Eden Rivers Trust Blog

Hope and Inspiration.

2011-09-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from a holiday in my old stamping grounds in Norfolk. Apart from once again getting a decent pint of beer, three events gave me great hope for the future for the wonderful, yet hidden chalk streams on the North Sea Coast.

Firstly, I visited a reach of river I helped to restore between 2006-8. The estate in question supported by a team of willing volunteers and the Wild Trout Trust provided advice, funding and many hours of labour to support a programme of narrowing, spawning gravel creation, riparian fencing and placement of large woody debris (LWD). The overall aim was two-fold, to improve the conditions for both resident browns and those that may choose to go on salty excursions. Myself and Tim Jacklin of the Wild Trout Trust were lucky enough to be invited to fish the reach and we were delighted to see what must have been a ten fold increase in brown trout numbers. I was also reliably informed by the keeper that returning sea trout have been observed spawning on newly introduced riffles...The Best News!

Despite a tricky wind I went on to catch what I term a 'Restoration Brownie' of about a 1lb when the wind eventually dropped at dusk. I have caught fish three times as big this season but to me this was my most memorable moment with a rod in 2011. Surely it must be one of the ultimate prizes in fly fishing to catch a fish on a dry fly from a reach that was once on its knees. Many had totally written off this small stream. However, thanks to a small but passionate band of hairy arsed fishers, supported by the Wild Trout Trust, we once again have a viable fishery that can support a thriving population of trout. Most importantly, the river has a much higher profile and others may now think twice before causing damage to this most beautiful and intimate of chalk streams.

That evening we shared a bottle or two with Mark Watson the Manager of the new Norfolk Rivers Trust. This is a very exciting and much needed development in the battle to conserve Norfolk's very special chalk rivers. Mark is a very capable guy and passionate about wild trout and rivers. Having helped to win a few hard fought battles against the authorities in Norfolk I am thrilled to see a new and independent force for good emerging on the scene. Exciting times indeed!

Lastly, I attended a meeting with my old mates at the River Glaven Conservation Group. This bunch of volunteers from the local community have been busy delivering a very exciting and innovative programme of river restoration projects in the sleepy Glaven Valley. I am a huge admirer of the spirit, tenacity and drive of this bunch of 'Good Old Boys' who care so passionately about 'their river'. They remind me of a similar group I am a huge fan of in the North West - The Lune Rivers Trust. The Glaven Group have now completed two major restoration projects involving re-connection of the floodplain, re meandering, LWD and creation of riffles, etc. Amazingly they are now taking on a new challenge to bypass and restore a very old and silted on-line lake plus restoring the relict channel. All this is being led by volunteers with support from experts (like Wild Trout Trust) and various Govt bodies. As an original committee member it was so satisfying to see the group had come of age and now being accepted as a serious conservation partner by The Environment Agency and Natural England.

I cane away feeling re-invigorated and inspired to continue take on the challenges that working on a catchment of 2500 sq km present!

All of this happened on what was supposed to be a family holiday...but once afflicted, this incurable river conservation bug tends to flow through your veins for the rest of your life!

ERT Has Moved

2011-08-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

After five very happy years at Skirsgill Business Park we are relocating to a suite offices at the Newton Rigg College Campus, Near Penrith.

We are tremendously excited about the move both in terms of the increased size of our accommodation and the opportunities to develop educational and training partnerships with new owners Askham Bryan College.

The move will take place between 18^th August – 21^st August.

As of w/b 22^nd of August our new address will be:

Eden Rivers Trust

Dunmail Building

Newton Rigg College

Penrith

CA11 0HA

View Eden Rivers Trust offices in a Google map

We are expecting that there will be some unavoidable but short-term disruption to our telephone and internet / email capabilities.

We hope that our existing office number (01768 866788) will be still be in use, however it may be redirected to an alternative number, again for a short period. We have also set-up a temporary mobile number which will remain in the new office (07864 644943). This phone will be checked regularly and will be able to accept voice mail messages.

Staff mobile telephone numbers and email addresses will remain as normal.

I hope the move and subsequent settling in period will be as smooth as possible but I apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused

Charity Casting Challenge

2011-08-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

Eden Rivers Trust will be organising a charity casting challenge at this year’s inaugural Lowther Game and Country Fair at Lowther Park on 13th and 14th August. Proceeds from the challenge will be split equally between Eden Rivers Trust and armed forces charity Combat Stress.

The challenge, known as the Casting Game will see adults and children alike cast ‘against the clock’ on a course designed to test their accuracy and skills with a fly rod. Children and adults, beginners and experts are all welcome to have a go.

Entries are just £1 and there will be prizes for the top 5 times (adult and junior) each day. The competition has been generously sponsored by Orvis who are donating the use of fishing rods during the challenge and prizes each day.

The aim of the challenge is to both inject a little more fun into the world of fly fishing and to raise much needed funds for two worthy, but vastly differing charities.

I have been particularly inspired by the work of Combat Stress, having had the honour of meeting several service personnel returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Some of these heroes have returned with severe and life changing physical wounds such as triple amputations. However, many of the guys and girls also have to cope with the often concealed and less publicised physiological scares that can be associated with active service. These can involve Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety disorders.

I hope that the exhibitors and good country folk visiting the fair will come along and support this fund-raising initiative and have a lot of fun at the same time!

Aside from the Casting Challenge ERT will have its normal displays and be on hand to answer queries about our conservation work (and the great fishing!) on the River Eden.

So, if you are coming up to the Fair pop over to our stand and say hello and test your skills - it is for a good cause.

After trying the game on my lawn the other evening - I marked myself down as needing some professional help...turns out I'm not the hot shot I thought I was!

Weekender Report

2011-06-23T02:21:00.000-07:00

I am relieved to report that the Weekender was a fantastic success. We had over 70 guests on the Friday night to listen to our guest speakers Paul Procter and Jeremy Lucas. The food at the Tufton was excellent as was the ale and the company.

Despite the weather forecast and a wet start the fishing on Saturday was very good indeed. I have received reports from many of the anglers saying what a wonderful time they had in truly stunning surroundings. Two of my friends had very good days indeed. The funniest moment for me was trying to light my Kelly Kettle with virtually no breeze to get a draw. At one point I think we filled the whole of the Eden Valley with our emissions and it was only sheer bloody mindedness that eventually resulted in cups of rather smokey tea (a new Cumbrian delicacy).

Sunday arrived and the river was slowly rising. Despite this, again many fish were caught and one of the rods guided by Glynn Freeman landed a fresh grilse of about 6lbs.

Will we be running this event again?..You Bet!

Our good friends at Wild Trout Trust are planning to hold their Annual Get-together in Appleby, on or around the second weekend in June. If you could not make this years event make sure you come along in 2012....you will not be disappointed.

I would like to thank all of the owners, fishing clubs, guides and speakers that made this weekend possible. I would also like to thank the Wild Trout Trust for their help in promoting and organising the event.

Lastly 'without the trout' none of this would have been possible!

Last chance......we'd hate you miss this one!

2011-06-16T05:07:00.000-07:00

Just a final reminder regarding the Wild Trout Evening at the Tufton Arms in Appleby, tomorrow evening (see earlier blogs). The 60+ guests that have booked thus far are in for what promises to be a great evening of fishing talks, supper and fly tying demos....not to mention much beer induced fishing talk!

Tickets are priced at a very reasonable £19.50 per person. If you would like to come please contact the ERT Office (01768 866788) and book in. We will be able to take payment on the door but we'd like to know your coming to keep the chef sane!

Rainfall over the next 24hrs could raise levels in the river on Saturday and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the worst of it drops outside the catchment. However this is Cumbria!

Excuse me. Are you the Judean People's Front?

2011-06-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

I managed to bring an evening meeting forward on Monday to enable me to squeeze in a much needed fix of Eden wild trout.

On arrival at the beat the river looked in superb order. Unlike many other rivers in England the Eden has been blessed with rain, much to the delight of local anglers and gardeners alike!

Although sunny the early evening temperatures were low enough to have me rummaging around in the boot of my car for my trusty Help For Heroes Hoodie - this top has not only been with me when I've raised a few thousand quid for this worthy charity but it has started become a sort of lucky fishing talisman for me to the point where I really don't like to be wetting a line without it.

There were good numbers of upwings airborne including my favourite fly of all time the Yellow May Dun. Spinners were also starting to fall. If the temperature stayed up I thought I may just be in for a good evenings sport.

I quickly took two small trout on an emerger pattern so all was looking good. They both put up spirited fights that reminded me of puppies that will not let go a of a sock...feisty little devils!

At that point, I was joined on banks of the pool by a visiting salmon angler. It transpired that he had come (several hundred miles) for the Salmon but unfortunately for him he should have been on the river a couple of weeks earlier when we had the last push of water. He went on to tell me that he had seen a really good and prolonged hatch of upwinged flies for most of the afternoon and trout had been going crazy. "Ironic really" he said "as I actually do a lot of trout fishing back home". My response almost seemed rude, but I just had to ask...."but why didn't you pack a trout rod too?" He agreed, "Good question, I really don't know why?"

We then discussed why it is that as fisherman we have the tendency to want to ignore the many differing angling opportunities that a quality game river provides. From my point of view I cannot see the logic in flogging a bit of salmon water to death knowing that it's a waste of time, especially when the trout (inc sea trout) are on!

I think as fishermen we tend to ally our selves to a particular clan or tribe - river trout, stillwater trout, sea trout, salmon, etc. Its fine to have a specialism, but I cannot help but feel that this somewhat regimented approach facilitates many a blank day because of some sort of irrational fear of the consequences piscatorial free thinking or perhaps being disloyal to their particular tribe.

We both agreed that Free Spirits in fishing world are rare beasts! At this point the following scene from Monty Pythons 'The Life of Brian' sprang to mind.

Brian: Look, you've got it all wrong! You don't need to follow me. You don't need to follow anybody! You've got to think for yourselves! You're all individuals!

Crowd: [in unison] Yes! We're all individuals!

Brian: You're all different!

Crowd: [in unison] Yes, we are all different!

Man in crowd: I'm not...

Crowd: Shhh!

Some owners, ghilles and keepers can also enforce a restrictive and dictatorial approach to fishing. It may be unspoken but anglers are often left in no doubt as to what is the expected 'form' on a beat. On some Scottish Rivers getting a trout rod out would be considered an act of high treason...but why? It should be remembered that its only fairly recently that some of the interests controlling major Scottish Salmon rivers have begun to slowly accept that trout are not actually vermin. There still remains a job of work to do here as some normally intelligent and rational people still pedal this outdated and somewhat Victorian viewpoint. I have actually had these conversations. One proprietor on a famous Northern Scottish river actually told me that I could come and fish for trout if I killed everything I caught as they "eat all of our salmon eggs"......I declined!

On a mixed game fishery like the Eden (where we love our trout) I advise my salmon fishing friends to always bring a trout rod. Some do and some don't...however those that do never regret it and in some cases have had real red letter days that in their words "saved the trip".

So my advice when coming to fish the Eden is to be totally flexible in your approach and your choice of quarry and I guarantee you will 'max' your chances of having a great trip.

To illustrate my point. My fellow (and very nice) salmon angler had a blank and retired to the pub at 9.30pm. Whilst he was standing at the bar, perhaps drowning his sorrows, I had a further eight wild trout to nearly 2lbs, with some bigger fish bumped off too. I was also still catching trout after the landlord announced "time gentlemen please".

Although you should be wary of judging a good day in terms of numbers of fish, (The Flyfishers Club motto springs to mind here PISCATOR NON SOLUM PISCATUR - It is not all of fishing to fish) I will leave you to judge for yourself regarding who you think had the more enjoyable day.

And to finish, I couldn't resist this last quote, again from the Life of Brian. I think this neatly captures some of the self imposed divides that I have witnessed in approach, species elitism and attitude between differing factions of fisherman...I think we would do well to remember that we are actually all one in the same. Brothers of the Angle!

Brian: Excuse me. Are you the Judean People's Front?

Reg: F**k off! We're the People's Front of Judea.

lastminutetrout.com

2011-06-02T05:28:00.000-07:00

We still have a number of rod days available on the Wild Trout Weekender. The good news is that on Eden we have good rainfall over the last few weeks and the fishing has been excellent. I have had several reports of fish over the magical 3lb mark. So if youre free over the weekend of 18th and 19th June why not come along and experience some very fine and affordable wild trout fishing in quite stunning surroundings. See www.edenriverstrust.org.uk

A sad week

2011-05-16T02:13:00.001-07:00

In the last few days I have been saddened by the news that two friends from the world of fishing have passed away.

The first is Micheal Edwards CEO of Orvis UK. Throughout my years at Wild Trout Trust, Michael was very supportive of our conservation work is so many different ways. He always listened with a generous ear to my cunning plans and differing ways of getting support from Orvis (and there were many!). I don’t actually ever think I heard him say no. Since my departure from WTT I kept in fairly regular contact with Michael and he was always interested how I was getting on at ERT in what he described as the Frozen North! Indeed in my last mail to him I threatened him that I would visit to the Orvis stand at this year’s CLA!

I have really good memories of Michael both at events such as the WTT Awards the CLA and once or twice in the shooting field.

The second loss has been that of Fred French MBE. Fred really was one of anglings grandees with involvement in many, if not of all of the bodies that have represented fishermen over the last few decades. I first met Fred through his NAFAC days when he used to 'ride shotgun' with his great pal, Terry Mansbridge. Both of these guys approached all of the issues facing fisheries with an infectious mix of professionalism, enthusiasm, pragmatism and good humor.

On my arrival at ERT Fred was one of the first to phone me and wish me all the best from his HQ in Ambleside. Like me Fred was a 'blow-in' from the South. Many of you reading this may have been on Freds 'distribution list' for what has been termed the 'World Wide French Web'. This can best be described as a sort of information service of emails and announcements of relevance to the fisheries world. Sometimes you could get several of these mails a day! However, on at least two recent occasions mails from Fred alerted me to very important issues and initiatives I knew nothing about. I used to also love Freds'commentary' that accompanied some of the mails - there wasn't much that he hadn't seen or heard of before and he did have a habit of telling it like it was!

I last mailed Fred about 10 days ago and he said things weren't great. Soon after the mails stopped appearing and towards the back end of last week I started to worry. A email on arrival at my desk this morning confirmed my worst fears.

