1988 was the last time the rod catch on the Severn topped 1,000. Catches in that league were never that common on the Severn even in the hey days of the spring fishing. The season total broke that barrier only 14 times in the forty years from 1950 to 1990. In twelve seasons it was below 600.

It is worthwhile setting the scene by looking at some significant figures for 1987.

The results of the salmon scale reading programme (comprising about 13% of the rod catch) showed a number of interesting trends. The most significant was the decline in three-sea-winter salmon from 32% in 1984 to just 13% in 1987. Over the same period the proportion of grilse had risen from 16% to 41%. Previous spawners accounted for 3.2% with fish up to 24lb.

The reported net catch was 2,601 of which lave nets accounted for 607, draft nets 117 and the putchers 1,877. The rod catch broke down as, above Shrewsbury 321, below 398, Vyrnwy 95, Banwy 4, Tanat 3, and 108 from the Teme. The most significant trend here was the collapse in the Teme catch from 277 in 1986. The redd count was 2,150 the third highest since 1975.

With 14 salmon recorded through Shrewsbury weir fish counter in January (some 100 river miles above the tideway) prospects for the early season fishing looked good. In 1981, the best year in the previous decade the number through the counter was 21.

The season started with two fish on February 2nd (the old opening day) from Holt on high water. Diglis had 11 for the month, mainly in the 12-14lb class, but with the best 22 1/2lbs. Three fish were caught at the Hampstell Hotel below Stourport, a traditionally productive early season venue. 15 were reported from Cressage up to Atcham. Shrewsbury weir had the best early fish at 25lb. The highest up-river a fish was reported was Buttington, just below Welshpool, where a 14lber was landed.

Diglis accounted for another 14 in March, the Hampstell added just one more fish to its total, Holt produced 6 and Lincomb Weir at Stourport, once a very productive early fishery, accounted for just one fish. A single fish was reported from the Teme and just a handful from the Vyrnwy.

March ended with a falling river after good travelling conditions for much of the month, but fish failed to run.

Diglis accounted for a few fish in April with the best 14lb, but rod effort was reported to be well down on usual. Holt/Hampstell was reported as poor, but further up-river catches were slightly better. Twenty fish were grassed from Ironbridge up to Atcham up to 26lb, and a 23lber was landed from Monksmoor. Shrewsbury Weir was ‘very poor’ and only 46 fish were reported through the fish counter. The best fish from above Shrewsbury was a 22lber from Llandrino.

Graham Hadley was very downbeat in his report for the month and concluded that: ‘it is clear that the spring run of salmon was poor this year, and all depends on the summer salmon and grilse’.

May began with the river fining down after another spate. Catches for the month showed what Mr Hadley described as a ‘marked improvement’.

The tidal river below the Avon confluence accounted for a few fish up to 16lb. Sport at Diglis was reported to be’ fair’. From Bridgnorth up to Leighton catches were described as ‘well down’ but a few fish were caught, the best 18lb. Cressage up to Atcham accounted for a dozen fish to 15lb a number of which were described as ‘grilse sized’. Catches at Shrewsbury weir were ‘acceptable’ but no details were given and fish were reported to be well spread out up to Welshpool. The Teme was reported as very poor.

June started with the river fining down after a rise and the months catches led Mr Hadley to conclude that anglers could see ‘a glimmer of hope at last that all is well with the salmon’.

Settled water meant low water beats did well. Tewkesbury reported plenty of fish from 4 to 15lbs. Diglis had thirty. Fish were banked from Coalport, Ironbridge, Buildwas, and Leighton up to 18lb with reports of a significant number of grilse around 4/5lb. From Atcham down to Tern mouth 15 fish were banked including a bright 19lber. Shrewsbury weir reported eight up to 18 1/4lb.

The river was topped up regularly in July and good numbers of grilse and summer salmon were reported to be running hard.

Fair catches were reported from the tide up to Diglis, where the best fish went 22lb, with an average weight of around 12lb and plenty of grilse showing in the catch. Thye fishing was good throughout throughout the middle river from Bewdley and Arley all the way up to Coalport, Leighton, Sheinton, Cound, Wroxeter, Brompton, Atcham and Preston Boats. Pools in the section below Shrewsbury were described as full of ‘sporting grilse’. The catches continued above Shrewsbury from Montford all the way up to Welshpool. Large numbers of small summer salmon and grilse were reported moving further upstream towards the headwaters at the end of the month.

