Rossett and Gresford Flyfishers Club Newsletter Spring 2018

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1 Chairman s Note Rossett and Gresford Flyfishers Club Newsletter Spring 2018 Dear Members, May I introduce you to our 5th electronic newsletter. As you visit the water this year you will notice a change. From Rossett weir to just below Kingfisher meadow there is a new fence. This was installed over the winter by the farmer under a grant system and is all to do with improving the river. This will provide a good habitat corridor along the river that will control diffused pollution (run off from the land). Membership reminder to the few who have not yet paid - subscriptions were due at the February AGM and places this year are going fast (a problem of our Clubs success). We are having a lot of new membership enquiries, so please ensure your membership is up to date as we do have a limit for the river, when this limit is reached, any submitting their membership after it will be put on a waiting list for the next season!!! Last season I had the pleasure of helping new members find their River Feet. This is a free service (time permitting) and is open to all. There will be several people doing this and it is hoped that it will enhance members enjoyment of our river. So far this season the river has been up and down, so fishing has not always been possible. The 1 st day was fun, but fish were about: - Fish from river in Worms Wood

2 So cold there was ice in the rings Kinder weather on 5 th March Our Treasurer (Geoff) did far better on the 3 rd with 4 fish in an hour at the lower end of our river. New Membership Secretary Our new Membership Secretary is Les Jervis and can be contacted at: - lesjervis21@gmail.com Telephone: Address: - 38 Village Road Heswall

3 CH60 0DZ (please note, post code must be used as there are several Village Roads on the Wirral) River Day This year s annual river walk is on Saturday 5 th May, starting at 10am below Llay Road Bridge. This is an ideal opportunity to visit or even revisit the river and learn how it has changed over the winter. A walk along the river will help you identify where the best spots are for fishing, what flies might work and what fish are rising. It is open to new and not so new members and any visitors that might like to joint you. The walk is followed by a BBQ on the riverbank, which gives you the opportunity to talk to club members and ask away anything you might want to know we will try and answer them. Please let Eddie know that you will be attending by at - (e.j.wilkinson@hotmail.co.uk) Club Fly Fishing Competition As a Club get together, following a discussion at the AGM, it was decided to hold another competition this year for members. Following up on suggestions made by those who attended last year, we will be holding it earlier in the season and on a weekday. This year it will again be at Meadow fishery on Tuesday 24 th April. Meeting at 9.30am for a 10am start. We usually fish for 4 hours with a one-hour break around dinner time. Please remember to bring your own packed lunch. Please let Eddie know that you will be attending by at - (e.j.wilkinson@hotmail.co.uk Sunday Working Party The Sunday morning work party have once again done exceptionally well in their efforts to ensure the best possible access to the river for the start of 2018 season. It is just a shame the weather and prolonged periods of significantly high-water levels have restricted the chances of a good day s fishing. There are now just six or seven members that we can regularly call on, meaning that on average there are no more than four or five people out at any one time. Obviously, this has the potential to impact on what we can achieve, so during the close season we have prioritised the type of work completed to help ensure we cover all the basics. Our first job was to walk the river to create a plan of action based on the following priorities; maintaining access, lifting or removing unnecessary overhanging growth, thinning out sections to improve light getting to the water, removing obstructions from the river, using felled or fallen trees to support in stream habitat. All the main elements of the work we identified have been completed, plus several jobs we needed to tackle because of the high winds we experienced over the winter months. Having fewer people out on a Sunday morning does have an impact on what we can do. Two or three people out is an absolute minimum for health and safety reasons, we can work but only on light duties. Fewer numbers to call on also means more missed Sunday s as not as many people to draw on. Bigger jobs must be left simply because we do not have enough hands to get it done. As always, we are open to any suggestions to how we can encourage more support. Secretary s report The Welsh Dee Trust

4 As well as being the Secretary of Rossett and Gresford Flyfishers I also work part time for the Welsh Dee Trust (WDT). I have been asked to give an overview of the Trust and the work it is doing on the Alyn. The Trust is a registered charity whose objectives are to protect, conserve, promote and enhance the River Dee and all its indigenous species of fish, animals, birds and plants. The Trust will where appropriate seek the rehabilitation of any species that is threatened or endangered. The Trust will through education increase the knowledge of the public of the need and importance of a healthy river environment. The Alyn has been surveyed from Mold to the Confluence with the Dee a total of 26Km. The purpose of the survey was to identify any issues affecting the Alyn, namely Diffuse Rural Pollution, Point Source Pollution, Bank Erosion, Instream and Riparian Corridor Habitat Degradation etc. The Trust has received funding from Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water to undertake several projects that have been identified on the Alyn. Some of the projects will take place above R&GFFC waters and will improve the instream habitat and spawning gravels. We are looking at the possibility of installing gravel traps and gravel on R&GFFC waters to try and improve juvenile recruitment. As part of the ongoing work on the Alyn we are looking to survey the Terrig, which is a tributary of the Alyn near Mold. Even though this is some distance from R&GFFC waters we believe this is a good breeding ground for trout and it is highly likely that any juvenile recruitment in this tributary will drop down the Alyn system to provide adult breeding fish, which will benefit the Alyn. If anyone would like any more information on the work of the Trust, please get in touch mark@welshdeetrust.com Non-Native Invasive Species Non-native Invasive Species cost the UK economy about 1.3 billion a year in eradicating/controlling and the damage they do to the environment. In one way we are fortunate in that we only have 3 Non-Native Invasive Species Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed (almost eradicated) and Mink. So as not to spread Non-Native Species from our water and likewise from other waters to ours, can everyone please check their waders, boots, clothing, nets, rods, reels, lines etc for any bits of plant material or invertebrates and remove them in the area they were found. When you get home can you thoroughly dry all your waders, equipment etc. as plants and animals can live in damp conditions for several days. Remember: Check Clean Dry. There are reports that Chinese Mitten Crabs have been found on the lower Alyn. If anyone comes across one, please let me know immediately (Tel or markpierce382@btinternet.com). If you see a crab in freshwater it will be a Chinese Mitten Crab as they are the only one found in freshwater. If you want any help in identifying invasive species, please get in touch or visit the Non-Native Species Section on our website ( Day Tickets For many years the club has looked at the option of issuing day Tickets, but it proved too difficult to manage without a local outlet. In 2015 the Wye and Usk Foundation made an offer to clubs to manage their Day Tickets. The day Tickets would be booked on line and an sent to the club to let them know who and when someone would be on the club s water. We started issuing day Tickets in The first year we sold 3, the second 5 and last year we sold 7. The income from last year s sales ( 110) was equivalent to 2 Family Memberships. The feedback from visiting anglers has generally been good, and we already have one ticket booked for June this year.

