So, I was on/in the river yesterday trying to find some Grayling. I managed an out of season Brooney (oops. sorry bud) about 4" long. I was ready to give in when I heard an almighty splash behind me.... Big fish were jumping in a still pool at 5 minute intervals.
So on one last roll of the dice i retrieved my Greys 7# from the car and tied on an streamer which I had for some reason bought last year and forgotten about. The 7# normally only sees still waters and that is very infrequently.
Second cast...BANG! was that a whale?
After 5 mins fight my arm started to ache... I can remember chanting the eternal mantra of all fishermen " please don't snap, please don't snap"
My best fish yet. Phew.
Saturday 29 October 2011
Friday 7 October 2011
Divint even think aboot it evil pollutoman.
Just a quick update on the progress towards a cleaner Ouseburn....
With an rush of self-righteous vigour I wrote to Nick Brown MP about the amount of pollutant allowed to flow into the Ouseburn etc etc....
here is the reply I have just received;
WALLOP! take that.
here is the letter that was sent to Newcastle City Council.....
THWACK! they dont like it up em mr Mannerwring.
oh my god! in steps the BBC......
BOSH! feel my power!
Holy macaroni, here comes the Environment Agency....
Something might just happen.
TBC
With an rush of self-righteous vigour I wrote to Nick Brown MP about the amount of pollutant allowed to flow into the Ouseburn etc etc....
here is the reply I have just received;
Dear Lyle Nicholson,
Thank you for your recent email to Nick Brown MP highlighting your concerns about the large amount of foam in the Ouseburn River recently. I am replying as Nick’s constituency assistant.
You are right that this is a dangerous pollutant in the river and seems to have come from drainage upstream which finds its way into the Ouseburn (which has historically been used for drainage purposes). I hope you will be pleased to hear that Nick has written to the Chief Executive of Newcastle City Council highlighting the matter and enquiring as to what the Council intends to do about it. Please find a copy of this letter attached to this email. I shall of course keep you in touch with any reply we receive.
For info, see below two links showing the coverage the BBC gave the incident, as well as the Environment Agency’s notice appealing for information from the public, if you have yet to come across these.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Nick about this matter and I hope to get back to you soon with a response from the Council.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
David Hickling
Senior Caseworker
On behalf of Rt. Hon. Nick Brown MP
WALLOP! take that.
here is the letter that was sent to Newcastle City Council.....
THWACK! they dont like it up em mr Mannerwring.
oh my god! in steps the BBC......
BOSH! feel my power!
Holy macaroni, here comes the Environment Agency....
Something might just happen.
TBC
Sunday 2 October 2011
Geordie Trout - Eco Warrior
What a strange week it has been. No fishing done though. I've been SAVING THE PLANET. well trying to save the Ouseburn river in Jesmond Dene from pollution.
I did have an ulterior motive though. I wanted the river clean enough so it could be stocked with brown trout for me to cast flies at. I had contacted an organisation called Trout in the Town and exchanged a few emails with a bod called Paul Gaskell. One of his emails suggested I gather interested people to help with the work so this I did via the mighty Fly Fishing Forums (see link to the right there). I posted a new thread (calling all North Eastern Flyfishers) on the Sunday, by the Monday I had arranged to meet Jon a flyfishing scientist from Newcastle Uni. We were to meet in the Dene on Wednesday evening and he would take some water samples to check the river for pollution and oxygen levels etc. I was up early on Wednesday morning to walk the Boo Boo (pet dug) as I am want to do. Say hello Boo Boo...
I noticed some white foam in the Ouseburn just below the house.....
Then further downstream I noticed some more.....
In fact a whole lot more of the stuff. It was all over the river, frothing up and blowing around. I rang the Environment Agency and reported the pollution. Feeling offended by this stuff invading 'my stream' I rang the BBC local news desk and sent them some of the pictures you can see above. I was building up a righteous head of steam by now.
