Lower Ribble Surprises
July 29, 2009
Well anyone reading my blog regularly will realise that I can’t stand still for long, I always feel happier when I’m upto my eye balls in work. However it has gotten over my head, and hence the delayed blog this week! That said this blasted rain has given me a chance to catch up. We have now completed 104 surveys out of a targetted 309. I would be pleased with this but for the forecast of another wet wet August, which will make it difficult to get any way towards the 309 surveys.
Monday of last week was a little different – in terms of electro fishing. Stephen and I headed to Downham to do a repeat survey on Downham Brook (to confirm no trout were present). We then did a huge quantitative survey on Ings Beck. A proportion of the trout fry were retained (150) and then released into Downham Brook. We hope to repeat this for a further two seasons, and that this will be enough to provide a self sustaining trout population back into a beck that used to hold them.
Tuesday was a standard Survey day with 6 sites covered, but the turn up for the books was that we found salmon fry in Lambing Clough, making this the lowest spawning brook (well the lowest with evidence of spawning) above the tidal limit. The brook is absolutely ideal and provides excellent habitat.
Wednesday we were out on Park Brook. This lovely brook has the typical characteristic of many names; it starts in Parsonage Res. and is Showley Brook, before becoming Dinckley Brook, before becoming Park Brook, and I’m sure I missed some out! We found incredibly good numbers of trout directly below Wilpshire, which then dwindled, but we picked up a salmon fry above Brockhall Village. This Beck used to be fished for autumn salmon over 20 years ago, but steady pollution has caused it’s population to near vanish. I used to live near it and despite regular walks with the dog I never saw an adult salmonid. But they are there, and Grant Talbot (EA Fisheries officer) and I plan to have a long hard look at this beck to see what we can do to bring it into order.
Thursday we did a quantitative on Boyces Brook at Ribchester, this obtained and A grade for trout fry and turned up a Herling less than 48 hours out of the sea. It was incredible to see the herling well into the small becks this early, as last year we didn’t see any until September.
Friday the Weather almost got the Better of us, but we did manage one survey on Chatburn Brook just as you come out of the Village. Would you believe it, we found salmon fry! I almost fell over, we walked this brook last winter and were convinced that at best only sea trout would get to the first impassable weir in the Village as it is small and steep just above the confluence with the Ribble, but it just goes to show the tenacity of salmon on a mission!!
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