5 Fishing Reports Taking part in the 2017 season totals there were 8 members, this is compared to 7 in Although not exact, there were a minimum of 23 Browns and 47 Grayling over 1lb caught, plus at least 13 Grayling of 2lb+ 222 Brown (2016 = 151) 312 Grayling (2016 = 166) 8 Others? (2016 = 0) Giving a grand total of recorded fish for the year of 542 (2016 = 317) Average fish per visit 6.5 (2016 = 7.2) Please forward any reports this season via the club web site or to Eddie Wilkinson at: - e.j.wilkinson@hotmail.co.uk The Club Web Site and Forum. As you know the club has its own website. We see this site as having two purposes: to be an advert or pamphlet for us on the internet and to be a source of news and information for our members. If you are a member of the club I would suggest that you bookmark the News page rather that the Home page as it is updated far more often. On the News page is a diary of dates for upcoming events and a few paragraphs of news pertaining to the club. The first paragraph is usually about the Sunday working party. At one time we would publish here where we would be working on the following Sunday. However, since we now do not have the resource to tow our trailer we always meet at the Llay Road Bridge, collect what we need and then move to where we wish to work. Recently we have added links to recent copies of these newsletters to the News page, you will find these at the bottom of the page. On our Articles page you will find several interesting items on a range of topics, from where you can park to access different areas, the flies to used and what we think the fish are feeding on. The Links page carries links to external web sites, the first being to our Forum but more on that later. We have links to the NRW river level monitoring stations on the Alyn, very handy for checking before you drive any distance to go fishing. We also have links to many angling and conservation sites. You may, if you wish, use the Catch Return page, on here is a link that allows you to submit a Daily Catch Return. To do this first you must register your user name and a password. Eddie Wilkinson, who collates our catch return, gathers that data at the end of the season. However, if you are like me and don t note down all your sessions you can submit a return for the day. The form you submit is ed to Eddie, he then collates it all at the end of the season. As mentioned earlier the club also has a Forum on the Pro boards system. There is a section that is open to anyone who visits our forum, but the larger section is only open to club members. Again, you will need to register to get access to this section. I would ask that you use the same address as that known to the club as that is the only way I have of ensuring that you are a paid-up member. is the URL for the club s web site.

6 is the URL for the club s forum. Steve Sunley (stevesunley@hotmail.com). Fly Tying Corner Peeping Caddis Over the winter, at the Fly Tying classes, members were asked for what they wanted to tie, this was one. A simple pattern that has been modified / simplified over the years. The modern ones now just have a bead at the eye, for the more adventurous, a jig hook is the way to go. I did a little research and came up with an older pattern that may have some life in it yet! By just putting a bead on a hook, the fly will sink, but will it fish right! By using a jig hook it will sit the right way up and perhaps not catch on the bottom (as much), but the older pattern has a few advantages in that by using split shot on mono, weights can be changed to suit depth and speed of the river. It will fish the right way up and like the jig hook should not catch the bottom as much. Any wet hook will do, the pattern I followed called for a lure hook, but I tend to use a Kamasan B175 size 10 as it is a good strong hook that will handle fish at depth. Dressing Hook Kamasan B175 size 10 Tail white (or Green or red)wool with the end burned to seal Rear hackle Partridge under body single strand of 10lb mono crimped to aid hold (leave long) Body Hares ear dubbin weight crimped split

7 Rossett Club Shirts etc. Your name can be added to a wide range of items Polo Shirt Long sleeve shirt Club Logo If you ask, they can do hoodies, short sleeve shirts, tee-shirts, etc. Costs (approx.) Long sleeve shirt 18 + Embroidery 5 + name 3 Polo 8 + Embroidery 5 + name 3 The company is Headmasters at Market Street, New Mills. High Peaks. Derbyshire. SK22 4AE Tel You will need to give your size and requirements, quote my name (Eddie Wilkinson) and the Club. It normally takes a week to 10 days. They can be picked up or posted (at cost). Please note The Club does not make any money from this service. Club Discount Meadow Fishery at Mickle Trafford provide a discount to any member who shows their membership card (John is a member of our club and is always pleased to see fellow members). Orvis at Tarporley is now another place that members can get a discount on production of their membership card.

8 Officers and Committee Members Howard Stevens, Eddie Wilkinson, Mark Pierce, Steve Sunley, Kon Wiecko, Geoff Noakes, Les Jervis, Mavis Wilkinson, Dave Meadows, Gary Shawcross and Ray Brierley.