Wild TrouT TrusT AUTUMN 2015

ANNuAl drAW 2015 Support WTT by buying a book of raffle tickets (just £5!) to win the fantastic prizes below. Purchase using the enclosed order form, from the shop on our website, or by Nphoning the WTT on 023 92e57 0985. w s Orders must be received by Monday 7 December . Draw to take place at the Thomas Lord pub, West Meon, Hants at 7pm on Tuesday 8 December.

FIRST PRIZE Kindly donated by Sage, worth £669. A Sage One 9ft 6in, 4-piece, 4-weight Fly Rod. SECOND PRIZE Kindly donated by The Peacock at Rowsley & Haddon Fisheries, worth £400. One night’s accommodation in a large double/twin room for 2 with 3-course dinner and buffet breakfast, plus 2 low-season tickets to fish the Derbyshire Wye. THIRD PRIZE Kindly donated by Orvis, worth £310. A day’s trout fishing on Orvis’s Itchen beat at Abbots Worthy for 2 rods in August or September 2016. FOURTH PRIZE Kindly donated by Snowbee, worth £174. Snowbee Spectre 3-4 weight Fly Reel and an XS-Plus Spectre 4-weight fly line. FIFTH PRIZE Kindly donated by Phoenix Lines, worth £80. 2 Phoenix Tenkara Lines, 2 Phoenix Braided Leaders and 4 Phoenix Furled Leaders. WTT CONSERvATION AWARDS 2015

iN THis issue Conservation Awards front, pages 2–6 other News pages 16-22 Notices page 6-7 book reviews page 23 Conservation officer updates pages 8-16 WTT shop page 24

Wild TrouT TrusT CoNservATioN AWArds 2015, suPPorTed by THAMes WATer ver 100 guests attended a Wild Trout Trust evening at the osavile Club in Mayfair to present the 2015 awards for the best river habitat conservation projects. The evening was introduced by WTT director, shaun leonard, with the awards presented by richard Aylard of Thames Water, which generously sponsors the Conservation Awards – but the process begins long before the awards night. Here, WTT's Trout in the Town Programme Manager, Paul Gaskell, wears his judge’s hat to tell us something of this year’s entries. The WTT Conservation Awards recognise and encourage excellence in the management and conservation of wild trout habitat, celebrating the efforts, skills and ingenuity of projects Jeremy Paxman and Matt Wright. carried out both by professionals and by grass roots voluntary organisations. It has been a privilege to work alongside Contribution planting, to improve in-river habitat for Dr Jenny Mant for the past four years to fish species through the introduction of investigate and judge the tremendous to Wild Trout large woody debris, spawning gravels efforts of applicants. and through assisted natural recovery A dozen great projects competed for Conservation projects.” This group of stakeholders prizes this year and I want to give just a contribute significant financial support small flavour of each of them – finishing Cumbrian Derwent, River to ensuring that their goals are met – up with the winners. Each and every Corridor Group which, in addition to tackling project deserves a huge amount of Lead applicant Jack Abernathy environmental pressures, has seen a recognition and the margins between explains that “The project was originally dramatic shift towards catch-and-release runners-up and award winners is so set up in 2005 with the aim of fishing away from a long-standing small that it is really important to delivering, through partnership, works to adherence to catch-and-kill. promote all of the projects that get improve the river environment for the through to be interviewed. purposes of enhancing the conservation Leven, Hutton Rudby Fly Here are the projects (and the status of the SAC (Special Area of Fishing Club category in which they were judged); Conservation). Since this time the The application made under lead each accompanied by necessarily scant project has evolved to include a number contact John Gifford explains that a descriptions of their scope. of partners all working together to logbook scheme was ratified by the club secure funding, deliver practical works committee that allowed the impact and and engage key stakeholders in the good value for money of their fish stocking work we do. The key objectives include programme to be assessed. Coupled works to improve riparian habitat with innovative and low-cost, self-made through stock exclusion and riparian fish passage easements and in-channel

2 habitat improvement, the logbook challenges to win huge improvements in fish populations and more. results led to the club switching to a geomorphology, connectivity, water- wild, catch and release trout fishery that quality, riparian flora and in-channel Tarrant, Environment enjoys fantastic catches of wild fish. A habitat structure. A flagship project that Agency and River Tarrant tremendous case study and example for sits in an even larger scheme (and Partnership fishing clubs everywhere. narrowly edged out from the award by a Lead applicants Sarah Guest and single point). Roger Genge drove a project on the Thornton Beck, Pickering 15km long river – with significant Fisheries Association Welland, River Welland challenges posed by periodic drying out Previous winners of a WTT Rivers Trust of the channel (and the upper reaches Conservation Award, the Association Lead applicant Lisa Smallwood ex - being a winterbourne). In 2015, some continues to campaign for improved plained that the river through Market 2,000+ fish were rescued, about half land-use, landowner engagement and, Harborough suffered severe impacts to each from the upper and lower drying under this year’s lead applicant Martin its modified physical form, poor ecology, sections. Without this effort, these fish Smith and team, to expand in-channel poor connectivity to the floodplain and would have died or been predated on, as habitat works to an area of Thornton the local perception of a steady decline the pools in which they get stranded Beck. The Beck endures a number of in environmental quality over the past eventually dry out completely. The aims surrounding land-use pressures that few decades. The channel had been se - of the project have been to improve include forestry and livestock verely over-widened, dredged and upstream and downstream migration by production. Balancing the priorities of straightened. Several weirs had been in - improving sinuosity between pools, multiple interests whilst promoting and stalled to maintain water in the channel reducing barriers to migration and protecting self-sustaining wild brown in summer months. Working under sig - extending the range of migration. Great trout populations (and making nificant constraints due to perceived improvements have been made in the deliberate habitat provision for wider flood risk, the Trust was able to install face of substantial constraints due to biodiversity) is a terrific undertaking and over 80 marginal berms, remove barri - flood risk and land-use imperatives. WTT looks forward to supporting the ers and tackle choking vegetation whilst club in their current and future efforts. improving the energy and diversity of South West Catchment flows: an excellent achievement. Restoration Fund, Medium sized Westcountry Rivers Trust In 2012 the Westcountry Rivers Trust Projects large sized (WRT) through lead applicant Layla Ousley secured CRF funding to deliver Wellow and Cam, Bristol Projects over £4 million of river restoration and Avon Rivers Trust catchment management work. This was Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (lead Eden, Derwent and Kent – executed over three years on river applicant Ian Mock) has worked to bring Cumbria River Restoration catchments across the South West anonymous sections of river back to the Strategy, Natural England under the following 5 projects: The Dart attention of local community members. and Environment Agency and Teign River Improvement Project Along with improved access and Partnership (DTRIP), The South Cornwall Rivers interpretive materials, in-channel habitat An epic-scale project with lead Improvement Project (SCRIP), The improvements and greatly diversified applicant Rebecca Gray explaining that South Hams River Improvement Project tree canopy structure have brought the Cumbria River Restoration Strategy (SHRIMP), The Taw River Improvement direct benefits to the ecology and wild (RRS) is a partnership project between Project (TRIP) and The Axe and Exe fish populations of these rivers. The Natural England, the Environment River Improvement Project (AERIP). All indirect benefits by significantly Agency and three Rivers Trusts (Eden, river improvement projects were increasing the awareness and West Cumbria and South Cumbria). This specifically developed using a rigorous engagement of local community partnership seeks to implement river evidence-led, partnership approach to members will help to generate ongoing restoration across three river mitigate the pressure acting on these benefits for these rivers. catchments. The works included rivers and improve the health of these extensive interventions to land-use, precious and vital river ecosystems. Yet Upper Wandle uncovering and returning historically- again, the scale and ambition of the (Carshalton), South East diverted rivers into their paleo-channels works completed during this project are Rivers Trust and direct structural habitat not possible to convey in just a few It is difficult to over-use superlatives improvements. It is impossible to words. to describe the transformation of this capture the scale of this project in just a section of urban chalkstream in the few sentences where objectives London Borough of Sutton. A dedicated included (but were by no means limited team of people headed by lead applicant to) reduction in sediment inputs, Dr Bella Davies have overcome myriad increased biodiversity, improved flood- practical, institutional and political water management, improved salmonid

3 WTT CONSERvATION AWARDS 2015 – WINNERS Contribution to Wild Trout Conservation Lough Derg Wild Brown Trout Conservation, Co. Donegal, Ireland. Pettigo & District Angling Association, in Partnership with the Loughs Agency. Declining wild trout populations, including a rare and genetically distinct outlet spawning trout, prompted the local angling association to take action. Davy Stinson and Michael Stinson of Pettigo & District AA Working with the Loughs Agency, Belfast (centre and front right) receive their trophy from Richard Aylard University and the Wild Trout Trust, of Thames Water (left) and WTT's Shaun Leonard (back right). Pettigo & District Angling Association combined genetics, citizen science and hands-on habitat improvement to stop the decline. This project is a superb example of how an angling club can involve a wide range of other groups and organisations in a long-term and wide-ranging conservation project.

Medium sized Project River Lark at West Stowe Country Park, Suffolk. Bury St Edmunds Trout Club (BTC). This project is a story of sheer dogged determination, with Glenn Smithson, Ian Hawkins and their An improved Lough Derg feeder stream. supporters battling against widely-held views that what they were attempting (and have now achieved) was impossible. Five years after deciding that the wild trout in the River Lark deserved better habitat, the project was finally delivered by the late Dr Nigel Holmes in association with the BTC. The result is the transformation of a straight, dredged channel into a sinuous, lively river bustling with wildlife. As well as promoting a wild and self-sustaining population of wild brown trout, the project benefits all wildlife including damselflies, ground nesting birds, owls and water voles.

