Latest Catch Reports
Avon Fishing Association Catch Returns & Reports
We hope these annual Catch Retrns and occasional reports help members and visitors. They contain useful pointers to successful tactics.
An invitation to complete their annual Catch Return online is sent to AFA members by email at the end of September. A reminder is emailed in late November.
The AFA Facebook Page has catch reports during the season.This is included within the AFA Home page.
Follow the AFA Facebook Page to include the AFA within your Facebook News Feed
Please send entries and photos for inclusion on the AFA Facebook Page by email to Paul Kenyon (address on AFA Contacts Page)
Report on 2019 Catch Returns
This analysis begins with comments from members to reflect members’ experiences in 2019
Then a summary of responses from 53 AFA members using the online Catch Return form, the paper Catch Return form as well as other catch reports is presented
Returns were used to calculate the Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) for salmon, sea trout and brown trout in 2019.
Catch per unit effort (CPUE) measurements are widely used in fisheries management and are generally seen as a better indicator of true abundance than catches alone. CPUE worked out as for salmon = (100* ([total number of salmon caught] / [total number of days fished for salmon])”
For more on the usefulness of CPUE see:
Salmon Stocks and Fisheries in England and Wales, 2018
2019: AFA members’ comments
- testing: River high or low
- Another hot and dry year, puts me off fishing.
- Poor summer levels. Best days after rain. ST caught fishing for salmon with fly.
- I had fished 18 times without even seeing a salmon, for the second year running.
- Infrequent visits matched with either very high or very low water conditions made short sessions difficult. Only fished Gara Bridge sections. Little evidence of other anglers!
- Poor year with low water for sea trout, some large fish seen but not connected.
- Good that the river level rose early for salmon fishing in October
- Saw very few sea trout and Salmon
- hAVE WALKED THE LOWER RIVER OFTEN BUT ONLY FISHED ONCE.rEASON- NOT SURE THAT THE HEAVILY PREDATED STOCKS CAN WITHSTAND THE FISHING EFFORT AND I DON’T AGREE WITH CATCH AND RELEASE. ACCESS WAS VERY DIFFICULT. KITES IMPERIAL WORKS VERY WELL AS USUAL.
- Poor, particularly in the late trout season. Best fly was a size 16 Kate McLaren which was usually taken on the retrieve. Sedge patterns didn’t work and Adams early season only.
- For the last two years I have not heard any seaport jump at night though I have not fished after midnight. I have the impression that the numbers of seaport have fallen markedly
- Extremely poor run of Sea Trout this season (small average size & numbers), even when viewed against ever declining runs in recent years. Chose not to fish for Salmon. All Brown Trout caught as “by-catch” to Sea Trout fishing
- No sea trout caught at night this year with very few fishing showing after dark. All sea trout were caught in spates before and after the 30th September. The number of brown trout caught per trip this year was lower than last (I averaged about 4 per session) but more bigger fish were caught compared to last year including my personal best of 16.25 inches from hedge pool in May, see AFA Facebook for photo! (The box above would not let me enter 16.25 so I just entered 16 inches. PTN and Elk Hair caddis were my two most successful patterns. I also caught a few good out of season brown trout in the 12 – 15 inch category on spinners during October in the lower water. Like last year there only seemed to be one run of salmon with the fish I’ve heard about all being caught around the first and second week of November. The two salmon I caught were caught within 4 casts of each other in the Flats the day after a very large spate in early November.
- Salmon was a lovely fresh run hen fish but surprisingly small. I initially thought she was a large trout but on closer inspection,was definitely a salmon. Returned immediately.
- Moved 1 salmon saw none. 3 Brownies caught while salmon fishing all released.
- Only fished in October & November at Kerry Downs. 15 trips – amounting to approx. 40 hours fishing. Hooked three salmon and landed one – small cock fish of about 3lbs – clean fish; starting to colour up. One of the fish that released its self was fresh and silver – estimated 6-8lbs – lovely looking fish! For me better than last autumn, when I only hooked one (escaped under the rod tip!) – but then I only went out 8 times last season. This year there has been plenty of water – perhaps too much? So any fish will have run through quickly!
- Hard for brown trout. Better for salmon but because of fluctuating river levels salmon fishing proved you had to be in the right placemat the right time. I wasn’t !
- Did not see any fish this year
- Not much opportunity. As a new member some of the access points and extent of AFA fishing are a little unclear but that’s probably because I don’t get on the river enough Not much opportunity. As a new member some of the access points and extent of AFA fishing are a little unclear but that’s probably because I don’t get on the river enough
- Access was no different to previous years. I felt that there were more larger fish in the river this year, although overall stock levels were about the same. The best tactics were a nymph with a bite indicator. I felt that dry fly takes were harder to induce this year.
- Very poor season with four blank sessions.Most successful dry was deer hair sedge.PTN downstream.
- Water levels very low over the summer.
- Saw very few fish at all this year.
- A novice year so I missed plenty of “takes” and hence the catch could have been larger. Almost all fishing done on stretches from downstream of New Bridge up to Loddiswell station beat.
