Other Articles

The Angling Trust is pleased to invite you to the 2014 Angling Trust South West Development Road Shows.

The first event in Swindon on March 22nd is the first in a series of Angling Trust Development Road Shows planned across the South West this year. We would like to meet as many different people from the world of angling and help to support as much angling participation as possible throughout the region.

The development road shows will offer you the opportunity to;

River Wey opened up for fish passage
The River Wey in Weymouth is now open for sea trout and salmon migration every day, for the first time in a century. Westham Bridge, built in the early 1900s, effectively blocks off the River Wey from Weymouth Harbour. All water leaving the river system has to pass through a series of penstocks and flood flap controlled culverts. Migration is now possible, because we have installed a retarder (simply a large spring) to hold the flood flap open. The retarder holds the flap open at 300mm for a short period either side of the rising and falling tides and closes when equilibrium water pressure is reached. This gives sea trout and salmon an opportunity to move in and out of the river. Roger Genge, fisheries catchment officer for the Wey, will be carrying out random visual checks at the bridge two hours before, or after high tide, to observe fish movement through the flap.

In Devon, the fish pass at Tipton St. John on the River Otter has now been completed. This site was previously discussed in our May edition of the newsletter and will allow upstream passage for fish, especially salmon.
Two weirs near Storridge, River Yealm in South Devon were dismantled and have been carefully rebuilt under the close supervision of Julian Payne, one of our geomorphologists. Structures known as ‘check weirs’ were included in the design and also some bank protection work was carried out to stop the river under-cutting during high flows. Using our ‘in house’ expertise we were able to complete this groundbreaking project at minimal cost. The clay company, Sibelco UK, donated nearly 200 tonnes of large boulders with an approximate cost of £8,000 to help the project. The 19 large lorry-loads of local stone came from less than two miles away. This helped keep transport costs down and reduce the carbon footprint of the scheme.
Angling participation events

Fish passage improvements
We have paid for the feasibility studies and designs for fish and eel passes at Clapton and Seaborough on the River Axe, Dorset. Both of these projects are being managed by the Westcountry Rivers Trust with funding through the Axe Exe River Restoration Project. Feasibility studies and initial designs have also been completed for a number of other sites, including St. James weir in Exeter. Pre-work preparations are also underway, for the removal of two weirs at Storridge on the River Yealm, Devon.
After significant operational issues throughout construction, the Tipton St. John fish pass on the River Otter is due for completion in September. The Colleton fish pass on the River Taw has now been completed, with work now focusing on reinstatement of the working area.

This newsletter is a quarterly update on some of the fisheries work undertaken by the Environment Agency and other partners including the Rivers Trusts, within the South West region.
Fish passage improvements
Our Cornwall fisheries team employed APEM to undertake assessments for fish and eel passage at 11 weir sites and 24 hydrometric structures owned by us. The weir sites were selected on catchments that are failing for fish under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Further action is being undertaken on the River Yealm where two weirs in Storridge Woods are to be removed in 2013. Feasibility studies have been completed on weirs at Blachford on the Yealm and Cann Weir on the River Plym. Improvements are being made at the highest priority hydrometric sites for fish and eel passage.
A weir at Lower Storridge, River Yealm

 Enjoy limited edition discounted tickets at THE fishing event of 2013 with fun for all the family!

Angling lands £1.8 million Sport England investment

The Angling Trust has welcomed the announcement today from Sport England that it has been successful in securing £1.8 million in funding over the next four years for some specific programmes of work to grow angling participation. This award represents an increase on the £1.56 million that was paid over the last four years to build an infrastructure of 1,400 coaches, 35 County Angling Action Groups and 91 Club mark-accredited clubs. While the award is less than the £2.35 million maximum bid submitted by the Angling Trust, most sports have had reductions in their funding due to cuts in the grant to Sport England from the Government.

The Environment Agency is to re-stock part of the Tiverton Canal following fish losses caused by a spectacular bank collapse. Thousands of fish including pike, perch, bream, tench, roach and eels were washed out of the canal after a section of bank near Halberton gave way following torrential rain.
Water from a two mile section of the canal flooded surrounding fields creating a temporary lake. A team of Environment Agency officers assisted by members of the Tiverton Angling Club launched a rescue operation and successfully returned more than 400 fish to the canal.
However, they only caught a fraction of the fish trapped in the lake. Agency officers are keen to rescue as many of the larger fish as possible as these are an important part of the canal’s breeding stock.
There was some welcome news this week when the Environment Agency’s national fish hatchery at Calverton in Northamptonshire offered to supply young fish to help restock the canal. The hatchery was set up with the specific purpose of replacing fish lost through pollution and other unforeseen incidents.

   Environment Agency prepares to rescue trapped fish

Thousands of fish washed out of the Tiverton Canal and into a flooded field following the collapse of a section of canal bank are about to be returned to their former home thanks to a major fish rescue organised by the Environment Agency. The sudden collapse of the bank following torrential rain sparked a flood alert in Holbeton after it flooded a field on the outskirts of the village. Fish including, pike, bream, roach, tench, perch and eels were washed into a lake that quickly formed following the breach. On Monday (Dec 3) a team of Agency officers helped by members of the Tiverton Angling Club will set to work rescuing the fish that will die if left in the flooded field. Pumping has reduced the size of the lake that still measures approximately 150 by 60 metres and is up to 7ft deep in places.

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to become a level II angling coach. The course will take place in Dorset on January 12/13 and 26th/27th with a single day on March 2nd and the final assessment on March 23rd.

Some funding support may be available so interested anglers or clubs with members who would like to become a qualified coach should contact Dean Asplin (pictured), our regional development officer in the South West by email at [email protected] This is a fantastic opportunity for sea anglers and clubs to take advantage of the benefits that Angling Trust Development can offer!