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Avon Roach Project turn their attention to barbel

Mark Walker

Senior Member
If you are not familiar with the Avon Roach project they have been very successful increasing the number of roach in the Hampshire Avon through several Initiatives over the last ten years. They have now turned their attention to barbel with a program that may be successful in other rivers. At minimum it will do no harm and may make things better.

Details here Avon roach Project

Their roach project shows how much difference it makes to do something. Let’s hope the barbel project also shows results.


Mark
 
If you are not familiar with the Avon Roach project they have been very successful increasing the number of roach in the Hampshire Avon through several Initiatives over the last ten years. They have now turned their attention to barbel with a program that may be successful in other rivers. At minimum it will do no harm and may make things better.

Details here Avon roach Project

Their roach project shows how much difference it makes to do something. Let’s hope the barbel project also shows results.


Mark
Wow! ....if they have half the success with Barbel they had with Roach it will be amazing.
 
If you are not familiar with the Avon Roach project they have been very successful increasing the number of roach in the Hampshire Avon through several Initiatives over the last ten years. They have now turned their attention to barbel with a program that may be successful in other rivers. At minimum it will do no harm and may make things better.

Details here Avon roach Project

Their roach project shows how much difference it makes to do something. Let’s hope the barbel project also shows results.


Mark
The have done an amazing job with roach recruitment on the Hants Avon.

I intend to contribute some funds to their barbel work.
 
Two fantastic individuals who gave the Hampshire Avon Roach populations the best chance of a return to their glory days and inspiration to others that getting up off your a**e and having a go will achieve so much more than just mourning the demise of times past. I wish them every success with the new venture, the whiskers down South could do with it !
 
Whilst I understand it is a moot point whether the ARP stocking policies have had a tangible impact on the Avon roach stocks (and I have no wish to replicate any of the squabbles which have taken place on other forums), what is beyond any doubt is the beneficial habitat management actions ARP has undertaken, so hats off to them. They have led by example.

But I also think it is important to recognise the impact of the cessation in weed cutting in 2011, this is by far the biggest single change to the Avon in the last decade. More weed equals more volume of water, increased water temperature, more cover and more food. Credit also needs to be given to those who campaigned tirelessly against the EA's routine mechanical weed cutting policies, Ray Walton is one name who springs to mind.
 
But I also think it is important to recognise the impact of the cessation in weed cutting in 2011, this is by far the biggest single change to the Avon in the last decade. More weed equals more volume of water, increased water temperature, more cover and more food. Credit also needs to be given to those who campaigned tirelessly against the EA's routine mechanical weed cutting policies, Ray Walton is one name who springs to mind.

It is great that the weed cutting ceased and returned the weed growth to a more natural regime, but it's not really improved the river's ability to recruit fry against all of the other issues that the river has.
Just looking at it it is clearly a shadow of it's former self.
 
It is great that the weed cutting ceased and returned the weed growth to a more natural regime, but it's not really improved the river's ability to recruit fry against all of the other issues that the river has.
Just looking at it it is clearly a shadow of it's former self.
A fairly recent study on the Wensum found that a cessation in weed cutting increased the population of juvenile roach by 50%.

But yes there are clearly other factors at play.
 
Some clubs are being proactive with regards to habitat improvement.

A club I'm a member of thats done some great work on one of their Kennet stretches regarding gravels and flow is now seeing juvenile barbel (not dye marked) showing the last 2 seasons.

Strimming the banks to make things look pretty and removing the odd 'inconvenient' branch to make life easy is just not cutting the mustard is it?
 
Some clubs are being proactive with regards to habitat improvement.

A club I'm a member of thats done some great work on one of their Kennet stretches regarding gravels and flow is now seeing juvenile barbel (not dye marked) showing the last 2 seasons.

Strimming the banks to make things look pretty and removing the odd 'inconvenient' branch to make life easy is just not cutting the mustard is it
No Darren, and neither is throwing thousands of juvenile fish into stretches of river for replenishment. Admittedly I do not fish for roach but I walk many miles of the Hampshire Avon with Polaroids searching for barbel. On the waters I frequent above and below Ringwood I have yet to see any impact the AVRP have made.
Yes, there are good roach to be caught on other stretches such as Wincton, Fordingbridge and Salisbury waters but they have always been there. It don't take a rocket scientist to realise that this problem has been getting worse over a long period of time, probably 30 years.
It's an accumulation of many factors including habitat destruction, pollution, water abstraction and predation.
 
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