- I fished only for brown trout and found the river disappointing for dry fly. Not as much surface rises as i expected and not as many 1/2 + fish as I would have hoped. Also difficult to access pools even given the unkempt nature of the river’s course
Summary of 2019 salmon catch
number caught | number returned | number of days fished for salmon | Catch Per Unit Effort |
6 | 6 | 126 | 5 |
Summary of 2019 sea trout catch
number caught | number returned | number of days fished for sea trout | Catch Per Unit Effort |
28 | 24 | 72 | 39 |
Summary of 2019 brown trout catch
number caught | number returned | number of days fished for brown trout | Catch Per Unit Effort |
485 | 483 | 247 | 237 |
Brown trout caught over 8 inches in 2019
number caught | % of total catch | number of days fished for brown trout | Catch Per Unit Effort |
95 | 20% | 247 | 46 |
Report on 2018 Catch Returns
This analysis begins with comments from members to illustrate the interesting variety of members experiences in 2018
Then a summary of responses from 53 AFA members using the online Catch Return form is presented and a list of the annual AFA award winners
These returns were used to calculate the Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) for salmon, sea trout and brown trout in 2018.
Previous AFA historical records and surveys are used to compare CPUE for salmon, sea trout and brown trout in 2018 with earlier years
2018: AFA members’ comments
The comments section on the online Catch Return form reveal the unpredictable nature of fly fishing:
- Low water throughout the summer and during the autumn made fishing very difficult.
- The last week in June and first 2 weeks in July during the evening was exceptional fishing
- Poor catch rate possibly due to lack of water and days fishing
- Looking forward to 2019
- I fished hard in good nocturnal conditions but only heard one fish jump
- Best season I have had on the Avon.
- The fishing seemed poor with only small brown trout
Summary of 2018 salmon catch
number caught | number returned | number of days fished for salmon | Catch Per Unit Effort |
2 | 2 | 66 | 3 |
“Catch per unit effort (CPUE) measurements are widely used in fisheries management and are generally seen as a better indicator of true abundance than catches alone. CPUE worked out as for salmon = (100* ([total number of salmon caught] / [total number of days fished for salmon])”
Summary of 2018 sea trout catch
number caught | number returned | number of days fished for sea trout | Catch Per Unit Effort |
25 | 23 | 105 | 23 |
Summary of 2018 brown trout catch
number caught | number returned | number of days fished for brown trout | Catch Per Unit Effort |
757 | 750 | 253 | 297 |
2018 AFA awards
- The Siveridge Conservation Award goes to Adrian Cross who returned 3 sea trout and 140 brown trout
- The Bob Sadler Award for the largest Brown Trout goes to Adrian Cross for a fish of 16 inches
- The Presidents Prize goes to Adrian Cross with a total of 141 brown trout
- The Jim Coombs Award for the largest sea trout goes to Stephen Lowe with a fish of 27 inches
- The Cedric Potter Trophy for the largest salmon goes to John Roberts with a fish of 26 inches
November 2018
12th November
Report from Andy Pieterse “Delighted to report I managed a small Grilse on the Avon (today) “
Report from John Roberts “Caught today on silver Willie Gunn. More hooked and lost by other anglers.”
Fishing Effort
- 15 members fished for salmon for a total of 66 days (15 % of total fishing effort)
- 18 members fished for sea trout for a total of 105 days (25 % of total fishing effort)
- 33 members fished for brown trout for a total of 253 days (60 % of total fishing effort)
Analysis using Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE)
Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) is the number of fish caught per 100 days fished
Salmon
Members fished for salmon on 66 separate occassions. Only 2 salmon were caught resulting in a CPUE value of 3
But the picture may not be as bleak as it appears. In the comments field on the online Catch Return, members reported a further 4 occasions when they either lost, or ‘turned’ a fish.
Taking these brief encounters into account, we could devise a new ‘glass-half-full’ statistic E-PUE (Encounter Per Unit Effort’ (salmon hooked, lost or turned) which gives a value of 9 for 2018.
Sea trout
Members fished for sea trout on 105 occassions. The CPUE figure for sea trout in 2018 was 23.
Brown trout
AFA members fished for brown trout on 253 occassions. Brown trout achieved a CPUE score of 297. Thus on average 3 brown trout were caught per fishing trip. The majority of these were small fish (less than 8″). But members caught 125 trout of 8 inches or more: a CPUE score of 50.
In other words, on average ONE brown trout 8″ or above was caught per 2 fishing trips.
Comparison with historical records: salmon …
The 1990 AFA salmon survey
In 1990 the committee asked anglers to record the number of times they went salmon fishing and their catches.
In 1990 members fished for salmon 128 times and caught 11 fish giving a CPUE of 9.
For further details see
this page on the AFA website.
This table shows CPUE data for salmon across all South West (SW) rivers for the years 1997 to 2017.
In 1990 CPUE (9) for salmon on AFA water was in line with, perhaps slightly better than, CPUE across the South West in the years 1997 to 2017.
Here is the link on the AFA website to the records of the number of salmon caught by members from 1974 to 2017
However, in 2018 only 2 salmon were caught by AFA members resulting in a CPUE value of 3.