At sad times like this,cliches tend to get overused. However, I can put my hand on heart and say both the passing of Micheal and Fred will leave a large gap in the world of fisheries and angling. However, I feel the richer for having the honor of their company over many years. The next time I catch a wild trout on the Eden I will raise my cap (and later a glass) to the honour of two great men.

But most importantly at this sad time, our thoughts must go to their families.

Something for the Weekend?

2011-05-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

We still have good availability left on many beats for the Wild Trout Weekender on the 18th /19th June and the Wild Trout evening on the 17th June.

We have some fantastic beats on offer and two great speakers on the Friday evening. Unlike the rest of the country we actually have some water coming down the river and it’s even raining as I write this.

Trout fishing this season has been on the whole quite good but the bright weather and cold wind over the last week or two has made things a little tricky. Hatches have been all over the place. However those anglers that are prepared to work for their fish and ring in the changes have been rewarded, in some cases with some very big browns, reported in excess of 3lbs......roll-on June!

We owe it to the Eden to put on a good show and raise a few quid!

I know you got Sole....

2011-05-03T02:31:00.000-07:00

Question is...is it felt free?!

See below from Vermont - I look forward to seeing similar announcements in the UK from our own 'angling and fisheries officials'.

As an aside, I had an interesting conversation the other day with an angler who is very switched on to this issue. He fishes with different sets of waders when abroad and thoroughly cleans them before returning home. Despite this and two weeks after his return he found that some leeches had hitch-hiked on his boots all the way from the Southern Hemisphere.......

Vermonts Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Patrick Berry today took an extra step to prepare for the upcoming season: He took the Clean Angling Pledge. He also urged anglers to look at the extensive information on VT Fish and Wildlife’s website designed to help anglers modify their existing footgear.

Administered by the Montana-based Invasive Species Action Network, the Clean Angling Pledge is a simple, yet effective way to remind anglers of the important role they play in the fight against the spread of aquatic nuisance species. An angler who takes the pledge promises to inspect, clean and dry their equipment after each use.

Berry’s pledge comes the same week that Vermont is poised to become the second U.S. state to ban the use of felt-soled wading boots and waders in all waters. Vermont’s ban, established last year by the Vermont Legislature, begins April 1, 2011. Maryland’s ban began March 22.

“It’s important to note that simply making the switch from felt to a rubber-soled boots does not absolve an angler, hunter or trapper from still having to clean their gear,” Berry said. “Rubber-soled boots are easier to clean than felt, but we have to remain vigilant to protect our resources.”

Taking the pledge, said Berry, takes only a few minutes, and he’s urging all Vermont anglers to log on to www.cleananglingpledge.org and join him. A link to the pledge can also be found on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s Website.

“Vermont Fish & Wildlife takes this issue very seriously,” Berry said. “We have a strict cleaning protocol in place for our employees that mandates a very through and complete cleaning of their gear after each use. This pledge helps remind anglers to develop their own cleaning routine for all of their gear, too.”

The three key components of the pledge are:

• INSPECT: Take a close look at your equipment (including boots, waders, boats and trailers) for any rocks, mud, plants, moss or other materials. Physically remove it.

• CLEAN: Thoroughly clean your equipment with water and a brush to remove any attached materials.

• DRY: Completely dry your equipment in the sun.

Bob Wiltshire, executive director of the Invasive Species Action Network, said he’s happy Berry is helping get out the message of the Clean Angling Pledge.

“We’re pleased that Commissioner Berry recognizes the importance of taking personal responsibility for protecting our waters. By simply cleaning our gear to after every use each one of us helps to prevent spreading invaders. None of us wants to be the person responsible for introducing a new invader and following the Clean Angling Pledge helps protect our waters.”

Source: Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife

Wild Trout Weekender 18th & 19th June

2011-04-12T04:28:00.000-07:00

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!

Honky Tonk Trout

2011-04-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

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!

Eden Archive

2011-03-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Last year I rather rashly decided that I would start to compile an archive on the River Eden and its rich angling heritage, with the view of writing a book on the history of the fishery.

I have received information from a number of sources including a huge collection of newspaper reports from 1967 - 1980. I am also in receipt of the minute books of the then Eden Fishery Board from the period 1930 to 1951. A number of individuals and clubs have also provided some very interesting information, books and articles.

It's been an interesting read....and one thing for sure is there aren't that many new problems affecting the fishery. As far back as 1930 there were widespread concerns (and action) about the effects of cormorants roosting in the Solway Estuary! Pollution reared its ugly head all too often and the river board and fishermen seemed to have a real love hate relationship with coarse fish....from being classed as vermin in the 1930's to being promoted a worthy quarry in the 1960's. However only as far back as 1969 fishing clubs were still removing large numbers of dace 'at invitation' from various beats along the river.

I am still a long way short of enough material to start to compile the content of the book.

I am particularly interested in any catch records, photographs and stories of great fish hooked...lost or landed! The other gap I have surrounds some of the great characters and stories that must be associated with the Eden.

One chap I'm particularly interested in was a trout fisher called Ronald Mckillop who fished the river circa 1935-. In Carlisle AA's 150th Anniversary book there is a wonderful picture of young Ronald tying a fly by hand next to his beloved river....sadly Ronald was killed in a Spitfire in 1943. I plan to dedicate the book to the memory of this WW2 hero who made the ultimate sacrifice so that future generations of Eden fishers would continue to enjoy this wonderful fishery in freedom.

If you have any information on the Eden, including old photographs, etc...please do contact me at the Trust.

All proceeds from the book will be donated to both ERT and Combat Stress (an armed forces charity that looks after veterans with post traumatic stress disorder).

I only hope Ronald would approve?

The Swift Trout.....

2011-03-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

Well, after what seems like a very long, dark, wet, cold and grey winter...the 2011 trout season has arrived on Eden!

I took half a days leave today and fished my favourite beat on the middle river. Running at about '1ft on' the water looked trouty enough. However there was still a fair old push of flow through many of the pools and runs.

I opted for a trio approach. Tungsten bead Turkey Biot nymph on the point, Partridge and Orange on the middle dropper and Waterhen Bloa on the top dropper. After what seemed like an age I did connect with a 'Swift Trout' of about 1/2 pound (pictured above). Early season trout are not known for being shy and this wild little devil gave an account of itself that stockies of three times that size could only dream of!

At about 1pm a steady stream of LDO's started to drift downstream which did prompt some surface feeding. I switched to dry fly (snowshoe hare emerger) and rose two fish both of which I bumped off (too keen!).

Did I care? Not a bit!..... I was out on the river. It might have been raining, it might have been grey, but I found myself starting to look forward to the season ahead and all of the fly fishing possibilities that a spate river offers.

But its not just about the fishing. My best seasons are measured in terms of catching-up with old fishing friends, gallons of Kelly Kettle tea drunk , contented wet labradors , lazy lunchtime bankside BBQ's enjoyed and sinking more than a few pints of beer to celebrate red letter days!

I can hardly wait.........and I feel very lucky to be able to fish such a wonderful river.

Best of luck - wherever you fish - just as long as it's wild!

Wild Trout Weekender

2011-03-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

17th, 18th & 19th June 2011....dates for your trouty diaries!

You are cordially invited to attend the inaugural River Eden ‘Wild Trout Weekender’.

In a bid to support important fisheries conservation and habitat restoration work on the river, Eden Rivers Trust and the Wild Trout Trust have joined forces to present a ‘Wild Trout Weekender’ fundraising event on 18th-19th June 2011.

In a nutshell, a range of beats will be offered throughout the entire system (competitive bidding basis) to be taken on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June. Prices range for £10 – 50 per rod per day. Some beats will also ‘rent out’ the services of guides, again with proceeds going to ERT / WTT.

The quality of the wild trout fishing on the Eden is truly excellent and it is hoped that the event will also raise the profile of the affordable and easily accessible association and private beats along the entire 80 mile length of the river. The event has been planned for June when the river is at its peak and the crème of the fishing is on offer......Cumbrian weather permitting!

On the Friday evening (17th) there will also be a themed Eden Fishing Evening event taking place at the Tufton Arms, Appleby. Tickets priced at £19.50 include a two course supper, guest speakers, and fly tying demos. There will also charitable auction of ‘Affordable Promises’ with items such as signed books, flies, fishing tackle and other sporting ephemera!

Guest speakers on the evening include:
Paul Procter on fishing the Eden, flies and entomology
Jeremy Lucas – Modern River Trout Fishing Techniques

The Tufton Arms Hotel will also be offering a preferential rate for fisherman and guests attending the weekend.

Further information on the event and the availability of beats / guides will be available on the ERT & WTT’s websites as of 1st April see;

http://www.edenriverstrust.org.uk/
http://www.wildtrout.org/

Put The 'Fly' back into your Fly Fishing

2011-02-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

I'm excited........I've just booked a place on what I hear is a very good course run by the Freshwater Biological Association - 'Entomology For Anglers'.

The two tutors running the course Stuart Crofts and Andrew Dixon have few equals when it comes to this subject.

The purpose of this course is to increase fly fishers’ understanding of entomology, which could
make a big difference to their catch. Understanding the life cycle of the flies that are being imitated helps better decisions to be made on what a fish is feeding on, when and where that
type of food will be available, and how best to represent that food form. The course will describe certain aspects of the natural fly which can be incorporated into imitations, explain why some flies are more significant than others and why some important flies are often neglected by anglers. It will also involve a field visit to a river site to collect some of the species the fly-fisher
encounters.

This will be followed by practical advice on how to identify them under the microscope. Anglers Stuart Crofts and Andrew Dixon, have both fished for England at national and international level and have studied entomology for many years.

Three courses are being run at;

Saturday 9th April at Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment (SCENE), University of Glasgow, Loch Lomond

Saturday 21st May at the FBA River Laboratory, Dorset

Saturday 28th May at FBA Windermere, Cumbria.

I've been lucky enough to fish with Stuart quiet a few times over the years and his enthusiasm and knowledge of entomology changed my whole approach and understanding of fly fishing.

See: http://www.fba.org.uk/fba-training-courses

I can't wait!

Get A Grip?

2011-02-21T03:34:00.000-08:00

Interest is building in the Clean Angler Pledge and thanks to the World Wide Fred French Web my mutterings have gone out to a much wider audience!

It was nice to see the Angling Trust make reference to ERT's call to ban felt wading boots. I hope this organisation with its significant resources and contacts will pick-up the baton from herein. I will make contact with them in the near future.

I have had a few questions regarding the tendency of non felt soles to slip and slide on the river bed. This is an interesting issue. I have been using Simms Aquatstealth Soles for about five years and have never felt 'slippage' to be a problem. I spend an awful lot of time in waders and fish and work on some pretty spatey rivers.

Having just received a new pair of Orvis Eco-Trax boots I took the opportunity to test them out yesterday on the main Eden and they performed very well indeed. The boots are studded which I think helps.

Dare I say it, but I think sometimes slippage can be exacerbated by poor wading technique. If you try to 'walk' a river I think there is a higher risk of skidding! On spate rivers I find that you are best off 'feeling' the bed of the river and that slower measured progress is the best approach (it doesn't scare the fish either). Obviously it goes without saying that you should never attempt to go against the flow (in all but the shallowest of water) but use it to your advantage. Wading staffs can be a real aid...but I've yet to find a good one that isn't stupidly expensive.

Inspect - Clean - Dry - Spread The Word....... Not The Problem!

Best Foot Forward

2011-02-11T02:07:00.000-08:00

Since my last blog. Our good friends at Orvis have subsidised the purchase of our new 'felt free' Ecotrax wading boots. Contained within each box was an information card from Orvis President, Perk Perkins, highlighting the rising problem of invasive species. This is a great example of a company with a sense of it's environmental responsibilities and they are to be commended!

Spread the word - not the problem!

Clean Angling - Take The Pledge!

2011-01-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

Phase out the Felt - ERT Takes the Lead

2011-01-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

I note with interest that in the States, Trout Unlimited has issued a challenge to the fishing industry to stop using felt on the soles of wading boots. Felt is a major contributor to the spread of all manner of freshwater invasive species which could include ‘aquatic hitchers’ such crayfish plague and gyrodactylus salaris. Companies like Orvis, Simms and Patagonia have responded with new ‘felt free’ technologies. One would hope that the UK tackle industry (including retailers) will also be rising to this challenge to protect and conserve the very resources that sustain their businesses and our precious angling heritage.

So my plea to the UK tackle industry is please...Phase out the Felt!

Anglers can also ‘play their part’ by taking the ‘Clean Angler Pledge’

INSPECT - carefully examine all of your equipment at the end of your trip to see if there are any visible signs of unwanted material attached. This includes any type of plant or mud. Remove anything visible.
CLEAN - use water to wash your equipment clean. High pressure water works great to remove anything that may be attached to your equipment. It's ok to clean with water from the river or lake where you have been fishing or boating from because you will leave behind invasive species that you may have picked up. However, never clean your equipment at your put-in spot since you can easily be cleaning off hitchhikers that have been with you since your last trip. If you cannot clean before you leave a site, then make sure to clean at home where there is no chance that an invader can reach the water.
DRY - a thorough drying of your equipment will kill any live invaders you may have picked up. Make sure that every bit of hidden moisture is gone.
The above is of particular importance if your are fisherman that moves between fisheries both here in the UK and abroad.
As anglers (and that includes the tackle industry) we must all take these simple actions to stop the spread of destructive invasive species.

I realise I have written about this subject before and I make no apologies for raising again! This is simply because it is such an important issue that could affect the quality of all of our fishing.

At ERT we have now banned the use of felt soled waders in our work. Although this may cost us money in the short term - we feel it is a small yet worthwhile investment to help protect our special river.

Now pass me the matches!

Bristol Bay...continued

2010-12-01T02:50:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in the campaign I would recommend that you take a look at the article in the latest edition of National Geographic Magazine.

Click on the following link:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/12/bristol-bay/dobb-text/1

The photo above shows some of the most jaw dropping wilderness spawning habitat you are ever likely to see. A web of interconnected rivers, lakes, and streams characterizes the Bristol Bay region. Here the Igushik River snakes through the tundra of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

If you are a 'Habitat Junkie' like me...this is the ultimate fix!

To loose it would be a catastrophe beyond description.

