Life of a Chalkstream: Brenda of Bristol should ride again

Greetings!

I am beginning to feel a bit like Brenda from Bristol in 2017 who, reacting to the news that PM Theresa May had called for a snap general election, exclaimed, "You're joking - not another one!" In my particular case it is the fact that we have yet another Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affair (Defra), in Angela Eagle, the third since Labour took office two years ago and the tenth in the past ten years.

It is hard to discern anything in Eagle’s CV that suggests a passion for water or the countryside representing, as she does, the seaside, suburban constituency of Wallasey, across the Mersey from Liverpool. I am guessing that her brief stint as a junior minster at Defra in 2025 was enough to gift her this poisoned chalice for there clearly are no easy or quick wins when it comes to water.

Brenda of Bristol

It has felt to me, for a while, that plans to deal with the problems of the water industry are in something of a holding pattern, so the press and repeat appointment of a new minister will do little to speed things along. After the Cunliffe Report, commissioned by Keir Starmer, which recommended a rewiring of regulation not very much has happened aside from various hints about renationalisation and the apparently eternal game of chicken as to the future of debt-stricken Thames Water.

Eagle has two choices but neither of them obviously good. The populist option is, of course, renationalisation but this is easy to say but hard to do. Realistically by the time she has put the legislation through parliament and fought a myriad of legal battles her time at Defra will be long past; indeed we will likely be into the next government and Eagle will be being measured for her ermine robes.

To not nationalise will run counter to the Burnham mood music and is, I suspect, counter to Eagle’s Corbynite tendencies. However, my suspicion is that, once briefed by civil servants they will understand that the issues with the water industry are not about who owns it but rather management, regulation and massive infrastructure spending. Moving the latter onto the government debt ledger is something, with many other pressing needs for cash, this government could well do without so anticipate a ‘reimagined’ Cunliffe Report on steroids with more stick than carrot as far as the water companies are concerned.

All this will be played out against the background of the Environment Agency’s (EA) latest six year data on the health of England's rivers, lakes, estuaries and groundwater published last week none of which is good. Nothing has improved since 2019, arguably things may be worse, with only 14.3% of England’s surface waters achieving good ecological status. Aside the EA’s continued whining about being forced to test to a higher standard than they would like (boo hoo!) it is interesting that they note comparable EU countries are recording far lower rates of good ecological status, including 8% in Germany and 1% in the Netherlands which exposes the fallacy that Europe, with a largely nationally owned water sector, has better river health than the UK.

I know it is not a popular line of thought but making the water companies the bad guys and driving them to destruction whilst hoping what comes next will, with a mighty leap, cure our problems is for the birds. As the EA say, “Many factors can affect the quality of rivers and other bodies of water – from sewage spills and agricultural nutrients to urban and transport surface water run-off, which can include litter, petrol and garden pesticides.” Even if there is a certain amount of deflection and self-interest in the statement, the EA are making a fair point – pollution sources are manifest and, even if we solved the water company issues overnight, we would only be one third of the way to a solution.

My hope is that the Water Ombudsman, proposed in the Cunliffe Report with little indication of exactly what its role might be, will be expanded with oversight of not just the water industry but everything that contributes to pollution from whoever or wherever it might originate..

Angela of Wallasey

Fly of the Week

This week it is the Callaway Chrome Tour X. Probably best fished by dropping on the far bank and then twitched onto the water. Not sure about tippet strength but no need to gink. Watch the video to see how best to present the Callaway Fly. The take is wicked!

PS This is probably the most exciting thing to ever happen on the LIV tour!

Tales from The Mill at The Mill - September coming soon!

After the success of the book days to mark the publication of Tales from The Mill in June I am delighted to be hosting one final day here at The Mill next month.

The event on Friday, September 11 runs from 11 - 2pm and tickets cost £25 which includes:

A special signed copy of Tales from The Mill
The rare opportunity to tour parts of the historic mill and surrounding water meadows
Chance to feed the fish
Book readings and Q&As
A glass of English sparkling and a light lunch served by the water

Whether you’ve heard about the Mill, fished its pristine waters, or are discovering it for the very first time, come and enjoy the many tales to be told!

Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

BOOK NOW!

Alternatively, you can also order a book from me, Amazon or Waterstones. Tales from The Mill, in addition to Life of a Chalkstream, The Otters' Tale and Frankel are also available in ebook or audio formats.

Order from Fishing Breaks

Order from Amazon

Order from Waterstones

The month the locals go fishing

We like September – it is the month us locals go fishing which might just give you a clue as to when the best time of year might be.

The reasons? Well, from a weather point of view it is usually a very settled month with few extremes allowing the fish to fall into a regular feeding pattern on a great variety of hatches. This is the month you should range far and wide across your fly box: sedges, olives, ants, daddy long legs, emergers and nymphs will all catch. You may have to deploy a certain amount of cunning; these are fish who have seen it all but, especially toward the latter part of September as the days begin to shorten, the imperative to feed ahead of winter will often trump the natural caution of the fish.

Where to fish? Clearly this summer has been hard of the smaller streams and headwaters but you would be hard pressed to spot any difference on the middle to lower catchments of the major chalkstreams which brings into play beats such as Breach Farm, Kanara and Qing Ya Xi on the River Itchen, Ilsington on the River Frome and Kimbridge, Lower Brook, The Parsonage and Timsbury 5 on the River Test.

If you fancy making a break of it Lock Keepers Cottage on the River Itchen is available for a 3 night stay with fishing for two included across September. There is a similar package for Ilsington Lodge on the River Frome. Prices from £1,630 for the weekend package of accommodation and fishing.

Lock Keeper's Cottage, River Itchen

More Special Offers

As ever our August special offers have proved a great success, so I am pleased to add to the list for Dunbridge on the River Dun, a Test tributary, with a 2-for-1 offer giving a saving of £195.

Currently running are the following:

Compton Chamberlayne (River Nadder) 2-for-1 with extra Rods half price

Deans Court (River Allen) Half Price

Donnington Grove (River Lambourn) Half Price

Dunbridge (River Dun) 2-for-1

Ilsington (River Frome) 2-for-1

Visit this page to see all the offers.

Dunbridge (River Dun)

Total eclipse of a Victorian myth

The eclipse on Wednesday prompted me to recall the last ‘big one’ back in 1999. I had read somewhere of Victorian anglers reporting feeding frenzies, the like of which had never been seen, occurring at the time of 19th century eclipses. Not wanting to pass up that opportunity I headed to the river in plenty of time.

The last eclipse of the 20th century was scheduled for a late morning in summer and, as the moment approached the day rapidly turned to dusk in a matter of minutes which was freaky in itself, the temperature significantly dropping and a chill breeze getting up. And that was about it. Not a single fish rose. A myth busted.

So, this time around I did not bother to head for the river but, ever hopeful, I kept a close eye on the lake at The Mill and, hand on heart, I cannot say things were dramatically different to 1999. It was definitely warmer, but it did not get as dark and there was no wind to speak of. However, the eclipse did coincide was a massive hatch of all kinds of insects, and in particular a huge number of moths.

Whether this was eclipse induced I know not but I really cannot ever recall seeing so many which prompted, as soon as the eclipse was over, the arrival of a huge flight, or a gulp as they are sometimes collectively known, of swallows who spent a good quarter of an hour jinking over the lake hoovering up this unexpected bounty.

As for the fish, well they did go on a bit of a feeing frenzy themselves no doubt induced by the hatch as were the swallows. I suppose the question is, was the hatch caused by the eclipse ...... so maybe not a myth busted.

Quiz

The usual random collection of questions this week inspired by the Newsletter topics.

1) On this day in 1995 which two rivals Brit pop bands both released a single?

2) In golf complete the sequence birdie, eagle, ……. and condor

3) Who led the Labour Party in the 2017 General Election?

The answers are below.

Have a good weekend.

Best wishes,