Last year was not a fisherman's year. The long, dry summer was great for most visitors but not for water temperatures and river levels.
However, after heavy rainfall this winter, Wimbleball Lake is currently full (it even overflowed at the end of January) and the rivers on Exmoor are looking very healthy; so it looks as if there will be an excellent start to the trout season (31st March on Wimbleball).
Water overflowing from Wimbleball Lake. An idea of scale is given by the blue car
Salmon numbers should increase steadily in the next few years thanks to the stopping of the Irish nets - and half the Exe estuary nets - and also The Exe Project, see www.wrt.org.uk
All in all, things are looking good for Exmoor fishermen in 2007, provided we get plenty of rain this summer.
So if you're on holiday on Exmoor this summer and it happens to be a bit showery, rejoice and think how much good it's doing the fish!
There are 'fishing facts' and 'fishing news' on the Weatherham Farm website www.weatherhamfarm.co.uk
Linda and George Leigh-Firbank at Handley Farm www.handleyfarm.co.uk have a fishing lake on their farm which guests can use.
Monitoring salmon on the River Exe
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