Saving Bristol Bay

2010-11-18T02:15:00.000-08:00

Many of you will not have heard of Bristol Bay in Alaska. Well its safe to say that is probably one of the worlds most important wild salmon fisheries. It is a stunningly beautiful yet fragile wilderness. I am sad to report that it's under threat from the spectre of open cast mining. In a nutshell if this mine goes ahead it will probably destroy one of the worlds most special catchments, its fish, wildlife and the communities that depend upon it.

So why should we be concerned? - Alaska is a very long way from the UK. For me it's simply about just knowing that places like Bristol Bay exist. I may never visit Bristol Bay but I just want to be able to offer the opportunity perhaps for my kids and their kids to have the continuing chance to visit these special places. (I just hope they take me along!)

Open Cast mining is hugely damaging and despite what the industry would have us believe, there has never been a mine of the scale proposed that has not caused widespread and irreversible environment damage...period!

You can help this campaign by visiting http://www.savebristolbay.org/about-the-bay

I have taken the step of sending an email to the State Governor of Alaska to voice my concerns. Some may view this a token gesture. However if the Alaskan Government knows the eyes of the world are on this campaign it may just go someway to influence the decision makers. And if the boot was on the other foot we would be glad of support from Alaska!

Someone once said "they ain't making rivers anymore" in the case of Bristol Bay I would expand on this and say "they ain't making ecosystems anymore!"

Blueprint for Water

2010-11-16T08:47:00.000-08:00

If you care about how much wet stuff flows down our rivers then please let me draw your attention to the recently re-launched 'Blueprint for Water'.

Water is our most precious natural resource. It is vital to people’s health and happiness, vital for the environment and our wildlife, and vital to our economy. But this most precious asset is in crisis. That is why in 2006 a coalition of leading environmental organisations, launched the Blueprint for Water, setting out 10 steps to sustainable water.

Four years on, during the International Year of Biodiversity, our rivers, lakes and ponds remain our most threatened habitats; targets for restoration and creation of wetlands remain unmet; and River Basin Management Plans promise just 5% improvement by 2015.

Here are the 10 steps to sustainable water by 2015

Waste less water Reduce water consumption by at least 20% through more efficient use in homes, buildings and businesses

Keep our rivers flowing and wetlands wet Reform abstraction licensing to reduce pressure on rivers, lakes and wetlands today and increase flexibility to adapt to future climate change

Price water fairly Make household water bills reflect the amount of water people use

Make polluters pay Make those who damage the water environment bear the costs through more effective law enforcement, tougher penalties and fairer charges

Stop pollutants contaminating our water Introduce targeted regulations to reduce harmful pollutants in water

Keep sewage out of homes and rivers and off beaches Upgrade the sewage system to reduce discharges of sewage into urban environments and ecologically sensitive areas

Support water-friendly farming Reward farmers who deliver healthy rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands, and provide a range of other benefits to society

Slow, manage and clean drainage from roads and buildings Create a modern urban drainage network that can mitigate surface water flooding and trap pollution

Protect and restore catchments from source to sea Regenerate rivers, lakes and wetlands in partnership with local communities

Retain water on floodplains and wetlands Restore large areas of wetland and floodplain to create vital wildlife habitats, improve water quality and quantity, and reduce urban flooding

You can download the Blueprint at: http://www.wcl.org.uk/blueprintforwater.asp

A book I'm reading on catchment conservation in the USA contained a local residents comment at a public consultation on water resource planning.

"Why don't we take all this money we are spending on regulation and pay farmers to have wild fish in our rivers? We could do it!"

Difficult logic to argue against...isn't it?!

Taking the Initiative on Invasives

2010-11-15T03:17:00.000-08:00

Eden Rivers Trust is launching a new initiative in the Eden Valley to take action against invasive alien species. This will mobilise all interested parties in a coordinated plan of attack, to stop the spread of unwanted species already here and prevent the introduction of others not yet arrived.

The first step is to get the relevant people and organisations together, to find out the extent of the problem, and to discuss possible ways of tackling it. This will take place at an event on Thursday 2nd December 2010 in Newbiggin Hall, Newbiggin, near Stainton from 10am to 1pm.

Eden Rivers Trust would like anyone interested to come along to this event and get involved. They want to gather local knowledge on the location and extent of invasive species along the River Eden and its tributaries. They also want to hear about any action already taking place, and suggestions about the best way forward.

The aim is to create an Eden Invasive Species Group which will identify invasive species in the River Eden catchment, prioritize future control, and co-ordinate the work that is already being done.

This event is the start of a coordinated approach to tackling invasive species in the Eden Valley. We hope as many people as possible will come along to share their knowledge and ideas on how to keep out or get rid of these unwanted animals and plants.

To book your place, please contact me on tel. no. 01768 866788 or email alison@edenriverstrust.org.uk, so that we have an idea of the number of people attending.

Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed are the three plants causing most concern at present. These occur particularly along river banks and all have negative impacts on the local wildlife, as well as on farming and recreation. Himalayan balsam, for example, smothers our native riverside plants, dies back in winter and leaves banks bare and vulnerable to erosion. Japanese knotweed is extremely vigorous and rapidly takes over vast areas, growing through tarmac, concrete and drains. Giant Hogweed is a health hazard because it contains toxic sap which can cause severe burns.

Other invasive species of concern include American signal crayfish and a parasite of fish called Gyrodactylus salaris. Neither of these are currently found in the Eden catchment but could arrive at any time and be disastrous for the local environment and economy.

American signal crayfish occur in all the counties surrounding Cumbria and they and the disease they carry, crayfish plague, are lethal to the native white-clawed crayfish, which has one of its last strongholds in the county.

Local fish populations are at risk from the invasive parasite called Gyrodactylus salaries, which is found in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe. It causes a serious fish disease called Gyrodactylosis which infects the skin, gills and fins of salmon, trout and some other species of freshwater fish. This disease is one of the biggest threats to the wild salmon population in the UK and has the potential to cause widespread losses in the UK’s valuable stocks of both wild and farmed freshwater Atlantic salmon. If introduced here it would be difficult to eradicate because of the very diverse nature of our river ecosystems.

To stop the spread of crayfish plague and Gyrodactylus, it is essential to ensure that any equipment such as boats, fishing nets, waders, etc used on rivers and other water bodies is thoroughly dried and disinfected before it is used again. These diseases can easily be spread via tiny spores carried on wet gear, especially felt-soled waders as they rarely dry out completely.

Eden Rivers Trust is also working with the county-wide coordinator of the Cumbria Freshwater Invasive Non-native Species (FINNS) Initiative (visit http://www.scrt.co.uk/cfinns for more details). This will ensure that all those involve in invasive species will learn from each others’ experiences and there will be a coordinated approach across the county. For more information on non-native invasive species visit http://www.nonnativespecies.org/.

If you would like to come along to Eden Rivers Trust’s event on the 2nd December please book your place by contacting Eden Rivers Trust on 01768 866788 or email alison@edenriverstrust.org.uk

Grayling are go!

2010-10-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

The Eden Grayling season is now well underway, with some very good catches already reported on the lower river. I fished last week and despite very windy conditions, managed to winkle some very good quality fish to both Duo Rig and Klink n Dink. The cold weather will possibly slow things down a bit but a few days of settled high pressure should see things come good again.

Flies are very much a personal choice - however any shrimp patterns dubbed with Sow Scud seem to work very well for me.

See: http://www.lakelandflytying.com/2691/products/Wapsi_Sow_Scud_11_Dispenser.aspx

A small tungsten nymph suspended under a big Klinkhammer also works very well in nice pacy but steady runs. Green dubbing with a copper head has been good to me...but what do I know!?

See: http://www.lakelandflytying.com/1599/products/Awesome_Possum_Dub.aspx

You can access some very good and affordable grayling fishing through our Go Wild Scheme http://gowild.edenriverstrust.org.uk/.

Go on give it go before the Winter sets in!

Three Awards.....In A Week!

2010-10-25T01:53:00.000-07:00

Eden Rivers Trust has scooped three awards in the space of a week for its conservation, education and communication work.

The first of these was the Wild Trout Trust and Orvis 2010 Conservation Awards. These Conservation Awards recognise and encourage excellence in the management and conservation of wild trout habitat, celebrating the efforts, skills and ingenuity of projects carried out both by professionals and by grass roots voluntary organisations.
Eden Rivers Trust were the winners of the Professional Category for their Trout Stream Project in the Eden catchment, addressing point source & diffuse pollution, bank-side damage by animal stock, barriers to migration and poor habitat and fish recruitment. This used a wide range of techniques to develop costed and prioritised plans to get the best improvements to habitat for the resources expended.

Judge and Trustee of the Wild Trout Trust, Dr Allan Frake, said, “The competition always attracts habitat management projects at various levels that are carried out by a plethora of differing individuals and organisations. This year’s finalists ranged from those costing hundreds of thousands of pounds to one which virtually cost nothing apart from some oil and petrol for the chain saw! The judges were particularly enthused this year to see projects where a considerable amount of soul searching had gone on to ensure that the work to improve habitat was carefully thought through, evaluated, and decisions based on quality survey data, sound scientific principles and a healthy dose of pragmatism”.

The second award was for Becky Helm, Education Officer for Eden Rivers Trust, in the 2010 Association of Rivers Trusts Awards. These are open to individuals or organisations covering scientific achievement, environmental achievement, volunteer effort or outstanding contribution to the Rivers Trust movement.

Becky Helm won the award for “Outstanding contribution to the Rivers Trust movement” for her role as Education Officer for the past 5 years. In this time she has worked with over 10,000 people including 5500 school children from 50 different schools, 200 adults in higher education, and 5000 members of the general public.

She was instrumental in the successful delivery of Eden Rivers Trust‘s 1.2million Heritage Lottery funded Discover Eden project. She has instigated and implemented many other projects including Rivers Days for schools, the Wetland Discovery Trail, Rivers in the Classroom, the River Rover Mobile Lab, the River Fly Anglers Monitoring Initiative and Mayfly in the Classroom. She has also been involved in community river clean-ups, trainee teacher and work experience placements, local shows, volunteer events and talks for local community groups. All of these have and continue to benefit from her huge enthusiasm, wealth of knowledge and dedicated efforts (including many an evening and weekend). Her skill for successfully combining rivers and the outdoors with education and learning continues to impress.

Becky’s vital work has not only helped to raise awareness about our rivers, and encourage the next generation to learn about their environment and take care of it, but it has also made a huge personal difference to the many people she has worked with. Each year several of the young people Becky first worked with at a school or event have returned to ERT as volunteers.

The third award came from the North West Business Environment Awards, presented at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. The Trust was runner-up in the Environmental Champions (Media and Communications) category. This was for its successful communications campaign to raise awareness about the importance and beauty of the River Eden and to conserve and protect the local wildlife, including the endangered white-clawed crayfish.

The judges’ comments on Eden Rivers Trust’s entry included the following:

“The campaign has drawn on a range of different channels to communicate to its target audiences”.

“The active involvement of so many local school children and members of the community in the campaign is to be commended, and as an educational process it has been outstanding”.

“Evidence of a large quantity of sustained, ‘on message’ media coverage, covering the topic from all angles”.

Todd Holden, director of the ENWORKS environmental business support partnership which hosted this year’s awards, said: “The event was a real success and it looks like everyone enjoyed the occasion. I’d like to congratulate our winners and runners-up who are all deserving of widespread recognition and applause for their contribution towards paving the way for a more sustainable future.”

We are delighted to have received all three of these awards, in recognition of the invaluable conservation, education and communication work we carry out regarding the wonderful River Eden. I would like to congratulate and thank all the team at Eden Rivers Trust for their unfailing dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm in all they do. These awards are a justified reflection of their hard work.

Woody Debris

2010-09-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

This is is not my favourite blues guitarist but the scientific term for fallen branches and trees in a river.

Large Woody Debris (or LWD, generally defined as timber greater than 0.1m in diameter and 1.0m in length) is a vital natural component of all rivers. However, due to human intervention over the millennia, it is now largely absent from many river systems. Traditional river management has included a presumption for the removal of LWD, on the grounds that it restricts angling access, collects debris around it andcould pose a risk of flooding. Many fishery interests have also had concerns that LWD can adversely restrict the upstream migration of pre-spawning salmonids.

However, more recently, research has shown that LWD is fundamental to many river processes, which are of direct and indirect importance to trout, with its influence particularly strong in headwaters. LWD causes localised changes in water velocity, with consequent downstream scouring of gravel substrate, improving its quality for spawning salmonids and some fast water loving coarse fish species. The lower water velocity occasioned upstream and within LWD bundles results in the detention of fine sediment in marginal zones where it can become colonised by emergent vegetation. The increased variability of water velocity also results in significant changes to the river’s water depth and width. Similarly, leaf litter tends to accumulate in and around LWD, providing an important food reserve for 'shredding' macroinvertebrates. LWD also provides shelter for a range of invertebrate and fish species, and reduces water temperature by shading.

Accumulations of LWD can cause the formation of so-called 'woody debris dams'. These can become remarkably stable, with some examples lasting for years. These can have particular value in riverine systems, becoming important structural features in their own right. However, careful monitoring of extensive woody debris dams is important.Although concerns regarding their impact on migrating fish are generally not well founded, in extreme circumstances, they can totally occlude channels, preventing access to spawning areas for brown trout and salmon.
In these unusual circumstances, it is usually possible to carefully remove a small section
of the dam, re-establishing a passage for fish.

So all in all wood is good for trout!

As part of ERTs Petteril Project we have formed a technical partnership with the conservation charity, the Wild Trout Trust to select and introduce LWD at a number of sites along the river. As I speak Tim Jacklin and Paul Gaskell (WTT) and Alison Reed (ERT) are busy with their chainsaws, creating much needed habitat on this once iconic trout stream. The support and guidance from WTT has been invaluable and anyone considering restoring a trout stream should contact them. Their advice and assistance is free and will ensure your project gets off the best possible start. see http://www.wildtrout.org/ for more details.