Ian Hawkins and Glenn Smithson receiving their trophy for the Medium Sized project.

4 CONSERvATION UPDATES

The River Lark in Suffolk, looking like a functioning chalkstream! large sized Project Upper River Aire, North Yorkshire, Malham to Keighley. The Environment Agency (EA) in Partnership with the Yorkshire Farming and Wildlife Partnership and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Although flowing through the beautiful landscape of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Upper River Aire is a troubled river, severely Pete Evans of the Environment impacted by diffuse pollution from Agency (centre) receives the trophy agriculture. Enthusiastic local for the Large Sized project. Environment Agency staff established a partnership to tackle the issues with landowners and farmers. Starting with demonstration plots to prove the benefits, they have worked with 15 landowners to carry out work such as fencing buffer strips, visited over 50 farms to advise on nutrient management and planted 27 hectares of woodland. These actions will not only reduce pollution but will also help slow the flow of flood water and improve the quality of habitat for wildlife. Congratulations to Pete Turner and the EA team and the partners working on this flagship project.

Prize winning riparian improvements on the Upper Aire in Yorkshire.

5 WTT CONSERvATION AWARDS 2015 – WINNERS THe Wild TrouT Hero 2015 MIke Duddy

his year, at the WTT Conservation Awards, supported Tby Thames Water, we presented the second Wild Trout Hero award to a person who, in our view, has pushed those extra yards to make life better for wild trout; WTT’s 2015 Wild Trout Hero is Mike duddy. Mike Duddy is an indefatigable champion for wild trout in the north west of England, especially his native Irwell, Irk and beyond in the Mersey basin. He spearheads the Salford Friendly Anglers Society, reputedly the country’s oldest (and a free-to-join) fishing club that seeks to have people WTT's Wild Trout Hero 2015 - Mike Duddy (centre) campaigning and caring for (and enjoying fishing in) the Irwell. Mike has been a great friend to WTT the TinT clans on the banks for the very best to make that happen in and and established a strong partnership Irwell in 2013. around Greater Manchester and WTT is with our Trout in the Town (TinT) As Mike says “All we want is a river delighted to recognise his achievements project, led by Paul Gaskell, helping us as good as everybody else’s. We don’t as our 2015 Wild Trout Hero. organise a highly successful gathering of want anything better.” He’s doing his

NOTICES

13-14 the printed catalogue to members in itable trusts and enables us to keep the early February and the illustrated ver - team up to date with latest research, FebruAry sion will be available to download as a and help disseminate this information PDF file or view online on the website via the website. These purchases and ac - bFFi around the same time. We had over 250 tivities would be hard to fund in any lots in 2015, so the catalogue is getting other way. lease come to the british Fly Fair rather large! This year, we will divide the If you or your club or syndicate and visit our stand. England fishing section into regions to would like to offer a lot for the auction, PStaffordshire County Showground. make it easier to find the lots you might please contact Denise Ashton: 07802 www.bffi.co.uk or tel. 01782 388382. bid for near to home and away. The elec - 454157 / [email protected]. tronic version is easy to search and we have a map of fishing lots on the website 4-13 MArCH so you will be able to zoom in to see 10-12 JuNe what is available in a particular area. If ANNuAl you are new to eBay, please contact us ANNuAl GeT- for help and advice, or put in a bid by AuCTioN post to Christina in the WTT office and ToGeTHer she will bid on your behalf. ust in time to buy some fishing at The auction is an increasingly vital ollowing on from truly memo - the start of the new trout season! source of funding for us. We raised over rable WTT Get Togethers in re - J We’ll run the auction again on eBay £70,000 in the auction in 2015, and that Fcent years, we are delighted to and by post and we hope to have over money helps us to deliver more practi - announce that our 2016 event will be 200 lots, mainly fishing but also books, cal advice and in river-habitat projects. It based at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s art, tackle and flies and some more un - enables us to buy basic tools and equip - langford reserve on the river Wylye usual lots (for example, learning how to ment like chainsaws and waders for our near salisbury. brew beer). If you are planning a fishing Conservation Officers to do their work We hope to run an Anglers Riverfly holiday, watch out for the overseas fish - in the river; provides us with match- Monitoring Initiative training day in asso - ing section in the catalogue for some funding to help release more project ciation with the Riverfly Partnership on excellent offers. We will be sending out money from other sources such as char - Friday, then a day of top quality talks and

6 CONSERvATION UPDATES a river walk on Saturday and a chance to planning to enhance the content of this sample some excellent chalkstream page by adding a list of clubs and iN MeMory trout fishing on Sunday. Keep an eye on syndicates that are looking for the WTT website and the next members, or willing to add members to oF dAve Newsletter for details in the New Year. their waiting list. It will be a PDF document that can be downloaded from JeNKiNs our website and will hold some basic he fisheries world mourns the leAve A GiFT information on club name, location, loss of dave Jenkins who died in website, type of fishing and a contact TAugust 2015 after a short illness. iN your Will details. Anglers can then contact the In his early career days, Dave was club directly if they are interested in Senior Fisheries Officer based at To WTT learning more. Oxford, appointed by Thames Water If clubs are willing to offer guest Authority at the time of the making of or many anglers, fishing for wild tickets for prospective members, we will the 1975 Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries trout on natural rivers and lakes include that too. We will review the list Act that mandated the Authority to Fhas given us some of our most re - every January. maintain, improve and develop warding and memorable experiences. We can’t guarantee that all the freshwater and migratory fisheries. He Joining the Wild Trout Trust and per - people that get in touch will be WTT was almost the only one of the fisheries haps starting some of our own habitat members, nor will we get involved in personnel with Thames Water who improvements are just two ways we can ‘vetting’ people in any way, but we hope wasn’t an angler but he used his put something back into a sport that has that the connection with the WTT will education – having a degree in applied given us so much pleasure, and ensure help link up like-minded anglers and wild zoology – and his strong interest and that the experience will still be there for trout fishing. knowledge in the natural world and was our children and grandchildren to enjoy. If your club or syndicate would like one of those who clearly understood Other valuable ways include making a to be included in the list, please get in that thriving fisheries need a good donation to the Trust, or by leaving a gift touch with Denise Ashton on quality environment. Dave pioneered the in your will. [email protected]. holistic approach to fisheries Finding the funds to carry on our management at a time when it was all work is a constant challenge, and we do too easy to rely on restocking to solve live ‘hand-to-mouth’. Any gifts we re - doNATioN problems. His skills lay in breaking down ceive help enormously to allow us to barriers – people, ideas, entrenched bridge those periods when, inevitably, oF KiT views – and moving forward. He saw the other funding is hard to find. Your gift bigger picture but was not uncaring of can be designated for a particular pur - TT does a huge amount of the smaller view – detail mattered. pose, river or catchment if you wish, or work with volunteers in and One of Dave’s legacies lies in the can support our day-to-day advisory Waround our rivers. generation of young fishery work and practical projects. Advice on We are blessed by donations of professionals that he inspired, as a how to make a gift in your will is avail - money and sometimes kit to support friend, mentor and moral touchstone: able on the website under ‘Support Us’, that work and are delighted to report Greg Armstrong, Alan Butterworth, Pete or contact Denise Ashton on 07802 that Richard Hardy, a WTT Life Member, Gough, vaughan Lewis, Martin Moore, 454157 / [email protected]. has donated a Stihl brushcutter and John Sutton, WTT’s Andy Thomas and Hayter wheeled strimmer which we’ll Godfrey Williams were all among Dave’s use carefully when the right opportunity earliest work colleagues. arises. Many thanks, Richard. In 1988, Dave moved back to his FisHiNG Club native Wales to take up the post of iNForMATioN Director of Coed Cymru, championing river usK, sustainable forestry. oN WTT Dave’s enjoyment came from being in dAN-y-PArC, the countryside and engaging with other WebsiTe country folk. He spent much of his spare CriCKHoWell time out with his dogs and ferrets and, e are often contacted by trout during his years at Oxford, was also fishermen requesting A few 2016 season rods available. showing his interest in wood, producing iWnformation about clubs they might Excellent fly fishing for wild brown some quality individual pieces of be able to join, and the WTT team trout and salmon. Both banks are 1.5 furniture and very fine relief carvings of answer based on their local miles long. Easy access and wading. birds and animals. knowledge on an ad hoc basis. For details please email Robert So long, Dave – even the mightiest of Our website receives over 10,000 Melvin: [email protected] . oaks have to fall. visits a month and one of the popular pages is about wild trout fishing. We are

