News

Could you help us to win £5,000 this week? We have the chance to be one of 10 winning charities in a special prize draw - read more.

If you cast your mind's eye over your local river, what shape does it take? One of our Vice Presidents, Dennis Moss, recently explored the implications of straightening Irish rivers in an article for Cairde an Chláir - read more.

Dr Tim Jacklin and Professor Jonathan Grey recently spoke to the publication Environmental Monitor about our Snake Lane weir removal project - read more.

The Wild Trout Trust team was out and about last weekend, as we headed to Stafford for the 2025 British Fly Fair International - read more.

Shaun Leonard, our Director, sat down with Jack Perks to chat about wild trout on the Bearded Tit podcast - read more.

We're pleased to share that the Wild Trout Trust team has grown a little more, with the addition of Sophie Evingar - our new Marketing & Fundraising Manager - read more.

While we’re waiting for the Court of Appeal’s judgement on the UK government’s decision to continue contesting the Pickering Fishery Association’s Costa Beck case, our friends at Angling Trust and Fish Legal have reminded us of this petition, created by Fish Legal’s Penny Gane.

Many people’s votes in last year’s General Election may have been swayed by the prospect of more environmentally-friendly initiatives from a new administration – a hope which thousands also expressed at the March for Clean Water in London on 3 November 2024.

There has already been widespread disappointment that the new Secretary of State, Steve Reed, decided to carry on fighting the Costa Beck case, which Fish Legal originally brought against the policies of the previous Conservative government.

Last night’s BBC Countryfile focused on the rivers of Shropshire’s hills and the landscapes around them, and the first part of the programme featured our new Conservation Officer Ed Noyes, talking about salmon ecology and migration.

Ed is in the process of completing his PhD (funded by Bournemouth University and Severn Rivers Trust) on salmon and trout conservation ecology, and he spoke to Sammi Kinghorn about salmon migration, water quality, extreme conditions associated with climate change, and research techniques including smolt tagging and acoustic tracking.

In case you missed it, or if you’d like to watch it again, Sunday’s Countryfile programme is available on BBC iPlayer HERE.

Many Wild Trout Trust members will have enjoyed beautiful days fishing on Ireland’s Great Western Lakes whose trout face a range of challenges, including exploitation from anglers.

Inland Fisheries Ireland has opened a consultation on a change to the local byelaws on Lough Arrow (including the Unshin River) to reduce the daily bag limit from four fish to two, and increase the takeable size from 12” to 14”. 

We at WTT will be responding broadly in support of the proposals, but pushing too for mandatory catch and release of all trout as a fishery conservation measure. WTT members might be keen to respond to the consultation, with further details HERE.

Neil Patterson is well known to many WTT members as an inventive fly-tyer and the author of two classic fishing books (Chalkstream Chronicle and Flyfisher’s Chronicle), as well as more than 200 editions of his regular Wild Trout’s Wish List column in Fly Fishing & Fly Tying magazine.

This year we were honoured to have him as our guest speaker at our Christmas Zoom Get-Together and Raffle, telling us his best fish tales about wild things that have happened to him because he’s a trout fisher (including bandits, parrots, icebergs and of course wild trout).

The film of Neil's whole talk is now available HERE to watch on WTT’s YouTube channel: we hope you enjoy it!