Photo: Copyright Natural England

An Invitation

2010-09-27T04:58:00.000-07:00

Eden Rivers Trust
invites you to our Winter 2010
Fisheries Seminar
(replacing the ERT Fisheries Advisory Committee)
Wednesday 20th October 2010
6:30 to 10:00pm
Cliburn Village Hall, Penrith

Programme:

6:30 to 7:00 Arrival and refreshments
7:00 to 7:20 Eden Rivers Trust—Roundup of 2010 work
7:25 to 8:20 Guest Speaker:
Dr Peter Hutchinson. NASCO
(North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation)
‘SALSEA – unravelling the mysteries of the salmon’s life at sea’
An introduction to the exciting and innovative work being undertaken by NASCO and partners to improve understanding of and survival during the salmon’s life at sea.
8:20 to 8:50 Break, refreshments and a chance to buy raffle tickets
8:50 to 9:10 Environment Agency (Penrith Fisheries Team) - An Eden Update
9:15 to 9:25 Guest Speaker:
Kenny Galt. The Tweed Foundation TBC
The Trout and Grayling Initiative and Riverfly Monitoring
9:30 to 9:40 Eden Rivers Trust—Look ahead and Raffle Draw

There will be a raffle with suitably fishy prizes and refreshments (soft drinks and bottled beers) provided by the Tufton Arms Hotel in Appleby, with all proceeds going to ERT.
Directions: As you come into Cliburn village from Penrith, the hall is on the right hand side. If you reach the Golden Pheasant you’ve gone too far!

Click Here for Google map

All welcome, but places are limited to 100 so please let us know if you’re coming along: call 01768 866 788 or email rebbecca@edenriverstrust.org.uk.
Car parking is limited so do please car-share where possible!

Scores on the Doors...

2010-09-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

On behalf of the Chairman and the board of trustees of ERT I am posting this blog to thank everyone who has supported the 2010 Auction....our first!

The combined total of both main and silent auctions was a staggering £52,000!

This would not have been possible if it were not for the very kind and unfaltering support of a large number of sponsors, volunteers, donors and bidders. In these austere times I cannot overstate importance of this income and the positive impact it will have on both our conservation and educational activities.

As we move forward into uncertain economic times, life for small charities like ERT will become ever more challenging. However, we have clarity and purpose, sound governance, robust financial management systems and a great team of staff and volunteers. Most importantly we have fantastic record of delivering excellent conservation projects all of which are underpinned by the use of sound and practical science. These attributes, coupled with your support place ERT in a strong position to both meet these challenges head-on and to seize upon the as yet unknown opportunities that will undoubtedly manifest themselves as new and exciting vistas open up before us.

Once again thank you to everyone concerned for your support. It is hugely appreciated and never taken for granted.

The Clock is Ticking....

2010-09-13T05:34:00.001-07:00

Just a quick reminder that the deadline for postal and fax bids for ERT's fundraising auction is Saturday, mid-day.

We have some fantastic lots and the bids are now starting to arrive. This is a great chance to spoil yourself and support ERT at the same time.

Go on....have a bid!

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

Blisters...but they were worth it!

2010-09-07T04:11:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased to report that I managed to complete the 80 mile 'Source to Sea' walk along the Eden. My short legs aren't really designed for walking and as such I found the first two days pretty hard going. Getting out of bed each morning was a challenge that somewhat reminded me of the lengthy process of firing-up the engines of an old WW2 Dakota, I onced witnessed. Lots of heaving, pulling, straining, coughing, swearing, moaning and stretching before finally spluttering into something resembling life......

The walk and the excellent ERT staff, guests, landowners and volunteers we met along the way were stimulating and inspiring. I feel very privileged to have walked 'my river' in it's entirety. I would thoroughly recommend it, however my advice would be to perhaps undertake it at a more sedate pace!

Highlights for me were too numerous to list but the first mornings walk down from Hell Gill to Kirby Stephen was very special indeed. During the four days we showed Rory Stewart many aspects of our work from electric fishing, crayfish surveying, habitat restoration, farm conservation advice, invasive species management through to our research and education based activities. To have four days with your local MP is an opportunity not to be squandered and in Rory's words it was "a wonderful four days. I learnt an enormous amount from the ERT team and I will remember it forever"

To date we have raised about £900, which is a little disappointing considering the pain I had to endure. But the success of the endeavour should not be measured in fiscal terms alone. The wide-ranging PR the walk received has ensured that awareness of the ERT brand continues to grow, and in these tough economic times...that is priceless!

If you would consider a donation - its not too late. This can be dome via our Just Giving website :

http://www.justgiving.com/edensource2sea

Just click and donate. Easy....unlike the walk!

Now what should be my challenge next year......?

ERT Auction Goes Live!

2010-08-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

We invite you to participate in our 2010 charity auction.

Auction bids can be accepted from 1st September running through to a grand finale at a fundraising dinner at Naworth Castle on the evening of 18th September. The highest bidder for each lot at the end of the auction on 18th September 2010 will be deemed the winner of that lot.

Download the ERT 2010 Auction catalogue here

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

Postal/Fax bids

We can accept postal and faxed bids which we will place on your behalf if you are not attending the fundraising dinner on 18th September. Postal / fax bids for identical amounts will be placed in the order received. Such bids should reach the ERT office no later than midday on 18th September. Postal address: Eden Rivers Trust, Units O&Q, Skirsgill Business Park, Penrith, CA11 0FA or fax: 01768 866700

Successful bidders

The ERT will contact you to arrange payment of the winning price by cheque or bank transfer. The ERT will also put you in contact with the donor of the lot so you can arrange the details upon clearance of funds.

I am delighted to make public a copy of ERT’s 2010 auction catalogue – our first ever!

Contained within its pages are 47 exciting lots, many of which are rarely available. Full details of how bids can be submitted and terms and conditions are on page 3 of the catalogue.

The current economic climate has created a challenging fundraising environment for charitable trusts. We hope that all those taking part in the bidding will do so generously and in the true spirit of a charitable auction!

If you are lucky enough to be winning bidder you will be in a real ‘win-win’ situation, as not only do you get to obtain some fantastic lots but you’ll also be able to take great pride in the knowledge that you are supporting the important conservation work of ERT.

Lastly, ERT would like to make special mention of the many supporters, sponsors and partner organisations that have so generously donated lots for this year’s auction. Without their continued and unfaltering support the auction and the work of trust would not be possible.

If you have any questions or queries regarding the auction please do not hesitate to contact me at director@edenriverstrust.org.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thank you for your support and good luck with your bidding!"

Steve Henson

2010-08-17T03:32:00.000-07:00

I've just received the shock news of the untimely death of one of my old colleagues from Norfolk, Steve Henson.

Steve will not be known to most but I am deeply saddened at this loss. I worked on numerous ground breaking projects with Steve over the years - from mink and voles through to Fisheries Action Plans and River Restoration. We were also at the same University together (UEA - the best!). Steve went on to work for Norfolk Wildlife Trust and I the National Rivers Authority. Most unusually for someone with that background he could see the contribution that fishing and fisheries could make to improving local biodiversity. Our paths crossed regularly and I totalled up at least 6 major projects going back to 1998 we have both worked on. He always offered very pragmatic advice and was willing to lend a hand when required. I still remember marking out a restoration site at Holkham on the River Stiffkey, with garden canes and electrical tape!, which summed up his approach...practical advice and assistance!

Both myself and Steve went onto sit on the committee of the River Glaven Conservation Group and whilst my contribution was minor, I think it is safe to say that Steve's was impressive. Without him I think the Group would have struggled to achieve what they have.

The above picture is of both myself and Steve jetting spawning riffles on the Glaven at Thornage in Norfolk. I will remember him as considered, cheerful, positive and always willing to roll his sleeves up for the task in hand.

Although I haven't seen Steve for about two years I feel terribly saddened by his passing. My heart goes out to his wife,family and colleagues.

Knotty...ash?

2010-08-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

We have now started our programme of Knotweed control on the
River Eamont SAC.

At this very moment, the Japanese Knotweed Solutions team (pictured above..sorry guys I couldn't resist!) are on the banks of the river cutting, spraying and finally incinerating (hence the Ken Dodd link) this most unwelcome intruder. The Knotweed problem on the Eamont is in it's early stages and we really hope that this 'stitch in time' solution will save an awful lot of effort and resource in the future. The situation will be closely monitored over the next five years.

Click & Donate!

2010-08-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

We have now set-up a Just Giving webpage which is a totally secure way of donating on-line. The link will take you to the Source to Sea Fundraising Walk Page.

All you have to do is click and donate......how easy is that!

www.justgiving.com/edensource2sea

Source to Sea Fundraising Walk

2010-07-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

On 1st September Rory Stewart, MP for Penrith and the Border and yours truly will commence a fundraising walk along the entire length of the River Eden. The 80+ mile walk, lasting four days will raise funds for Eden Rivers Trusts conservation and education projects. A dawn start sees in day one on the 1st September at Mallerstang, the source of the Eden. Over the ensuing four days friends, family and supporters will join us each day as we make their way towards finish at the Solway Firth.

The walk is split into four sections (to be confirmed) and will be conducted on a mixture of footpaths, bridleways, quiet lanes and private land, where permission has been granted.

• Day 1 – Mallerstang – Appleby
• Day 2 – Appleby – Penrith
• Day 3 – Penrith – Wetheral
• Day 4 – Wetheral – Solway Firth

During the walk I will be introducing Rory first-hand to some of the key issues that affect the wildlife, ecology of the river. The itinerary will take-in in some ‘hands-on’ ERT conservation tasks, including a survey to hunt for the internationally rare White Clawed Crayfish and a to get ‘down and dirty’ at local community river clean-up event!

The walk will also focus on meeting members of the community who rely on a healthy river environment river to support recreational and economic purposes.

We are aiming to raise as much money as possible to support ERT’s environmental education initiative, ‘Rivers in the Classroom’ which to date has worked with nearly 5000 school children up and down river valley.

Our fundraising target is £10,000.

I am really excited to be undertaking this fundraising walk with Rory. The walk not only offers a special opportunity to see a river in its entirety but also for Rory to learn firsthand about some of the major issues affecting the wildlife, ecology and people of this truly iconic river.”

Rory Stewart said: “I have been looking forward to this walk for months. It will come at the end of a Summer that, for me, has been made memorable by the people of Penrith and the Border and the landscape they inhabit; these are the two constants that make this constituency so special. It seems fitting to end my first Summer as an MP walking the length of this extraordinary river; 80 miles long, with 184 different species of plants and flowing through the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales National Parks, the North Pennines, the Solway Coast AONB, and the World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall. This is arguably the jewel in our crown, and it will be a great privilege to meet the people along the way who - as I am - are proud to speak of the Eden Valley as their home. With Simon's help I hope to raise awareness of its importance, and funds to contribute to its longer-term survival, and look forward to welcoming anyone who would like to join us on the walk."

If you would like to make a donation please contact Eden Rivers Trust on 01768 866788or office@edenriverstrust.org.uk

After last years Coast to Coast Mountain Bike Challenge - I swore I would never do another charity fundraiser........I must be mad...but it is for a very good cause!

I 'CAN' stand the rain........

2010-07-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well..... we have had some rain at last...but not nearly enough!

Levels on the rivers and major lakes in the catchment have risen by a few inches or so. We now have a hosepipe ban in place and are being asked to conserve water wherever we can.

This is all well and good but my major worry is that drought events are likely occur more often and with increased severity. If we accept this 'climate change scenario' surely we should be having a serious debate about long-term water usage and conservation. We have now reached a point in time where reactive measure are simply not good enough and we must be taking a long term view on the sustainability of supplies for both private and business users. It is not simply a case of hitting water companies over the head with a big stick. We are all voracious consumers of a very precious resource that in my opinion we have learnt to take far too much for granted. Some painful and potentially costly decisions may have to be agreed if we want to keep taps running.

Salmon Farming: Our 'Must Win' Campaign

2010-06-24T01:07:00.000-07:00

On the way into work this morning it was great to hear Paul Knight from the Salmon & Trout Association raise the impacts of salmon farming up the agenda on prime time Radio Four.

Despite protestations from an 'industry spokesman' I think Paul did a quite brilliant job of getting the key points across in a very understandable and personable style. Paul didn't use any jargon but left listeners in no doubt regarding what is a very desperate situation. I was really delighted that a fishing organisation came across in such a measured and reasoned manner. For so many years this hasn't been the case. If we are to win the 'hearts and minds' of the public this is just the type of strategy we will need. The stakes are high in this debate, but the science is on our side and we must resist the temptation for sensationalism and playground name calling, as has so often happened in the past.

The Atlantic Salmon is one of the most iconic species on the planet. It's migrations are shrouded in mystery and it it sustainably supports ecosytems, food webs, livelihoods and an army of passionate fishermen!

It is this army of passionate fishermen that we need to mobilise and involve in this issue of such wide ranging importance. From a personal point of view I think this is probably one of the most important battles that fishing has to win; if we lose the consequences do not bear thinking about.

My plea is to every fisherman (no matter what their persuasion, coarse, game, sea) to get behind the S&TA and this campaign of international significance. Perhaps this campaign has the potential to 'unify' angling in a way that up until now we have failed to achieve?

But here also lies angling's Achilles heel.......Apathy. So angling (guided by the S&TA) must seize the opportunity to mount an 'en-masse' a campaign targeted at decision makers and the public regarding just how passionately we feel about this issue. If we do not take a untited stand we may just as well switch the lights off and go fish the stock pond.

Make no mistake salmon farming has some powerful and influential friends, some of whom are perhaps closer to angling than you would think. We need to get the groundswell of public opinion behind us...it will be our most powerful weapon in the fight to get salmon farming onto a more sustainable footing.

I do not want to see and end of salmon aquaculture in this country - my aspirations are simple...to see a sustainable industry that can support people, the environment and our wonderful migratory fish.

Many people have given up on wild Salmon, but the Pebble Mine Campaign in Bristol Bay, Alaska shows just how powerful a well thought out Grass-Roots campaign can be (see my worth a look links). The pivitol moment in that campaign was the release of the film Red Gold. Anyone who has watched this film cannot have failed to have become very emotional and passionate regarding the need for the stewardship of our precious natural resources. The film has been shown around the world and it has made a huge difference. I have shown it to family,friends and collegues all of whom are non fisher folk...and they get it! They get that salmon migration is one of the great natural wonders of the world and once it is gone...it is gone forever.

Our salmon farming campiagn could learn a lot from Trout Unlimied in the States who have superbly co-ordinated the above.

For me this campaign is a place where our hopes and dreams for Atlantic Salmon will live or die.