7 CONSERvATION OFFICER UPDATES souTH WesT – MiKe blACKMore A Simply Staggering Summer of Work

he summer has been exceptionally busy in the south TWest: this season, i’ve worked in 7 different rivers on 8 different projects with 5 different project partners. on top of that have been a handful of one-day practical visits (Pvs) and a few days over in the south east delivering river Habitat Workshop days on tributaries of the river Colne in Hertfordshire. As i type this, my poor chainsaw is in for multiple The completed pass. repairs and a service to recover from the beasting it’s received over the past month in particular (six of these projects have been undertaken in october). The van also needs a service and all my waders need patching! The season kicked off with a couple of Pvs followed by a fish passage and spawning enhancement project on the River Crane at Edmondsham in Dorset. Here, a small weir holding up a head of water to supply fishing lakes was a barrier, limiting the availability of spawning habitat to the Crane’s annual run of sea trout. In addition, some of the existing spawning sites were in a state of deterioration, putting the population at risk of decline. The initial plan was to ease passage over the weir with timber baffles affixed to the wing-walls of the existing weir. However, fate would have it that the weir became breached during winter flows, giving rise to the opportunity to create a more natural and simple alternative. Logs were cut from nearby alders and used to formalise the breach and create a Volunteers on the Hants Avon at Salisbury. naturalistic pool and traverse-style fish pass. This low-cost solution was created in just two days with volunteers has become more bold and ambitious the River Nadder. The first was a habitat providing the elbow grease. with every restoration project and was improvement project with WWT at The next project was the first of four determined to take every opportunity Chicksgrove near Tisbury which on the Hampshire Avon and its to introduce woody habitat features included felling and hinging some trees tributaries and the first of three into the channel. An army of volunteers down near-vertical banks into the providing graft and technical support to turned up to help improve the river and previously dredged, over-shaded and Martijn Antheunisse’s river and wetland patch up eroded ‘dog-slides’ along the overly-uniform channel. The new restoration team at Wiltshire Wildlife bank. The project was fully supported by features have allowed more light into Trust (WWT). Situated on the upstream Salisbury & District Angling Club who the channel, diversified flows and outskirts of Salisbury, the project at should start to see the benefits of the reactivated channel morphology. Butt’s Sports field was relatively limited work by this time next year. The next on the Nadder was with in terms of what Flood Defence Other projects within the Hants Jacob Dew of Wessex Chalkstream and Consent would allow. However, Martijn Avon catchment have included three on Rivers Trust (WCSRT) downstream at

8 CONSERvATION UPDATES

the outskirts of Trowbridge. The Friends of Biss Meadows Country Park (FoBMCP) turned out in fantastic numbers with wheelbarrows full of enthusiasm. We had volunteers as young as 7 who got stuck into planting up brushwood berms and a welcome helping-hand from members of the EA Fisheries, Biodiversity and Geomorphology team out of the Bridgewater Office. (You just can’t beat volunteers in dry-suits – you can send them anywhere!) These projects have been on top of the usual Advisory visits and I’ve even managed to fit in a belated honeymoon to Grenada and a road trip holiday around Scotland. This coming winter, I’m looking forward to slowing down just a little and getting ready to squeeze a few more projects into the tiny window between the end of the spawning season and the end of the financial year. I’m also A restored spawning riffle on the Nadder at Burcombe. looking forward to getting back into the day job and hopefully meeting more WTT members in and around the South Burcombe, near Barford St Martin. The put money on it being one of the West. week consisted of hinging bankside wildest and most diverse reaches of trees to create an abundance of each river. marginal coarse woody habitat alongside The final project with WWT was at potentially productive spawning riffles. Chisenbury on the Avon. A precursor to Followed up with a good gravel jetting, a bigger project planned for next year the result is an absolute textbook (watch this space). It was great to be example of prime salmonid spawning back in the upper reaches of the Avon (I and nursery habitat. This is part of a worked on a river restoration project wider project across a number of other up at Chisenbury in my previous life as a sites in the wider Avon catchment and contractor). It’ll always be a favourite it’s great to see WCSRT delivering so part of the river for me. As with most of much in-channel work. the other projects this year, it was a The final Nadder project was also, in story of hinging and staking. Instant part, a project on the River Wylye. Back habitat for fish and setting the river up helping WWT with an ambitious 1700m nicely to get some gravel on the move re-wilding project of the confluence of this winter. the Wylye and Nadder at Quidhampton From the Hampshire Avon to near Wilton. This has been one of the tributaries of the Bristol Avon, a couple EA volunteers help diversify boldest projects I’ve worked on for of projects have had great volunteer Luckington Brook. some years and it has been an absolute turnout. Firstly, a project with the joy to be involved. I’ve heard it said that Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) when using woody debris for river introducing sunlight and woody habitat restoration, “Go hard, or go home!”. features to Luckington Brook at very few people, however, have the guts Sherford, near Malmesbury. As with to follow this through. Martijn other BART projects I’ve helped with, Antheunisse’s team, with the blessing of the proximity of the Environment the Wylye Fly Fishing Club and the Agency offices in central Bristol brought support of the Environment Agency out a variety of EA volunteers that have gone all out. Monster-sized trees would otherwise have been chained to a dropped into the river and created a desk for the working day, including really substantial change in flow. I can’t volunteers from the legal team and the wait to see how the Wylye and Nadder climate change team. adapt over the next few years but I’d Finally, a project on the River Biss on

9 CONSERvATION OFFICER UPDATES MidlANds ANd eAsT ANGliA – TiM JACKliN Grange Farm, River Witham moved to the side of the valley, widened 200m on the old channel because of the and straightened. The original course of restoration of meanders. 24 pools were TT have been involved in a the river in the valley bottom was lost, created and the same number of spawn - number of projects on the apart from a few damp depressions in ing riffles constructed from 400 tonnes Wupper river Witham in lincolnshire, the field betraying its former route. of imported gravels. The excavated spoil the latest of which is the most ambi - Over the intervening years, the river was used to backfill the old channel. tious undertaken… so far! in partner - channel filled with fine sediment trapped Only around a dozen trout were ship with the local environment above the weir (to a measured depth of found in the old channel during the Agency team at lincoln, Grantham over a metre) and became uniformly planned fish rescue prior to backfilling. Angling Association and landowners shallow and silty. We expect to see a large increase in stoke rochford estate, a 600m reach During July and August this year, the that number in the new channel as it has been restored to provide both river was restored to a route approxi - matures. superb trout habitat and access for mating its original (pre-weir) course. fish around a previously impassable The new channel was designed by Gez Bentley Brook weir. Foster and Katie Murphy of the Environ - The redundant weir dates back to ment Agency to ensure that natural he bentley brook, a tributary of the mid-nineteenth century when it was river processes and habitats would be the river dove, derbyshire, has used to drive a ram pump supplying restored. I jointly supervised the con - Trecently benefited from the removal water to nearby houses and farms. To struction and the overall project was of an obstruction to fish passage. create the differential water level over expertly managed by Katie Murphy. The A former packhorse bridge collapsed the weir, the river channel had been new reach is 600m long, an increase of into the brook decades ago, the debris

Grange Weir before: straight, wide, shallow, Grange Weir during: excavating the course of the new silt-choked channel upstream of the weir. channel (the old channel is at the base of the tree-line).

Grange Weir after: water flows down the new channel for the first time. The course of the new channel (blue line) alongside the old engineered section (flow left to right).

10 CONSERvATION UPDATES forming a swift-flowing cascade and im - pounding the brook upstream into a slow-flowing, silty reach. Working with the Environment Agency’s Fisheries, Bio - diversity & Geomorphology team at Lichfield, we removed the stone from the river and installed large woody de - bris at four locations upstream. The bed of the brook has since naturally re - graded to expose gravel and create more varied and valuable habitat.

Hoffer Brook

he Hoffer brook is an 8km long Installing large woody debris on the Bentley Brook. tributary of the river rhee, a TCambridgeshire chalkstream. The Brook had been neglected for decades since it was dredged for land drainage purposes, resulting in the over- widened channel becoming densely overgrown and full of silt. Step in Rob Mungovan, Ecology Consultancy Officer with South Cambridgeshire District Council (and WTT stalwart), and Ruth Hawksley, Water for Wildlife Officer with the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire (WTBCN). Building on work carried out on the lower reaches in 2014, this year the middle reaches of the brook have been improved by clearing scrub, narrowing the low-flow channel, re-pro - filing banks, introducing log flow deflec - tors and constructing cattle drinks. We were pleased to help by providing a demonstration day with WTBCN volun - teers in August to demonstrate in- stream habitat techniques. The improvements will make the brook Rob Mungovan and nephew Harry at work on Hoffer Brook. more resilient to floods and droughts, enhance the habitat for fish and wildlife and benefit users of the adjacent public have carried out footpath. on the Dunston Beck and to Dunston Medieval Fayre make contact with local n something of a departure from landowners and the natural habitat of a WTT Con - residents. This siervation officer, i found myself was successful dressed as a monk and manning a with subsequent stand at a Medieval Fayre in the lin - invitations from colnshire village of dunston in late a number of Tim in the stocks – the result of admitting to once having fished down-and-across on a chalkstream. september. landowners to As ‘Friar’ Tim I was accompanied by visit their sec - ‘Sir’ Matthew Parr (Environment Agency tions of the Beck. Fisheries) and ‘Lady’ Fiona McKenna The EmRiver river simulation model lowing on from this, Lincolnshire Rivers (Lincolnshire Rivers Trust). The aim of proved a popular attraction on the Trust are leading a project in local the weekend was to publicise the habi - stand, as did the bugs and grubs sourced schools using WTT’s Mayfly in the Class- tat restoration work that these partners from the Beck in the village centre. Fol - room initiative.

