WTT Blog

Theo Pike reports on his recent trip to Maryland as the guest of Trout Unlimited.

As the tail end of Hurricane Lorenzo was flinging rain against my window, I finally had chance to reflect on the electrofishing data I had collected during 2019. Many of the projects I have instigated since joining WTT in Yorkshire have included an element of rudimentary monitoring, mostly the assessment of the fish stock within a particular reach, and in particular with a focus on young-of-year (YOY).

It’s pretty clear that roads can be hard for wildlife to cross: lights, noise, and fast-moving vehicles pose challenges to deer, foxes, badgers, and other animals that might want to stroll to the other side.

But what about fish? Roads which cross small rivers and streams often create barriers that are almost impossible for fish to swim through.

Theo Pike describes the Brue CREW's recent project: 

If you’ve read this year’s issue of our journal Salmo Trutta, you may recall Caitlin Hafferty’s fascinating feature about the dynamics of community-led river management initiatives.

The Institute of Fisheries Management is in its 50^th year, and has just hosted its 9^th Specialist Conference in York on Fish, Flows and Climate Resilience. Jonny Grey went along on behalf of WTT to keep tabs on the latest research and perspectives.

A year has already flown by since we (me at WTT, Pete Turner at EA & Kevin Sunderland at Aire RT) worked in partnership to remove the weir at Coniston Cold on the Aire, North Yorks. I’m currently champing at the bit awaiting a bespoke permit from the EA to tackle another. The funding is in place. The owner has granted permission for full removal having seen the transformation at Coniston Cold. The next weir will present its own challenges… but more on that in another blog.

I wanted to focus on developments at the site formerly known as Coniston Cold Weir....

Gareth Pedley, our Northern Conservation Officer, recently headed even further north to attend a trout workshop in Kinlochewe, hosted by the Skye and Wester Ross Fisheries Trust (SWRFT).

The purpose of the workshop (supported by WTT) was to disseminate the findings from a range of studies undertaken over recent years in the Wester Ross area by Middlesex University staff and students and SWRFT, in addition to other work undertaken by the University of Highlands and Islands in Inverness.

The mayfly is the iconic river fly, loved by trout and anglers, for whom ‘fishing the mayfly’ is shorthand for having a lovely day by the river with fish rising everywhere and catching lots of trout on dry flies.

NoWPaS, the International (formerly Nordic) Workshop for PhD and post-doctoral fellows working on anadromous Salmonids, is an annual workshop which consists almost entirely of early career researchers (ECRs) with a focus on PhD students. The workshop, which is organised by a committee of PhD students, allows a small group ECRs to present their research programme and ideas, along with any results that they might have already collected. WTT Research & Conservation Officer, Jonny Grey, was our man in the thick of it at the NoWPaS 2019 meeting, held at the Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment (SCENE), the University of Glasgow’s field research station.

Flyfishing history has truly been written on England’s chalk streams and limestone rivers, and it’s impossible to fish these waters without feeling that you’re exploring in the footsteps of giants.

From Charles Cotton’s haunts on the River Dove, to Halford’s water at Mottisfont, Plunket Green’s Bourne Rivulet and even the Wilderness fishery on the Kennet where Neil Patterson fished with John Goddard, Peter Lapsley and Brian Clarke – take your pick of historic waters in this year’s Wild Trout Trust Auction.

When our founder Mike Weaver published his book The Pursuit of Wild Trout, he inspired a whole new generation of flyfishers to discover the excellent fishing on Devon’s beautiful little rivers.

These sparkling streams seem perfectly made for holiday adventures, so we’ve included a wide selection in our Auction catalogue. We’re particularly grateful to local guide and Fly Culture editor Pete Tyjas for offering a wild trout safari through some of his own secret spots. But if you prefer exploring on your own, we’ve got that covered for you too.Time to start planning your season of adventures, inspired by the WTT's auction. 8-17 March, on eBay and by post. Click the Lot numbers below for a direct link to the Lot description and thence to eBay.Or click here for all the Lots on eBay,