Dear Sir or Madam,

The water levels on the Munster Blackwater this year were amongst the lowest recorded since 1976 with very little rain from the end of July until our close of season at the end of September.

The knock-on effect of this was that Salmon that had entered the river system from spring onwards stayed in the deep pools, thereby becoming vulnerable to anglers using shrimp, prawn and worm fishing methods. From Cappoquin to Mallow, scores of fishermen using these baits were catching and, in many cases, killing fish that had been in the system for many months.

In many instances anglers were advised during September to travel upstream and use these methods resulting in numerous large fish, many in double figures, being killed rather than returned.

As there are few large fish travelling above Fermoy weir after July, a great number of Springers were caught using these methods which make it almost impossible to safely return a fish.

The run that came into the river system in July and August were vulnerable downstream from Fermoy as was witnessed many times at the Kitchen Hole in Cappoquin, with anything up to twenty so-called anglers standing shoulder to shoulder with the sole intention of killing anything caught, as all were shrimping or worming.

The fishery officers have a difficult task policing such a long river and many fishermen not only abuse the quotas, but are happy to boast of their excessive catches.

Having fished the Munster Blackwater for forty years and witnessed the ongoing decline in Salmon numbers for a variety of reasons, even before reaching the river systems, the days of mass killing have to be curtailed or we will not have the opportunity of taking our grandchildren fishing as there will not be fish.

The two week extension, of which our beats do not partake, certainly does not help matters. Large fish counts on beats without proper controls are somewhat akin to fool’s gold – not worth a damn when there are no longer fish to be caught.

Yours etc.

Len Tomlinson,

Ballyduff Bridge Fishery,

Artists Cottage,

Raspberry Hill,

Ballyduff Upper,

Co Waterford.