11 CONSERvATION OFFICER UPDATES NorTHerN eNGlANd – GAreTH Pedley Demo Day in North including several issues that were demonstrated on a large erosion bay a Yorkshire increasing bank erosion. This was short distance downstream. This followed by a demonstration of how a employed some of the branches ollowing on from the success of large tree within the channel, that was removed from the fallen tree and some previous practical demonstrations causing accelerated bank erosion, could thinned from adjacent alder coppices. iFn the north, a workshop was held on be managed without full removal. The The technique was simply to create a the river seph in North yorkshire. initial intention was to swing the tree diffuse structure along the base of the The potential for this work was round from its location, across the tall, steep eroding bank that would identified during a Water Framework channel, so that it lay alongside the bank dissipate the flow energy acting upon Directive investigation walkover of the to which its roots were still attached, as the bank and also help to retain any River, back in November 2013, would be the optimal solution. material that slumped from the bank undertaken with John Shannon of the Unfortunately, this proved too much for above, allowing it time to become East Yorkshire Rivers Trust. Along with the small hand-powered winch and a vegetated and consolidate to form the many issues such as poor fish passage, back-up plan had to be devised. To new bank. This technique can be very overgrazing of the banks and significant reduce the weight of the tree and allow effective and relies upon dissipating the fine sediment input to the watercourse, it to be swung round, it was decided to energy of river flows to reduce erosion, the walkover identified potential conflict cut the tree in half and remove some of rather than installing hard engineered between the preservation of valuable in- the side branches. This allowed the top structures that simply deflect the energy channel habitat and the way that riparian half (canopy) to be employed as a tree- of scouring flows and cause erosion in owners and tenants manage large kicker by cabling it to a nearby tree, just other areas. There is some risk that it woody material that enters the river. downstream and then, maintaining the will wash out before the bank can This led to development of the butt section attached to the bank, become established with vegetation, as workshop to demonstrate ways of swinging it round to lie along the bank with any bank revetment, but it is managing trees and branches that enter and tree-kicker. This worked well and relatively cheap and easy to install and the watercourse, to reduce bank greatly increased the channel capacity, can also provide good marginal habitat. erosion, but avoiding full removal so as reducing the erosive forces acting upon These techniques are regularly to retain the habitat it provides. the opposite bank while also retaining demonstrated by the WTT all around The day began with a river walk to vital cover and structure within the the country so it is well worth keeping discuss the habitat that was currently river channel. an eye on our website and social media available and issues that were impacting In addition to the tree work, brash for workshops you may like to attend in upon the river and adjacent land, mattress-type bank revetment was also your local area. souTH ANd WesT – ANdy THoMAs he back end of summer and early coast on the little Ems in West Sussex: concrete for the past 40 plus years! autumn for a WTT Conservation getting into rivers and streams with Agreeing what might constitute Tofficer is a little like being one of dozens of volunteers to make a adequate mitigation and coming up with santa’s elves in the first three weeks difference for trout. If you haven’t an affordable restoration plan was a of december! Manic but extremely attended one of our events and you feel little more difficult. rewarding and for me, 2015 has been like toning up your tummy muscles, then Following several site visits and some the busiest yet. get in touch with your nearest WTT interesting meetings, I had managed to Our core work has, and probably Conservation Officer to find out where come up with a simple design that always will be, to help others to improve the next event is to be held. involved breaking out the concrete bed habitat for trout through providing A slightly different project to create three discrete holding pools advice and support. Increasingly, we are opportunity cropped up this summer with long gravel tail runs where delivering more practical work in when the EA suggested that the spawning could potentially take place for partnership with other NGOs than ever contractors working on behalf of the the first time in decades. Prior to the before, as well as keeping up with Highways Agency on a major road works being completed, the deepest demand for providing up to date advice. improvement scheme near the M27 in water to be found could be waded in a The demand for river habitat Southampton, might like to talk to the size 10 Argyll welly. The work is now workshops and habitat management WTT about mitigation opportunities. complete and we have three lovely training has also surged and in the last Identifying habitat bottlenecks on the holding pools which will provide a three months. I have conducted poor little Monks Brook (Itchen refuge for sea trout that are known to proceedings on eight different river tributary) was not too much of a push up into the Monks Brook for systems as far apart as the Suffolk Stour challenge for me, mainly because the spawning in the autumn and early winter and Lark, to the Leach in 500m of channel running upstream from period. Gloucestershire, down to the South the road works have been lined in A bonus is that prior to the work

12 CONSERvATION UPDATES being carried out it seems the Monks Suffolk-Norfolk borders for a week Partnership Action Fund). Brook here was being used as an where I helped the Suffolk Wildlife Trust My ‘flagship’ project this autumn and obstacle course for, shall we say, bored and local EA team complete a river the one that has given me some individuals in modified 4x4 vehicles... The enhancement project on a the Little sleepless nights was to build a new fish weekend following the completion of Ouse, it was back down to the West pass on the River Hamble at Durley Mill. the first pool we managed to trap one Sussex-Hampshire borders to tackle a Until comparatively recently, sea trout such vehicle, the driver of which wasn’t channel restoration project on the River had not been able to penetrate the expecting the concrete bed to give way Ems. Hamble due to a large milling into a four and half foot deep pool. This project built on the fruitful impoundment at the head of the Never mind, new engines aren’t that partnership WTT has developed with estuary. The EA set about building a expensive! Hopefully they will go away the Arun Rother Rivers Trust and novel naturalistic bypass channel several now and play somewhere else where involved three phases of work to years ago and since then sea trout have there are no trout. Congratulations to restore a section of channel adversely been regularly seen pushing upstream. the local EA officers for insisting on impacted by abstraction (funded by Unfortunately, full access to the 15km of river enhancements, to the Highways Portsmouth Water), restore a varied high quality spawning and nursery Agency for stumping up the funding and and diverse channel shape to a habitat was blocked by the medieval mill to the contractors who seemed to previously straightened and diverted at Durley. enjoy the challenge after a slightly shaky channel and build an easement on a Our very own Denise Ashton has start. weir to aid sea trout migration (both been active at local Catchment After briefly whizzing up to the projects funded via the Catchment Partnership meetings and it was Denise who got the ball rolling with suggestions that perhaps the WTT could help deliver the project. Some initial seed corn funding organised by Kerry Sims from the local EA team enabled the project to gain momentum. Catchment Partners, hosted by Groundwork, then bid for the necessary funding to build a state-of-the-art Larinier fish pass. With wonderful support from the Mill owners, a small project group was formed and it was our job to project- manage and oversee the fish pass installation. The topographical survey, engineering drawings and fish pass hardware were supplied by Dr Toby Coe at Fishtek and the supporting steelwork fabricated locally. Flood Defence Consents secured, National Fish Pass Panel approval in the bag, all that was needed now was to pop the Breaking out the re-enforced concrete bed on the Monks Brook. thing in place! One slight complication was the fact that we were to build the pass at the head of a small bypass channel which takes flow of the main mill leat. No problem except that we needed to build a ford across a second channel to gain machine-access for installation. Potentially this wouldn’t have been a problem had it not rained very heavily the day before we were to start work on site. Unfortunately, the gaps in my diary are short and I was very worried that we would miss this season’s window, with all the associated difficulties of making sure the funding wasn’t going to be pulled. Fortunately, A new home for Monks Brook sea trout. Sandra Atkins, the Mill owner, suggested that we forgo creating the ford (which

13 CONSERvATION OFFICER UPDATES was due to be an asset for the household) in favour of taking the fish pass and 8m long supporting RSJs into the site by hand. This was to be our only viable option so the 360 was sent packing and more hands drafted in and in less than three days we had our newly installed Larinier super-active- bottom-baffle-multi-species fish pass installed. As I write we are just waiting for a spot of rain to fully charge the pass and entice some silver tourists up to the Post project with pinched pools, virgin spawning territory that is the bends and runs on the Ems. Stairway to heaven on the Hamble. middle and upper Hamble.

RESEARCH & CONSERvATION OFFICER UPDATE THe NorTH – JoN Grey brief piece penned from my recognise because that outstanding background, we are undertaking some holiday across the Pond, chasing partnership work scooped the large baseline surveys of invertebrate Asnook and spanish mackerel. sized project category at the recent community and fish population Time seems to have flown since my WTT Conservation Awards. Together, structure, and so just a couple of days first contribution to the newsletter and with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, we ago, I accompanied the local EA fisheries when I had only been in post about six have secured two funding pots to tackle team as they electrofished weeks. So, what has been happening in two different tributaries of the Aire: a representative 50m sections. my corner of the North? I've continued very small beck within the Coniston Unsurprisingly, the majority of fish were to foster and develop relationships with Estate which we hope to improve for stuck in the few weir pools as it is various angling clubs and organisations spawning and juvenile habitat (the currently the only holding habitat. Those like the wildlife trusts and rivers trusts subject of a 2015 Advisory visit), and the that were caught were in fine fettle stretching from the Lune in the West to Eastburn Beck. The latter was the focus though, so it is hoped by rewilding some the Rye more to the East. Almost every - of an Advisory visit by Paul Gaskell for of the channel and creating more where I have gone, the eagerness to en - the Aire Rivers Trust some years ago, as contiguous, better quality habitat, we gage and the passion for helping rivers it is regularly impounded by small weirs, can boost the population of wild trout to perform naturally to the best of their and constrained by walled banks, a in this beck as well as make better ability has been heartening and wel - function of its historic (ab)use at the feeding for the dippers, grey wagtails, come. height of the milling industry. While we and the resident pair of kingfishers. We Although I am still yet to undertake cannot remove the walls, we certainly will be taking regular fixed-point any major practical works on my own hope to notch some of the weirs and photography to document changes as patch, plans are afoot. I have made use the remaining infrastructure to kick- we remove some of the weir structures. exceedingly good links with the driving start some more natural processes both I can't talk about weir removal in this force behind the Upper Aire Project, in terms of physical and ecological neck of the woods without reference to Pete Turner of the EA, whom you might connectivity. Obviously, with my science the cracking work of Ribble Rivers Trust.

EA’s Pete Turner with a beautiful Eastburn Beck Electric fishing survey. brown trout.

14 CTROONUSTER IvNA THIOEN T OUWPDNA TUEPS DATE

I've had some long discussions with food webs might deviate from that ideal ongoing with insufficient data analysed them, from the perspective of my WTT (the natural situation). This could be yet to tell a good tale. Plenty of and my academic caps, to develop some usefully trialled by a Masters student or interesting work to inform the novel metrics for measuring the success the like, so I am on the hunt. readership in the future though. The of restoration projects. We have hatched In my first newsletter piece, I made wind is now dropping, the tide must be a plan to use some of my stable isotope reference to several scientific projects turning and the water beginning to slide metrics of food web architecture to not on which I am involved with several off the seagrass flats. Time to check out only characterise the ideal or target for research institutions and unfortunately, if the redfish are holing up on the sandy restoration but also to measure how far at the time of writing, they are still pockets next to the mangrove.