Lets get behind the S&TA to make sure we achieve the former!

If nothing else sign the S&TA petition to show your support:

http://www.salmon-trout.org/save_petition.asp

Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing!

2010-06-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have only recently taken to fly tying in the last two seasons. For me it was yet another interest to fill already 'at capacity' cupboards with even more kit!

However over the years I felt something was missing from my fishing. The one component missing was tying imitative fly patterns to match the varying stages of insect life on any given beat and day. Although convenient, shop bought flies are often 'over-dressed' and my personal bug-bear...barbed!

From the start, my strategy has been to...'keep things simple' I have bought good quality materials that fit into a small tool box and spent the absolute minimum on a vice (£11!) I have had some advice from some very good tiers and the owners of Cookshill Flytying, Spiders Plus,Lakeland Flytying and the lads at John Norris. Purchases were made and I set to work...self taught!

To be honest my first few attempts were.......somewhat agricultural. But I just stepped back and simplified things. Some very uncomplicated nymphs were the first to score success on the bank. This was followed by some very, very quick dry flies. tied with a grizzle hackle. The best was to come with a fish well over 4lbs from the Annan to a spinner pattern...again very simple and less than three minutes to tie.

This season I have stepped things up a bit and have started to tie some emergers and some Parachute Adams type patterns. However, if it takes more than 5 minuets to tie, I'm not interested.

We are now well into the 2010 season and this is my first where every fish caught has been on my own flies, including an early season beauty of 3lbs 5oz from the upper river.

Last week I was lucky enough to get out twice on both upper and middle river beats. Despite low water,both of these visits were great fun. But it was the first visit which lasted well into the late evening that was to be my piscatorial 'Zen' moment. I had just managed to catch three fantastic wild trout on a spinner pattern,from a difficult run that necessitated casting off my left shoulder due to heavy foliage behind me.

In the fading light of that summers evening on the banks of a truly wonderful trout river, with the Pennines as my backdrop, I realised there and then that I had finally closed the gap in my personal fly fishing circle.

I felt I had finally made the links between habitat, quarry, technique , fly life and fly tying. It was quite an enlightening moment and one I will savour for the rest of my fishing days. I'm not suggesting I am now some sort of fishing superstar with all the efficiency of a modern trawler.....far from it! However, the increase in my enjoyment and understanding of fly fishing over the last couple of seasons has been nothing short of a revelation to me.

I just hope it lasts for a while!

How Low Can You Go?

2010-06-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

It almost beggars belief that after the winter we have just had that we are now just a few steps away from a drought order being imposed across the North West. United Utilities and the Environment Agency are starting to gear-up in anticipation of a continued lack of meaningful rainfall.

The Eden is low, very low. But despite this there is still some sport to be had for the flyfisher. I have just returned from the lower river this evening where I enjoyed some sport on the dry fly (all tied by my own fair hand!). I did drop two good fish, one was very good. Despite some impressive flylife the fish were reluctant to rise and you had to be quick to cover the odd one that did. If you were millimeter accurate you would get a take. I did see one of my favourite flies on the river today the Yellow May Dun (Heptagenia sulpherea)....I think this is one of our most spectacular upwing flies and I just love it's latin name!

The other big yellow thing on the river was my Labrador (Maximus chaoticus) who has developed an impressive skill in river boulder hopping...it has to be seen to be believed!

I hope we get some rain soon and that the salmon and sea trout fishing can get going!

Felt Soled Waders - Update from Alaska

2010-05-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Alaska Board of Fisheries voted unanimously last week to ban felt-soled waders in Alaska freshwaters effective Jan. 1, 2012, out of concern they could transport invasive aquatic species between water bodies.

Trout Unlimited, a national fisheries conservation group, made the push for the ban, arguing that felt stays wet longer than rubber boots and can carry more sediment.

Felt-soled waders were due to be banned the beginning of 2011 in Southeast, however that change will now occur at a later date.The ban will only apply to anglers. Duck hunters for example, who also use waders, will not be subject to the ruling.

Local angler advocacy groups were tacit on the issue.

Ricky Gease, executive director of the Kenai River Sport Fishing Association in Soldotna offered no comment on the ruling as did Dwight Kramer, chairman of the Kenai Area Fishermen's Coalition.

Will You Rise To The Challenge?

2010-05-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

The Anglers Monitoring Initiative presents anglers with a fantastic opportunity to back up our claims about being the guardians and the eyes and ears of our waterways.

See http://www.riverflies.org/index/riverfly_monit.html

The initiative comes from The Riverfly Partnership, an organisation which enables anglers to take action that will help conserve the river environment. This initiative provides a simple monitoring technique which anglers can use to detect any severe problems in river water quality and puts them in direct communication with the Environment Agency.

This anglers monitoring scheme, used alongside routine monitoring by the Environment Agency, will ensure that water quality is checked more widely and action taken at the earliest opportunity should any severe problems be detected.

We have arranged the next Riverfly Training date for 22nd May. To date we only have four bookings out of a total of 12 vacancies. This concerns me greatly. I think it would be a terrible demonstration of angler apathy if we are not able to fill this course and have a healthy waiting list too.

The cost is £35 which includes training and all the equipment you'll need. Clubs should not even have to think twice about paying or should I say 'investing' in keen members to attend. If you are member of a fishing association or club on the river contact your committee to see if they will fund a place for you. As anglers we have a moral duty to rise to this challenge. If we do not I fear we may as well switch the lights of and go home as rarely has there been such a golden opportunity for anglers to monitor the resource they are so reliant on to provide their sport.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to contribute towards an invaluable initiative...lets not squander it. If we do perhaps our claims regarding those eyes, ears and guardianship may just start to sound a little hollow?

Booking forms are available by contact Education Officer, Becky Helm: becky@edenriverstrust.org.uk.

Please..............Get Involved!

North Country Spiders

2010-05-10T06:23:00.000-07:00

A week or so back I fished on a section of lower river with two good friends. Despite my best efforts I struggled to make contact with some very fussy wild trout. On return to the hut for lunch I enquired how my two fellow piscators had fared. Vaughan had struggled for two small browns on a dry fly and Tim had had fourteen...yes fourteen!..... to North Country Spiders.

Up until this point I had always discounted this style of fishing as a bit dated and traditional for my liking. After lunch I accompanied Tim down a through a fantastic boulder strewn run which had pocket water to die for. He on the spiders and me on the dry fly. Despite a good hatch and many rising fish I came away with one and Tim about half a dozen. I had seen enough.

On my return home I hastily looked up Tims patterns, A Water Hen Bloa and a Partridge and Orange. Materials were sourced (very precisely) from Steve Cooper at Cookshill Flytying and Phil Holding at Spiders Plus and I set to work tying-up a few of my own.

The patterns are simple and even someone with my agricultural tying skills soon had a few tied-up and ready to go. The trick is to dub the body very sparsely (with water rat substitute!) and not to overdo it on the hackle (two turns maximum!).

On Saturday I returned to the same beat of lower river and for the sake of scientific rigour, I fished the exactly those runs as I had with Tim. After what seemed like an age (5 mins!) I had a very positive take which resulted in a 'bonnie wildie' of about half a pound....and they kept coming too. I finished the afternoon with fourteen fish. I'm also encouraged to report I also caught a few sea trout smolts, which were as silvery as new Christmas decorations. One of the smolts was also intercepted by a very large brown trout, who let go when all didn't quite feel right!

There will be no prizes for guessing that I am now convert to this historic method of fishing. As Oliver Edwards puts it "anyone who fishes upstream North Country Spiders is helping to uphold a dying angling tradition" As I wandered back to the hut I pondered over a hundred and fifty years of spider tradition that in my eyes is as relevant today as it was when described by Pritt in his book North Country Flies, printed in 1886. That evening I raised a glass of something strong, golden brown and smokey to that great angler of the Eden, William Nelson who fished these very same methods, in the later part of the nineteenth century...I only hope he would have approved!

How Good Was The Eden?

2010-05-05T02:28:00.000-07:00

Trout too numerous to count and salmon too heavy to lift are the wistful memories of anglers who have fished the beautiful River Eden in the past. Here at Eden Rivers Trust we are looking for any recollections about fishing on the River Eden for a new book on the history of the Eden. This will cover its fisheries, fishermen, great captures and the changing ecology and land use of the river.

If there is anyone out there with old diaries, articles, photos or club records specific to the Eden area, we would love to hear from you! We need as much information as possible to help us produce what we hope will turn out to be the definitive work on this iconic river.

Sadly fishing on the Eden is not now what it used to be, as we heard at a recent event called “How good was the River Eden” at the Tufton Arms Hotel, Appleby. Fifty local anglers, keepers, ghillies and land owners who have fished the Eden over the past 70 years were invited to share their recollections, memories and historical records about this special river; it's fish, flylife, habitat and fishing. Their contributions were fascinating.

Although we still have a great fishery, we have heard firsthand about the truly wonderful river the Eden once was. I tried to visualise the halcyon days of the 1950's and 60's when a good day’s dry fly fishing for trout was measured in the scores of fish with hatches of fly to die for. Some of the captures of salmon in the early part of the 20th century are the fishing days that we can only dream about today, with many beats recording several fish in the 30-50lb bracket each season!

Many of those present at the event have promised to hunt out historical records that will help us to build up a picture of how the Eden has changed over the decades. This ‘anecdotal’ information is seldom captured by organisations responsible for fisheries management and can be extremely important when setting objectives for the restoration of a fishery - especially if historical monitoring information on the fish populations is absent.

A summary of discussions at the “How good was the River Eden” event is available on the Eden Rivers Trust website http://www.edenriverstrust.org.uk/. It will be used to help guide the Trust’s conservation work on the Eden and its tributaries. This approach could form the basis of a blueprint for other Rivers Trusts and managers to use in their areas.

We can be contacted at Eden Rivers Trust, Unit’s O & Q, Skirsgill Business Park, Penrith, CA11 0FA, tel. no 01768 866788 or email office@edenriverstrust.org.uk

Photos: Robert Strong with 31lb salmon caught at Rickerby Park and Ron Mckillop with catch of trout, both pictures circa 1935. (Photos courtesy of Carlisle Angling Association)

A good days fishing?

2010-04-18T09:24:00.001-07:00

I have just returned from a 'Upper Eden Beat' that is slowly but surely shaking off the last of its winter blues.

Spring has finally arrived and that minus 16 degree winter is now a fading memory. This year, due to the cold weather, I think everything is a few weeks behind.

Even though the fishing was slow I had a wonderful two hours on the banks of the river.

I must admit I was somewhat distracted from my search for a rising fish by a breathtaking display of spring wildlife. Dippers, Oyster catchers, lapwings, curlew and water shrews all made guest appearances. However, the best was yet to come as I watched a flock of Sandmartins, some 500 strong, get to work on a mid-day hatch of olives. This was precision hunting at it's very best. The Red Arrows have nothing on these guys.... I watched in awe at the aerial manoeuvres of these recently arrived visitors as they gorged themselves after their amazing migration from Africa......they must have been very hungry!

However, all too soon I realised my 'pass out' from home had come to an end and I had hardly cast a line. Did I care?...not a jot. As I walked back to to the car I pondered on what it is that makes a good days fishing?

These days the fishing tackle marketing men tell us we need all the latest space age technologies and stealth bomber whizz bangs, designed to give us that 'edge'. Apparently this will bring us to a higher level of consciousness and technical know-how, which we are assured will lead to greater 'enjoyment'.

Perhaps then, we should remember that we also need something that is not mass produced in some anonymous far eastern factory, something that has been in 'product development' for just a little longer than this years must have rod. How does a few epochs sound?........well that's how long your local river (Version 1.0) has taken to perfect itself.

The next time you go fishing take 5 mins out to reflect on this, take in your surroundings, observe the wildlife that you are sharing the river with - I guarantee you will enjoy your day just that little bit more.

As someone once put it - fly fishing for wild trout is just too special to obsess about just catching fish.

Workshop Report

2010-03-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Last week saw 110 delegates and speakers converge upon the Tufton Arms at Appleby for our workshop 'Trout Stream Management in the Real World'.

And what a two days it turned-out to be! The speakers were all excellent and gave many thought provoking presentations on subjects as diverse at genetics, stocking, habitat restoration, fish passes and the impacts of climatic change. Question sessions proved to be very useful and our decision to allow lots of time for this proved to be a good one.

There was also plenty of time for delegates to network and already a number of possible collaborations are being developed. In partnership with ART and the S&TA there are a number of issues that we hope to follow-up using their 'lobbying networks'.

The evening event ' How Good Was Your River' also went very well. We had a round 25 local anglers and riparian owners turn-up and some of the information provided was fascinating. The output from the night will shortly appear on our website http://www.edenriverstrust.org.uk/ Many of those on the night have also promised to hunt out historical records that will help us build-up a picture of how the Eden has changed over the decades. If you have any information you think would be of interest please contact me at the ERT Offices.

Feedback after the workshop has been very positive and there does appear to be a real appetite for 'trouty' events. All agreed it would be great if we could run a follow-up workshop in three or so, years time.

The one thing that really stood out for me was the 'broad church' of attendees which included landowners, fishing associations, clubs and rivers trusts from north and south of the border. So often events of this nature are the preserve of professionals from large organisations and it made a refreshing change to buck the trend!

The workshop could not have taken place were it not for some very kind sponsors and funders who are listed below:

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation (http://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/)

Wild Trout Trust (http://www.wildtrout.org/)

Environment Agency (http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/)
APEM - Aquatic Scientists (http://www.apemltd.co.uk/)

Institute of Fisheries Management (NW) (http://www.ifm.org.uk/)
Salmon & Trout Association. (http://www.salmon-trout.org/)

Upland Habitat Manual

2010-03-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

The 'English' launch of the manual took place at our Trout Stream Workshop on Tuesday this week. (Left to right) Vaughan Lewis (Windrush AEC), Heidi Stone (Environment Agency), Shaun Leonard (Wild Trout Trust) and myself (Eden Rivers Trust)

Following the successful track record of the Wild Trout Survival Guide and the Chalkstream Habitat Manual, the Upland Rivers Habitat Manual is aimed at fishing clubs, river keepers and riparian owners, helping them identify problems and finding solutions. It gives clear ‘DIY’ advice for local river improvement projects as well as the fundamental importance of land use and the need to work in partnership to address catchment wide issues.

