COCKERMOUTH ANGLING ASSOCIATION A.G.M CHAIRMAN S REPORT

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Dana Jackson
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1 ANGLING REPORT COCKERMOUTH ANGLING ASSOCIATION A.G.M CHAIRMAN S REPORT In the past seasn, n Cckermuth Angling Assciatin Waters 31 salmn were caught n the Derwent, 25 f these were returned t the water. There were 28 sea trut caught n the Derwent and all f these were returned. On the Ccker n salmn r sea trut were reprted and angling effrt was very light due t the lw water cnditins during the seasn. Fr cmparisn figures fr Cckermuth Angling Assciatin fr earlier years are as fllws: Seasn Derwent Ttal Salmn Derwent Salmn Returned Derwent Sea Trut Ccker Ttal Salmn ?? ?? CAA ttal fishing effrt n the Derwent was abut 486 sessins (256 last year) and fr the Ccker it was abut 40 sessins (67 last year), s, n average, n the Derwent it takes abut 16 sessins per salmn! Overall it has been ne f the prest salmn seasns n recrd. This pr seasn is replicated n mst ther Nrth West rivers. Fr interest the ther figures I have fr ther Derwent beats s far is as fllws (with last year s figures in brackets) are Wrkingtn AA 80 (76 in 2014), Castle Rds 58 (77), Isel Fisheries 15 (33), Keswick 1 (20), Wdhall 10 (14), and the Cradles 4 (14). It wuld seem likely, based upn the figures I have s far, that the River Derwent is likely t fail its Cnservatin Limit fr the secnd year in a rw. This is f very serius cncern. A Salmn Summit was rganised by the Envirnment Agency n 19 th Nvember 2015 in Lndn t cnsider what needed t be dne abut the cntinuing fall in salmn stcks in UK Rivers. The Angling Trust and ther natinal angling rganisatins submitted their ideas and the Minister is said t be cnsidering hw Defra will respnd.

2 There is virtually nthing that lcal angling assciatins can d abut marine survival rates, which the EA say is the mst significant reasn fr the fall in salmn stcks. This will take actin at natinal and internatinal level and it is hped that mre actin is taken in these areas as a result f the Salmn Summit. Lcally, we can influence the numbers f smlts which migrate frm ur rivers. The Derwent Owners Assciatin, wrking with the EA and Natural England, has put tgether a River Derwent Cnservatin Actin Plan, which is aimed at halting the decline and then imprving the salmn numbers n the Derwent. I reprted last year that this Plan includes Increasing catches and release rates. It seems likely that even mre will be asked fr in this area. The Nrth West Angling Trust Fisheries Cnsultative Cuncil has asked members if they wuld supprt bringing in a 2 salmn per seasn bag limit, tgether with a carcass tagging system. If SAC Rivers like the Derwent cntinue t fail t meet Cnservatin Limits, it is pssible that EA will seek t intrduce mandatry 100% catch and release. Hwever, this wuld require bye-law changes and it certainly will nt apply t Decreasing predatin by fish eating birds. We have made sme prgress in this area and the numbers f cntrl licences fr gsanders and crmrants n the Derwent have been replaced by a single area licence. This authrises us t sht 20 gsanders and 20 crmrants up t the 15 th March We will then be given a separate licence, with further numbers, t give sme additinal prtectin during the smlt migratin up t 15 th May There is sme increased flexibility with the Area Based Licence but it des mean sme additinal wrk fr me, because as the Principal Licence hlder (as Chairman f DOA), I am required t administer it and prepare a reprt n all bird cntrl activities carried ut. The Angling Trust cntinues t press fr increase in the numbers f birds we are allwed t sht as part f the cntrl prgramme. Prgress depends upn being able t prvide hard evidence n the numbers f birds n the river and the damage they are causing. Adrian Mills will als be rganising ur annual cunts f gsanders etc. n the river frm March nwards and we wuld appreciate additinal help t make this as cmprehensive a survey as pssible. Anyne interested in helping shuld give cntact details t Adrian. Ding mre habitat imprvement wrk. CAA has supprted the DOA s invlvement with habitat imprvement wrk ver many years. This last seasn we carried ut imprvement wrk t the left bank f Irn Bridge and ur thanks are due t Jhn Mses fr rganising and ver seeing that wrk. We paid 25% twards the cst f that wrk, with 25% cming frm DOA and the remainder frm the Rivers Crridr Grup. We will have t wait t see hw these (and ther habitat imprvement wrks) have std up t the nslaught f the December 2015 flds. Enhancement f Juvenile Fish Stcks. The debate abut the benefits f running hatcheries t enhance juvenile fish stcks has cntinued and I knw there are many lcal anglers with very strng views in favur f hatcheries. Mark Hastings has chaired a DOA Hatcheries Grup which has had strng supprt frm Jhn Mses and thers. DOA is waiting fr a final reprt frm this grup in the New Year. Hwever, up t press, the EA psitin remains that it will nt authrise the peratin f Keswick Hatchery t increase

