Tuesday 12 April 2011

Wild Trout Weekender 18th & 19th June

The link below will take you to our website and the .pdf brochure of the Wild Trout Weekender. We have over 50 rods available on each day, with options to hire guides if required. We have received some tremendous support from clubs, associations, owners and guides on the river.

All the proceeds will support wild trout habitat conservation work. On this we are partnering the event with the Wild Trout Trust who we plan to (and already are) collaborate with on several projects over the coming years on the river.

The Friday (17th) 'Wild Trout Evening' at the Tufton Arms looks set to be a cracker with both Paul Procter and Jeremy Lucas providing talks as well as a number of guest fly tyers giving away hints and tips on those all important killer patterns. If that wasn't enough....Mrs Ewbanks legendary bangers will be on offer at the supper!!

http://trust.edenriverstrust.org.uk/auction-2010.html

If you find wild trout groovy...then you will dig this event!

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Honky Tonk Trout


The picture is one of a group of 26 trout as coloured in by Year 1 and 2 pupils at a school in the catchment I visited yesterday. The kids were great and we also visited a local beck where, despite flood conditions I managed to get the whole range of invertebrate species, sticklebacks, stone loach and a white clawed crayfish. It never ever fails to surprise me at just how enthusiastic kids get when the see a tray of bugs. We even had a small olive hatch in the tray. This was the icing on the cake as I had just played a short video of mayflies hatching (and trout eating them!) back in the classroom.

My hope with these type of visits is that we may just inspire one or two future 'Chris Packhams' to get involved in freshwater conservation (and boy do we need them). If nothing else I am convinced that they will remember their trip to the beck and view it as something that is living, fragile and worthy of protection.

One thing for sure is that I really appreciate just how much hard work our Education Officer puts in day in and day out through our Rivers in the Classroom initiative. Half a day left me completely drained...what an amateur!