Wild Trout Trust Director Shaun Leonard said ‘This guide is a fantastic, practical resource for clubs and owners. It is so important for grassroots organisations to feel they can address the problems of their local rivers at both a reach and a catchment scale. This guide is one way that the Wild Trout Trust can support and inspire local groups to take action. Wild trout, including sea trout, are a strong and visible indicator of the health of the river system and fishing clubs and owners have a tremendous opportunity – and responsibility – to look after them and the wider ecosystem’.

The Upland Rivers Manual was supported by the Environment Agency in England and Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government. The manual was produced by Vaughan Lewis of Windrush AEC with support from Dave Charlesworth (Environment Agency Wales), Martin Janes (River Restoration Centre), Alistair Maltby (Association of Rivers Trusts), Simon Johnson (Eden Rivers Trust) and Tim Jacklin (Wild Trout Trust).

The manual is in Portable Document Format (pdf) and will be available for free download from the Wild Trout Trust website (http://www.wildtrout.org/) from 1st April, and a high-resolution version is available on CD from the WTT on-line shop for £10 including P&P.

Under Starters Orders......

2010-03-09T02:11:00.000-08:00

The trout fishing season starts on 15 March and the roving angler scheme for the Eden Valley - Go Wild in Eden - is back for 2010. Go Wild provides exclusive access to over 25 beats of wild brown trout and grayling fishing in beautiful surroundings.

As well as providing some very challenging fishing, Go Wild enables anglers to enjoy some of Cumbria’s most unspoiled scenery. As the beats are on private land, accessible only with permission from the landowner or through the Go Wild scheme, you can enjoy these hidden gems of the Cumbrian countryside away from the crowds.

Managed by the Eden Rivers Trust, Go Wild in Eden is now in its sixth year and has proved very popular with local and visiting anglers, as well as landowners, who kindly allow Go Wild anglers access to their land. The number of beats has more than doubled since it started!

Go Wild is an extremely important initiative as it creates a link between farming and fishing. Many of the beats incorporated into the scheme are a direct result of ERT’s important habitat restoration work. This creates a real ‘win:win situation, as not only does it create conditions for wild fish to thrive in , but it also provides farmers and landowners with a modest income from the fishing. This invaluable income can help to fund the future conservation management of the river.

For those with access to the internet, visit http://www.go-wild.org.uk/ to see the fishing available, download beat maps and purchase tokens. Otherwise you can obtain these from Eden Rivers Trust on 01768 866788 or email info@go-wild.org.uk. Beat maps and tokens are also available from John Norris of Penrith (see very cool links) and Appleby and Carlisle Tourist Information Centres.

Tokens are available in books of 4 (£10) or 10 (£25) and beats vary in cost; from one to four tokens per beat.

The brown trout season runs from 15th March to 30th September and you can fish for grayling from the 16th June to the 14th March.

Anglers are reminded that all Go Wild Beats are operated on a 100% catch and release basis.

Don't forget about the many Angling Associations that offer some superb wild trout fishing throughout the whole length of the catchment - on an affordable day ticket basis. See the very cool links section on the right of this blog.

ERT wishes you all a 'Drag Free' season!

The Hitcher

2010-02-23T03:14:00.000-08:00

I've just come off the phone with Ian Maclean of Orvis, who has been telling me about a new wading boot with an EcotraX soul.

Fascinating I hear you groan!

Well, actually I think this could be a very significant development in our fight against the spread of aquatic invasive species or AIS as they are known in the trade! Orvis have developed a soul which has been shown to reduce the risk of the transfer of these most unwelcome of hitchers......

From my previous blogs you will know that I am very concerned that we are under threat from numerous alien invaders such as Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed, Signal Crayfish and Gyrodactylus Salaris. We should do all we can do to reduce the risk of cross-contamination of these 'once they are here' species. As anglers we have a responsibility to ensure we do not become the vectors of contamination as do other groups like canoeists.

So I am going to go out on a limb and call for the end of felt souled waders in the UK - I feel that they could represent significant threat to the quality of our very special catchments.

There is well documented scientific proof that felt represents a special problem in wading boots. Although many boot parts are capable of trapping and carrying AIS, the difficulties of disinfecting felt make it very different from the rest of the boot parts. While the elimination of any boot part that could trap or transport AIS is beneficial and should be encouraged, the move to eliminate felt is a prudent and appropriate response to the threat it poses.

For once I hope we would not have to do this by legislation and I would hope that the tackle industry can take the lead by simply phasing out felt. Companies like Orvis and Simms are leading the charge on this.

In New Zealand they have banned felt souls to stop the spread of the highly invasive dydimo algae.

Some anglers have questioned this approach.

However, the move to eliminate felt is based on conclusive scientific proof that it represents a special threat. Companies, organisations and agencies are all starting to accept this and the move away from felt will continue to grow. Anglers may not like the change and some will be vocal in their opposition. However, we should all make sure that any argument is based on sound science. The science shows that felt is a special problem and anyone disputing that has nothing to back their claims.

Finally, we must realise that felt is only one part of the problem. There are many other places where invasives can be trapped and transported in our boots and other gear. We must adopt new habits that include careful cleaning after each use. While switching to felt-free waders is a good thing, it is just one step in the process of becoming a clean angler. Any one of us could be the person to carry an invader to a new water and none of us wants to be that person. Inspect, Clean and Dry your gear after each use and you will help to protect the resource that we all depend upon.

Lastly have a look at this video on the Orvis website -

http://www.orvis.com/invasivespecies

I think it's a great example of a company with a sense of it's environmental responsibilities...they are to be congratulated!

Grayling

2010-02-15T05:48:00.000-08:00

I fished the 'Middle Eden' for a quick couple of hours on Saturday. The river was looking good and it wasn't too cold. Rather than fish my normal spots I decided to have a look around - after struggling I eventually came across a long slow pool of about chest height...that just screamed grayling. The flow was just pushing through nicely to allow me to bump through a ' duo rig' with the heavy nymph (4.2mm Tungsten) on the dropper. I remember saying to myself if there isn't a grayling in this pool ...I'll give up...just at the precise moment when that, oh so satisfying, pull happened. After a short tussle and stunning 15inch+ grayling was caught and released (barbless makes this very easy). "This is it" I said to myself "it will be like shelling peas".........and that's as far as my theory went.....nothing else happened...it started to rain and I went home to a cold beer and a warm fire!

However, I really enjoyed my snatched couple of hours beside the Eden - I was privileged enough to see oyster catchers, snipe and widgeon and teal....best of all I had the place to myself. For those brief two hours, I cleared my mind of the pressures of everyday life and thought about nothing else other than just 'going fishing'. I'd recommend it to anyone.

So........Just How Good Was The Petteril?

2010-02-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

ERT hosted a very special evening last night. We invited around a dozen guests who have fished the Petteril since the Mid-1950's to come and tell us about experiences on this special trout stream.

During the evening we learnt first hand about the truly wonderful river the Petteril once was. I tried to visualise the halcyon days in the 1950's and 60's when a good days dry fly fishing was measured in the scores of fish, across a range of sizes. Even the early season fishing could be very good. One angler Terry Cousins used to fish the river every opening day...dry fly only,with his best pal. They must have been special times. Another fisher Stuart Kinnear described in detail the hatches of flies, which would have given many a southern chalk stream a run for its money. The fishing was highly prized and some of it controlled by the Brakenbrough estate was only available to around a dozen very lucky anglers. But the river was not just the preserve of the privileged few and the fishers of Carlisle had access to some very good quality fishing all the way down to the confluence with the Eden.

Pollution was always a spectre waiting to take it's toll, often involving oil from various sources. However the worst was to come in 1968 when a road tanker containing phenol overturned. Then then fire brigade hosed down the completed load into a beck feeding the Petteril. The result was catastrophic and it would be an event that the river would never recover from......it must have been heart breaking. About this time several infrastructure improvements were taking place (M6 / West Coast Mainline) run-off from these sources contained all manner of nasties. Post-war agriculture was also picking up pace with pollution incidents involving silage and slurry becoming all too common.

In short we had a river that had a suffered a severe body blow through the tanker pollution and every time it tried to recover it would receive another knock out punch through various point source and diffuse pollution incidents.

The river had hit rock bottom and to many the river wasn't worth the effort.

But nature is resilient and slowly but surely trout have gained a toehold back in the river. However this should not be interpreted as a recovery - it's too early for bold statements like that. But we do appear to be witnessing a fragile improvement of some sorts. Anglers are reporting catching adult trout and last year observing good numbers of fry and parr, where once they were absent. To a certain extent this has be observed in our fisheries surveys......but it is way to early to draw any conclusions and we are only one step away from yet another pollution body blow. However things are different this time with the commencement of our Petteril Project and the appointment of our very capable officer Alison Reed. The other exciting development is that last summer we found salmon fry and parr in our electric fishing surveys in the Wreay Woods area.......something that when I first arrived in the job I was told the river has never had and would never support!

So things are getting interesting on the dear old Petteril...a river I am becoming very fond of (I love the underdog) With efforts underway to improve the river through our Petteril Project we are better placed than we have been in many years to try and reverse the fortunes of this once termed 'Jewel in the crown of the Eden'

Terry Cousins came back into our office today to share some more of the entries in his fishing diaries with us. I felt very honored that Terry would choose to share this very personal information with us. What really touched me was that Terry said he had once wept over the state of the river.....I suddenly felt a very real sense of responsibility to the Petteril and it's fishermen. We must make every effort not to let anglers like Terry and Stuart down.

Workshop Update

2010-02-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

The planning of our workshop 'Trout Stream Management in the Real World' is coming along very well indeed and we have now confirmed a fantastic line-up of speakers. Hopefully we will be to share new knowledge and exchange information with delegates. In our own small way we may also be able to facilitate a wider process of knowledge transfer to help all those involved in managing our precious wild trout fisheries. Often through a lack of accessible information, fisheries managers (professional and voluntary) can make decisions and adopt practices that can potentially cause wide-ranging and long-term damage to the very resource they are trying to improve. I hope this workshop may challenge some of the traditional thinking and myths surrounding the age old question of 'how do we improve the fishing? ........ hopefully we'll avoid the kind of decision making process these two guys are going through in the cartoon!

See our website for the full listing and on-line booking details.

http://trust.edenriverstrust.org.uk/stream-workshop-2010-2.html

If you are involved with the management of trout in rivers and streams, habitat restoration or catchment management then this event is really for you! This is not just aimed at professionals and academics but for all of you out there involved in the 'muck and bullets' of trout stream management. We particularly hope that representatives of fishing clubs that are interested in sustainably managing their fisheries will be able to attend. To encourage this we are also able to offer a limited number of funded delegate places for clubs, associations and small charitable trusts. This has been made possible through the generous financial support of APEM Ltd, Institute of Fisheries Management, Environment Agency and Wild Trout Trust. The STREAMS Project, of which the workshop is an output, is funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, for which we are most grateful.

We look forward to seeing you in March!

Minus Sixteen!

2010-01-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

That's what it said on my temperature gauge in the car this morning as I left home. This is really beginning to have an effect on the rivers in the catchment. In many places the Upper Eden is two thirds frozen and some of the minor tribs like the Lyvennet and Lieth are bank to bank ice...... I really didn't think I would ever witness scenes like this on a UK river. I have seen pictures of lower river beats with large sheets of ice moving slowly through them, in scenes more akin to what you'd expect on a central European river. We have now had snow on the ground for 3 weeks.

Summer dry fly fishing the evening rise seems an awful long way away!

Trout Steam Management in the Real World

2010-01-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

We are now busy planning the STREAM Conference, titled - Trout Stream Management in the Real World. The main purpose of the event is to fill the room with fisheries managers, fishing clubs, rivers trusts and those involved with grass roots wild trout management - and give them an inspirational two days of talks, presentations and networking opportunities.

We are putting together a very exciting list of speakers (soon to be announced) and I really feel we will be staging a very interesting event. This is most definitely not a theoretical workshop - it will have practical benefits to all of those of you out there in the 'muck and bullets' of stream and river management.

The event is being co-ordinated by Eden Rivers Trust, The Wild Trout Trust and Association of Rivers Trusts, with financial support from The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Wild Trout Trust and Natural England (others tbc).

We have kept costs to a bear minimum and attendance is priced at a very reasonable £50 for both days (excluding accom and evening meal). On the first evening we will also be holding an event called - How Good Was Your River? - Local anglers who have fished then Eden over the past 50+ years will be invited to share their recollections, memories and historical records about this special river; it's fish, flylife, habitat and fishing. This ‘anecdotal’ information is seldom captured by organisations responsible for fisheries management and can extremely important when setting objectives for the restoration of a fishery - especially if historical fisheries monitoring data is absent. The output of the evening will be synthesised into a summary record which will be used to help guide ERT’s conservation work in the catchment. This approach could form the basis of a blueprint for other rivers trusts and managers to use on their catchments.

The venue for the event is the famous fishing hotel, the Tufton Arms in Appleby - and the highlight on the evening meal menu is Mrs Ewbanks Cumberland Sausages - which in my opinion are the best bangers on the planet!

Finally there is also an opportunity to sample some of the very fine early season trout fishing the Eden can provide...that is if this snow ever disappears! This can be through some of the wonderful day ticket fishing association waters or our very own Go Wild scheme.

More information can be found on our website, where you can also book on-line: http://trust.edenriverstrust.org.uk/stream-workshop-2010-2.html

Flooding Hits The Eden

2009-11-20T06:06:00.000-08:00

Up here in Cumbria we have been affected by some of the worst flooding in living memory. For many in the Eden Valley the affects have not been too bad. However communities along the Eamont and on the main Eden at Appleby have been affected and my thoughts are with all those that have been flooded - it must be a very traumatic time. The Lakeland rivers have been particularly badly affected and the TV pictures showing the devastation in Workington, Keswick and Cockermouth are very distressing to see.

Is this climate change and the shape of things to come? If it is we will all have to learn to to adapt and allevaite against these big flood events.

Here at ERT we are leading on a project called ALFA (Adaptive Landuse for Flood Alleviation). The aim of the project is to develop innovative schemes that would aim to protect citizens within the Eden Catchment against the effects of flooding due to climate change. A major part of the project will be to look at ways of storing water or discharge of peak floods within the Eden. Flood Management is a Europe wide issue and we are part of a transnational consortium of organisations based in Germany, Holland, Belgium and France. We are also working with the Environment Agency on a major flood alleviation scheme on the Thacka Beck, on the north side of Penrith. The beck is being diverted which will allow the creation of a wetland storage area to be be brought into usage during flood events.

