AUTUMN 2019 NEWSLETTER

TEST & ITCHEN RIVER RESTORATION STRATEGY Winner of the Outstanding Habitat Improvement Project

WTT ANNUAL RAFFLE 19 DECEMBER: FABULOUS PRIZES, SEE PAGE 10. DO PLEASE BUY A TICKET OR TWO WILD TROUT TRUST CONSERVATION AWARDS 2019: JUDGES’ REPORT

Bossington: Bossington aerial shot 2018 two years after work

TEST & ITCHEN RIVER local landowners and fisheries managed more sensitively. RESTORATION STRATEGY interests in October 2012, with a A range of techniques have been series of events leading to its launch used including barrier removal, Winner of the Outstanding in March of the following year. channel narrowing and the addition Habitat Improvement Project Working collaboratively with these of woody material and gravel. stakeholders is imperative to the Eight barriers and 1km of steel OTH the Test and the success of the project, with early and wooden sheet piling have BItchen in Hampshire are partners coming from famous fishery been removed, 16,800 tonnes of conservationally-significant interests on the Test. In some cases, gravel added and 40 hectares of flood chalkstreams, officially classified hearts and minds have been won storage created; in total, over 10km of in “unfavourable condition”. The over slowly, as long as 20 years, from river has been significantly restored. objectives of the Test & Itchen project inception to implementation. Monitoring is being undertaken River Restoration Strategy, led by The Strategy and its projects by EA survey teams, Southampton the Environment Agency, are to are part-funded now by the University and Sparsholt College and determine the impacts of physical Environment Agency’s Flood & information disseminated through modifications (past and present) Coastal Risk Management function, the River Restoration Centre and a on the form, natural processes and with financial input for the first variety of local routes. ecology of the rivers, then to provide years from Natural England; project WTT judges appreciate the breadth an outline restoration plan for the partners are expected to 50:50 fund of this project and the socio-political river on a reach-by-reach scale and the work, though a number of context in which it has succeeded do the work where possible. The riparian owners have contributed and is producing beneficial change focus of any restoration project more. Over £1M has been spent to for these iconic chalkstreams. The within the Strategy is to ensure the date, 60% (all cash) from the 26 range of techniques and the scale condition of the habitat rather than contributing owners. One aspect of some individual projects is the preservation of the species of the Strategy, costing little or no impressive; the role of the project directly, with the principle being more, is to encourage more sensitive manager and his relationships with that good chalkstream habitat and management of the river by, for local stakeholders, crucially with unconstrained natural processes is example, reduced mowing and the riverkeepers, is noteworthy, more likely to support characteristic cutting of the banks; a poll of river producing physical improvements flora and fauna. keepers suggests that over 60km and a cultural change in how these The Strategy was introduced to of Test-bank length alone is now rivers are perceived and managed.

2 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 LEVEN WILD FISHERY The club decided in 2010 not to all useful for the management stock any longer, a decision carried of the club and its waters. PROJECT through to today. In addition, a The club’s stated aim is to “work Winner of the Outstanding number of barriers on the Leven with nature to create as near as Contribution to Wild Trout have been eased, habitat improved possible a wild fishery supporting Conservation with woody debris, considered tree a good population of naturally management carried out, Ranunculus sustainable brown trout” and a survey UTTON Rudby Fly Fishing successfully transplanted and invasive of members (current and lapsed) HClub is a small club with plants (Himalayan balsam and giant indicates a high degree of buy-in and fishing on the River Leven in hogweed) tackled, including working success with this aim. Hutton Rudby’s North Yorkshire. Over the past 30 with CABI on balsam rust trials: early work has inspired other angling clubs, years, and in partnership with (at signs suggest success. The members locally and nationally and featured in various times) the Environment logbook scheme has revealed articles in the local and national press, Agency, Tees Rivers Trust and interesting information, not only EA and WTT publications. WTT, the club has transformed on catch rates and thus the fishery Not only do the brown trout its management of the river. performance, but the trout appear to appreciate the club’s work, In 2009, a carefully-monitored population too; effort-normalised grayling appear to be doing well and logbook scheme was introduced to catch rates indicate a progressive rise the habitat improvement is proving track the performance of stocked over time. The logbooks also provide of benefit to many other species, trout, revealing that very few were detailed information on when, where including otters, kingfishers, dippers caught and much money wasted! and how much members are fishing – and herons. The WTT judges appreciated the comprehensive application from the Hutton Rudby club, including excellent data on members’ catch returns. The judges viewed the club as open to their members and new ideas, with a willingness to share, to be informed and inform others, including the community’s youngsters. The club has fully bought into the ‘wild’ philosophy in its management of the river, with strong local support; they are seen as the river guardians by River Leven: a wild trout fishery their community.

Debris dam work ADOPT A TRIBUTARY

“ DOPT a Tributary” and water Aquality awareness work across the River Towy has been a project headed by Carmarthenshire Fishermen’s Federation (CFF), representing anglers, angling clubs and riparian owners across rivers in West Wales. The project set out to initiate a Towy-wide “Adopt a Tributary” project and raise awareness of the state of the counties’ waterways. The success of the project has outgrown the voluntary capacity

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 3 metal and all sorts of other debris) and invasive plants, especially Himalayan balsam. The scale of the waste that CFF volunteers have encountered is staggering, especially since much of the catchment is rural. CFF works in close partnership with many other organisations including WWRT, AC, NRW, Welsh Government and farming representative groups. The project is lobbying hard across many sectors, expanding its area of influence and now involving non-angling community groups. The WTT judges especially recognise this involvement of non-angling groups including family-based activities, extraordinary Rubbish removal levels of voluntary input from CFF and its associates and the lobbying effort (from farmers on the ground of CFF, with management passing to and private donations. to politicians in Welsh Government). the West Wales Rivers Trust (WWRT) CFF remains a lobbying group That the project is being taken on from summer 2019, formally funded but, since 2018, has also looked to formally by WWRT with viable by Welsh Water (WW) and Natural practical work, including the funding from WW and NRW is Resources Wales (NRW) and removal of in-river blockages, testament to the tremendous supported by Afonydd Cymru (AC) fly-tipped waste (including plastic, voluntary efforts of CFF.

species) to thrive and benefiting redd counting: the signs are AIRE FRESHENER a wide range of other wildlife; promising! Longer-serving members • has varied flows and water depths, report good fishing with strong year HE Aire Freshener project, which offers vastly improved headed by Bradford City Angling classes of younger fish evident, plus T spawning opportunities for fish Association (BCAA), supported by numbers of trophy fish. The benefits and habitat for all life-stages; the Environment Agency, Yorkshire for other wildlife are apparent too, • and has an ability to self-mitigate Farming & Wildlife Partnership, with regular sightings of otters, many the threats posed by erosion and Aire Rivers Trust and WTT, tells bird and butterfly species, hares and riparian landowner mishap or the story of an angling club that roe deer; mayfly have returned in malpractice. has changed both the philosophy numbers to one improved reach. and practical management of its Dissemination of wild trout fishing on Yorkshire’s River Aire, BCAA ceased stocking and, conservation messages comes near Gargrave. The river has a on a shoestring budget with much through a club Facebook page, chequered 200-year history of volunteer input, installed 2.3km an annual open day and articles in neglect and abuse from various of fencing, planted 2,850 trees the local and fly fishing press. forms of industry but BCAA has and wildflower seeds into the The WTT judges very much liked established a vision for a river which: newly-created buffer strip, the strong partnership ethos in transplanted water crowfoot, BCAA’s project, its clear plan, huge • follows a naturally-developed removed invasive plants and changes to the river for a project course, unshackled as much as ragwort and installed woody costing perhaps no more than £20k possible from its historic constraints; debris in various forms into the river. so far, effective application of fairly • has natural riparian vegetation and Monitoring is ongoing, through simple and effective techniques and varied in-stream habitat, enabling invertebrate sampling, electric multi-species benefits: overall, a wild trout (as our indicator fishing, angler catch returns and brilliant project.

4 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 BRANSTON BECK Branston Beck, before Branston Beck, after COMMUNITY PROJECT

HE limestone becks of TLincolnshire can be home to important species such as the water vole, brown trout and native crayfish, alongside a substantial array of regionally and nationally rare insects, but historic changes to the becks including dredging and straightening along with more recent stresses from abstraction and pollution have resulted in degraded habitat for wildlife. The Community Project site to clean the gravels; Schoolchildren were also involved upstream of the village of • selectively coppice trees to in planting by the beck. Branston near Lincoln offered let more light into the stream WTT’s judges recognised the a great opportunity to improve • add pollinator and aquatic plant project’s success in bringing together habitat for spawning brown trout interest; a diverse, involved group from the and other wildlife and also involve • connect the community with local community, Rivers Trust, EA locals in creating an attractive yet their local stream. and Internal Drainage Board, the biodiverse section of accessible latter in an exemplary way. stream. This project, led by Volunteer work parties carried This project will pave the Lincolshire Rivers Trust, set out to: out the physical in-stream habitat way for large-scale work across improvements and local young Lincolnshire’s beleaguered limestone • install brushwood mattresses to people were involved in a bird and becks and benefit trout and other create some channel sinuosity bat box making day; those boxes wildlife, even where there are no and improve in-stream habitat now form part of a village trail. angling interests.