By the time I got to work an Environmental Agency investigation was taking place and an item was added to BBC radio Newcastle news.
That evening I met with Jon and he took some samples. Surprisingly the levels of saturated oxygen were good but unsurprisingly the water was full of nitrates, phosphates and other words I don't understand. He didn't seem to think there was much chance of getting trout into the Ouseburn, and I could tell he was thinking I was a bit of a nutter.
Anyways, not one for 'letting it lie' I started a Facebook page (we love jesmond dene. stop polluting the ouseburn) I sent various emails to lots of people (local politicians, national politicians, commander in chief of the western armies) and generally became a pushy resident.
On Friday I spoke with a nice man at the Environment Agency who explained he had traced the source of the pollution to an outlet pipe in the killingworth area and the detergent (as this is what it turned out to be) was no stranger to the Ouseburn. The EA put out a press release to try and get Joe Public to nitch on the polluter.
Who knows? eventually the Ouseburn may be clean enough to support fishyness. If it is remember....You heard it hear first.
It is a crime that pollution is finding its way into the ouseburn. Over 6 million squids have just been spent on rebuilding cafes, paths, and bridges in Jesmond Dene. At least some of it should have been spent on cleaning up the Stream without which the Dene would not exist. This poem sums up the loveliness of the Dene. Ta Ta.
Sweet Jesmond Dene
O, Jesmond Dene! sweet Jesmond Dene!
Fair art thou in thy dress of green!
Thy flowery banks and walks between
Are sylvan beauties, Jesmond Dene
Thy brook that runs with murmuring sound,
Thy leafy glen so peaceful found, Thy wells, thy ruin, Jesumound,
Win heart to thee, sweet Jesmond Dene,
The bridges that throw o'er thy stream
Their span of rustic arch and beam,
Recall to mind some fairy dream,
It must be thine, sweet Jesmond Dene.
T.J. Warby c.1890
 |
| woof |
 |
| some white foam in a northern stream. |
 |
| a bit more white foam in a northern stream. |
Under the bridge at Castle Farm Road there was even more of the stuff.
 |
| more of the flipping stuff |
In fact a whole lot more of the stuff. It was all over the river, frothing up and blowing around. I rang the Environment Agency and reported the pollution. Feeling offended by this stuff invading 'my stream' I rang the BBC local news desk and sent them some of the pictures you can see above. I was building up a righteous head of steam by now.
 |
| next to the Fishermans Lodge. |
 |
| the waterfall at the mill. |
Anyways, not one for 'letting it lie' I started a Facebook page (we love jesmond dene. stop polluting the ouseburn) I sent various emails to lots of people (local politicians, national politicians, commander in chief of the western armies) and generally became a pushy resident.
On Friday I spoke with a nice man at the Environment Agency who explained he had traced the source of the pollution to an outlet pipe in the killingworth area and the detergent (as this is what it turned out to be) was no stranger to the Ouseburn. The EA put out a press release to try and get Joe Public to nitch on the polluter.
Who knows? eventually the Ouseburn may be clean enough to support fishyness. If it is remember....You heard it hear first.
It is a crime that pollution is finding its way into the ouseburn. Over 6 million squids have just been spent on rebuilding cafes, paths, and bridges in Jesmond Dene. At least some of it should have been spent on cleaning up the Stream without which the Dene would not exist. This poem sums up the loveliness of the Dene. Ta Ta.
O, Jesmond Dene! sweet Jesmond Dene!
Fair art thou in thy dress of green!
Thy flowery banks and walks between
Are sylvan beauties, Jesmond Dene
Thy brook that runs with murmuring sound,
Thy leafy glen so peaceful found, Thy wells, thy ruin, Jesumound,
Win heart to thee, sweet Jesmond Dene,
The bridges that throw o'er thy stream
Their span of rustic arch and beam,
Recall to mind some fairy dream,
It must be thine, sweet Jesmond Dene.
T.J. Warby c.1890
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