{"id":14977,"date":"2024-08-28T17:35:41","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T16:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=14977"},"modified":"2024-08-30T21:45:42","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T20:45:42","slug":"__trashed-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/__trashed-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Voices from the River Wye: An Angler&#8217;s Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>In the heart of Herefordshire, an angler defies the naysayers who claim the river is polluted. With every cast, he seeks to prove that the waters he spends all day in are teeming with lif<\/em>e.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrrr.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15098\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrrr.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrrr-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrrr-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrrr-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrrr.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15098\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrrr.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrrr-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrrr-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrrr-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">July 30th marked the hottest day of the year so far in the United Kingdom. That however did not stop David Roberts from fishing in the Wye<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On the sunniest and warmest day of the year in the United Kingdom, David Roberts arrived in Hampton Bishop. He spent yet another day in the picturesque Wye Valley pursuing his favorite pastime: fishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As he took a couple of steps into the cascading flow of the River Wye, he looked down at the water to be met with a school of fry, minnow and patches of ranunculus plants wrapped around his feet .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast to the overwhelming negative press regarding agricultural pollution in the river Wye, he is one of the few anglers that publicly acknowledges that the situation may not be as dire as it appears.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I first started to hear lots of talk about poultry farming and that it had this detrimental effect on the river, I never believed that for one second,\u201d David says. \u201cFrom that moment on I always questioned the rhetoric behind the river movement.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Upon arriving, David requested that I wear a pair of nylon pants prior to our departure for the river. Surprisingly, with the right mindset, any pair of nylon pants can be suitable for fishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrr-yayyy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrr-yayyy.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrr-yayyy-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrr-yayyy-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrr-yayyy-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrr-yayyy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrr-yayyy.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrr-yayyy-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrr-yayyy-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/riverrrr-yayyy-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David specialises in angling coaching and has set up an angling academy for youth groups that has seen success over a ten year period.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With a &#8220;can-do&#8221; mindset, Dave donned khaki shorts, an &#8220;Angling Escapades&#8221; t-shirt that advertised his business, and speedo sunglasses, exuding a readiness to unveil the river&#8217;s true nature to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On our initial stop, we explored the one of the fishing posts of the river Wye known as &#8220;Carrots Stream.&#8221; This fishing destination is situated close to the Bunch of Carrots pub in the heart of the village. David and his fishing companions frequent this location with the intention of catching Atlantic salmon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome of these names are so anglers can keep track of where the best spots are to fish. It also can tell a story along the Wye, which is quite nice,\u201d says David.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We parked nearby and stood behind a fence outside the pub, allowing us a scenic view of the river. With great enthusiasm, David frequently drew our attention to the captivating spectacle of fish leaping out of the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking out at the stretch, we pointed out the amount of fish that were jumping out from the water as we stood behind the fence. There were times where he would examine the water and whisper in excitement when he would see the sleek, silver body shimmering of a fish under the dappled sunlight, almost like a kid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"595\" height=\"491\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/hereford-river-map-.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/hereford-river-map-.jpeg 595w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/hereford-river-map--300x248.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/hereford-river-map--293x242.jpeg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 595px) 100vw, 595px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"595\" height=\"491\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/hereford-river-map-.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/hereford-river-map-.jpeg 595w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/hereford-river-map--300x248.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/hereford-river-map--293x242.jpeg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 595px) 100vw, 595px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Anglers throughout Hereford rely on fishing spots that have been used for centuries as &#8216;good areas&#8217; for catching stocks of different fish species. (source: Fly Fish Guide)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is one of our best salmon pools, one of the best on the Wye I would say,\u201d David says. \u201cWe still catch loads of salmon here and then when we\u2019re done, we just head over to the pub.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since he was four years old, David has spent his free time on river Wye before it became a business for him. He recalls spending time with his late father who showed him the ropes of salmon fishing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, fishing isn\u2019t the only thing he does, though. David also owns his own automotive business that takes over the distribution of collision repair equipment in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When hes out on the river, David has consistently achieved an impressive average catch of 200 pounds of fish in just five hours. However, despite his remarkable results, he remains perplexed by the widespread concern over pollution in the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As exciting as it was to see fish, he mentioned it was a reminder to David on how he feels about the activism surrounding the Wye, which he feels should be focusing on the irrigation and sewage issues in the UK and not poultry farming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/angling-escapades.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/angling-escapades.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/angling-escapades-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/angling-escapades-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/angling-escapades-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/angling-escapades.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/angling-escapades.