ProGrAMMe factor is found in the brilliant regional channel with a bed of refuse sacks, EA personnel (particularly Matt broken brick, pottery and sand into a MANAGer – Lawrence in his position within the sinuous stream that now has scattered Trent Catchment Partnership). Another boulders, gravel spawning beds, scour- PAul equally important asset is the willingness promoting large woody material and of Newcastle-under-Lyme council to brash refugia. GAsKell embrace a bold and novel environmen - The works have already been tal proposal – with Becky Allen being subjected to serious spate flows and the Trent Tributary Revival in central to that support. self-maintaining nature of the brash Newcastle-under-Lyme. The works completed so far in berms and large woody material have phases 1 and 2 (with a third to follow served to use the flow energy to he lyme brook has now seen a shortly) comprise spawning riffle cre - maintain and enhance the scour pool series of significant works spread ation using imported gravels, berm/me - and gravel bar depositional features. Just oTver two phases. ander creation using a mini-digger to prior to going to press, the site now has Progress has been rapid and ex - complete ‘dig and dump’ riverbank and a brand new interpretation board that tremely well-received by the local com - stream-bed reprofiling (and consolidat - explains how and why the habitat has munity. So much so, the local council ing this new profile with large woody been transformed. This is an excellent have just installed a brown trout sculp - material and brash berms). Significant feature for such a well-used urban ture as an icon of the area. Me and Tim amounts of planting with native sedge public park. Judging from the amount of Jacklin designed, directed and carried and iris are also adding to the structural interest and enquiry from passers-by out the modification of the channel and and ecological value of the new channel. during all of the habitat works events – associated installation of additional habi - In combination, these works have trans - the board will continue to provide tat features along with volunteers pro - formed a uniform channel with a bed of welcome information to the local vided by Groundwork and the refuse sacks, broken brick, pottery and community for all the times that the Environment Agency. Permissions, logis - sand into a sinuous stream that now has workers cannot be on site. tics and contractor-hire were all bril - scattered boulders, gravel spawning Local resident and notorious River liantly handled by Groundwork West beds, scour-promoting large woody ma - Trent trout-stalker Glenn Pointon had Midlands (including Steve Cook, Lynne terial and brash refugia. this to say after inspecting the section of Morgan and Richard Schneider). Along The works have already been sub - stream (which is very close to his with this organisational input, there are jected to serious spate flows and the home) “The Wild Trout Trust have done two other primary reasons that these self-maintaining nature of the brash a superb job on my Lyme brook that works were moved rapidly and effec - berms and large woody material have feeds the Upper Trent. For years I tively from concept to delivery. One key served to use the flow energy to main haven’t seen a fish there and it’s now no

Same section of channel immediately What the channel looked like before the works. after the first phase of works.

15 TROUT IN THE TOWN UPDATE CONTINUED longer a canal-type river. They have the lifting of the concrete lid – and now tween what scant cover currently exists done a fantastic job to speed up the the removal of the steel joists spanning in this channel. Hopefully in the coming flow and it has created some lovely little the river at the site of the old building – months, the available cover and the to - food lanes! If you’re not a member of the WTT has been working with pography of the channel will become a the WTT you ought to be as they know Sheffield City Council and civil engineer - much more hospitable home for urban what a river should be like. I have my ing contractors (ESH) to improve the wild trout and other species of eyes peeled for some spawning on the channel. Along with the creation of a Sheffield’s river corridors. gravel! Good work Paul Gaskell, I might new pocket park (that will provide What with ongoing interests in the even smack the Tenkara about on it!” floodwater storage as well as an attrac - River Irk, River Douglas and all other tive amenity) beneath the site of the old existing Trout in the Town branches – Porter Brook De- car park, I have designed in-channel fea - there is lots to look forward to for our culverting and River tures that will be installed as part of a urban trout. There are some new Habitat Works: Car Park to reprofiling of the channel. Additional potential projects that we are looking to Riverside Pocket Park contractors will also carry out planting develop on the Upper Dearne in South Transformation on marginal berms that will be created Yorkshire, the Penk on the outskirts of in order to introduce more sinuosity Wolverhampton among an interesting nother major project that has into a straightened channel. The site is mix of other projects too. Check out been progressing over summer proving to be a very interesting and the WTT Conservation Awards item in 2A015 is the uncovering of a section of challenging one to work in – as there this Newsletter to see what else I have urban freestone stream in the centre has already been valuable archaeological been up to over the last few months… of sheffield. remains of buildings uncovered. This has Any ‘urban trouty’ project queries The Porter Brook pops up to the been meticulously drawn and recorded can be sent to me at surface in a staccato fashion throughout before being re-buried throughout the [email protected] or over the the city of Sheffield (finally joining the pocket park construction process. Re - phone on 07919 157267. River Sheaf underneath platform 5 of markably, the people working on site Sheffield Railway Station). There is a have seen some small trout darting be - short section that had some daylight reaching it just around Matilda Street Bridge – and until recently there was a car park along the left hand bank of that section. Until fairly recently, there also used to be an industrial premises whose concrete floor used to conceal the brook as it returned to a subterranean channel. Whether above or below ground, the brook is confined in an arti - ficial (and artificially-straight) channel – often running in a smooth concrete chute. Despite this, where there are sec - tions of natural substrate, the inverte - brate communities have been found to be among the most diverse in the whole catchment of the River Don. With the Work ongoing on Sheffield’s Porter Brook. demolition of the industrial premises,

OTHER NEWS lAKe sPAWNiNG by broWN TrouT arcus Walters, of the Moray through walkover habitat surveys and conclusion that these were loch- Firth Trout initiative (MFTi), has angling sampling days. This work has spawning trout. Subsequent bMeen doing some intriguing work on highlighted a number of world-class correspondence with other projects and brown trout spawning not in brown trout angling lochs with naturally biologists around the UK soon revealed traditional river riffle areas, but on recruiting populations despite there that although this behaviour was widely the gravel margins of lakes. being minimal or no stream spawning suspected there was very little first- Over the last three years, the Moray habitat. Further investigation in the hand observation or solid evidence. Firth Trout Initiative (MFTI) has been autumn at one site revealed extensive Brown trout, Salmo trutta , is using local volunteers to investigate spawning activity and redds in gravel at predominantly considered a stream lochs in the North East of Scotland 2-3m depth in the loch, leading to the spawner and although there are

16 CONSERvATION UPDATES observations of lake spawning it is not well documented in the scientific literature and its relative contribution to recruitment is poorly understood. There are plenty of anecdotal reports where it is thought to take place but few of these have been thoroughly investigated and particularly in the UK, very few have been scientifically recorded. Considering the importance of good spawning habitat and its potential vulnerability to impacts from land use, it is essential we A trout redd, though this one’s not in a lake. improve our understanding of the extent of loch spawning and the physical environment required for it to occur. less common as a range of physical maintained by wind driven waves Lake spawning is a key strategy of factors have to align to be suitable for particularly in shallow shore gravels. In many species with similar requirements spawning. Appropriate substrate or Iceland, lake spawning occurs around to brown trout; Arctic charr spawn gravel in a lake will depend on the local areas of upwelling generated by vents widely in lakes, as do brook trout and physical geography but can result from from volcanic activity. where Sockeye salmon have become rock falls on adjacent slopes, a flooded In summary, lake spawning by trout landlocked they have formed entirely stream bed or shore gravels generated quite possibly occurs more widely than lake spawning populations known as from erosive wave action. Adequate flow is reported and is likely a significant, if kokanee. For spawning to take place can be maintained in the loch where it is not the sole, contributor to trout successfully, appropriate substrate is associated with the inlet or outlet but recruitment in some locations. However, needed for initial redd cutting and elsewhere groundwater flow or due to the difficulties in observing and suitable conditions for embryo upwelling is necessary to provide studying this behaviour, it is widely development through to the alevin and adequate water quality and flow. underreported and poorly understood. swim-up fry stages. This relies on the Groundwater flow is reliant on an To help us improve our knowledge and presence of gravel substrate and suitable aquifer and the associated geology; understanding of this behaviour and its conditions; good water quality with typically occurring where alternating relative importance in recruitment, we sufficient dissolved oxygen, adequate layers of permeable and impermeable would be very grateful if you could flow rates and stable temperature. rock exist, resulting in underwater influx contact us with any observations or These conditions are widely found in and subsequent upwelling through the thoughts from your local area: streams as the water flows through the gravel. There is also some speculation [email protected]. gravel, but in a lake environment may be that adequate circulation can be

