and opinion on game-fishing matters
Point of principle
I write regarding Malcom Dutchman-Smith decrying Wild Fish’s attempt to stop people eating salmon (February).
Surely in inviting people to do the right thing, one cannot be swayed by excuses that it won’t work or could lead to poaching? We cannot afford to be defeatist in this cause. As salmon fishers, we definitely should not be eating farmed salmon. And if the chief executive of Wild Fish cannot set an example, who can?
Andrew Rome, Wiltshire
It's obvious
Why are licence revenues down (First Cast, March)? Rivers are full of poop, and if you do accidentally catch anything, you have to put it back. Not exactly rocket science.
Easy targets
The consensus among the few remaining salmon anglers that fish for salmon at Shrewsbury weir is that the EA is determined to close the fishery, which has been established for nearly 100 years.
The latest evidence is heavy handed policing by EA bailiffs last season.
The meaningful extent of the fishery is only 110m of concrete laid when the weir was formed. And there is a white line on the concrete denoting where it can be fished — downstream from the toe of the weir for 28m — which has been there for 35-40 years with no issues.
But now the EA says it is going to police a bye-law that's been in place for years but never been enforced, resulting in a new mark 55m from the toe of the weir, taking away 40% of the fishery.
Shrewsbury weir is one of the shortest fisheries on the Severn with the longest exclusion zones. Most anglers are saying the fishery is no longer viable and they will not be renewing their permits.
Is this what the EA is really after — driving anglers away from our sport? Last season, fewer than ten salmon were landed from Shrewsbury weir, so why is this persecution allowed to continue?
Salmon and predators
With reference to the article by Mr