HOWDEN ROCK CAMP

HIS vast project to build a rock Tramp on the River Almond in West Lothian was led by Forth Rivers Trust (FRT), in partnership with West Lothian Council and Edinburgh City Council, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Government and SEPA’s Water Environment Fund. The Almond is fragmented by barriers including a large weir at Howden, removal of which is deemed impossible because of an upstream road bridge. So, Atlantic salmon, sea trout, eels and lamprey were severely restricted, barely able to access more than the bottom third of the catchment. The solution was a huge rock ramp that would not only Howden Bridge improve fish passage but provide weir, before educational opportunities, create

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 5 employment and a place for the The rock ramp working community to visit, improving physical and mental wellbeing. The broader project is to tackle seven barriers, with the Howden rock ramp one of the most technically challenging, the UK’s longest at 185m! Construction of the ramp was completed only in May 2019, so it’s hard yet to tell if it’s completely successful, but FRT expect it to be so, for all species and sizes of fish. However, otters are clearly visiting this area as are people from the local community – 350 children from 12 schools have taken part in FRT’s WTT’s judges appreciated the The work continued to a successful work and hundreds of volunteers engineering feat of the rock ramp: end despite a series of huge floods. involved in litter picking, electric not only is it the UK’s longest (185m This truly is a flagship project which fishing, invasive weed spraying and long, 105m wide), it involved 8 men we hope will encourage others path building. Social media reach working on site for 28 weeks to put to take on the challenge of working from the project has been great, in 2,500 tonnes of rock. 50-60km of at such scale. There is a brilliant reaching a high-point of 58,000 main river and tributary have been time-lapse video at: https:// followers in the autumn of 2018. opened up with this ramp. youtu.be/_qBdaW21pV8

RIVER DERWENT (CUMBRIA) CATCHMENT-WIDE by any individual party gain. Partners HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT work together to secure funding, delivering a wide range of habitat HE Cumbrian Derwent is a Oak field school tree planting day improvement works, enhancing TSpecial Area of Conservation the conservation status of the SAC, and Site of Special Scientific contributing to natural flood Interest, with important species management and engaging key of fish, invertebrates and plants. The stakeholders and the local river was subjected to huge community in this work. and damaging flooding in 2009 Since 2016, the RCG has and 2015, making enhancement contributed to: of available habitat imperative. The River Derwent • 38 habitat improvement projects; Catchment-Wide Habitat • over 16 km of riverbank fencing Improvement Project is delivered habitat for fish species through • extensive willow spiling work under the umbrella of the River the introduction of large woody and tree planting; Corridor Group (RCG), a debris, providing spawning gravels, • large woody debris and gravel partnership of the Derwent Owners creating wildlife corridors through introductions; Association, the Environment assisted natural recovery projects • demonstration days and guided Agency, Natural England, West and contributing to natural flood walks with local stakeholders; Cumbria Rivers Trust, National management processes. • non-native species control, Trust, Lake District National Park The key to the success of the RCG including Himalayan balsam rust Authority and the Woodland Trust. is that all parties work together in a trials and signal crayfish trapping The project is long-term and ongoing, spirit of co-operation, openness and • another 3 years of electric fishing with the key objectives of improving understanding to deliver the overall surveys; riparian habitat through stock- project aims. • Yearl Mill Race bypass restoration; exclusion and riparian planting, tree All decisions taken by the group • 6,000 hours of voluntary activities management, improving in-river are guided by these aims rather than in the catchment.

6 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 All of this activity tops-up the Sandy Beck WTT workshop extraordinary work of RCG in its previous seven years of existence since 2009. Surveys indicate improvements in the juvenile salmonid populations of the Derwent and many other plants and animals associated with RCG’s improvement works. WTT judges were impressed by the value for money of RCG’s work, the sheer number of the outputs from volunteers contributing to the project, their geographical reach, the planned approach to improvement projects and the undoubted open partnership of the group.

has been implemented, including the ROADFORD MITIGATION PROGRAMME reduction of abandoned coppice, (FROM HATCHERIES TO HABITAT) gravel cleaning, debris dam removal and electric fishing monitoring. HE construction of This project, however, a collaboration The project has mapped areas Roadford Reservoir, in of Westcountry Rivers Trust, South for rehabilitation through 11km Cornwall’s Tamar West Water and the Tamar & of walkover, established 16 new Tcatchment, led to the loss of natural Tributaries Fisheries Association, electric fishing monitoring sites, flows, spawning areas and habitat for aimed to work on habitat cleaned gravel at 65 sites (approx. all wild salmonid life stages; for over improvement across the entire 1,300m2), thinned abandoned 30 years, compensation from South catchment, dividing it into three coppice on 27 sites along 3.8km West Water took the form of a fish parts: the Lyd, the Inny and the of river to increase light penetration rearing and stocking programme. upper Tamar. A suite of interventions to the river and tackled six

Gravel cleaning

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 7 impassable debris dams. The aim, benefiting not only migratory and other organisms) are benefiting, exceeded by more than double, was salmonids but also those that stay trout perhaps most so. The messages to increase smolt output by nearly at home and the entire river ecology. gleaned from this project will 4,000 fish, excluding any increased Monitoring is ongoing and is key hopefully influence management migration from the debris dam work. to demonstrating the impact of the practice across the West Country, A major feature of the project has work. WTT judges appreciated the precipitating less interest in been a shift in focus from the whole ecosystem habitat approach hatcheries to attempt to support hatchery to habitat improvement, of this project; many species (of fish fish populations.

A TALE OF TWO WEIRS

HIS project, led by the TEnvironment Agency in partnership with Birdsgrove Fly Fishing Club and WTT, involved the removal of two large weirs on the River Dove in the English Midlands. The Dove is a river with a long history of re-alignment, straightening and weir-building, for land drainage, purportedly to Upstream Gothard reduce flooding and for fishing. weir: an impounded This project set out to restore the river longitudinal connectivity of the river, improving sediment transport and habitat connectivity including migration of trout, eels and other coarse fish and to restore the river’s natural processes, physical structure and habitat availability for the ecology to flourish. Using £15,000 of EA Fisheries Improvement Programme funding, with co-funding from the fishing club and WTT, the project removed two large weirs built in the 1980s as pool-creating angling features. Photographic monitoring and frequent site visits post-weir removal show clear evidence of habitat availability and variability Gothard weir gone: the river released which was lacking before the work was carried out; various juvenile fish and lampreys have been seen at the Fixed point photography, time lapse WTT judges noted the apparent work sites. Before the weir removal, cameras, water level monitoring shift in attitude in the fishing club the upstream impounded sections and habitat mapping is in place to for the weirs, full weir removal as were only suitable for adult fish; monitor the physical responses of the preferred option, good value now, with changes in the habitat, the river after the weir removals. for money of the project and the both river reaches provide excellent Fishing club members have been profound and beneficial changes to spawning areas. Fresh new gravels are generally supportive and, following the physical structure of the river now transported to the downstream on from these removals, another weir above and below the weirs; fish and reaches and this will provide new on club waters has been earmarked other organisms now have 4km of habitat for fish and other organisms. to go. uninterrupted river to move along.