Many of the grilse were reported to be on the small side from 2lb 8oz to 3lb 8oz. The fishing on the Vyrnwy remained hard and the Teme continued to be poor.



Small grilse made up a large proportion of the rod catch in 1988. Wet summers like 2007 that saw grilse making up 56% of the catch are not such a new development on the Severn

A fly caught grilse was reported from above Melverley, leading Mr Hadley to comment that more Severn anglers should try the fly as the river has ‘many good fly runs’.

The August report started with the observation that the Severn salmon anglers’ song was now ‘thank heavens for little grilse’. Mr Hadley then went on to describe how ‘run after run took advantage of the wettest August for many years.’

The very lowest beats did well with a catch of mainly grilse, the smallest reported a fish of just 1lb 12oz from Tewkesbury. There were a few summer salmon around as well weighing up to 15lbs. High levels for most of the month kept catches down at Diglis with just 15 reported mainly to the worm.

Good catches were reported throughout the river during the periods when levels dropped between spates. The most significant news was the fact that Caersws AA, right up in the headwaters, reported 40 fish in less than ten days.

The Teme was still poor with Charlie Harber accounting for the total reported catch of 3 all from the lower beats. The Vyrnwy catch was just 10 and a 9lber came from the Banwy which was considered a very early fish for that stream.

The season continued in to September with ‘superb runs of grilse and summer salmon’. The high waters stopped fishing on the lower river for much of the month, but a ‘vast push’ of fish was reported going over Tewkesbury Weir.

Good catches were reported throughout the system whenever water levels dropped back to good fishing heights. The fish were mainly grilse and the vast majority fell to the worm. Mr Hadley reported a grilse of 6lb 12oz on fly from Brompton to a Halesowen angler, which was one of six he had had on the method up to September 6th.

This allowed the T&S reporter to return to a theme close to his heart: ‘it is good to see that at last anglers are willing to give the fly a chance on the Severn. There are countless lies from which fish could be taken on the fly in low water if only anglers put in the effort’.

Though the catches were mainly small grilse there were still some better fish about, and one angler reported three fish in one session from Melverly at 7lb, 8lb 12oz and 11lb, all very fresh. The good running conditions throughout the summer continued to benefit the headwater beats and Caersws AA topped 80 for the season. The fishing on the Vyrnwy remained hard and the Teme reported just 3 more fish.

Discussion

This account suggests that by 1988 the salmon population on the Severn had already switched from a stock predominantly made up of 2 and 3 sea winter spring fish, to one with a large component of grilse and summer salmon. If this is indeed the case it would make the Severn no different from the vast majority of salmon rivers in the British Isles which went rhough the same change from the sixties to the nineties.

What was unusual about the season was the fact that good flows throughout the summer kept the fish running and catches up. This meant that the factors that normally depress Severn catches in high summer – low flows and high water temperatures - didn’t come in to play.

Significantly some of the prime spring beats had low catches in 1988. Diglis reported 111, Holt 22, the Hampstell Hotel 5 and Llincomb weir 3.

The trend towards grilse and summer salmon can also be seen if we look at the average weight of Severn salmon over the decades. In 1955 the first year the rod catch topped 1,000 the average weight was 16lb 4oz, in 1972, the year with the best catch on record, it was down to 12lb 8oz, and in 1988 it was 9lb 4oz. This clearly demonstrates both the fall in the proportion of big spring salmon and the change in the balance towards small summer salmon and grilse.


Statistics

Rod catch

1,338

Net Catch

3,511

Rod Fishing effort

No statistics on rod effort were collected in 1988, but if we consider that by 1992 the catch had fallen to 214 but a rod effort of just under 15,000 days was still recorded in 1995, then a reasonable estimate would put the figure at around 18,000 rod days in 1988. This would put the number of salmon caught in 100 days fishing at 7.43. The equivalent figure during the best years of the last decade was 6.6. If the rod effort didn’t fall between 1988 and 1995 the figure would be 8.92.