3 stcking in the Derwent. Anther area where we have made sme prgress is that we have supprted the carrying ut f semi-quantitative electrfishing surveys by the West Cumbria Rivers Trust thrughut the Derwent catchment. The first survey was cmpleted during This is seen as the first f a 4 r 5 year prgramme which will prvide hard evidence f the state f juvenile salmn and trut stcks thrughut the Derwent system. It is in additin t the rutine quantitative surveys which the EA carries ut at selected sites. Cntrl f Paching and Illegal Fishing. There have been several reprts f illegal netting etc. taking place n the Derwent again this seasn. Understandably, lcal anglers get very frustrated abut the absence f teams f EA warranted bailiffs. Hwever, it is quite clear that this cannt happen because f cntinued cuts in Gvernment Grant in Aid t the Envirnment Agency. We have t find alternative ways f cmbatting this prblem. Again the Angling Trust is taking a lead in this area and has appinted a natinal team f 6 ex-plice fficers t prvide help and advice t lcal areas. Can I again emphasise the imprtance f reprting any intelligence r even suspicin f illegal activity n the river t the Emergency Helpline Number n yur licence I als have a meeting set up with Darren Bedwrth f the EA Fisheries Operatins Team in the New Year t see what else can be dne t fcus their activities n t ur particular prblem areas. Remval f Barriers t Fish Migratin. This is an area where the West Cumbria Rivers Trust is taking the lead and wrking with EA, UU and thers. Plans are being wrked up t remve sme majr barriers (like Yearl Weir and the Cps weir) but these are at an early stage f develpment. Hwever, mre immediately wrk is in hand t imprve fish passage by remving blckages caused by fallen trees and piped culverts. This type f multi-faceted apprach t trying t imprve salmn stcks seems t be cnsidered t be best practice. N single measure n its wn can halt the decline, never mind imprve things. COGRA MOSS Eric Brwn retired as Still Waters Secretary last year. Mst f yu will knw that Eric has been seriusly ill this year, nt nly was he diagnsed with prstate cancer but he suffered a serius strke. I have kept in tuch with Margaret and have been rund t see Eric fairly regularly. I am pleased t be able t tell yu that when I saw him last week he had made significant prgress. He was walking much mre freely and his speech had imprved markedly. He is being typically stubbrn and fighting back and we all wish him well. Terry Barnes and Jhn Smith have managed the wrk that Eric used t d and ur thanks are due t them, and the many thers wh have helped with the numerus rutine tasks at Cgra Mss. Terry will be presenting his Cgra Mss reprt later in the meeting. Members will be fully aware f the threat f clsure f Cgra Mss caused by United Utilities plans t cnsider permanently draining the reservir rather than carrying ut essential repairs t sme redundant pipewrk assciated with the dam. Members wuld therefre be delighted with the news that after carefully

4 cnsidering their ptins, United Utilities decided nt t decmmissin Cgra Mss and t carry ut the essential engineering wrk instead. This will invlve a temprary reductin in water levels and United Utilities will be sharing detailed plans in the New Year. We d nt expect the 2016 seasn t be affected and will wrk with United Utilities t ensure that any disruptin t fishing is kept t a minimum. I am sure that the very vigrus campaign that we rganised, which invlved writing letters, wrking with Sue Hayman MP, radi and TV interviews, using Scial Media like Facebk and Friends f Cgra Mss, n-line petitins, wrking with Friends f the Lake District & Lamplugh Parish Cuncil as well as numerus meetings with United Utilities, all played a part in persuading them t take the right decisin. This was a big success and I d like t thank everyne wh helped t achieve it. WEB-SITE Jhn Smith has cntinued t maintain the Cckermuth Angling Sciety web-site and I wuld encurage members t visit it at cckermuthanglingassciatin.c.uk ANNUAL DINNER Held again at Hundith Hill last March with a gd attendance. This year s Dinner Dance will be at the same venue n Saturday 27th February 2015 and Sue will be sending ut details in the New Year. It s a gd night ut s please try and supprt it again this year. DECEMBER FLOODS I have briefly referred t the events f the first week f December 2015 but these flds were mre destructive than thse f Nvember They were Cunty wide, rainfall and river levels brke all previus recrds. Mst f Cckermuth was nt as badly affected as in 2009, due t the imprved fld defences and the twn is recvering much mre quickly. Hwever, sme areas like the Gte have really been hammered again. Our heartfelt sympathies g ut t all thse affected. The Derwent system will have been significantly altered again and unfrtunately much f the imprvement wrk we have dne may have been destryed. We will be carrying ut inspectins t see the extent f the damage in due curse, when it is safe t d s. We will then have t priritise actin t start wrk n the system again. Just as we did after the 2009 flds. Hwever, we have t be fully aware f the wider picture in the Cunty and recgnise that there are far greater pririties than urs. We will get there, but it will take sme time t d s.

5 FINALLY, THANKS Are due t Our Secretary Sue Mses wh has carried ut these duties with great efficiency during the year, ably assisted by husband Jhn. Sue has given the Cmmittee 12 mnths ntice that, after abut 10 years as secretary, she will be resigning frm the pst at the AGM next year. Thanks fr everything yu have dne n ur behalf Sue. Our Treasurer Jhn Smith and t Vice Chairman Peter Laws. Terry Barnes, tgether with Steven Black and thers fr their excellent wrk at Cgra Mss. Jhn Mses, Sean Wilsn and Frank Hpe fr rganising and carrying ut river bank maintenance wrk thrughut the seasn. The wardens at Ingle Nk Caravan Park fr selling day permits fr Cgra Mss n ur behalf. David Culthard and Michael Cleeland fr running the guest schemes. The whle f the Cmmittee which has wrked very well as a team, nt nly in meetings but als when it cmes t getting things dne n the river bank. I d als like t thank Dave Smith fr his n-ging help and supprt and I recgnise the difficulties and uncertainties which he is facing in his rle as Castle Fisheries Manager. All f ur members, fr generally fishing in a sprting manner, lking after new cmers and giving the cmmittee very few prblems! Jack Abernethy Chairman, Cckermuth Angling Assciatin

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