8 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 Left: Andy Stott and right: John Gifford of Hutton Left: Hannah Barclay (Environment Agency), centre: Rudby FFC, winners of the Outstanding Contribution Heb Leman (EA), and right: Jenny Wheeldon (Natural to Wild Trout Conservation Award 2019 for the Leven England), winners of the Outstanding Habitat Wild Fishery Project Improvement Project Award 2019 for the Test & Itchen River Restoration Strategy WTT CONSERVATION AWARDS 2019

ORE than 100 guests came to MLondon’s Savile Club in October, to celebrate the extraordinary projects up for the WTT 2019 Awards. Tony Juniper, Chairman of Carmarthenshire Fishermen’s Natural England, opened the evening, Federation, represented by the Loziou gang: their Adopt a Tributary highlighting how this time could just project was one of the highlights of be a sweet-spot for the environment, the Conservation Awards 2019 with change for the better brought by top-down policy drivers from global- scale climate change and bottom-up work on the ground by the hands of many, including the river improvement projects we came to applaud. Five short-listed projects then presented their work, but, in announcing the winners, WTT Director, Shaun Leonard, noted that guests on the evening had not heard of some amazing work including a massive project in West Lothian to create the UK’s longest rock ramp, a 3km-long restoration of a river in Kent or a flagship Westcountry project to focus on river habitat, not Jim Munden of Bradford City AA, hatcheries. More elsewhere in this presenting their brilliant Aire newsletter and on the WTT website. Freshener short-listed project

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 9 BERNARD VENABLES AWARD 2019

E present the Bernard Venables Award to Wrecognise those who, voluntarily, have given great service to wild trout conservation and to WTT and whose vital work, perhaps unusual, sometimes outstanding, often goes unrecognised. Our 2019 Bernard Venables Award winner is Paul Jennings, of the River Chess Association. While Paul’s focus has been on his home river, the Chess in Buckinghamshire, his work and influence (all voluntary) stretches along the rivers of the Chilterns and North London and further to the chalkstreams of Yorkshire. He fights and lobbies for those rivers at many levels: local and national government, regulators, water companies, and won changes for the better. On the Chess, he teaches children with learning needs how to fish and Left: Paul Jennings of the River Chess Association, he leads groups bug hunting in the river; he’s hugely receiving the Bernard Venables Award 2019 from popular with the kids and their teachers. Tony Juniper Paul couples energy and enthusiasm with a big personality and a great deal of charm; he has an ability of senior contacts listen to and respect his views. Paul is to communicate and engage with a wide audience, from invariably keen to share what he has learned, doing so on schoolchildren to Members of Parliament. His network many occasions with fellow WTT supporters.

WTT ANNUAL DRAW 2019 plus 2 low-season tickets to fish the Derbyshire Wye, 7pm, 19 December 2019 2020 season. The Ship & Bell, Horndean, Hants Do please buy a ticket or two or more… and encourage 3rd PRIZE KINDLY DONATED BY WILLIAM your friends and colleagues to do likewise. Tickets DANIEL, FAMOUS FISHING, WORTH £450 cost £1 each. We have some lovely prizes as listed A day’s fishing for 3 rods on 1½ miles of the Lambourn below and all proceeds are used wisely in our habitat at Weston. 2020 season by arrangement on a Monday, restoration work. Tuesday or Wednesday after 30 June. Please use the order form enclosed with this Newsletter or visit the shop on our website at www.wildtrout.org. 4th PRIZE KINDLY DONATED BY GEORGE We will complete the counterfoils and send you the & ANN EATON, WORTH £120 corresponding tickets by post or ticket numbers by A day for 2 or 3 people (can be parent and child) to email, whichever you prefer. watch wildlife from a ‘high seat’ in a tree at Rectory Thank you for your support and good luck! Farm, Bucks to see badgers, muntjac deer, hare, owls and foxes. Summer 2020. 1st PRIZE KINDLY DONATED BY SAGE, WORTH APPROX £1000+ 5th PRIZE KINDLY DONATED BY JAMES A Sage Single Handed Fly Rod of your choice from LANFEAR, JIM’S LURES, WORTH £80 the range current at the time of the draw to which A pair of exquisite, wooden fishing lures handcrafted will be added an appropriate reel and line. in Devon by James Lanfear of Jim’s Lures.

2nd PRIZE KINDLY DONATED BY THE PLEASE ENSURE ORDER FORMS ARE RECEIVED PEACOCK AT ROWSLEY & HADDON FISHERIES, IN THE WTT OFFICE BY TUESDAY 17 DECEMBER WORTH £470 (allow 3 workings days using the PO Box and Freepost 1 night’s accommodation in a large double/twin room addresses). Tickets can be ordered via the shop on our for 2 people with 3-course dinner and buffet breakfast, website until 5pm on Thursday 19 December.

10 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 OBITUARY In Memory of Tony Donnelly

His passion for trout and grayling conservation, in addition to salmon, demonstrated his broad knowledge and understanding of fishery management

LL of us here at WTT were Fishery Board and Trust. to salmon, demonstrated his broad Aincredibly saddened to hear Tony has been a good friend knowledge and understanding of of the untimely passing of Tony to WTT over the years, and a fishery management. Donnelly. Those who have visited mate of our staff, supporting Tony was an accomplished fly tyer the River Annan in recent years conservation work through project and trout, grayling and salmon angler may remember Tony as the Trust collaborations and guiding lots himself and his presence will be sadly and Fishery Board Director, where on the Annan for our auction, missed on the banks of rivers, burns, he worked until very recently, which proved ever-popular with lakes and lochs around Britain. before heading north to take up bidders. His passion for trout and Our deepest condolences to Tony’s the Director’s role at Cromarty Firth grayling conservation, in addition family.

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16 May 2020

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AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 11 WTT’s 2018-2019 Year in Photos

The River Gwash: before (above), during (left) and after (below) the practical efforts of Gwash A.C., the Environment Agency and WTT. Looks a bit more like a trout stream now

So, you twizzle it like this...

Balsam bashing on the River Dearne Below: dismantling a weir on the River Brue

The work party gets its briefing: “...and the river’s over there...”

Softening the hard edges of the River Colne Marginal planting on the River Lee

12 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 WTT’s forte: practical training in the river

Serious woody debris on the Hampshire Avon

Heavy plant narrowing the Dismantling Gothard weir Letting light into the Taw Hampshire Avon on the River Dove

River Aire: a 19 wide, 1.4m high weir goes in double-quick time, releasing the river for over 20km upstream

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 13 The Trout in the Town Conclave 2019 Between 27 and 29 September, thirty of the country’s most ardent urban trout heroes gathered in a rainy Stalybridge to exchange instruction and inspiration. By Paul Gaskell

Inventive marking of the culverted River Sheaf in Sheffield as part of the 2019 Waterfront Festival SHEAF AND PORTER RIVERS TRUST RIVERS AND PORTER SHEAF

OINTLY hosted by WTT and new urban river charity was a real stinkers and how to report them), JMersey Rivers Trust, attendees eye-opener. See more on the Sheaf plus our very own Theo Pike, came from all four corners of England & Porter Rivers Trust website, launching the brand new Urban to contribute and to benefit from this, https://www.sheafportertrust.org/ River Toolkit – see Theo’s piece the fourth, Urban Conclave gathering. Saturday saw some fantastic for more on this. As predicted, the early-bird presentations from Mike Forty Again, the Conclave evening Friday gathering over social drinks (Ribble Rivers Trust, barrier meal proved hugely valuable as a created some of the most valuable prioritisation), Simon Ogden networking event and the formation idea exchanges – with a particular (Sheaf and Porter Rivers Trust/ of mutual support relationships buzz around the colourful and Sheffield City Council, lessons for between widely-separated projects inventive marking of the culverted ambitious urban river projects), was a key feature. The expansion River Sheaf in Sheffield (as part of Mike Duddy (Mersey Rivers Trust, of our existing Trout in the Town the 2019 Waterfront Festival). Citizen Science and mapping the Facebook group will also allow us Also, the success of the ‘urban ongoing recovery of invertebrates to continue those support network caving’ trips through culverted in the Mersey Catchment), Joe interactions – including future rivers as an engagement tool and a Pecorelli (Zoological Society of training and resource sharing. source of significant income for a London, Outfall Safaris - a tour of Ever adaptable, we managed to

14 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 Bream among the trollies Aaron Watson invertebrate ID specialist from the Environment Agency & Riverfly Partnership

Urban Invert Indices in Tesco's café

Stonefly in Tesco's carpark improvise our way around hugely I suspect that Tesco’s Riverfly+ tool) with Arron and a flooded rivers for our planned collection of preserved bugs – again practical sessions on the Sunday, have never thought of our ‘Plan C’ response to the flooded with the especially heroic efforts using their café tables river conditions. I suspect that Tesco’s of Arron Watson, invertebrate ID have never thought of using their café specialist from the Environment as invertebrate lab tables as invertebrate lab benches... Agency and Riverfly Partnership. benches... Arron and I are planning some future First up, Shaun Leonard showed ‘webinar’ events within the Trout another application of citizen science supermarket brands and trolley bays in the Town Facebook group – in the form of scale sampling for fish are available). With the help of some so everyone can really get a boost population monitoring (easily and (more or less) preserved and chilled to their invertebrate-monitoring skills. enjoyably coupled with friendly bream from Shaun’s post-mortem Our thanks to everyone angling matches). fish pathology duties, a truly urban who participated so fully in the Since the rivers were completely biology lesson followed. We followed event – and huge thanks as always flooded out, we were forced into the that up with a combined trolley-bay to our guest speakers who gave so handy substitute of the sheltered and supermarket café Urban River generously of their time and trolley bays of Tesco’s car park (other Pollution index (preview of a new expertise.