The AFA committee is proposing a Rule change to increase the opportunity for members to catch salmon.
Comparison with historical records: sea trout …
The 1990 AFA sea trout survey
In 1990 the committee asked anglers to record the number of times they went sea trout fishing and their catches.
In that season members fished for sea trout 203 times and caught 58 fish giving a CPUE of 29.
For further details see
this page on the AFA website.
In 2018 the CPUE for sea trout was 23. Fishing effort was lower than in 1990: Members fished for sea trout on 105 occassions.
Nevertheless CPUE for sea trout in 2018 (23) and 1990 (29) are quite similar.
Comparison with historical records: brown trout …
Historical record of trout catches by an AFA member
AFA member John Eve was a skilled angler. He only had eight blank days in 15 years fishing the Avon.
John kept detailed records of the brown trout he caught on the Avon between 1975 and 1990. During that period he fished the river 106 times. He caught 191 trout over 8 inches long. He returned 310 fish of less than eight inches.
John’s CPUE was 473 for trout under and over 8 inches
For trout over 8 inches his CPUE was 180
On average John caught just under five fish on each visit: about two fish over 8 inches and three fish below takeable length. About 38% of John’s catch was of takeable size.
For further details see this page on the AFA website.
1989 AFA Survey of Trout Catches
In the late 1980s some AFA members expressed concern about poor brown trout catches. In 1989 I was asked by the committee to design and analyse a survey that asked anglers to record how many takeable fish (8 inches and over) they caught, as well as where and when they were caught.
Twenty five anglers returned the survey form.
Nine anglers had not fished during the year so the results are based on 133 visits to the river by 16 members.
The CPUE for trout of all sizes was 272
The CPUE for trout over 8 inches was 66
For further details see this page on the AFA website.
Summary of trout CPUE from 1975 to 2018
John Eve 1975-1990 | 1989 AFA Survey | 2018 AFA Catch Returns | |
|---|---|---|---|
CPUE for trout of any size | 473 | 272 | 297 |
CPUE for trout greater than 8 in | 180 | 66 | 50 |
Comment:
I was surprised, pleasantly surprised, by the similarity in brown trout CPUE values revealed in surveys of members conducted nearly 30 years apart.
In 2018 60% of members’ fishing effort was directed at catching brown trout.
But it’s not unusual for members to remark on the small size of Avon trout e.g. “The fishing seemed poor with only small brown trout”
I hope the following section goes some way to explaining the size, migratory and reproductive behaviour of trout in our river
Size and age of brown trout in the Devonshire Avon
The majority of brown trout caught on the Devonshire Avon are less than eight inches long
But each season anglers catch larger twelve or thirteen inch fish
Figure based on F. J . NOTT 20th .November, 1962. Fisheries Officer. Fisheries Survey – river Avon. 1962
This graph shows the growth rate of wild brown trout in our area. Fish of twelve to fourteen inches may take six years to reach that length
The graph suggests that there are simply fewer bigger fish, and therefore the more fish you can actually catch, then they greater the chance that one of them will be big
Our trout are about three years old before they spawn for the first time
Some brown trout (particularly females) migrate to sea and return as sea trout to spawn with returning male sea trout or resident male brown trout
The intimate relationship between sea trout and brown trout
In 2016 our understanding of the importance of larger sea trout to trout stocks were increased by scientists from Exeter University, Queen Mary University and Game and Conservancy Wildlife Trust.
They reported that a small number of large female sea trout are responsible for maintaining the stock of trout in a river.
Their paper is available online: Goodwin et al. (2016) A small number of anadromous females drive reproduction in a brown trout (Salmo trutta) population in an English chalk stream. Freshwater Biology 61, 1075–1089.
The case for sea trout conservation Why conserve sea trout?
Highlights of brown and sea trout spawning in Autumn/winter 2017. YouTube video from the Ness District Salmon Fishery Board
Conclusions
I would like to thank all those who submitted their catch return and comments online. It certainly helped in collating the results.
I think we should continue to collect data that can be used to calculate CPUE. CPUE is “widely used in fisheries management and are generally seen as a better indicator of true abundance than catches alone.”
The FAQ for the Online Catch Return Form should be retained for new members, and updated as new questions are asked.
I would encourage members to submit reports of fishing “ups and downs” during the season that can be included on this page to help communication between members
I suggest the paper version of the Catch Return form should, in future, include questions on ‘days fished’ to enable calculation of CPUE values for salmon, sea trout and brown trout
I suggest the paper version of the Catch Return form should, in future, ask members to submit the length (rather than length/weight) to standardise across paper and online forms.
Report prepared for AFA on 3rd January 2019 by Paul Kenyon.
email address on AFA Contacts page
References
- SALMON STOCKS AND FISHERIES IN ENGLAND AND WALES, 2017Preliminary assessment prepared for ICES, April 2018″ written by Cefas Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Team at Lowestoft and fisheries personnel from the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales
- F. J . NOTT 20th .November, 1962. Fisheries Officer. Fisheries Survey – river Avon. 1962
- Catch per unit effort on Wikipedia
Environment Agency 2008 Evaluating options for sea trout and brown trout biological reference points