Straight talk: we're struggling, and so are our rivers

Marcus Cherry

9 hours ago

2 min read

{with some photos of happier fishing times!}

No sugar-coating: this summer has hit us hard.

Above - Brecon Beacons - Days like these are what we're fighting for.

The drought and heatwaves emptied the rivers, anglers stayed home, and orders have dried up. Our stockist has paused ordering until next year, The EU has made things a lot harder and prohibitively costly for cottage industry to post there, and a key companion product we rely on has been hard to get. We're making plans for the future, and closing is one of the options if things don't turn.

This summer I fished with my mate Joel on the River Elan. The smell of sewage was strong, thick in the air. The hosts, locals, were in despair. The riverbed was silted and brown, devoid of life, like a sci-fi landscape, and there wasn't a prey insect in sight. We went to feed our souls, chat and catch. We came away angry, powerless, and without a nibble. So we feel what you've all undoubtedly felt. But we believe too much in this to give up.

Some well-known anglers have asked whether we should refuse to renew our rod licences until rivers are cleaned up. I understand the anger. I won't tell you to fish without one, because that's illegal and risks a fine.

Here's what actually puts pressure on them: -