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/angling-escapades-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/angling-escapades-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/angling-escapades-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David believes that in hindsight of the recent news and data surrounding the pollution of the Wye, his business has been doing well, if not better, when it comes to catching fish in the river. (credit: David Roberts)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis river has almost become the poster boy for pollution. It\u2019s good that we\u2019re talking about our rivers but what\u2019s become apparent is the sewage issue, which is bigger than anything,\u201d says David.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The news surrounding Britain\u2019s beloved rivers, the River Wye, has stated it is breaching an environmental catastrophe from intensive agricultural practices. Within the Wye catchment, anglers have the opportunity to catch a diverse range of fish species.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Natural Resources Wales, rod catches have been relatively stable since 2012, and the outlook for Wye salmon was promising. Recent data has suggested a recent shift has occurred but that hasn&#8217;t stopped David\u2019s&nbsp; business from booming..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re seeing life still be in this river. It all seems to be getting swept under the carpet because there&#8217;s lots of non- profit organizations that only care about the bad issues about the Wye,\u201d says David.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Data from the Environment Agency has also suggested that the amount of ranunculus weeds in the Wye has decreased tremendously since 2019. Along with this are other species that were noted to decline such as Atlantic salmon and white crayfish, all due to agricultural and industrial pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"724\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-724x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-724x1024.jpg 724w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-770x1089.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-293x414.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-1400x1980.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution.jpg 1587w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"724\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-724x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-724x1024.jpg 724w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-770x1089.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-293x414.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution-1400x1980.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/70-percent-of-the-pollution-comes-from-agricultural-pollution.jpg 1587w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 724px) 100vw, 724px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Most of the pollution that is in the River Wye has derived from agricultural farming, which makes up for 70 percent, and sewage management, which makes up for the other 30 percent (source: Herefordshire Wildlife Trust).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>River activist groups have tried to take matters into their own hands to figure out who the culprits are for their lack of care surrounding the river. Groups that work alog the river like Friends of the River Wye and River Action use citizen scientists and legal presidents to push back on the EA\u2019s misregulation of the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anglers like David, however, are stepping back and questioning whether or not there is any pollution to begin with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTheres lots of good things going on in the river, with the citizen scientists. They&#8217;re monitoring changes in the river, but they&#8217;re only focusing on the current state as \u201cbad\u201d, but to me, it\u2019s pretty good. For some it\u2019s about saving the Wye, but for me it\u2019s about protecting what we already have, because what we have got is pretty good\u201d says David.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We started to drive down further into the valley to see more of the river. We stopped at another fishing post, known as \u201cThe Farm\u201d, and hopped out the truck. Dave immediately leapt into the water while I stood by to watch what he was going to grab.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He started pulling up from the water with his hands and came over to show me that he was holding a handful of what appeared to be little leeches and natural larvae. The small, delicate nature of these organisms was somewhat funny to look at because it was a reminder that the smallest beings can exist in our river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/rock-.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/rock-.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/rock--300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/rock--770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/rock--293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/rock-.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/rock-.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/rock--300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/rock--770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/rock--293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The smallest invertebrates including worms and leeches can be found on rocks in the River Wye, which are just a small portion of the big ecosystem that exists within the river and its catchment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cThese organisms, these living things, that\u2019s all from just one tiny, standard rock I found in the river,\u201d David says. \u201cThere\u2019s more where that came from, and people aren\u2019t getting that nowadays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From afar, a groups of geese started to fly into a herd and park themselves on a piece of stone that was on the edge of the river where we were. They squeaked in union and looked over in our direction. David recognized the type of breed right away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThose are canadian geese, they are quite common to be seen on the Wye,\u201d he says. \u201cThey don\u2019t seem like they\u2019re suffering on the river, now do they?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now was the real test, feeling the coarse of the river. We walked back to his truck and got suited up into some fishing gear to walk into the Wye. David handed me a pair of wading boots and polarized glasses like the ones he was wearing so I could see the species swimming in the Wye.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each step we took into the water, we could feel the rushing flow of the river Wye on this warm summer day, which adapted to the hot temperature. As I walked with David, I looked down at my feet and saw dark, snake-like leaves which looked like ranunculus plants, surrounding us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/ranunculus.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/ranunculus.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/ranunculus-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/ranunculus-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/ranunculus-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/ranunculus.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/ranunculus.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/ranunculus-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/ranunculus-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/ranunculus-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ranunculus weeds (center) are one of the common plants that grow on the bedsheet of the River Wye. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The river Wye has a very coarse river bed that is made up of rocks and steep gradients. While wading through the flow of the water, there were often times where David would recommend stepping in a pattern to avoid getting swept away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome of this erosion you may be seeing is because of droughts and flooding that has happened in the past,\u201d David says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Severe winter flooding occurred across the UK from November 2019 to February 2020. In February, Herefordshire had the biggest flood in the river Wye due to Storm Dennis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to GOV UK, most of the country received the February whole-month average rainfall over a 9-day period, with Herefordshire and Gloucestershire receiving 200% of rainfall. As a result, many homes were displaced along with agricultural farms and wildlife.