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 15 WTT’s Inspiring New Urban River Toolkit Theo Pike, our Trout in the Town man in the south, describes WTT’s latest publication

TT is all about practical being overlooked and under- Wadvice that easily turns appreciated in recent years). into really beneficial work on the As you might expect from the ground and in the river – inspiring combined experience of Paul and and helping everyone to protect me, the Toolkit includes nearly 20 wild trout and their habitat. years of tried and tested guidance on: Lots of our work is focused around our Advisory Visits and • Understanding urban rivers reports,but there’s also our wide and their surroundings. range of printed publications • Organising river clean-ups including the Wild Trout Survival and other events. Guide, specialist Chalkstream and • Inspiring and motivating Upland Rivers Habitat Guidelines, volunteers. and helpful two-page guides on • Funding and fundraising. topics like managing gravel, trees, • Practical aspects of running weed and invasive non-native species. an urban river group. And then there’s our specialised • Exciting project ideas. urban stuff… • Case studies from successful WTT’s first Urban River Trout in the Town groups. Restoration Guidelines were • Getting your group accredited published in 2010: written by Paul as an official Trout in the Town Gaskell and generously funded by the chapter. Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. • And much, much more… Nearly 10 years later, with even more knowledge and experience In short, it’s full of inspiring, under our belts, we decided we empowering advice for anyone should give those guidelines a bit of who wants to start taking care an update. So, one of my first tasks, of their local urban waterway. River Kennet), Joe Pecorelli as Trout in the Town Officer for the Of course, a project like this (Zoological Society of London) South of England and Wales, was to is a huge collaborative effort, and Ben Fitch (Riverfly Partnership). sit down and think: “What else did involving many of our project We also want to say a very special we want to know when we started the partners and friends in urban thanks to the Environment Agency Wandle project all those years ago? groups across the UK, who have for helping to fund this important And what’s changed since then?” very kindly contributed photos, new publication. The result is WTT’s new Trout in ideas and stories of their own Our designer Rebecca Hawtrey the Town Urban River Toolkit, which successes. We’re particularly has done an amazing job with a huge was officially launched at our Urban grateful to Gary Hunt (CATCH), file of materials, and Bruno Vincent Conclave in September: 98 pages of Phil Sheridan (Friends of the River created a standout new Trout in the practical advice for local people to Worth), Harriet Alvis (Bristol Avon Town logo even before he officially help their urban rivers to recover Rivers Trust), Charlotte Hitchmough started working with WTT. Now from centuries of abuse (or simply and Anna Forbes (Action for the that’s dedication to the cause!

16 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 Wandle team photo, April 2010

TROUT IN THE TOWN URBAN RIVER TOOLKIT

T rout in the T own

Wild trout and many other species are coming back to city WTT’s new Urban River Toolkit is available to download (in pdf format) straight streams after centuries of abuse. But these recovering U rban R iver T oolkit ecosystems still need all the help we can give them. Inspiration and guidance for from the WTT website: visit https://www.wildtrout.org/content/trout-town That's why the Wild Trout Trust's Trout in the Town programme mending your urban river is here, to help local communities look after their rivers in towns and cities across the UK. Or you can buy a printed copy for just £15.99 via Amazon: search Amazon for Now, based on nearly 20 years of practical experience, we've built this Trout in the Town Urban River Toolkit, with lots of empowering advice for anyone who wants to care for their local Urban River Toolkit or type in this link: https://tinyurl.com/wtturbanrivertoolkit waterway.

The Toolkit includes tried and tested guidance on:

* Understanding urban rivers and their surroundings * Organising river cleanups and other events * Funding and fundraising * Practical aspects of running an urban river group If our Urban River Toolkit inspires you to take the next steps in looking after your * Exciting project ideas * Case studies from successful Trout in the Town groups * And much, much more... local stream or river, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Trout In short, it's all about inspiring people to take responsibility for the overlooked and under-appreciated streams and rivers close to where they live. in the Town team: By Theo Pike & Dr Paul Gaskell • Trout in the Town (north): Paul Gaskell: [email protected] • Trout in the Town (south): Theo Pike: [email protected]

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 17 The Trout in the Town Up North By Paul Gaskell

ELLO to all urban trout fans! launch the print edition of the Trent, as part of the SUNRISE HThis last quarter was something Urban River Toolkit – with print project. The existing river is a of a rollercoaster ride in the TinTT copies for all groups attending. Our super-straightened, heavily Northern badlands. Actually, on a own Theo Pike inspired the whole engineered section of channel national level, we’ve had the nervous audience by walking us all through within the grounds of Staffordshire excitement and expectant parent the genesis and the contents of this University. Historic maps show a worries that come along with book new, valuable resource. meandering stream that, over time, publication for the new Urban River REGULAR DUTIES was moved to accommodate the Toolkit print and digital editions In the midst of conclave and encroaching infrastructure (including (much more from Theo on that front toolkit preparations, I’ve put some early and later iterations of sewage in his report). considerable time and effort into a works). The channel currently borders Alongside that, the 2019 Urban pretty big and complex permit the University sports pitches and, along River Heroes Conclave on the River application for works on the River with the surrounding buildings, this Tame in Stalybridge came together through a collaboration with Warren SUNRISE project design “Woz” Andrew and Mike Duddy at Mersey Rivers Trust, with the urban advocates at WTT. A brilliant weekend was had by all – see a fuller report elsewhere in this newsletter. Keynote talks from the likes of Joe Pecorelli (Outfall Safaris), Mike Forty (Identifying Priority Fish Barriers), Simon Ogden (Getting BIG ambitious urban projects done) and Mike Duddy himself – as well as inspirational accounts of all the attendees projects – really created something to write home about. Not only that, we used the 2019 event to

18 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 creates some interesting challenges. Not only is the channel extremely Wending the Went straight, the riverbed is dominated by sand (with only the occasional lump of stone from the walls or chunks of ‘large rubbery debris’ – AKA tyres – for variety). Working with the specialist geomorphological design team at AquaUoS based in the University of Salford, exciting new possibilities for this section of river are proposed. Although only an indicative sketch – and subject to the highly detailed permitting process – you can get some feel for the extra sinuosity, adjacent backwater/wetland features and new riffles we plan to re-introduce – the dark blue line represents what we hope will be our new, wiggly, upper Trent. We do, of course, have to minimise the amount of earth that needs to be redistributed around the site and ensure we do not increase the flood risk. More on this project here: and Sheffield City Council) along status/1166402402280443904 http://www.erdf-sunrise.co.uk/ with an Advisory Visit to Wigan’s Also, in mid-September, I project-site/staffordshire- River Douglas. worked with Alec Boyd and Chloe university-river-trent/ A really interesting and Rose of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to I’ve also given advice and inspiring ‘return visit’ from the re-introduce some structural value contributed to planning for channel Douglas Catchment Partnership’s to a heavily-impacted section of the redistribution works on Yorkshire’s Fisheries Subgroup saw me showing River Went. As well as creation of River Went with Yorkshire Wildlife folks around the ‘Grey to Green’ and meanders, we’ll go back in Spring to Trust (see below), in-channel habitat deculverting/pocket-park creation plant on reprofiled berms and banks. creation on the River Sheaf with the works on South Yorkshire’s River The removal of a weir that previously EA and Sheffield City Council Don. You can see photos and tweets impounded at least 600m of river (and similar advice on the Porter from their visit here: https://twitter. was a key component of this project. Brook with private developers com/DouglasPilot/ The Went is extremely challenging to work in – owing to its history of open-cast mining which has resulted in a complete inversion of the soil horizons. This means that the deep subsoil/heavy clays are now what forms the bed of the river – creating a huge challenge for the stabilisation of reprofiled features. In future, I would like to explore the possibilities of re-introducing gravel and cobble material into key areas – since the prospect of re-inverting the sub/ top-soil horizons for the whole valley seems an impossible dream. The control of silt using ‘silt wattles’ and mats downstream of the reach The super-straight Trent that we worked on was a central

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 19 consideration for these works. challenge for BBC Sheffield…read In all, six meander features were on...Kat Harbourne (who also pre- created and one boulder weir sents The Naked Podcast) had made a was removed. Planting will follow bold claim about fishing being boring in spring – when the chances of and – following an on-air phone-in establishment are highest. “gauntlet throw-down” – we met for Among the technical work, I also a city-centre urban trout and grayling did a quick spot on Matthew Wright’s challenge. Fortunately, the pictures Talk Radio show about the surprising of Kat with her first grayling (plus news of chemists finding recreational several additional grayling and trout drugs such as cocaine and ketamine captures) meant that Trout in the in fish and invertebrates from our Town settled that particular score country’s rivers. as part of that day’s Toby Coe radio There was even time for a very show. The fish also liked Kat’s festival enjoyable (if high-pressure) glitter makeover very much… Early Days at WTT By Bruno Vincent