CoNKers cidents, often where fish were lost crushed by the rush hour traffic. During through drought, disease and pollu - a rainfall event, it was reported that the KNoCKiNG tion. road and road-side gulley was temporar - The list of issues and problems that ily full of light green foam. It was a short ouT TrouT! can result in fish dying in a river is long time later that the dead trout were seen and complex and I must admit I thought and the incident reported to the EA. Andy Thomas tells an in - I had witnessed examples of just about Now I knew that conkers were triguing tale. all of them but during a recent Advisory mildly toxic because I had tried to eat visit to the Chalgrove Brook in Oxford - them as a boy. I survived to write this ith WTT, i spend every work - shire, I was told about a small popula - piece but in all my years working on ing day exploring ways in tion of wild brown trout that met their rivers I had never heard of a fish mortal - wWhich to make life better for wild demise this time last year as a result of ity arising from crushed conkers. I con - trout and in particular their habitat. crushed conkers! cluded the Chalgrove Brook incident before joining the Trust, i spent many The site I visited was called Chestnut must have been incredibly rare. But just years working for various Fisheries Farm; possibly a clue in the title! At this how rare? departments of Thames Water (pre location, the tiny but very attractive lit - Last week, I took calls from two land 1989), the National rivers Authority tle Chalgrove Brook runs parallel with owners who had reported the loss of and eventually the environment the chestnut tree-lined road route. Fol - their trout population in a very small Agency. Although my work in those lowing a prolonged dry spell, a sudden tributary of the Western Rother in West days did occasionally extend to habi - break in the weather corresponded with Sussex. The EA were called and an inci - tat improvement work, a big chunk a substantial fall of conker fruits onto dent investigation carried out. The dead of my time involved responding to in - the road where they were neatly trout had been seen following a classic

17 OTHER NEWS

‘first flush’; in other words, heavy rain between the crushed horse chestnuts tives use plants containing rotenone to following a prolonged dry spell. These and the dead trout has not been proven poison fish. It is thought the natives conditions are known to put huge pres - but to their credit, Brian Gowdy were originally using the nuts as a soap sure on fish in small streams but usually (landowner) and Charles Bacchus (local substitute and noticed that fish were only when the weather is exceptionally EA Fisheries Technical Specialist) did a coming to the surface and were easy to warm and flow and dissolved oxygen little bit of digging and it seems that our scoop out. I was a little surprised at this levels very low. For fish to die in cool offending conker tree is probably the because the horse chestnut that we conditions in October generally re - smoking gun. know in this country is a native of the quires something pretty nasty to be Brian did a bit of research on the in - Balkans. I couldn’t imagine Balkan picked up and flushed into the system. ternet and came across a blog from a conker trees finding their way to the Despite the best efforts of the local EA character called Tyra relating a story primitive river valleys of North America team, the offending plug of pollutant had about a reoccurring fish mortality in the at a time when the locals needed to kill whizzed through the tiny system leaving river near the town of Kolding in East fish to survive but apparently there are no clues and certainly no evidence of Jutland. Apparently, the fish always died at least six related members of the Aes - organic pollution, which is the most at the same time each year when the culus (horse chestnut) family native to common problem when an event like chestnut fruits fell down and were the Americas. this occurs. It was only when chatting to crushed on the road. So what have I learned? Well, I always the landowner that the conker incident I The active piscicide in horse chest - knew that horse chestnut trees are had previously been told about popped nuts is a compound called saponin. This hopeless riverside trees and now I’ve up into my head. Apparently, the compound can be found in a range of got a valid reason to dislike them. The landowner had seen some foaming and plants including soapworts and is one of chances are that overhanging conker more to the point, the little stream runs three known, naturally occurring toxins trees are nothing to worry about but it adjacent to a bridge and small culvert found in plant material that is lethal to is worth keeping an eye on any site immediately adjacent to a giant horse fish. Having a dig around myself I found a where there is the capacity for an unde - chestnut which had shed loads of fruits reference to North American native sirable outcome – an avenue of trees during some big winds the previous day tribes the Yuchi and the Creek, who are adjacent to a road and very close to any – crushed conkers galore! recorded as having used crushed horse small stream containing our beloved Now although this was a bit of a Eu - chestnut material to stupefy fish in much trout! Food (fruit?) for thought? reka moment for all involved, the link the same way that South American na - usiNG characteristics in Hampshire; five beats stocking (right-hand photo at top of are located within three separate page 19). ANGler reaches. The fishery has been stocked The Club received 78% submission of annually with approximately 1100 catch returns for the 2014 season CATCH dATA farmed brown trout (ranging in length (n=172). Angler data showed: from 280mm to 305mm) to meet angler • Angler recapture rate of marked his is a summary of a bsc thesis demand and supplement wild stocks stocked fish was 21% (224 out of the by Matt Penny of sparsholt (left-hand photo at top of page 19). The 1045 fish stocked). CTollege in which Matt worked with historically low angler recapture rates of • Members released 75% of stocked Portsmouth services Fly Fishing farmed fish, alongside a perceived loss of fish post capture; only 25% killed for the Association to look at what happens these stocked fish from the Association’s table (68 of the 224 recorded as to stocked brown trout in the water motivated the investigation. caught). Association’s water on the Meon. In the 2014 fishing season, all stocked • The majority (74%) of marked fish In 2013, Portsmouth Services Fly brown trout (1045 fish in total) were were captured in the same beat as they Fishing Association (PSFFA) approached individually marked to increase accuracy were stocked. Sparsholt College seeking an of identification on recapture. Previously, • Marked fish captured away from the undergraduate to help manage their angler skill was relied upon to beat of stocking moved at least 1.5km new ‘Stocked Trout Project’. The Project differentiate wild from farmed fish and upstream and 7.5km downstream. aimed to investigate the Club’s routine there was no means of indentifying • Generally few fish were caught in stocking of farmed brown trout using migrant trout stocked by other fisheries. the same beat where they were stocked data collected from anglers’ catch Four categories of fish were created (0%-21% of recaptures) but there was returns. The study formed the basis of using Alcian blue dye applied by jet- also little evidence of fish caught in my BSc Fisheries Management & inoculator (commonly called panjetting) beats other than where they were Aquaculture dissertation; this article as dots on the belly of the fish; this stocked (1-4% of recaptures). summarises the approach and findings of marking scheme related to the beat • Approximately 40% of all marked the PSFFA’s 2014 Project. where fish were released and was fish were caught in the most habitat-rich PSFFA manage 4.5 miles of the Meon, designed to investigate rates of beat; half of this number had been a lowland river with chalk stream retention and movement from sites of originally stocked into other beats.

18 CONSERvATION UPDATES

Stocked (left) and wild (right) brown A panjetted stockie brown trout. Note two blue dots trout from the River Meon. on the belly in front of the pelvic fins of the fish.

When analysing catch returns it is limitations to accuracy are improved catch return format and important to recognise the limitations acknowledged, angler data can be a higher levels of angler engagement. If of angler data. For example, bias to useful indicator of fishery performance. you’d like to contact Matt about his capture by rod and line, angler skill and As the Project progresses the Club aims project, email him on underreporting may create trends that to improve the reliability of data with a [email protected]. do not actually exist. However, if more durable marking method,

THe 2015 WTT 3-Fly CHAlleNGe t just gets better and better. The brown trout and golden rainbows. winner, with Chris Hodge pipping to the sixth, annual WTT 3-Fly Challenge WTT is hugely indebted to Neil post twice-previous winner, David King. iwas run at the splendid Meon springs Mundy, a WTT volunteer who yet again In addition to second place, David also Trout Fishery in Hampshire in June, organised the day brilliantly, with took the biggest fish prize. in memory of avid Meon fisher, Pasco generous support from Waitrose and For your diaries, the 2016 3-Fly James. 31 anglers fished the event, the John Lewis Partnership Fly Fishing Challenge will be on Saturday 18 June – raising an incredible £3770 for WTT Club. The fishery at Meon Springs if you’d like details, keep in touch with and over £500 for the injured looked stunning and produced excellent Neil Mundy at [email protected]. servicemen’s charity, Fishing for fish and facilities, including a great lunch Pasco James was a super-keen fisher Forces. (details of the fishery at and riverman on the Meon, whose life The competition allows anglers to http://meonsprings.com/). Phil Marr, the ended tragically early in 2010 at the age fish with three flies – a Kite’s Imperial, a silversmith, created beautiful of 22. Since then, WTT has run the 3-Fly buzzer and a GHE nymph – with commemorative silver salvers as prizes Challenge in his honour and used the different point scores awarded for fish and Pasco’s mum, Harriet Poland, monies for habitat work on the Meon. size and each pattern. This year, the presented the prizes at the day’s end. fishery contained some ‘bonus’ fish: This year saw a new competition

Chris Hodge (centre), winner, Neil Mundy, event organiser and Harriet Poland. Chris won a superb Sage One rod, a David King (right) and Harriet Poland. David took second Phil Marr silver salver and a commemorative tankard. place in 2015 but still had the biggest fish.