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBacks of gravel were appearing in weird places, ranunculus weeds from the river had immediately disappeared, it became a catastrophe for the local community,\u201d says David.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"ose-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube ose-youtube-single-video alignwide\">\n\t\t<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bvwe5tZXbw4?controls=1&#038;fs=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1\"\n\t\t        allowtransparency=\"true\"\n\t\t        allowfullscreen=\"true\"\n\t\t        frameborder=\"0\"\n\t\t        width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\n\t\t<\/iframe>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<p>The river Wye reached its highest ever recorded level of 6.3 meters (20.7ft) which resulted in 60 billion liters of soil from agricultural farms passing under the Hereford Bridge. This crisis held the community back for a while.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David and his friends, who depend on the river for their livelihood, have witnessed the devastating impact of flooding on the river&#8217;s ecosystem firsthand. They have observed a significant decline in aquatic life due to the flooding. However, Dave believes that the situation has improved since then, and the water quality has shown signs of recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When others began attributing the loss of life in the river to poultry farming, Dave felt compelled to speak up and share his firsthand account of the situation. He wanted to clarify that the flooding, not poultry farming, was the primary cause of the decline in aquatic life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat I started to question is the state of the river, when many people were saying that it was dead by that point due to farming. After the flood, I spent every day of my life on this river and people that I\u2019ve worked with for my business have had the most incredible experiences,\u201d Dave says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we started to walk out of the water, David ran back to his truck to get his fishing rod and his bait box. The time had come for him to show off his fishing skills in the river Wye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/testing-waters.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/testing-waters.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/testing-waters-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/testing-waters-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/testing-waters-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/testing-waters.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/testing-waters.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/testing-waters-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/testing-waters-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/testing-waters-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David prefers to test the temperature of the water during the summer to predict what fish he might be able to catch during the season.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at the fishing population as a whole, the one species that has been claimed to be at stake is the Atlantic salmon population. David has been preaching in river Wye interest groups on social media that this isn\u2019t the first time it has declined.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1980s there was a sharp decline of Atlantic salmon from seven million to five million, known as the pre-fishery abundance. According to NASCO, the rate of decline for the atlantic salmon population between 1983 to 1990 has been linked towards climate change and changing temperatures in the Northern Atlantic sea.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David has preached to many people about this issue before poultry farming became an issue in the UK but has been shouted at, disregarded and even banned from facebook groups including the Save the Wye Facebook group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSalmon disappeared from this river fast in the 90s and no one has pinpointed what the problem was there\u201d he says. \u201cSalmon are declining across the whole world. The graphs showing they\u2019re declining in the Wye is the same as all the other graphs for other rivers, the problem is that we\u2019re from a slightly lower starting point because of what happened back then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Standing on the pebbled bank, David prepares his fishing rod, his hands moving with practiced ease. With a final check of his bait and a glance at the river\u2019s gentle current, he takes a deep breath, savoring the quiet anticipation before the cast.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/anglingggg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15104\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/anglingggg.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/anglingggg-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/anglingggg-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/anglingggg-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/anglingggg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15104\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/anglingggg.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/anglingggg-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/anglingggg-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/anglingggg-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The preparation behind getting a fishing rod ready before it is casted into the water is what David likes to call &#8220;the recipe for success&#8221;.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The rod arches back smoothly, ready to send the line flying across the shimmering water. It was only a mere five minutes before his rod started to tug a bit forward in the water, only meaning one good thing can come from that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He casted in his rod and pulled up a small, silver fish from the water, then walking out of the water to further examine it\u2019s chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIts\u2019a chub fish. They\u2019re normally in these waters, especially during the summer and on a hot day like today. But, this just goes to show that there is nothing wrong with our waters,\u201d David says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He continued to cast his rod and grab at least four more chub fishes. The sound of his rod casting back and forth brought pleasure to him. It was almost like looking at him in his natural habitat, doing what he does best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout the years, his stance on the river Wye\u2019s ecology and health has been debated amongst the activist community. Certain feathers were ruffled in groups like Save the Wye and Friends of the Wye for sentiments Dave had shared on how he thought the river was actually doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/final-photo--david.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15097\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/final-photo--david.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/final-photo--david-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/final-photo--david-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/final-photo--david-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/final-photo--david.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15097\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/final-photo--david.