Y the time you read this, my role in a vain attempt to assemble a fly Above: Bruno Vincent and left: his Bas Fundraising Events Officer will box for fishing that was washed and ‘little urban trouty cartography’ have officially begun. I’m tasked with blown off. something that everyone, members taking on the auction from Denise First off, the auction: with it and staff get a lot more from. Ashton, organising other fundraising looming over the horizon, collating Somewhere in amongst the efforts (including members’ fishing lots from around the country, fundraising and comms-thinking, weekends and a new idea of themed and beyond, will begin. Increasing I’d like to find myself on a river or lunches and dinners) trying generally the range and originality of the two. In my early days, an Advisory to broaden WTT’s funding base. offering to best excite bidders will Visit from our former CO, Mike Before my official WTT kick-off, be a major effort; something for all Blackmore, on the River Camel, I worked voluntarily with Theo Pike skills, budgets, ages and genders that landed on my desk; having spent and Paul Gaskell, updating the Trout will enthuse anglers and non-angling the last two and a half years working in the Town branding. This lead me supporters alike. to improve the Camel and Fowey down the path of a little urban trouty With fresh eyes, I am looking to rivers in Cornwall, I know the reach cartography; twisting roads, rails understand what WTT can do for in question well. With a fair wind, and parks into shape. all its members and how what we do I might be able to carry a little I did manage to escape the can attract a wider gamut of engaged of this work on into the future, West Country to join all the other supporters. This will not only help partnering with the local EA team WTT conservation officers and staff invigorate the auction but also direct and Westcountry Rivers Trust. for their quarterly team meeting, this how we organise events in the The pace and array of new time in Derbyshire. Putting faces to future. The classic fishing days work WTT operate with is already names, talking shop and even picking and get-togethers will all still go on, apparent and I can’t wait to get my through thousands of assorted flies but perhaps shift and morph into teeth into the role.

20 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 Definition of a poacher: A person who catches or hunts game or fish illegally Mike Dibden, a keeper on the Itchen, finds some crumb of good in a disaster, with lessons to learn for other keepers, angling clubs and would-be poachers!

’M lucky that I don’t get many poaching very seriously and our and any inconvenience caused, I‘poachers’; most of the time perpetrator was dealt with quickly. a huge financial loss to him kids who, like I was, just want to Statements were taken from me and a day’s fishing that I doubt be outside having fun. So, to catch and my keeper friend and all he’ll repeat. a real poacher red-handed, with the photographic evidence was handed Stories like this travel far among law on my side and more importantly over. After interview and seeing those who poach rivers and the a positive result from catching him, all of the evidence against him, my more awareness and positive results is a rarity. But this is exactly what poacher paid compensation for the we get through such restorative happened to me... fish that he took, all of which was justice, the less problems we’ll have One recent morning, I spotted donated to WTT. with poaching... hopefully! someone without permission on the The police asked me for a Here on the Itchen and the Test, opposite bank, having a great time, figure of reparation: I reckoned a we have a messaging group that spinning away. I called the police: rod would pay £250 a day to fish allows us to share suspicious activity “someone will be with you but prime Hampshire chalkstream in on the river. This group is monitored not sure how long.” Great. To my mid-August and, on stocked water, by the police and the Environment horror, every trout landed was be allowed to take 3 fish. My Agency and was very helpful to my whacked and shoved into his pockets! poacher took twelve fish, so I case. Being in touch with people I stood watching for nearly an hour, reasoned on a settlement of £1,000. is easy nowadays with mobile all the time trying to take photos An expensive day’s fishing for him I phones and various apps to help and video, with my patience thought but also a sum that I didn’t communicate and I would strongly shortening. If I approached him, think we’d ever see. However, with recommend other keepers and clubs he would do a runner and there encouragement, Hampshire Police out there to stay in touch with their might be nothing gained. were very swift in their follow up neighbours, look out for one another With his pockets full, the then procedures and the culprit asked to and use restorative justice to make happy fisherman tried leaving settle up with £1,500 for the fish poachers pay! through a field gate, where I was waiting. So, he headed back to the river and, to my surprise, jumped in THE TILLINGBOURNE and waded under a bridge to evade Tillingbourne FFC maintain a small capture! Sadly for my man, I was in peak fitness before the 2019 rugby syndicate on their (eponymous) season and legged it downstream river near Guildford. The members to the next available bridge crossing, manage the beat, which requires heading him off, assisted by an regular access work in spring and upstream keeper and a police officer. summer and more significant projects Job done... man caught with fish out of season, with the emphasis on and very red cheeks. I recovered my habitat improvement and bank side shoe lost in the last 50 yards of the maintenance to create the best chase and we all marched back to possible wild trout chalk stream a clearing for him to be dealt with fishing experience. properly by the police; every pocket on him was bulging with fish! Twelve There is potential for a few enthusiastic new recruits in the 2020 season, brown trout in total ranging in size joining a membership with a passion for conservation and spooky trout. from 1-3lb, mostly wild fish. Please send all enquiries to: [email protected]. In Hampshire, the police take

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 21 Significant channel realignment, modification and poor water quality on the River Nent – yet our beloved brownies persist!! Gareth Pedley’s Northern Adventures Spring and summer are generally walkover season for me when the more stable river conditions (sometimes!) allow for better assessment of the habitat quality and issues along our rivers. It’s always a slight trade off, as wet conditions can also be useful in identifying surface runoff and other land management problems, but low, clear water allows for accurate assessment of in-channel habitats and is usually conducive to longer days surveying

MONG the general Advisory impacted by any such work. We also time to improve the mine water AVisits and advice, this season’s fed back to the EA on the proposed quality but involving flow depletion larger pieces of work commenced NFM measures, highlighting over an extended reach of the river. with baseline habitat assessment modifications to the design and Aside from the general habitat for the Red and Birkey Burns in installation of structures that could observations there, I was astonished Northumberland, in partnership mitigate for any impact on fish and to see wild brown trout in all with the Environment Agency. physical river structure. accessible reaches, demonstrating These walkovers were aimed The next large piece of work was the incredible resilience of our at identifying the basic habitat also undertaken with the EA on the enigmatic emblem – even in the quality and fish-holding potential River Nent in Northumberland, a face of extreme water quality issues. for these burns, prior to the heavily mine water-polluted system Significant channel realignment, planned installation of natural flood where high levels of metals greatly modification and poor water quality management (NFM) measures; these limit the species present. Again, I on the River Nent – yet our beloved baseline habitat data are really carried out a baseline habitat brownies persist! important to ensure that fragile fish assessment prior to work being In August, southern Conservation populations and habitats are not undertaken on the catchment, this Officer Andy Thomas and I teamed

22 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 natural channel recovery over time Many sections of the River Fane have been realigned, but lush riparian and are allowing the river to produce in-channel vegetation still provide and hold salmonids, with healthy areas of high-quality habitat for trout numbers of wild trout throughout; we saw some big ones among them too! Another river in which trout display their ability to be able to adapt to major physical changes in habitat quality and diversity. The recommendations of our report will highlight ways in which the habitat can be tweaked, to provide localise improvements or more majorly restored to deliver multi-species, catchment- wide benefits. Many sections of the River Fane have been realigned, but lush riparian and in-channel vegetation still provide areas of high-quality habitat for trout. I’ve also been out assessing the habitat on around 60km of the Trout Beck in Cumbria, informing plans up for a trip over to the Irish border, downstream end. As is all- for watercourse fencing, alternative to report on some long sections too-common, the Fane has been livestock watering, and fish passage of the River Fane (over 30km in significantly modified in many and in-river habitat improvements. total). This visit was at the request sections and no longer displays a As I see on much of the River Eden of local angling clubs who had naturally varied course or physical catchment, the walkovers so far sought external funding to provide structure – it’s been straightened have identified that livestock access them with a comprehensive habitat and dredged. Nonetheless, areas of and fine sediment input is one of assessment and recommendations generous riverside buffer strips and the major impacts, but using the on how to improve the habitat for information gathered through the their salmon, sea trout and brown The sad state of one Trout Beck walkovers, Eden Rivers Trust should trout. The system is a particularly tributary impacted by fine sediment hopefully be able to deliver habitat interesting one, containing several input (left), contrasted with the and water quality improvements loughs, one of which has a dam high-quality substrate of its neighbour that will benefit a range of fish, and water regulation system at the only 10s of metres away (right) invertebrates and other species.

