cleanliness of southern rivers

[fishy_con]

I dont have a great wealth of experience to pull from, but i know for a fact that the stretch of basingstoke canal i used to fish on has improved a great deal in the last ten years, the stretch of the wey i fish looks in pretty good shape too, its only a small river i know but you can still see the bottom at a depth of about 10 feet in places.

[david t]

I'm pretty sure you are right, but I did think that maybe spending some time in rural Wales had spoilt you a bit It's very likely that the rivers you have in mind have suffered an increased nutrient load from agriculture and processed sewage at the same time as a decrease in flow due to abstraction. I think we just have to hope for more nutrient stripping of effluent and less over-use of fertilisers.

 

yep, im sad to not be fishing those rural welsh rivers at present, especially when images of big sea trout which i had close encounters with keep on lingering in my memory!!