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/final-photo--david-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/final-photo--david-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/final-photo--david-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chub fishes (Squalius cephalus) range from small to large sizes in the River Wye.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>During the Leigh Day showcase in Hereford in July, which was in support of creating a judicial lawsuit against chicken farming company Avara, and the Environment Agency, David attended to hear everyone&#8217;s thoughts and opinions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHis way of speaking to people in the group is quite a lot to be honest,\u201d says Ian Hague, who is on the committee board for the Save the Wye coalition. \u201cI\u2019m curious to know what his goal is as an angler and speaking about a topic like this.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David\u2019s main worry about the river is the lack on focus of what really matters to him. Besides the sewage problem, operations of water irrigation happen within the river.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we walked to another fishing post called \u2018\u2018Roaring Rocks\u2019 he spotted three commercial turf operations that were pumping water from the river Wye.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow can that be right when the river is in a drought, hunking out what is to be believed a commercial operation,\u201d says David.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/commerical-turf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15101\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/commerical-turf.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/commerical-turf-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/commerical-turf-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/commerical-turf-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/commerical-turf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15101\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/commerical-turf.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/commerical-turf-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/commerical-turf-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/commerical-turf-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Environment Agency has recently begun commercial turf operations throughout the entirety of Hampton Bishop, Herefordshire, which is where David resides. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Water abstraction from the river Wye has become a rising concern for Herefordshire residents. Due to increasingly hot summers and elongated drought periods, species are already getting exposed to extreme measures.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If abstraction is added to the picture, this can create a picture of lower water levels. David believes this is where the money should lie on, not agricultural farming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His concern for these types of projects carried out by the EA are what he thinks activists should really be focusing on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s all snowballed and become something it&#8217;s not. This river has faced dangers all the time and I feel we\u2019re overlooking that because people are so obsessed with the poultry industry and looking for that golden lawsuit,\u201d says David.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"ose-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube ose-youtube-single-video alignwide\">\n\t\t<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/U1JUE-aFLjM?controls=1&#038;fs=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1\"\n\t\t        allowtransparency=\"true\"\n\t\t        allowfullscreen=\"true\"\n\t\t        frameborder=\"0\"\n\t\t        width=\"640\" height=\"360\">\n\t\t<\/iframe>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<p>Academics have recently started look into the possibility of more commercial turf operations within the Wye catchment. Professor Steve Ormerod from Cardiff University has witnessed the same sentiments as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIntensifying agriculture along rural rivers is certainly a much bigger issue than sewage &#8211; although wastewater treatment issues increase downstream of Hereford. David\u2019s right that the Wye is not in its dying days &#8211; but it is changing,\u201d says Professor Ormerod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We continued our last stretch of the river at a final post David goes to called \u2018Redbank\u2019. We got closer to the greener parts of the river and saw some people swimming and a family pass by in a canoe, which was the perfect day for that activity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David turned around and pointed out a noise of grunt, footsteps coming towards us. Out of the bushes appeared two wild horses form a nearby farm, who approached us and started to sip the water from the river Wye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/untitled-13.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15121\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/untitled-13.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/untitled-13-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/untitled-13-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/untitled-13-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/untitled-13.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15121\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/untitled-13.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/untitled-13-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/untitled-13-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/untitled-13-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Horses from a nearby farm ran through the valley to drink from the river as David was fishing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The future of the Wye lies in the hands of how it is managed by the government. People like David, who are out on the river every day hope that their voices will be heard amongst the masses of people who think it is too late to save the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTheres lots of threats and lots of things we should be protecting this river from but anybody who says this river is destroyed is talking rubbish,\u201d says David.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the heart of Herefordshire, an angler defies the naysayers who claim the river is polluted. With every cast, he seeks to prove that the waters he spends all day in are teeming with life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1072,"featured_media":15096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[57,321,366],"class_list":["post-14977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised","tag-activism","tag-environment","tag-environmentalprotection"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Voices from the River Wye: An Angler&#039;s Perspective - Life360<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=14977\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Voices from the River Wye: An Angler&#039;s Perspective - Life360\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the heart of Herefordshire, an angler defies the naysayers who claim the river is polluted. With every cast, he seeks to prove that the waters he spends all day in are teeming with life.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=14977\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Life360\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-28T16:35:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-30T20:45:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/08\/coverrrr-angler.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"562\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sydney Johnson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@sydneyjohnssonn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sydney Johnson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"16 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=14977\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/?p=14977\",\"name\":\"Voices from the River Wye: An Angler's Perspective - 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