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 23 Is this a sea trout or a brown trout? This was the question that accompanied a photograph on social media recently, alongside a rather large trout. And the answer is... well, it’s complicated, but interesting. Denise Ashton tackles a tricky one

O start with what may not be lake) brown trout. Being brown and Tobvious: we think that sea spotty is a much better camouflage in trout and brown trout are the same the river than standing out, all bright species, Salmo trutta. A sea trout is and shiny silver. a brown trout that has decided to Once the obvious sliver colour go to sea and in order to do so, it has gone, there are some clues that has been through a process of will tell you it is a sea trout, but they ‘smoltification’. This process means are not absolutely reliable. The most trout change in some amazing ways: obvious is size. One reason that sea for example, they become silvery by trout follow the often-risky strategy producing guanine crystals on their of going to sea is because the food scales, their eyes enlarge and their supply at home is poor, but the internal organs adapt to cope with benefits must outweigh the costs. the moves between fresh and In order to grow big and produce seawater. It is the distinctive silvery lots of eggs to pass on genes to the colour that most people associate SHARMAN PAUL next generation (most sea trout are with sea trout, so a silver trout is female), it pays to go to sea to grow a sea trout and a brown trout is… It is the distinctive silvery large. The (often male) resident trout well, a ‘resident’ brownie. Isn’t it? colour that most people stay rather small in comparison. Certainly, a trout that is very However, there are sea trout in silvery and perhaps has a couple of associate with sea trout, chalk and limestone rivers where sea lice attached to it is very likely a so a silver trout is a sea there is plenty of food and in these sea trout (or maybe a salmon – but rivers, there may not be such a big that is another story). Fresh from the trout and a brown trout difference in size. Why would a sea, this is what you would expect is… well, a ‘resident’ trout go to sea, if there is plenty of of an adult sea trout. A very small brownie. Isn’t it? food at home? That is a question silvery trout, perhaps less than ten that still puzzles scientists. It’s clear inches or so, is most likely to be a places, sea trout ‘slob’ back and forth that anadromy (migrating to sea) smolt on its way downstream to the from river to estuary. And sea trout is a function of environment (e.g. sea. Smolts tend to migrate in shoals are great explorers. Vagrants may food availability) and genetics (all downstream at night in April /May have a nose around a few local rivers trout were once sea trout and retain and possibly also in the autumn. before returning to their natal river a propensity to migrate) but a recent Apparently, they swim backwards, to spawn. Some will stray to spawn – (2019) scientific paper by Prof Andy and hate going over weirs which this is how trout arrived in our Ferguson and co-authors suggests is why weirs can be a problem rivers after the last Ice Age and how that it’s an individual decision – a downstream as well as upstream Salmo trutta has become such a layman’s version of that paper will migration (again, another story). successful non-native invader in the appear in WTT’s 2020 journal. So, The story gets a little more southern hemisphere. During these genetics alone is not going to tell you complicated when sea trout return wanderings, and whilst holding up in if your trout is a sea trout or a river to fresh water. This may not be a the river waiting to spawn, sea trout ‘resident’ trout. simple upstream migration from start to lose their silvery colour and A rather more unreliable clue is sea to spawning gravels. In some revert to looking like in-river (or behaviour. Sea trout like to jump out

24 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 A silver sea trout in the River Cothi. DAVID MILLER DAVID of the water especially at dusk and at (SIA). Different food webs have very but many trout are wanderers, sea night, they tend to move upstream at distinctive chemical signatures which trout perhaps most famously. ‘River’ night often quite noisily and are more stay in fish scales and this means that trout may well move huge distances likely to be in close proximity to one it is possible to trace where the fish at certain times of year (e.g. running another than wild resident brown has been feeding. Unfortunately, this upstream in the autumn or winter to trout. However, a trout caught on a technique isn’t readily available to spawn); some might nose into dry fly in the middle of the day might anglers! Our own Jonny Grey is an the estuary or an on-line lake for a still be a sea trout, especially if water expert in SIA and is supervising feed. ‘Lake’ trout might migrate big levels and light levels are low. students using this technique to distances within large lakes or into The next clue is not for the establish whether the surprisingly in- or out-flowing rivers, again riverbank and requires a modest large trout in some streams in eastern perhaps to spawn. So, mooching amount of science. A trout scale has England are sea trout or not. around a good bit is in a trout’s blood, growth rings in the same way as a tree One final note. Some trout in a big factor in why the species is so has growth rings. A sea trout scale freshwater seem to be real homies successful and incredibly interesting. should show a period of rapid growth due to the extra food it has found in saltwater. Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes not, and accurate scale reading needs a good level of skill and lots of experience. So finally, the most likely source of ALAN KETTLE-WHITE a definitive answer is proper science For more information on the topics covered in this article, go to the Wild Trout – and one powerful technique which Trust website. Use the ‘search’ box (top right) to find articles, web pages and blogs can be applied non-destructively on topics such a scale reading, genetics, sea trout and stable isotope analysis. See to the fish is stable isotope analysis also our Trout Facts and Sea Trout pages in the ‘About Trout’ section.

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 25 News from the Desert of Eastern England By Rob Mungovan Conservation Officer for the Eastern Region

River Welland, bank regrading and new marginal habitats

HEN I last wrote for the river is for fish. Future fish surveys many challenges from historical land Wnewsletter, I had promised will tell in time what has benefited drainage work. But, a short distance some before and after pictures of my the most but it was a real lift to see upstream, where the machines work on the River Welland at Ashley a pair of trout hanging over a new couldn’t get to, a little hidden gem: in Northants which started this time riffle last November, not long after a wooded, steep-flowing stream last year and just after that autumn’s the job was completed; all the more rich in coarse gravel. This relatively WTT newsletter hit the streets. gratifying as the locals had never short reach seems to have been a Partnering with the excellent local EA considered that reach a ‘trout river’. saviour for trout in the Fynn – one team and working just before the trout Through last winter, I continued even rose freely in a pool as we turned up to spawn, we installed to support the River Lark Catchment watched. Protect the best and three new riffles, flow deflectors, Partnership (RLCP) with practical enhance the rest is the way forward cattle drink and re-graded about work on a small tributary, the for the Fynn. 100m of riverbank to form a two- Lee Brook. RLCP always get a Other work days have seen me stage channel, able to function at low great turn-out for their days, even out on the Welland at Harringworth, flows and carry big flood water. I was offering their hardy volunteers a guiding the Welland Mayfly Fishers in the thick of things as site clerk of winter BBQ lunch. RLCP has now on the installation of flow deflectors works, ensuring that the contractor secured charitable status with the and brushwood ledges. It’s great interpreted the plans properly, placing ambition to achieve even more; I’m seeing anglers learning new things posts for the flow deflectors and so standing by to offer support as they about their rivers. On one occasion, on; essential detail to make the whole deliver a Lottery-funded project, we had spawning brook lampreys thing work as planned. Breckland to Fen Edge Rivers. doing their thing all the days, while Our labours settled in fine, with the I’ve continued with Advisory we very carefully worked around EA undertaking extensive riverside Visits, taking me to trout(?) rivers them. Through getting to know the planting through a Green Action Day from Bedfordshire to Suffolk. A Mayfly Club’s water in more detail, for their staff, to ensure that the new memorable one was to the River we’ve been able to put together a habitats are as rich for insects as the Fynn in Suffolk, on a reach with package of improvements that we

