On 28th February, Marsha O’Mahony kindly came to talk to the Monday night stitchers about her project capturing the stories of people along the River Wye, which the Lugg flows into just below Mordiford. She has written a book and shared some snippets from this too.
I didn’t record this talk as Marsha often gives talks locally about Herefordshire stories that she has gathered from its people and it is ell worth hearing them in person. Her background is journalism and she demonstrated her passion for following leads to unearth these hidden histories.
What I found most surprising were the stories of the River Wye teaming with salmon in the past and the overfishing that took place in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Additionally the size of the fish caught was unexpected.
The River Lugg itself is more associated with brown trout (Salmo trutta) and grayling (Thymallus thymallus). Both are species of freshwater fish from the salmon family.
We were also introduced to the role of the unsung Ghillies on the river who helped out on fishing expeditions and were guardians of the river.
The Lugg Embroideries 