News

Society member and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority volunteer Dave Purvis recently attended a virtual conference hosted by the park authority on ash dieback disease and its impact in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Within the presentation was a lot of information on how the disease is spread, how to spot it at various stages, and how to manage woodland in order to conserve as much uninfected trees as possible.

During the 2020 Annual General Meeting on Saturday, we were horrified to learn that the Welsh Government and National Resources Wales propose to increase net licence fees for all holders - including the coracle net licences on the Towy, Teifi and Taf rivers - by up to over 120% for the Teifi licences in 2021. The sole reason for this seems to be to ensure the costs of administering these licences is fully covered by the fees collected.

From privet hedge to coracle
Rooster Fricke
Woods Hole, Cape Cod, Massachusetts USA

What started as the pruning of a hedgerow turned into a coracle. Having seen a coracle many years ago, I had always wanted to build one. The time was right when the privet hedge switches lay on the ground. They were destined to go to the brush dump. But wait! Not the brush dump! “We’re going to build a coracle!”

We’ve been picking up a lot of trash during this pandemic and wanted to be able to reach trash in the middle of a nearby swale. One of our friends suggested we could get it if we had a round boat. You know a coracle, something I’ve only encountered in books till now. Using YouTube and the Coracle Society directions I was able to construct my first coracle.

I’ve wanted to paddle a coracle for many years. My wife promised me a coracle building course for my 70th birthday but by the time it came to book, she had become too ill to leave for a weekend. Lockdown provided an opportunity to fulfil that ambition.

One of our US members, Walt Peebles, exhibited coracles and curraghs at this year's Quiet Adventures Symposium, held at Michigan State University near Detroit back in February, before the coronavirus started to take effect in the western hemisphere. We hope to receive a report from him in due course, but some initial feedback from Walt was that the event went well and he was kept busy chatting to visitors.

Well, what a year it has been and we are only 4 months in to it!

We are all concerned about Covid-19 and when we will be able to get out safely on the water again with our friends. We have forgotten what life was like during the February floods.

Carmarthen Coracle and Netsmen’s Association have recently published an educational booklet on the Carmarthen Coracle.

We have been working with retired teacher and local story teller, Mr Andy Edwards and with the backing of the Heritage Lottery Fund, we have been able to preserve and record the old stories of the River Towy.

Following the change to the fishing by-laws, this year's coracle season for the Towy will commence on the 1st May (usually 1st March).

As we are classed as a commercial fishery, we are still permitted to fish but will obviously be practicing the self distancing guidelines (which is no problem when you’re on a big river!).

Carmarthen Coracle and Netsmen’s Association were lucky enough to receive grant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a Coracle Story Telling Project. We have been working with retired teacher, Mr Andy Edwards, in recording the old stories from the older generation of coracle men so they are preserved and used to educate.

Our season at the Museum ended on 15 August 2019. During that time we had one thousand, one hundred and five people afloat on the millpond. We introduce them to coracles in a gentle and unhurried way, explaining as best we can about the uses and building methods around the world. We tend to focus on Welsh coracles and of course our own Spey coracle.