26 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 expect to take forward over the My main project this year has been a real treat as it’s coming years. The start should be quite interesting though as it will something I’ve been waiting 13 years to see; habitat see Tim Jacklin and I giving EA restoration to the last 700m of the River Shep Operation teams training on how to drop trees into a river, something that some of them would probably never 20 people actively joined me for a habitat but without water, rivers have thought they’d be doing! But community planting event. I was able cannot exist (obviously). So, I’ve they will in fact be involved in to get a happy story into the local joined the Twitter campaign to raise some work to slow the flow – using press and even a short piece on the awareness of the drought (that’s not increased channel roughness to BBC regional news. apparently an official drought) and reduce the rate of flood flows through As we move into autumn from after seeing the River Granta run a river reach. Hopefully, happy EA another hot dry summer, I have to dry in its lowest reach, I’ve started Ops staff pictures to come. write about our lack of water out writing to MPs, local councils and My main project this year has east. How can the authorities in the growth partnerships. We’ve got such been a real treat as it’s something I’ve eastern region not recognise the a messed-up situation out here as a been waiting 13 years to see; habitat drought and dire river flows that result of abstraction, river support restoration to the last 700m of the we have? From late August to early schemes and sewage effluent that River Shep, as it meets the Rhee at September, I was getting almost daily some of our rivers dry at their lower Barrington in Cambridgeshire. The reports directly and through social end! If Cambridge Water Company EA were keen to see improvements media of rivers suddenly drying up has concern at meeting their current that would benefit the Rhee with its as the chalk aquifer beneath them customer needs (see their website), many problems: generally poor had nothing more to give. It’s a what is going to be left of our rivers habitat and lots of signal crayfish. desperate situation with when we see a further 50,000 homes I’ve long promoted the Shep as a key conservationists, anglers and around Cambridge alone? Will the nursery ground and tributary stream; owners powerless to do any more supply of water be the factor that much easier to deliver habitat gains for their rivers. We can restore limits the growth of this area? to this small chalkstream with one landowner than to tackle the main river (at this stage, anyway). Our project re-graded 120m of riverbank (where water voles were not present), using a 14T excavator to push a toe of cobbles and gravel into the bed and bank to armour it against further crayfish burrowing, and to make it resilient to people and dogs where the river is close to a footpath. In total, 200 tonnes of Left: The River Shep before habitat restoration – no flow diversity and not mixed gravels hit the bed of the Shep, a great deal different from a ditch! Right: The River Shep after habitat restoration – a new riffle and marginal shelves create habitat suitable for trout combined with new habitat ledges for the water voles, flow deflectors and some mini-riffles. We did the work in the hottest week ever (yes, 38.7ºC in Cambridge) and, phew, I’m glad the river kept flowing and no fish went belly up. Locals received the project warmly, as children have another safe and clean stream to explore, dog walkers have less distance to travel before they can wet their hounds (that was actually part of the plan, Left: The community planting event was a great success and gave locals a I’m drawing them away from a more chance to come and see what had taken place Right: Wot no water? The dry sensitive spawning area) and around River Granta at Stapleford (Cambs) – not how a 29km-long river should be

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 27 Mostly Silver Linings By Professor Jon Grey

EFLECTING upon this season reported) made more passable with on the Nidd. The club committee Rof practical in-river projects, technical fish passes. Unfortunately, members were keen to reduce it’s been a bit of a mixed bag on my the gold standard full removal is not stocking and instead plough some patch. The site formerly known as an option at any of these because of of the money into habitat for a more Coniston Cold Weir, where in the human infrastructure associated sustainable wild population. They partnership with the EA and Aire with them. admitted that they had struggled to Rivers Trust I coordinated the full The cloud to these silver linings initiate some of the ideas presented removal of the weir, continues to has been the falling through of in an earlier Advisory Visit report develop and our ongoing monitoring another mainstem Aire weir removal, by one of my colleagues. We walked has revealed some interesting change. a project I had thought was a dead Dauber Gill and Foster Beck, and the

Left: Drilling up woody deflectors for rebar with Nidderdale AC members Right: Burying the deflectors with gravel before letting the beck do the work Below left: Two hours on from installation and the gravel was already being redistributed through these paired deflectors Below right: Electrofishing survey of Lothersdale Beck

In a nutshell, trout density is 4x cert! Everything was in place: searches mainstem Nidd below Gouthwaite higher post intervention and I would completed, funding secured, bespoke Dam. Channel straightening definitely file that under success. permit signed off, pre-and post- everywhere had effectively stripped Other local wins for connectivity have monitoring lined up, contractor out gravel of a suitable size for been receipt of a feasibility study from champing at the bit… and then a spawning, and the presence of the JBA Consulting into options for fish change of mind from the landowner. dam for >100 years had prevented passage at Gargrave on the Aire Disappointed doesn’t quite cut it. Hey more gravel being resupplied from (including complete removal), and ho! It’s not like I’m short of things to upstream. Now I must acknowledge the full funding of the DNAire do to improve the lot of local rivers inspiration gleaned from the Wye project. Developing the Natural Aire and their spotty denizens. & Usk Foundation (particularly an boasts the tagline ‘returning salmon One particular project this year illuminating chat with Simon Evans) to Skipton’ and will see the last four has stood out for me. I was invited by and Westcountry Rivers Trust for large weirs on the Aire upstream of Nidderdale Angling Club to revisit their work on introducing gravels to Leeds (where salmon are already some of their spawning tributaries spate rivers that have had their

28 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 supply-lines severed. So, a project idea The landowner organised for and even if it is all ultimately washed coalesced as a little experiment. delivery and storage of the gravel, into the mainstem Nidd, it will surely We planned to install 30+ woody and the cutting of woody deflectors be doing some good somewhere deflectors to take the sting out of the to size and their delivery via quad- along the way. Who knows, if we can gradient of Dauber Gill and introduce bike to wherever they were required demonstrate improvements, then 25 tonnes of Nidderdale river-washed along the bank. The club organised a maybe, just maybe, we can encourage gravel (sufficient to cover the bed tractor and front-loader for a local utilities company to consider of the beck by 50mm for 300m) as distributing the gravel, and mustered emptying the gravel traps above their a spawning substrate. Of course, a willing workforce which I reservoirs and reintroducing that 50mm evenly spread is not what we supplemented by coordinating with gravel below their dams in mitigation? wanted, but the beauty of a spate Dr Marie Taylor at Yorkshire Dales One other specific project close stream is that it will readily and very Rivers Trust for their volunteers to to my heart and to my home that I’ll efficiently redistribute material for join us. The weather was kind and the mention here again relates to a dam. you! And of course, we wanted some sandwiches and other ‘refreshments’ Last winter I received permission idea of whether what we were doing laid on at the local pub not 100m from North Yorkshire County might have improved the odds, so from the bank were very welcome. Council to open the sluice-gate at we factored in some electrofishing All I had to do on the day was hare the bottom of the village dam (a formidable structure >5m in height) A stunning wild Yorkshire trout and leave it open from October to March. There were two aims: for the ‘empty’ dam and sluice-gate to act as a choke on the system, holding back spate flow and reduce the risk of flooding in the village below; and to allow trout to potentially migrate further upstream over the spawning period. Electrofishing the beck with keen volunteers has since revealed trout above the dam for the first time since I started monitoring three years ago, so it has apparently worked. Unfortunately, we did not record any young-of-year above the dam for which there are several not mutually exclusive reasons. I would favour Storm Gareth as a potential culprit though. After what seemed like a perfect winter for salmonid spawning on my local rivers, Storm monitoring of pre and post works. Of around and coordinate the placement Gareth blitzed through at exactly all the sites that I routinely monitor, of wood and delivery of gravel at each the wrong moment as eggs hatched Dauber Gill has the most ‘balanced’ location along the reach! Hurricane into weakly-swimming emergent population of wild trout; i.e. most Lorenzo has since pushed a bit of fry, perhaps the most vulnerable individuals are young-of-year and the water through the system and I have life-stage. Many of my sites had very numbers decrease proportionately been back to assess our works. The low numbers of young-of-year this in the older cohorts. However, there redistribution is certainly underway, summer; indeed, some had none. could be more and that is what we and not everywhere I thought might While this is not great news, nature will hopefully see next year if we can hold gravel has, but ramps of sparkly prevails: cue compensatory growth open the perceived bottleneck on the substrate are certainly holding and of those fish remaining that had little population via this project – a paucity will hopefully soon be exploited by competition for resources and the of spawning habitat. spawning spotties. result was some of the fattest trout I To say the practical element went The project has contingency to have seen. smoothly is an understatement! ‘top-up’ with gravel over several years Fingers crossed for this winter!

