All three rivers are far better than they were 30 odd years ago. That much is obvious, although hardly relevant to the discussion. The EA and others have done a wonderful job. I never expected to be catching any river fish locally during my lifetime. But I don't measure any water just by what is caught there.

But compared to a couple of years ago, I see far more anglers on the banks, and not just in one area, although they tend to be concentrated in a couple of areas. A number of these are using very crude tackle, some in ways likely to harm fish. The remote areas are seeing more anglers too, although they tend to be largely the more serious. But if those sectors start to see reports published, they too will be degraded. Any water producing good fish will see an influx of other anglers, but to encourage it is plain foolhardy.

I pick up far more litter and line, beer cans etc nowadays. I see far more evidence of fires on the bank, noise, barbecues. Trees have been cut down in areas where they were certainly beneficial. I see more fish with lip damage, chub mainly. I saw one lad from a group of teenagers throw a small grayling at a tree in order to try and extract a deep hook.
There are many more people registered and reading the forums. Interest has bloomed. All in all I would say that the angling pressure has trebled whilst I have been fishing it. In just over two years. Last time I was on the river, two blokes approached and asked whether this was where all the big barbel are coming out.

I am not at all bothered by anglers from other areas, they will not come often. And if they do, they are likely to be serious and concerned anglers. It is not worth the journey when they can go to the Ribble or the Severn. As I have said before, it is the locals who concern me mainly. Too many of them just do not care for the river...or anywhere else that they might fish. They live locally, don't want to pay for their fishing, and don't worry about the mess they leave.

I have seen it so often in the past. Publicity harms fisheries. It is why some clubs ban it. It is harming this fishery, and I fear worse will result. It is why anglers from other rivers laugh at us. They have seen the light. Some of us have our heads buried too deeply in the sand to see that light.

I don't believe that fish move away from highly pressurised swims, other than normal seasonal migration. I suspect they remain, but become more wary. A certain swim on the Tame would suggest they may not even grow in waryness.