19 OTHER NEWS 2Nd iNTerNATioNAl seA TrouT syMPosiuM, duNdAlK, oCTober 2015 ollowing on from the first north east English coast (north of returning to the Tamar are from that symposium in 2004, this event, Flamborough Head) appear to show sea river, though in some years with 10-12% bFringing together 150 delegates trout post-smolts moving southwards from the Dart/Teign, 80km distant along working across the species’ range, along the English coast before migrating the coast. However, the heads of the sought to update knowledge on what eastward across the North Sea towards Tamar and Dart/Teign are only 400-500 we know (and very often don’t know) Jutland. This pattern of migration follows metres apart on Dartmoor, so maybe about sea trout. WTT director, predominant ocean currents and takes the trout are responding to some shaun leonard, shares some of his sea trout into known sandeel spawning shared memory of home! This work, notes from the symposium. areas in the southern North Sea and however, suggests this straying into non- The 2nd International Sea Trout along the Jutland coast. Maturing sea natal rivers is temporary, genetic studies Symposium, held in Dundalk, Ireland in trout then have to make a counter- showing no reproductive contribution October 2015, was convened by Inland current migration to reach their natal from the strays into the locals. Fisheries Ireland, the Atlantic Salmon river. Dr Campbell stressed too that • Icelandic work shows the Trust and Graeme Harris of FishSkill there may in this migration pattern be enormous growth rates possible for Consultancy Ltd, with support from a echoes from a time before the last ice trout that do migrate to sea. One tagged number of additional sponsors, including age when large areas now under the fish was weighed at emigration at 2.9kg, Northern Ireland’s Department of North Sea were land and streams and returning 9 weeks later at 5kg! Culture, Arts & Leisure, Salmon & Trout rivers flowed into an ancient North Sea • Several pieces of work hint at the Conservation UK, the Institute of much further north than today. risk of migrating to sea, a trade-off with Fisheries Management and the Wild • Dr Ted Potter of Cefas outlined the great feeding and growth to be had. Trout Trust. We at WTT sponsored one computer-based, hydrodynamic In Sweden, smolt-loss rate in the estuary of the keynote speakers, Steve Railsback, modeling work which can include was estimated at between 26%-51% of from Humboldt State University in ‘particles’ as a proxy for sea trout the run. In Dorset’s River Frome, 24% of California and produced a poster paper moving around in the currents of the sea trout smolts tagged in the river did with the Environment Agency on our Irish and Celtic seas. This work suggests not reach listening stations located at work with sea trout in southern England that fish stay close to their natal areas, the mouth of Poole Harbour. and East Anglia. supported by genetic studies which Interestingly, for those WTT members Here are just a few interesting showed 40% of fish recaptured close to that know Poole Harbour, this same snippets gathered during the event: home with mostly northerly and work suggests that the Harbour is not • In northern France, brown trout east/west movement. used for feeding by sea trout. populations in Brittany include virtually • Work from Iceland, Norway, • The often under-recognised no fish that migrate to sea, yet eastward Scotland and Sweden reinforces the importance of sea trout in migratory into Normandy, there’s an increasingly view that most sea trout stay close to salmonid rod catches in Britain was significant component of sea migrants. home and the coast when at sea. Work highlighted by Dr Graeme Harris. In the There is evidence of straying between in two Scottish sea lochs (Linnhe and period 1994-2011, sea trout rivers. Water depth, nature of the sea Eil) suggests that whilst tagged salmon represented 42% of the total reported bed and the presence of the Contentin smolts headed out to open sea through rod catch; in Wales, 80% of the total rod Peninsula influences the genetic make-up Loch Linnhe (and the up into the North catch was sea trout. of sea trout populations. Sea trout Atlantic), tagged sea trout went inland • In the Celtic and Irish seas, analysis feeding over areas of pebbles and gravel into Loch Eil. Only one of 13 tagged sea of over 500 sea trout stomachs showed in the sea, which may be important trout post-smolts was detected leaving that 95% of the diet of those fish was sandeel, sprat and herring nursery areas, Loch Linnhe for the open sea during the fish, mostly sandeels, though in the tend to stay closer to their natal river. 50 days of the research. In Norwegian Solway, 98% was sprat. • In Northern Ireland’s Shimna River, work, 68% of the tagged sea trout’s time • Extensive studies are ongoing for trout survival from egg to summerling at sea was spent within 4km of the tidal lagoon power in Swansea Bay, (perhaps 6-8 months old) is 3-9%. Trout mouth of their natal river, though small including potential impacts on fish. This longer than 15cm tend to be female and numbers of fish migrated significant will entail a 9.5km, horseshoe-shaped at the downstream end of the river, distances, up to 130km. This same work bund out into the bay, impounding an more than 80% of the females go to sea suggested that post-smolts returned to area of 1160 hectares. A gap in this bund as sea trout. freshwater more than once in their first will house a turbine, drawing energy • Dr Ronald Campbell of the Tweed summer after leaving the river, from an in-and-out flow of up to 10,000 Foundation reviewed a number of sea coinciding (?) with times of high sea lice cubic metres/sec. tagging studies in the UK, some dating levels in the fjord (where there are • Experiments on a hydropower back over 50 years. Most studies salmon farming cages). (Archimedes Screw) turbine in Dorset’s recaptured sea trout close to their natal • Work in Devon and Cornwall River Frome suggests a low level of river though some studies from the suggests that the vast bulk of sea trout entrainment of sea trout smolts into the

20 CONSERvATION UPDATES turbine; most used the bypass around to sea lice infestation. It is thought that safeguards in place to try to protect sea the turbine, with little delay. Returning more than 13 sea lice on an individual trout, compared to the Norwegian adults used the adjacent fish pass or sea trout post-smolt will kill it; this industry and its regulators. That said, this weir, again with little delay. However, a study looked at around 8,000 post- study estimates that across Norway, small-scale experiment on the Ribble, smolts, finding loads of up to 400 lice 65% of rivers have sea trout populations showed four out of ten tagged salmon per fish. The work suggests that a sea whose numbers are regulated by salmon smolts were entrained into a trout river must be 30-40km away from farms in the rivers’ fjords. hydropower turbine, causing probable a salmon cage farm for there to be no fatal injury. Thus, the potential impact on impact on the sea trout post-smolts fish from hydropower turbines is from sea lice emanating from the farm. deemed to be site-specific. At less than 15km distance, lice • A group of scientists from Ireland, emanating from the farm will kill 50- Scotland and Norway have studied 100% of the sea trout post-smolts. impacts from salmon farming on sea Salmon farming in Scotland and trout populations, especially in relation especially Ireland has many fewer

WTT’s 2014/15 yeAr – sHAuN leoNArd TT publishes an annual report, Advisory visits, Project during this year by WTT’s expert the full illustrated version of Proposals and River Conservation Officers, giving local Wwhich including audited accounts, is Habitat Workshops volunteers the opportunity to learn of published on the Charity good and impacted riverine habitat and Commission’s website. extracted WTT’s core conservation activity is to practise hands-on habitat below are the highlights. the provision of advice and practical improvement techniques under the help to local community groups and guidance of the WTT staff. Feedback What did we do in landowners, through Avs and River from these workshops has been 2014/15? Habitat Workshops. extremely positive and there are many In 2014/15, WTT’s team of examples where local interests have • 118 Advisory visits (Avs) to river Conservation Officers worked with taken the knowledge acquired with and lake sites, with follow-on reports; fishery and river interests across the WTT and applied it further to improve • 42 practical demonstration events, British Isles, completing 118 Avs with habitat in their home rivers (e.g. Brent, involving local communities in improving follow-on reports and project Cale, Colne, Lark, ver, Yorks Don). habitat in their river; proposals. In over 80% of cases, WTT All of this activity has enhanced • worked directly with over 2,500 Avs led to action in and by the river to habitat on at least 300km of river and volunteers in more than 13,000 hours of improve habitat, carried out by directly involved over 900 volunteers in practical work across the British Isles, community volunteers in angling clubs 5,100 hours of activity. It is estimated contributing over £170,000 worth of and conservation groups. This work that an additional 600 volunteers have time, to improve habitat for trout and involved, for example, more sensitive joined the working parties of angling other aquatic biota; management techniques of riparian and clubs and local conservation groups, • improved habitat on at least 300km in-stream vegetation or proactive informed by the WTT Conservation of river; habitat improvement through the Officers, adding a further 3,500 hours of • completed nine significant river introduction of woody material, work for the benefit of wild trout and restoration projects in England, working retaining or creating vital habitat for other wildlife in and around the river. with a range of partners; plants, invertebrates and fish, as well as The monetised value of this voluntary • presented at 27 international, the birds and mammals that rely on a contribution is estimated to exceed national and local events, spreading healthy river. Much of this work takes £112,000. Much of this work was messages on aquatic conservation to an place in rural settings, though an supported by the Environment Agency audience of over 800 people; important part of WTT’s role, through (EA), using funds raised through angling • our Mayfly in the Classroom its Trout in the Town programme, is the rod licence sales, augmented by WTT educational tool reached over 1,000 support of groups working in towns and co-funding from a range of sources e.g. pupils in 48 settings across Britain; cities across England to make life better individual Trust supporters, the WTT • raised over £70,000 in an annual for their rivers and people. The WTT annual auction, John Ellerman auction to drive the cost-effective work website (www.wildtrout.org/avs) is now Foundation, water companies, of the Trust. home to over 500 Av reports, dating partnerships with other NGOs. back to 2001 and covering all corners of the British Isles. 42 practical demonstration days, River Habitat Workshops, were led