ALFA is a long term project (no quick fix's) and we are working with Durham University and the Environment Agncy to identify key rivers that have the biggest effect on the timing and peaks of flood flows. Once this has been completed we will then identify projects that could be undertaken in the upper reaches of the catachment that may help to reduce the impacts of flooding on communties in the lower part of the catchment such as Carlisle and Penrith. There will be a lot of buy-in required from a great many stakeholders to make this happen but events over the last 24 hours show that the stakes are very high indeed.

My thoughts go out to all those affected by these terrible events.

For more information visit www.alfa-project.eu

Any Willing Volunteers?

2009-10-19T04:24:00.000-07:00

Volunteering for ERT is a great way to 'give something back' to your local environment. Each year we are on the look out for 'willing' volunteers to assist with a diverse range of conservation activities. These range from elctrofishing and crayfish surveying to water crowfoot planting and himalayan balsam control. Not only are doing something good but it's also a great day out in our wonderful catchment.

But don't take my word for it, here's what two ERT volunteers have got to say about their experiences.

John Rothwell, Burgh-by-Sands

“Having started aiding the Eden Rivers Trust as merely an attempt to complete the service aspect of my Duke of Edinburgh’s award it came as almost a surprise that I begun to enjoy my weekly commitment of crayfish surveying, filling the otherwise empty void of my summer holidays. The best site we surveyed contained about 40 crayfish under 50 rocks. Unfortunately however there was one week where I couldn’t make any of the crayfish surveying dates and so I tried my hand at electro fishing and to my surprise we caught approximately 60 trout and 40 salmon fry. Overall I found that Volunteering for the Eden Rivers Trust is a fun, useful and interesting way for anyone fill any spare days.”

David Peggs, Gamblesby

"You are standing calf-deep in a tributary of the Eden, peering through a foot of clear water at the riverbed. There's a warm sun on your back and you are in the company of a Trust Biologist and other volunteers, somewhere in the glorious countryside of the river’s extensive catchment. The object of your scrutiny is the elusive white-clawed crayfish – a suitably retiring native, now threatened by its more demonstrative American cousin, the signal crayfish.

On another day, your attention will be focused on trout and salmon fry, temporarily stunned by the electrode-wielding Fisheries Biologist – an opportunity to observe the pristine, individual beauty of these infant fish at close range.

There will be some friendly banter. There will certainly be a chance to learn more about the river and its inhabitants, and at the end of a stimulating day in the fresh air, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you have contributed something towards the protection of your local environment. A degree of smugness is allowed.

It costs nothing other than your time. You can choose when and where you wish to go. And if neither fish nor crayfish appeal to your sensibilities, there are other Trust activities from water-plant management to the control of alien bank side vegetation (Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam) – which might appeal to gardeners!

Trust volunteers come in all shapes and sizes and range from the spring chickens to the geriatric (like me). You will not feel out of place. No skill, or specialist knowledge, is required and all equipment is provided, and since days on the river are only scheduled from June to October, you are unlikely to freeze to death.

I have been involved in a number of excursions over the last two summers – all of them a pleasure – and I look forward to more of the same next year.

There’s just one possible inaccuracy in this otherwise honest account: given the nature of the English summer, that warm sun on you back which I mentioned cannot be guaranteed!”

The picture heading-up this blog is of a recent volunteer crayfish training day - there must be a whitty caption out there?

BBC Radio Cumbria

2009-10-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

Today Joanne Blackshall took part in a radio interview on the Gordon Swindlehurst Show. The subject was ERT's work on Invasive Species within the catchment. In five short minutes Joanne managed to cover Japanese Knotweed, Hymalayan Balsam, Signal Crayfish and then end of the trout fishing season.......quite a trick!

We also highlighted that one of our Corporate Sponsors Japanese Knotweed Solutions has just undertaken a whole of river survey of the River Eamont for Japanese Knotweed. More of this in a future blog.

The interview came accross very well and for me demonstates everything that a Rivers Trust should be about.

If you would like to listen to the interview you can do this by visiting BBC iPlayer over the next few days the link is http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p004nv4z/Gordon_Swindlehurst_14_10_2009/

and you should be looking for the interview that starts at 11 min and 10 seconds into the show.

My Favourite Fishing Magazine

2009-10-12T09:44:00.001-07:00

The Drake is a very cool magazine published in the States. Within it's pages you'll find conservation taking centre stage along with fantastic articles about fishing. The images are superb. Makes you want to get out on the river.

This really is an aspirational publication and not a single how to do it article within it's covers...how refreshing!

The website has some breathtaking videos on it....and I promise you John Wilson isn't in any of them!

Visit www.drakemag.com

End of Season Reflections

2009-09-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

Almost at the end of my first trout season on the Eden. It's difficult to draw any specific conclusions as I only got going in June and missed three months of early season trouting. To keep my enthusiasm going a good fishing friend of mine sent me this picture of a large wild trout he caught from a tributary of the Eden...although he won't tell me where...some friend?!

I have really enjoyed my season and have experienced some very absorbing and challenging fishing. Many times I have been left scratching my head. Having moved from lowland rivers that consistently perform throughout the season. The rivers in this neck of the woods are fickle beasts and it often boils down to being on the river at the right time. My best sessions have come when the river is finning down after a flood and during those last few minutes of fading light before darkness.

My last visit to the Upper Eden a few days back produced a brief flurry of late evening activity of about 15 minuets with hatch of olives that put the grayling in the mood. One of thse fish which fell to a dry was a stunning fish of nearly 2lbs.....and it doesn't come much better than that!

Next season I hope to explore more of the lower river to try for a 'big mamma' of a wild brown(4lb+)and I've also set my heart on making contact with an elusive Eden Sea Trout....they are there!

I've seen many wonderful sights on the river this year, but my most precious memory is standing in the river on a June evening with Ian Gregg watching Sea Lampreys spawn at Warwick Hall..it's moments like this that make you pause for thought and reflect on what an unbelievably special catachment the Eden is.

I feel an incredible sense of responsibility to ensure that ERT continues it's vital conservation work. It is a great river and I feel we can show that populations of wild trout and salmon can not just co-exist, but thrive, alongside development, agriculture and significant human populations. We still have a fantastic chance to improve things even more and we have new opportunities through the Water Framework Directive. To quote American Conservationist 'Boots Allen' "This is a place where hope and faith lives or dies"

......now I do believe it's Grayling time!

Wild Thing!

2009-09-14T08:29:00.001-07:00

I have just returned from one of my favorite rivers in the UK, The Derbyshire Wye. I was lucky enough to be invited to fish on a tributary the Lathkill which runs through the Haddon Estate, by kind permission of Lord Edward Manners. I have been involved with this stretch of river for a number of years and have watched with admiration how the river keeper, Warren Slaney has transormed this water from put and take fishery into a wild trout utopia!

Warren and his team have undertaken a widespread programme of habiat restoration and stopped stocking the river some years ago. The results have been spectacular and the production of wild fish has been nothing short astounding. The river has been narrowed, had weirs removed, woody debris has been installed, spawning gravels re-introduced and bankside vegetaion allowed to flourish. The river is a shinning example of what can be achieved when everthing falls just right. Lord Edward Manners deserves special mention, for he has embraced this project with great gusto and has also supported changes in land management to benefit the river.

Many might say Haddon and the Lathkill are a one off and are on a scale small enough where all the variables can be controlled. However if we take a look around this isn't quite the case and many clubs and associations are also Going Wild.

The River Derwent Angling Association (Co Durham) took the decision a couple of seasons back to go wild. The results have been very encouraging an increase in catch returns and members.

Closer to home Kirby Stephen AA also undertook a similar approach in 1995. Recognising the increased interest in wild fishing and the savings to be made by not stocking, the KSA committee agreed to 'Go Wild'. Catch returns have been very encouraging showning that the club do not need to stock with adult fish. Catches have also increased per hour of effort as have number of juveille fish. Membership remains healthy aswell as have day ticket sales.

I will be the first to admit that this approach may not always be suitable due to habitat and water quality problems. However if there are no bottle-necks to wild fish production, surely going wild is worthy of some serious consideration?

The picture above is of a stunning Lathkill wild fish and is very much the product of the hard work of Warren Slaney and the Haddon Estate. Keep up the good work Warren!

We did it!

2009-09-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

After 220 miles of calf busting effort we managed to complete the gruelling Coast to Coast Mountain Bike Challenge. The weather conditions were absolutely dreadful and I'm truly amazed I managed to complete the ride. It was simply the toughest thing I've ever had a go at. We made 14 seperate ascents over 1000ft in five days whilst pushing a bike up of most of them. In many cases we had to carry them, which is termed 'hand-bagging'.

Rather than go into too much detail here you can read all about it on our ride blog
http://www.c2cmtb.blogspot.com/

We are still looking for donations and these can be made through Just Giving at http://www.justgiving.com/c2cmtb/

Money raised will be used to develop an new and exciting education initiative (Mayfly in the Classroom) But more of that on my next blog.

Please support us!

Passionate about the Petteril

2009-08-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

One of the challenges ERT faces is to commence larger scale conservation work on the Petteril. The river has been identified as one of five priority sub-catchments that we feel will make a difference to the Edens fish populations. The problem that the Petteril has is that it is very much the 'poor cousin' of the catchment as it does not have any statutory nature conservation designations such as SAC or SSSI. This has made it very difficult to obtain funding. However we are working on a bid linked to the Water Framework Directive that if successful will kick-start much needed conservation work. As well as traditional fencing we are also planning tree planting, introduction of large Woody Debris and restoration of spawning gravels.

I had the privilege of visiting the Petteril yesterday on an electric fishing survey. The good news is that on the three sites we sampled both trout and salmon fry/ parr were present aswell as bullhead, minnow, stone loach, eel and stickleback. One one site the numbers of salmon could be classed as excellent....but it's too early to get too excited!

One the down side was the extensive distribution of my old Nemesis.... Himalayan Balsam and the apparent high loading of fine sediment that has settled on spawning gravels. That said the Petteril has really captured my imagination and I always have a soft spot for the underdog!

Our friends at the EA are excited too, and we have already agreed to meet to discuss the possibilities for a collaborative project on the river.

I hope to be able to report in the next week or two regarding the success of our funding bid...the Petteril deserves it!

The picture at the top is of a juvenile salmon caputured during our survey. Catching this little fellow has really inspired me to get something done.

I think were turning Japanese, or is it Himalayan...American?

2009-08-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

Continuing my theme of invasive plants the next on our list of most Britians most un-wanted is Japanese Knotweed. Now if you think Balsam is bad Knotweed is the stuff of nightmares.

In Japan, Japanese Knotweed is controlled naturally by a combination of fungus and insects. However, in the UK, there are no natural enemies for Japanese Knotweed and it out competes all our native species for light, water and nutrients.
The speed at which Japanese Knotweed has spread throughout Britain has been nothing less than spectacular. The damage it has already caused to commercial and domestic sites is practically unquantifiable and it now occupies a site in every 10km_ of England and Wales and is also present to a lesser extent in Scotland, Ireland and other parts of Europe.
The aggressive growth pattern is capable of exposing weaknesses in hard engineered structures such as concrete, tarmac, brick walls and foundations.

Specific problems caused by Japanese Knotweed are:

Damage to paving and tarmac areas
Damage to retaining wall structures
Damage to building foundations
Damage to flood defence structures
Damage to archaeological sites
Reduction in land values
Aesthetic issues
Reduction in biodiversity through out-shading native vegetation
Many insects / wildlife that are dependent on our native plants are lost or in danger
Restriction of access to riverbanks for anglers, bank inspection and amenity use

And it's here. We know that it is present in the Eamont system but have scant information on it's distribution throughout the rest of the catchment.

Between the two of them Balsam and Japanese Knotweed represent a serious threat to the ecology of the Eden system. When all of this is coupled with threat from other invaders such as signal crayfish and the salmon parasite Gyrodactylus Salaris (GS) things can look pretty bleak.

However in Eden apart from extensive distribution of balsam, we have managed to avoid being colonised by the others. This has been due to a combination of awareness raising and a huge slice of luck.

We must raise our game to not only control the rate that non-native species are having in the catchment but mount a extensive awareness raising campaign. Sources of introductions can be numerous from 'well meaning' individuals who think they look pretty through to commercial sources such as garden centres. There are lots of other species to be aware of. I've just heard of problems being caused by 'Skunk Cabbage'...the mind boggles as to what that looks / smells like?

We should strive to ensure the Eden retains as many of it's native species as possible...in short we need to repel these alien invaders...before it's too late!

The 'striking' advert is from a company called Japanese Knotweed Solutions (JKS) who's Director Mike Clough is helping ERT to scope a project map the distribution and produce a strategy on the Eamont and Petteril sub-catchments. Mike and JKS are donating a significant amount of time to support our charitable activities. They are also corporate sponsors of the Wild Trout Trust. Visit their very informative website http://www.jksl.com/.

Pulling Together

2009-08-03T01:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I enjoyed a wonderful evenings dry fly fishing on the middle Eden. A parachute Greenwell did the trick with seven wild trout to a 1lb and a fantastic grayling of about 1.75lb. As I was enjoying myself I started to take in my surroundings and what really struck me was the profusion of Himalayan Balsam.

This alien invader is really the scourge of the Eden valley.

It out-competes our native plants and in the winter when it dies back can leave river banks vulnerable to erosion. All of that eroded material can choke spawning gravels which in turn will reduce the recruitment of wild salmon, trout and grayling....all in all very bad news.

The distribution of this plant is widespread throughout the catchment and it may appear to some to be a problem that can't be tackled. But here at ERT we feel differently and we are doing something about it. We organise balsam bashing days with volunteers to tackle reaches of the upper Eden where the problem isn't too bad. On it's own this approach will not solve the problem at a catchment level, but it is a very useful at raising awareness of the issue . Moves are a foot to start to co-ordinate efforts not only within the Eden catchment but across Cumbria as a whole. The Cumbria Invasive Species Forum is co-ordinating a bid for funding to take a county based approach to invasive species control. This would be backed up with local coordinators on a catchment by catchment basis. But this still would not be enough ....and this is where angling clubs can really make a difference.

