First few alevins spotted in Trout in the Classroom

April 6, 2009

A very busy week, although shortened by a much needed day off on Friday. Monday morning was our usual routine with a short meeting with the Chairman, we decided to purchase and Ifor Williams canopy for our 4×4, meaning we can carry more and it’s more secure! We discussed the agenda for the Trustee meeting on Tuesday and a few other issues. The afternoon has me prepping things for the Trustees, my reports till now have been short and based around electro fishing but I had quite a list for Tuesday night.

First thing Tuesday was a visit to Bushburn to get photos of the pollution to send to the EA, which they received shortly afterwards. Then a discussion with the Electro fishing equipment engineer who, our kit has been tested and is fine, but we were discussing potential fates for signal crayfish, and also construction of electronic fish screens to prevent escapee fish form reservoirs. We will have a meeting on site in the not to distant future to discuss both issues.

We also started to round up some volunteers for our tree planting on Bashall Brook scheme. This will really help the trust, and we’ve had a great response so far. In the afternoon I met Mel Diack to discuss possible schemes the trust could do with some of the youths he works with. We are hoping to do some Himalayan Balsam Pulling in the early summer, and that Duncan Thomas the Local Wildlife Police officer will come along to educate some of the youths on poaching, or not poaching!! The Trustees meeting was very positive and very long, with the resulting increased work load for all involved! Dave Wilmot our newest trustee and Secretary for Ribblesdale Anglers is now going to be our membership publiciser, or something along those lines.

Wednesday we spent looking at sites for a new scheme we hope to begin in Autumn this year. We managed to find 5 suitable spots on the Hodder Catchment, but had hoped for 6, but 5 out of 6 ain’t bad! We came across a kelt (adipose in place) and we also found a pool containing 3 sea trout in the 1.5-3lb category! Videos to go on the website soon. At 5 it was a dash to Garstang to get our Truck Canopy which with a little work we got fitted.

Thursday we got to the office to find, no phone or Internet again!! We also met Dan Bond the Biodiversity team leader for the EA, we discussed Signal Crayfish and the way ahead, it looks like Dan’s really getting a handle on this. We also discussed joint projects the trust can work on with his team, really positive stuff. In the afternoon we visited the Trout in the Classroom schemes, and removed a few dead eggs from most, but nothing more than expected, one schools eggs are nearly all but hatched, where as the others still have some way to go. It is mad to think that spawning has only just finished, or there abouts, in the Hodder and that these eggs are all starting to hatch. The kids are all so excited it’s fantastic, it’s such a great way to get kids to connect with their environment.

Well with all that done, and having a few days leave to take, I decided to have a day off on Friday. Well sort of I couldn’t resist a Trip to an aquarium just outside Liverpool, that had Atlantic salmon in tanks. They turned out to be parr not the adults, and any who haven’t seen what farmed salmon look like compared to wild should take a visit there!

Posted by Charles Edward Poate | Filed Under Education, Surveys, Threats to the River 

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