21 OTHER NEWS

A partnership with Thames Water, EA landowner and a local fishing association 2014/15, 260 lots attracted donations of and the Angling Trust saw WTT launch a to create 600m of new trout habitat and over £70,000. The auction also raises three-year project of Rivers & Wetlands bypass an impassable 2m-high weir. the WTT profile and provides an Community Days, which, in 2014/15, Pools and gravel riffles were created in invaluable opportunity for engagement supported 20 projects in 18 sub- the new channel which will be a good with a broad community that actively catchments across the Thames Water home, not only for the river’s brown supports the work of the Trust. Sincere area, involving a further 1,000 trout, but also its population of our thanks to the many individuals and volunteers in 6,000 hours of work. It is native and threatened white-clawed organisations who support our estimated that the initial year’s funding crayfish (see Tim Jacklin’s report in this fundraising work. of £50,000 has leveraged additional co- Newsletter). funding exceeding £230,000. Staff and volunteers Talks and Presentations River Restoration Projects In 2014/15, WTT added two new WTT spreads its conservation technical staff to its team, both based in Working with dynamic, local messages through talks in a range of the north of England: a Conservation partners, WTT completed nine settings, from international conferences Officer and a Research & Conservation significant river restoration projects to gatherings of local community groups Officer. Both posts strengthen the during 2014/15. Examples include work such as angling clubs. In 2014/15, WTT’s geographical coverage of WTT’s work on the River Glaven in Norfolk, where, audience exceeded 800 people across with the latter adding further to the overcoming multiple challenges, 1.2km all parts of the UK and beyond. A academic depth of the team, charged of new stream length was created to particular highlight was WTT’s with translating and disseminating to a bypass a large, previously on-line lake at participation in the inaugural broader audience topical and relevant Bayfield House. Trout spawned in the International Trout Masterclass, a scientific information. new river during the first winter of its gathering of contributors and students volunteers continued to be a vital life and monitoring by one of the from 17 European countries who met in part of WTT’s work in 2014/15, project partners, Norfolk Rivers Trust, in Slovenia to learn and share experiences maintaining the Trust’s presence with summer 2015, showed that trout and on trout conservation. social media, uploading lots for the other fish species of different ages had Mayfly in the Classroom is an accessi - internet auction, creating newsletter taken up residence. ble educational initiative designed by artwork, manning stands at shows, In Hampshire, reaches of a tributary WTT to allow pupils, especially at Key providing technical input through of the River Itchen, the Monks Brook, Stages 1 & 2, to study a range of topics advisory panels and working with the flow over concrete banks and bed. In around aquatic conservation. Pupils Conservation Officers in practical partnership with the local EA fisheries gather mayfly (upwinged fly) nymphs delivery of riverine habitat team and the Highways Agency, WTT from a local stream and rear them in enhancements. In total, WTT and its delivered a project to create pools, low-cost incubation systems in the charitable mission benefited from 2,500 riffles and other features to make life classroom before release back to the volunteers contributing over 13,000 better for the sea trout that use areas stream corridor. This process not only hours at a conservative monetised value of this Brook for spawning (see Andy teaches simple animal husbandry skills exceeding £170,000. We are deeply Thomas’s report in this Newsletter). but allows teachers to explore with indebted to all these volunteers. In Somerset, the River Avill is a their pupils many aspects of aquatic con - beautiful stream flowing through the servation and management. WTT’s Con - Exmoor National Park, though the servation and Engagement Officer, lower reaches have suffered from funded through a private donation, co - channel straightening and diverted ordinated delivery of Mayfly in the flows. In an excellent practical Classroom to over 1,000 children in 48 collaboration between the local EA settings across Britain during 2014. fisheries team, the parish council, the However, the Officer delivering this Angling Trust and the landowner work moved to pastures new in Decem - (Crown Estate), WTT helped breathe a ber 2014 and the Trust decided not to new lease of life into a recently dredged replace the post and to forestall the section of the channel. Monitoring by programme at least in the short term. the EA in April 2015, revealed that the project had met with the approval of Fundraising Activities the trout population as large numbers of fish moved in after the work, WTT’s fundraising activities are vital benefiting from the improved habitat in in driving its conservation work. The the river. Trust benefits from the generosity of its In Lincolnshire, a major project on 2400 supporters and a number of the River Witham was completed by a fundraising events, the most significant partnership involving WTT, EA, the of which is its annual on-line auction. In

22 CBOOONKSE RREvvAITEIWONS BUYP DSHATAEUS N LEONARD seArCHiNG river For A rise HAbiTATs For xcellent angling author and CoArse FisH esteemed WTT member, Adrian elatimer’s latest offering is Searching hilst not the usual domain of for a Rise: Trout Fishing in the Footsteps the Wild Trout Trust, this of the Greats . Wbook from dr Mark everard seeks to Wild trout fishing is really on the up, bring sensitive habitat management with a growing band of devoted, avid to rivers where coarse fish might fishers chasing their prize across the full dominate but in many cases where range of the species. They don’t come adult wild brown trout might lurk much more devoted or avid than Adrian too. Latimer and it’s delightful to introduce This is the latest offering from the Adrian’s latest book, Searching for a Rise , prodigious stable of Dr Mark Everard: a as he travels and fishes a vast patch, pictorial guide to the habitat needs of world” though “fish evolved in a far from South America to Northern coarse fish in the UK and what can be more ragged world”; critically, he goes France, accompanied by an imagined done by the practical fishery manager to on to make the link between the vitality pantheon of the all-time greats of fishers make life better for those fish species. of fish populations and that of all the and fishing writers. The book addresses something of a other plants and animals (including In addition to his prowess with a rod, hole in the literature, following on from ourselves!) comprising the wider Adrian has conservation writ through the likes of WTT’s Wild Trout Survival ecosystem. So, if our fish species are in his bones. As with all his other books, Guide and applying that same practical good order, so are our rivers and so by Adrian is very generously donating the focus for coarse fish. So, Mark leads us default is the land they drain. royalties from Searching for a Rise to the through the habitat requirements of Being picky, some of the illustrations North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF; species like roach and dace, what it is in the book are a little small for total www.nasfworldwide.com) and the Wild that is impacting on their lives (e.g. clarity and Mark mostly uses his other Trout Trust (www.wildtrout.org); we will channel modification, intensive books as reference material, but the be sure to use those royalties well in agriculture) and the work that can be messages in River Habitats for Coarse Fish our conservation work. done in and by the river (mainly) by the are very well made and very, very Adrian’s writing is always a treat: fishery manager to improve those lives. important. It’s a snip at £11.95 and you breezy, humorous and evocative and his As with all Mark’s books, River should add it to your bookshelf. latest offering is every bit as good. Make Habitats for Coarse Fish is a good, River Habitats for Coarse Fish . By Dr a great informative read. It would be excellent if Mark Everard. Old Pond Publishing. Christmas every landowner, regulatory authority, www.oldpond.com. 114pp. Paperback pressie for a angling club working party and even £11.95. keen fisher. angler read it and heeded its words. As Mark notes, “we live in a tidied up

TreAsure Nick covers the habitat, biology, conservation and redisCovered management of brown trout, basing the vast bulk of what he book oft remembered but not writes on science. But he does revisited for a decade. this in his own, inimitable style, AIn 2005, Dr Nick Giles published The creating something that is Nature of Trout (or as he calls it, The enjoyable, utterly readable and not Nature of Sprouts!). I read it then and the least bit dry. The book and its loved it. Whilst recently excavating a messages are as relevant today as cupboard, I came across my copy of The they were a decade ago. Nature of Trout and have re-read it. I The only snag is that The Nature of cannot recommend this book to you Trout is out of print. But, it is available highly enough; I think it should be vital through Amazon and other reputable reading for anyone who claims to love book suppliers for as little as 1 penny. wild trout and/or wild trout fishing. You’ll not spend a better penny. Or even Whilst over a third of the book is the £25 if you buy it new. super-long chapter ‘Gone Fishing’, the whole thing is about so much more.

23 THe Wild TrouT TrusT Registered Charity No. 1162478 CWOTNT SSEHROvAP TION UPDATES Charitable Company No. 03345901 Registered in England & Wales Solve your Christmas present crisis with a gift President membership or something else from the shop. Jon Beer vice-Presidents Professor D avid Bellamy, Brian TT memberships and snowbee Fishing Clarke, Sir Gareth Edwards, merchandise can be shirt Oliver Edwards, Dr Malcolm Wordered via the shop on our £39.99 + £3.20 p&p Greenhalgh, Dennis Moss, Pat website at O’Reilly, Peter O’Reilly, Jeremy sizes M, L, XL, XXL Paxman, Paul Procter, Charles http://www.wildtrout.org/; by Rangeley-Wilson, The Rt Hon sending your order and cheque Lord (David) Steel of Aikwood to the WTT office; or by Chairman debit/credit card over the David Fraser phone – call the WTT office Company secretary on 023 9257 0985. All postage David Marriott prices are for the uK, please [email protected] enquire for overseas. director and Conservation T-shirts from for scotland & ireland orvis cap eat, sleep, Fish Shaun Leonard Direct from [email protected] £15 + £3.20 07974 861908 p&p one size Fulling Mill http://eat- evening rise sleep-fish.co.uk Conservation officers Fly selection Tim Jacklin /content/2014/ Northern England, Midlands, Anglian, £9 + £3.20 09/eat-sleep- North Wales p&p fish-t-shirts [email protected] rod measures £19.99 plus £2 07876 525457 and length/ p&p Andy Thomas weight cards Southern, Thames, South West, £3.50 per set South & Mid-Wales [email protected] 07876 525499 Paul Gaskell Trout cushions Trout in the Town £12 + £3.20 [email protected] p&p 07919 157267 Car stickers and Gareth Pedley mugs The North Cds Car stickers – £1.50 [email protected] 07500 870583 • The Uplands River Habitat Pin badges – £3.75 Manual £10 + £2 p&p Mike Blackmore Cloth badges – £4.50 Southern, Thames, South West, • The Chalkstream Habitat Mugs – £9 + £3.20 p&p South & Mid-Wales Manual £10 + £2 p&p [email protected] • Urban Rivers Restoration 07881 248789 Guidelines £10 + £2 p&p research & Conservation officer • Rivers – Working for Wild Jon Grey Trout£10 + £2 p&p The North [email protected] 07969 337808 Newsletter Shaun Leonard, Christina Bryant Paperbacks and Richard Handley • Simple Guide to Caddis Larvae – sponsorship & Communications £6 + £1.50 p&p Denise Ashton • Guide to the Adult Caddis Flies or [email protected] Sedge Flies – £3.80 + £1.50 p&p 07802 454157 • The Wild Trout Survival Guide – Wild Trout Trust office £10 + £2.16 p&p Christina Bryant Trust Administrator offi[email protected] 023 9257 0985 Printed on Amadeus 100, The Wild Trout Trust, PO Box 120, a recycled paper containing Waterlooville PO8 0WZ 100% recycled waste Christina normally works 09:00– 16:00, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. When this is not possible and at all other times, please leave a message on the answerphone.

24