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 29 Debut Innings By Nick Lawrence

INCE I started on the Glorious have a month-long project at STwelfth, it seems to have been a bit Longparish on the Test again with of whirlwind, a steep learning curve, Mike Blackmore who planned the but extremely enjoyable. project during his WTT days but What have I been up to? Well, we’ll now do the job together, with I’ve visited various rivers across Mike wearing his WCSRT (hard) hat. three counties: the Narrator Brook We’ve re-assembled the team that did in Devon, the Allen in Dorset and great river improvement work on the the Alre, Itchen, Meon and Pillhill Dever (a Test tributary) three years Brook in Hampshire. I’ve also talked ago, including keeper Jonny Walker of visiting many others including who recently moved from the Dever planning habitat enhancements on to Longparish and is already making the Avill in Somerset and the Camel great strides with his new river. The in Cornwall. Longparish project will be a major It really started on my second transformation for this previously, day in the job when I was handed heavily-managed reach with seven a project by the old pro of our weir removals and the addition of ranks, Andy Thomas, which just numerous woody habitat features. so happened to be the local stream During my time with WTT, I’ll in my village of Abbotts Ann – the keep in touch with the network of Pillhill Brook, one of the less contacts built up in my previous famous tributaries of the Test. Sadly I’m keen to work closely life as a river contractor and fishing uncommonly, this river, is super-thin, with my local fishing clubs guide; hopefully I’ll have the chance suffering from low aquifer recharge to share with them the benefits of over the last few years; working on to develop some habitat habitat and good river management. the Watercress & Winterbournes restoration projects that I’m keen to work closely with my project managed by Hampshire & Isle local fishing clubs to develop some of Wight Wildlife Trust, we want to can benefit wildlife and habitat restoration projects that can build some resilience into the Brook. fishermen alike benefit wildlife and fishermen alike. I have designed a project with some I am passionate about reducing woody habitat features, pool-and-run Brailsford Brook, including the stocking in rivers as I have wild fish creation and new drinking wetland removal of 40-odd weirs! swimming in my blood; I’d like to features to keep cattle out of the river. My most recent expedition was share my experiences with riparian The week after I carried out my some habitat restoration on the owners and fishing clubs on the first official Advisory Visit as a River Allen in Dorset, a partnership benefits of a wild fishery, which Conservation Officer, I visited the project in its third year with the hopefully will leave the rivers in a Upper Alre, upstream of Alresford, Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) and better state for future generations. which is very close to the source of Wessex Chalkstream Rivers Trust I also hope to work closely with the river. This was a good one to get (WCSRT). It was also a good my new colleague, Bruno Vincent, my writing skills honed, and to check chance to work for a day with my on a couple of events that we are out the local trout populations! predecessor, Mike Blackmore. We planning, to involve some nippers After three weeks in the job, I were blessed with fantastic weather, (Hampshire-speak for people under had the pleasure of meeting the rest and armies of volunteers produced 45, though more mature types are of the WTT team, many of whom by DWT – one day we had twenty welcome too). For example, we’d like I have met before, this time in of them! This made moving woody to organise an event for fishing Derbyshire, Tim Jacklin’s stomping material around very easy, and guides to discuss the benefits of ground. We had the unique chance the project was completed within good habitat – they may well be to critique some of his handy work, the week. excellent emissaries of conservation extensive improvement of the Looking ahead to next month, I messages to their clients.

30 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS AUTUMN 2019 News from the Midlands and Lincolnshire By Tim Jacklin, WTT Conservation Officer

ISH spawning habitat in the Fupper Great Ouse in Buckinghamshire has been greatly improved by the creation of six gravel riffles using over 200 tonnes of stone and gravel. The riffles were installed in late August 2019 in a partnership project between the Wild Trout Trust, the Environment Agency and local landowner and farmer, George Eaton. The upper Great Ouse was severely affected by pollution incidents in 2017 and 2018 resulting in fish being killed from Brackley to downstream of Buckingham. Prior to this, the river supported a range Above: A typical view of the completed, an open day was held of fish species including brown upper Great Ouse prior to riffle for local landowners and angling trout, chub, dace, roach, perch, installation dominated by a silt bed clubs whose sections of river were pike, gudgeon, bullhead, stone and emergent vegetation, a result affected by the pollutions. The event of channel over-widening and loach, brook lamprey and minnow. showcased the recent works and dredging for land drainage in Water voles and otters were regularly provided a forum for discussion the 1970s and 1980s observed on this part of the river, about aiding the recovery of the but it is thought the latter have been Below: The silt has been replaced river through improvements to fish displaced since the loss of fish. with stone and gravel within the passage and habitat quality. Local The riffles restore a habitat that appropriate channel dimensions, Environment Agency Fisheries was identified as lacking (during re-creating a habitat suitable for Technical Specialist, Kye Jerrom, previous Wild Trout Trust Advisory gravel-spawning fish such as trout, and the WTT’s Rob Mungovan gave Visits) because of historic land chub and dace presentations, followed by a walk and drainage works and will assist the talk and practical demonstrations natural recovery of fish stocks. Many of habitat improvement techniques of the species listed above need clean on the river. Many thanks are gravel with good flows of water over it in order to breed successfully. There are known to be healthy fish populations upstream of the reach affected by the pollution incidents, which will drop downstream and colonise the affected area and use the riffles for breeding. The project also complements initiatives to enable fish passage across weirs downstream of the polluted reach, which when realised will enable fish to repopulate from downstream. Following soon after the habitat improvement works were

AUTUMN 2019 WILD TROUT TRUST NEWS 31 due to George and Ann Eaton for kindly hosting the day and their New Kennet unwavering support for the river improvement works. Elsewhere in the patch, there Wild Trout Fishery has been a multitude of Advisory Visits, project proposals, small project deliveries and a great deal HE once-famous Upper of planning, surveying and liaison TBenyon’s stretch of the Middle for larger projects that will hopefully Kennet at Padworth has seen a come to fruition in the future. The noticeable increase in the population latter includes plans for some of sizeable wild trout, seemingly significant fish passage improvements filling a gap left by declining on the rivers Dove and Ecclesbourne numbers of chub and barbel. in Derbyshire, and flood storage Spring-spawning coarse fish seem and river habitat improvements on to be suffering in the Kennet – the upper Witham and a tributary maybe it’s a product of enrichment in Lincolnshire. of the water or something to do Advice has been provided on with the hordes of signal crayfish, rivers including the Perry and the trout encountering less Roden (Shropshire), Manifold and difficulties with juvenile survival Ordley Brook (Staffs), Shelf Brook, by winter spawning, when the applications from new and existing Alfreton Brook, Oakerthorpe Brook crays are less active. club members. The annual cost is a and River Erewash (Derbyshire), Of all the middle river stretches snip at £70, plus another £80 for main Bottesford Beck (Lincolnshire), controlled by Reading and District club membership, making it some Smestow Brook (Wolverhampton) Angling Association (RDAA), the of the most affordable chalkstream and on the Ouse Dyke, River Maun near mile-long Upper Benyon’s has wild trout fishing in the country. and Alfreton Brook (Notts). Several huge potential to deliver quality Trout Section members will hundred metres of riparian fencing spring fly fishing for large wild trout, be entitled to exclusive fishing has been installed along the River particularly during the mayfly, a on Upper Benyon’s from 15 April Dove and Bentley Brook in view confirmed by Charles Jardine each year until 16 June, thereafter Derbyshire and several habitat during a recent visit. shared with the coarse fishery. demonstration days were held in This reach has produced fish to Demand is expected to be conjunction with Warwickshire five pounds to both fly and coarse high when applications go live Wildlife Trust on the Cuttle Brook anglers and the lower river has in November and if any WTT and Long Brook, giving Wildlfife thrown up specimens approaching members are interested, you need Trust volunteers and members of a ten pounds. RDAA has agreed to to drop a line to rdaatrout@gmail. local farming and conservation group establish a specific 20-member com ASAP to register an interest the opportunity to learn hands-on Trout Section for a trial period of and explain why you’d like to be habitat improvement techniques. three years and will be inviting considered for membership.

THE WILD TROUT TRUST Communications Officer: Denise Ashton Rob Mungovan: East Anglia Registered Charity 1162478 (England [email protected] [email protected] & Wales), SCO46354 (Scotland) Fundraising Events Officer: Bruno Vincent Dr Paul Gaskell: Trout in the Town (North) Registered Charitable Company [email protected] [email protected] No. 03345901 (England & Wales) Projects Coordinator: Shaun Leonard Theo Pike: Trout in the Town (South) [email protected] [email protected] CONTACT US Annual Auction: Bruno Vincent, Christina Research & Conservation Officer: Wild Trout Trust Office Bryant, Sean Flanagan, Patrick Lloyd Professor Jon Grey – Yorkshire, Lancashire Christina Bryant (Trust & Data Manager) Salmo trutta annual journal: Tim Jacklin [email protected] The Wild Trout Trust [email protected] PO Box 120, Waterlooville PO8 0WZ Other Executive Committee Members, the Tel: 023 9257 0985 CONSERVATION OFFICERS: President, Vice-Presidents and Trustees [email protected] Dr Tim Jacklin: Midlands, Lincolnshire, should be contacted via the WTT Office www.wildtrout.org N Wales – [email protected] Director: Shaun Leonard Andy Thomas: Southern England, Thames FREEPOST [email protected] [email protected] Our Freepost address is: Freepost WILD Trust Secretary: David Marriott Nick Lawrence: South West England, TROUT TRUST. If you use one of our [email protected] Mid Wales – [email protected] pre-printed envelopes or one of your own, Finance Officer: Alan Pickstone Gareth Pedley: Northern England, please don’t write anything else on it as the Post [email protected] Scotland – [email protected] Office will surcharge us if you do. Thank you.