A Very Piscatorial Weekend

It’s been a fairly fishy weekend… and I mean that in the best possible sense!

Friday evening saw us gather for our TACA AGM in Bovey Tracy, one of those rare occasions when many of the people who quietly give their time to the river throughout the year end up in the same room at the same time. It’s always a good moment to pause, reflect on what’s been happening across the catchment, and look ahead to what still needs doing and how we’re going to achieve it.

It’s also simply a great excuse to bring everyone together. With guest speakers sharing PhD findings, along with updates from our partners at the Environment Agency, the Westcountry Rivers Trust and the South West Rivers Association, there was plenty to get stuck into.

But if Friday was about taking stock and looking forward, then Saturday was about stepping straight back into the wider angling community.

The Arundell Arms West Country Trout Festival

Over the weekend, a small group of us headed off to the West Country Trout Festival at the Arundell Arms in Lifton. Think of it as a welcome to the start of the brown trout season in Devon.

The Arundell has long been one of those places woven deeply into the fabric of West Country fly fishing for generations. Walk through the doors, and you’re immediately among people who care deeply about rivers, fish and the heritage that surrounds it all.

The event itself had a bit of everything… fly tying demonstrations running throughout the day, casting on the lawns, and fishing conversations unfolding in corners of rooms, across coffee cups and the occasional early beer… I mean, it is a festival after all!

Fly Tying demonstrations underway in the cockpit…

There was also a small selection of tackle manufacturers and fishing brands showing off new kit, rods and flies. It’s one of those gatherings where you happily drift from one conversation to another and come away having learned something new from someone new every time - or the slightly stark realisation that it takes about fifteen minutes to move anywhere because you keep bumping into people you haven’t seen in years!

I must not touch the rods… I don’t need another rod! Do I need another rod!?…

The narrowing divide

What struck me most over the weekend wasn’t the tackle, or even the fishing, it was the conversations, and the shift in topics.

For a long time, there has sometimes been a perceived divide in the fishing world… anglers on one side, conservationists on the other. That line, it seems, is becoming increasingly blurred.

Meeting people from organisations like the Wild Trout Trust, and listening to speakers from the South West Rivers Association, along with various river associations across the region, it was clear how many anglers are now deeply engaged in discussions about river health, habitat restoration and the pressures facing our waters and the species that depend on them.

Jeff Pearce, of the Fowey Rivers Association explaining the pressures and opportunities on Cornish river habitats…

Topics like spawning habitat, sedimentation, fish passage and catchment management were discussed with the same enthusiasm you’d normally expect for fly patterns or new fishing gear.

And that’s massively encouraging.

Because when anglers start asking questions about habitat, you know something important is shifting… and shifting for the better.

While we’re on the subject of good causes, and if the Trout Festival left you thinking about new rods, fishing days, or perhaps the dangerous idea that you definitely need another trip somewhere, it’s worth taking a look at the Wild Trout Trust online auction.

There are currently over 440 lots up for grabs, ranging from fishing experiences and guided fishing days, to a whole variety of river and fish-related temptations. It’s a brilliant way to support the work the Trust does restoring rivers and improving habitat across the country - while possibly coming away with something rather special yourself!

The auction is already live and closes from 3pm on Sunday 22nd March, so if you fancy combining a little retail therapy with helping rivers, it’s well worth a look.

👉 Take a look at the auction here

Angling ‘and’ Conservation

Of course, for us at TACA, this conversation isn’t a new one. It’s written right there in our name: Teign Angling & Conservation Association. The two things have always belonged together. As Forrest Gump might say, ‘like peas and carrots’.

Healthy rivers support healthy fisheries. And anglers, perhaps more than anyone, spend the time observing rivers closely, sometimes a little too closely if you take an unexpected dunk, to recognise when things are changing.

Events like the one at the Arundell are a great reminder that this understanding is spreading. More anglers across the region are becoming aware of the challenges our rivers face, and just as importantly, the work that organisations, volunteers and river associations are doing to improve them.

Some river tuition in action…

The real value of gatherings like this

Beyond the talks, the fly tying and the casting demonstrations, the real value of a weekend like this is the people. There’s a definite strength in passionate people with purpose. And yes, I’m rather proud of that use of alliteration!

Meeting others involved in river associations. Swapping notes about restoration work and future plans. Hearing what’s happening in neighbouring catchments. Sharing ideas about what’s working… and what we’re still figuring out.

You quickly realise that while each river is totally unique, many of the challenges we face are shared. And more importantly, so too are the solutions.

Looking ahead

As the trout season gets underway on our rivers, events like the West Country Trout Festival serve as a welcome reminder of why we care so much about them in the first place. Yes, we all want to go fishing. But increasingly we’re also thinking about what it takes to keep these rivers healthy for the long term - so others can feel that same excitement long after we’re gone.

If the conversations I heard over the weekend are anything to go by, more and more anglers are beginning to see the bigger picture - that great fishing doesn’t just happen by chance. It happens when rivers are healthy, habitats are cared for, and enough people decide the future of these places is worth looking after.

And that’s a proper conversation worth continuing.