Fishing clubs on the Eden are in a perfect position to make a major contribution in helping to eradicate and control balsam. Each year many clubs organise working parties to 'tidy-up' the river, repair stiles, etc.... Well, how about organising balsam bashing parties as well. This is one of the more significant threats facing the quality of fishing on the river and clubs simply cannot afford to ignore the problem.

It may seem like the problem is too big, but it's not too late and with hard work and co-ordination we can win this battle to eradicate this alien invader!

Invasive issues are rising up the conservation agenda and are also being incorporated in to legislation through mechanisms such as the Water Framework Directive. Here at ERT we would like to have an officer on the ground to co-ordinate our efforts and work with interest groups such as fishing clubs and community groups. We are resource limited but we are hoping to start a demonstration project on the Petteril later this year. Hopefully what we learn will then be used as a blue print for the rest of the catchment.

Please contact us if you would like more information about invasive species and their control within the Eden catchment. Why not attend one of our Balsam Bashing Volunteer Days as well!

Coup de grâce....or catch and release?

2009-07-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

I fished a middle Eden beat last night just as the river was fining down after the heavy rains of last weekend. As I was stringing-up a fellow angler arrived. He was a very nice chap who was a regular holidaying angler to the area. He preceded to tell me about a good days fishing on a tributary of the Eden which included a catch of six wild trout. The three largest were 1.5, 1.75 and 2lb+...which for this small stream was a real red letter day. My admiration for the angler came to an abrupt halt when he gleefully went on to tell that he kept the three largest fish.

Now, I'm not a catch and release purist and I do not think it should be a religion. However, the taking of these three wonderful wild trout from this tiny stream seems to be on the excessive side. On such small waters I really do feel that anglers have to exhibit some sort of restraint and that Catch and Release is the only option if consistent quality fishing is to be sustained. As a sportsman I would always want to reserve the right to take a fish for the pot, but only where it is sustainable and certainly not on a small stream.

I feel a wild fish is just too special to be enjoyed
only once!

After this rather disappointing interaction I made my way down to the river and enjoyed a very absorbing two hours on the dry fly with some very tricky wild trout. These fish were fit for purpose and were full of aerial combat tactics and not at all like their lethargic farmed cousins who have grown fat on a diet of unsustainable fish meals!

If you are unsure about catch and Release here are a few basic pointers:

Use barbless hooks, or debarb the hook with small pliers or forceps.

Use tackle that is strong enough to bring the fish to hand quickly to avoid overtiring the fish. The longer a fish is played, the more lactic acid is built up which in turn threatens the survival of the fish.
Do not remove the fish from the water after playing it. It would be like you trying to hold your breath for a few minutes after running a marathon. Fish cannot hold their breath, and so may suffer damage to their gills and respiratory system. Lactic acid build up from playing the fish cannot be metabolised and poisons the fish.
Wherever possible use a de-hooker to safely and quickly remove the hook without the need to remove the fish from the water, or even handle the fish. These are innexpensive and stocked by many good tackle shops. Ketchum Release, Orvis, Stonefly etc.

Use a net if it is the only way of controlling the fish. Only use a knotless net, cotton mesh or rubber net to avoid damage to the eyes, gills, fins and body.
Wet your hands when handling the fish. Dry hand or gloves will remove the protective mucous membrane (slime) that covers the fish, exposing it to waterborne infection and disease.
Do not squeeze the fish, do not hold it near the gills or eyes.
Gently hold the fish under the belly, facing the current, allowing it to recover until it swims away. This is a good time for a photo opportunity.
Congratulate yourself on your contribution to the future of game angling!

This is a job for....... The Bicycle Fundraising Men!

2009-07-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

Myself and two good mates, Richard Handley and Mark Warren will be putting ourselves through 5 days of cycling hell by riding 220 miles, ‘Coast to Coast’ over mountains and moors, to raise £5000 to support three education initiatives: Trout in the Classroom; Mayfly in the Classroom; and Eden Rivers Trust’s ‘Rivers in the Classroom’ initiative .

All three initiatives focus on primary and secondary school children who:

•Engage in stream habitat / ecology study.

•Learn to appreciate the value of healthy rivers and streams.

•Begin to foster a conservation ethic.

•Grow to understand ecosystems.

The projects are interdisciplinary and have applications in science, social studies, mathematics, language, the arts and physical education. They are also a lot of fun and it’s a great opportunity for kids to discover the natural word in an outdoor classroom....it’s also a good excuse for a game of Pooh Sticks!

Outdoor education provides a whole range of benefits to kids, including learning about nature and nature-society interactions. It involves them with others, developing new skills, undertaking practical conservation and influencing their values within society.

You can follow our exploits on our website at

http://web.me.com/wildtrout/C2CMTB/Home.html

and..............please feel free to sponsor us through Justgiving, using this website:

www.justgiving.com/c2cmtb

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor them, as we receive your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

The ride takes place at the end of August and is a daunting prospect with 14 climbs of over 1000ft. Gulp...........I think I'd better get some training in!

The Crays

2009-07-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

Today we had the pleasure of training 14 volunteers to assist us with our crayfish conservation work. Volunteers are the lifeblood of a small charity like ERT and it was very inspiring to be in the company of a great bunch of conservation enthusiasts. The day comprised a briefing in the classroom and two field visits. The field visits were carefully chosen by ERT staff to give volunteers experience of identifying good crayfish habitat and the correct survey methodology. Over the summer many of these volunteers will be assisting staff with our comprehensive surveying programme. I love being in the company of volunteers and getting so many involved today strengthens our credentials as a grassroots conservation organisation. We are always looking for new volunteers. If you are interested visit our website to see what we are up to. For those of you that care about the future of our precious catchment, there really is only one choice: GET INVOLVED!

Harry

2009-07-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

Last week was a sad one for me and my family as I had to let my faithful black Labrador Harry slip away. He'd been ill for a couple of months and had progressively deteriorated. He's been with me for eleven fantastic years and has seen me through good and bad times, getting married and the birth of my two children. Harry (like most Labradors) had three loves in life fishing, shooting...and food. It was on various fishing trips that Harry was introduced to the 'outdoor life'. I still have great memories of him having a nose-to-nose stand-off with a 29lb pike I caught in Norfolk and watching him jumping around in excitement on the bank as I played specimen barbel on the Hampshire Avon. Our last fishing trip, three weeks ago, was on the Driffield Beck, the cancer was taking it's toll but he still followed me along the bank, and when I paused to cast he laid in the sun and kept a watchful eye on me and my sandwiches!

My one regret is that the clock ran out before I had a chance to get him to the banks of the Eden, which I'm sure he would have loved as I am starting to.

Shooting days were fantastic and although not the steadiest dog in the world he pulled-off some spectacular retrieves including a very special underwater retrieve of a teal on the River Windrush. In the last four years Harry almost single handedly did all of the picking-up and flushing on our small grey partridge shoot in Yorkshire. All our visiting guns were always appreciative of his drive to pick and flush everything. These were special days indeed that will remain vividly etched in my memory for the rest of of my life. We got to the end of last season and I remember saying to him "I reckon we have another season left before you retire". Sadly this wasn't to be and I have lost my best friend before the start of another shooting season - and without him it will feel very empty. I think about him every day and I can't get used to him not being there.

Over eleven years Harry built up quite a reputation and a bulging fan-base. As the news got out lots of my sporting friends rang me. During these emotional conversations we swapped stories about the various 'incident's' Harry had been involved with and we had more than one belly laugh. This was great therapy for me and that is how I will remember him. I know one day we'll both meet again on that great partridge drive in the sky.

Later this summer I will spread his ashes at the Holkham Estate in Norfolk, his favorite walk and coincidentally just happens to be the birthplace of driven shooting. I think he would approved of my choice.

Harry Johnson - (March 1998- June 2009)

Spinning Around

2009-07-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

Week before last saw me on the banks of the main Eden at Eden Lacy and Warwick Hall. As is always the case at this time of year things really start to hot-up on dusk through to about 11.30pm. On both occasions this indeed proved to be the case. I enjoyed some wonderful wild sport to spinner patterns catching both grayling and brownies. I also lost two very big browns that took a spinner pattern, spun me around and spat the fly.......frustrating stuff, but it gets you fired-up for a return match. Both beats provide medium / large river wild trout fishing at it's best. You can book in advance for both beats for a reasonable amount. Full details of Eden Lacy are on the Fish Eden website which can be accessed through http://www.edenriverstrust.org.uk/ - and for Warwick Hall visit http://www.warwickhall.org/fishing

I finished my week on a real high with wild brown of 3.5lbs+ from a 'secret river'...but more of that another time!

Meet The Neighbours

2009-06-17T04:26:00.001-07:00

Last night I visited Nick Chilsolm of the Annan Fisheries Board. A number of Fisheries Trusts in the area all drain into the Solway Firth and we all fall within the boundaries of the Solway Tweed River basin Plan (Water Framework Directive). This 'mega' piece of European legislation will be hitting a river near you soon. Many organisations share concerns regarding the plans content and lack of ambition. However, here at ERT we feel it represents a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to work with others to try and address many of the catchment driven issues that directly affect our precious wild rivers. To this end I am trying to set-up a support group of other rivers trusts, north and south of the boarder. This will hopefully create a forum where we can discuss best practice and issues and may even allow co-ordinated lobbying if things need to be addressed. The emphasis of the group would be to very much work in partnership with our colleagues at SEPA, Natural England and the Environment Agency. The other vital stakeholders in the mix are the myriad of other user groups including fishing interests and other access based organisations and groups who rely of healthy rivers.

I will report on progress.

I finished the evening by sampling the wild trout fishing the Annan has to offer and was rewarded with a fabulous 2lb 4oz wild fish on a spinner pattern I had tied the previous evening. It doesn't come much better than that!

Super Volunteers!

2009-06-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of attending a water crowfoot planting day on the Lyvennet on Tuesday last week. The day is organised by ERT and is supported by a brilliant group of volunteers. We obtained our plants from the Morland Beck (lots of it!) and trans-located it up to the upper Lyvennet, where we have undertaken habitat works to let more light in and create conditions for this plant to flourish. We have developed a technique which involved planting out the fronds in small Hessian packets. The 'packets are then pinned to the bed of the river using large stones. This method has proved to be very successful.

Our volunteers are fantastic and are very enthusiastic supporters of our conservation work. They really should be classified as 'Super Volunteers' and I find working alongside them to be very inspiring. Volunteers are the lifeblood of a small charity like ERT and without them our organisation would be a poorer place. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. If you would like to volunteer I can assure you we'd welcome you with open arms and you'd find it a fulfilling experience. We always need help at events, and with conservation tasks such as electric fishing, balsam bashing , crayfish surveying and transplanting water crowfoot. Contact office@edenriverstrust if you'd like more details.

Eamont Blues

2009-06-10T08:15:00.002-07:00

Monday evening saw me and a friend visiting the Eamont for the very first time. We targeted the Yanwath area on a Penrith AA day ticket. This section just about has everything, riffles, pools, over-hanging trees, smooth glides. If only we had managed to catch something the evening would have been perfect! There were some upwing flies hatching but apart from the odd slashing rise surface activity was almost absent. I think this was primarily due to a sharp drop in temperature and I'm sure things would have been better earlier in the day. I will be back!

2009-06-10T08:15:00.001-07:00

Pride Before A Fall?

2009-06-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Full of confidence I descended on the Lyvennet last night. Conditions were perfect, however, 1km of wading and one small wildie had me somewhat scratching my head. On refection I would say the stream needs a flush of water to liven things up and that my tactics were a bit too crude for these very fussy fish. I also know that the beat had been visited that day by another angler...the farmer told me as I was packing-up...........typical! The great thing is the owner was very enthusiastic about the scheme and likes to see visiting fisherman on the river. He also let me in on a few secrets, and I'm keeping those to myself. The even better news is that the river was full of trout parr, which is very encouraging.

Spawning Lampreys

2009-06-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

My second night fishing the Eden was a sharp contrast to the Trout Beck with a visit to the lower river at Warwick Hall. Although big the river here is a stunning piece of water containing salmon, sea trout and brownies. Unfortunately a weather front came through accompanied by a freshening wind, which made for a blank evening. However the the evening was made extra special as I witnessed several pairs of sea lampreys spawning in the river. (The attached picture shows one in the middle of the frame) The fly life switched-on with a short burst of sedges about 10.30 pm with good numbers of rising fish.....none to my rod! As I walked back to the car the evenings nocturnal residents, pipistrelle bats were making short work of last of the spinner fall......wonderful!

My First Eden Wildie

2009-06-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

After a great first day at the office I was well itching to get out and try for my first Eden wild trout. My chosen venue was the aptly named Trout Beck which forms part of the Go Wild Fishing passport Scheme. I completed my two tokens and started at the bottom of the beat. The evening was almost perfect, very warm with hatching mayfly and later a fall of spinners. The stream here can only be described as intimate and contains a variety of riffles, pools, tight bends and overhanging trees....in short....Wild Trout Heaven!

After a few changes of fly I eventually caught my first fish a delightful wild brown of about 10cm. This was made all the sweeter as it was the first to fall to my new 5ft6" cane rod, kindly presented to me on my last day at the WTT. I went on to fish through to about 9.30pm and a further two fish came to hand including a little belter of around 20cm.

What a great finish to my first day in post and I couldn't think of a better way to start to get to know the catchment. I'm so excited to be living in such a wonderful place and to be working with such a great organisation!

7 Days & Counting

2009-05-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

This is the first blog in my new role as Director of Eden River Trust. I still have seven days to go until I start but I'm so excited I just had to put keyboard to blog!

I will be joining a team of staff and trustees that are highly motivated and dedicated to conserving this very special catchment.

The Eden and its tributaries are some of the most beautiful rivers and streams in the country. However there are many threats and issues to be dealt with to ensure a rosy future for this most special of catchments.

I'm really looking forward to the challenges ahead and if I'm honest just more than a little worried that I meet everyones expectations and aspirations. Being the new boy is never easy and I have much to learn. Over the coming weeks and months I will regularly post blogs to let you know how I am getting on and on the work of ERT.

If you'd like to support the Trust visit Eden Rivers Trus t