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Great Ouse stocking

Hi men

Not sure it will ever get back to glory days , but fish still come out , so any stockings are welcome even with the percentage of survival being in doubt 👍

Hatter
 
Trevor Summerfield said:
I hope this stock takes the Gt Ouse back to something like its glory days, not to mention club tickets, Tackle Shops, and visitors to the area to fish the River.
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I think for me that would be the hope too. - access for all kinds of anglers to fish it.
 
I wish there was some data on the likely survival rates of these stockings. I think there's a better chance with these bigger fish ( as with the more recent Stour stockings) but surely rather than just sticking them in regardless and letting them get on with it something a little more controlled and assessed would be preferable. Thoughts that cross my mind are: How do they react to the change from the pure water they are reared in to the realities of river water quality nowadays? How do they respond to a wild environment? What is their response to predators? What is the likelihood of success when stocking while a river is in flood?
It seems a shame that these precious little fish are just dumped in unceremoniously and left to get on with it. I guess that's how things have always been but, for example on the Severn, the river is in a very different state than it was in the 1950s when they were first introduced.
These are just my thoughts. No real answers though.
 
Andrew Jackson said:
I wish there was some data on the likely survival rates of these stockings. I think there's a better chance with these bigger fish ( as with the more recent Stour stockings) but surely rather than just sticking them in regardless and letting them get on with it something a little more controlled and assessed would be preferable. Thoughts that cross my mind are: How do they react to the change from the pure water they are reared in to the realities of river water quality nowadays? How do they respond to a wild environment? What is their response to predators? What is the likelihood of success when stocking while a river is in flood?
It seems a shame that these precious little fish are just dumped in unceremoniously and left to get on with it. I guess that's how things have always been but, for example on the Severn, the river is in a very different state than it was in the 1950s when they were first introduced.
These are just my thoughts. No real answers though.
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Maybe there is some data? I don't know.
 
John McGough said:
9000 small barbel were stocked into the Dorset Stour over several years around about 2010 ish.
At the time Andrew, it was stated that maybe 1 in 100 would possibly make adulthood.
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Hi John. Yes I remember it well. I do understand that they were trying to get the population going further up the river and the EA had done a fair bit of work in the river in these areas to improve the habitat but the places they stocked them ( Wimborne aside) were not areas where many fish, with very poor access ( particularly around the Crawford bridge/ Shapwick areas). I doubt even the figure quoted survived. They were fingerings; mind you, if you have walked the Crawford bridge to White Mill area as I have you will know that they could be there but you'd never know! It is so overgrown with trees and vegetation and fences you can't get near much of it! I have heard of a few in the Blandford area but people are probably ( wisely) keeping quiet. They would in my own view have been better trying to bolster the dwindling stocks in the Longham and below areas where most people fish.
Maybe the bigger fish will do slightly better. Let us hope so anyway. 🤞
 
Andrew Jackson said:
I wish there was some data on the likely survival rates of these stockings. I think there's a better chance with these bigger fish ( as with the more recent Stour stockings) but surely rather than just sticking them in regardless and letting them get on with it something a little more controlled and assessed would be preferable. Thoughts that cross my mind are: How do they react to the change from the pure water they are reared in to the realities of river water quality nowadays? How do they respond to a wild environment? What is their response to predators? What is the likelihood of success when stocking while a river is in flood?
It seems a shame that these precious little fish are just dumped in unceremoniously and left to get on with it. I guess that's how things have always been but, for example on the Severn, the river is in a very different state than it was in the 1950s when they were first introduced.
These are just my thoughts. No real answers though.
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I like your thoughts... I've felt the same in the past. I'd like to see more clubs (some are proactive) in establishing tree planting and structures within some of the rivers to help with sanctuaries, and cleaning of spawning gravels. I know there’s a lot of work that does occur up in that area, just wished it were more widespread.
 
Julian Griffiths said:
I like your thoughts... I've felt the same in the past. I'd like to see more clubs (some are proactive) in establishing tree planting and structures within some of the rivers to help with sanctuaries, and cleaning of spawning gravels. I know there’s a lot of work that does occur up in that area, just wished it were more widespread.
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I do know on the Dorset Stour at Throop they are trying really hard to increase the Barbel numbers. There's plenty of excellent habitat with trees and sanctuary areas. I wish them well with it. The Avon Roach project guys are also working hard on the Avon and are carrying out enhancements to the gravel spawning areas. The trouble there though is they are not allowed access to many of the areas that were the former strongholds of the Barbel. Then there is the the high water levels preventing access. Fingers crossed 🤞
 
Andrew Jackson said:
I do know on the Dorset Stour at Throop they are trying really hard to increase the Barbel numbers. There's plenty of excellent habitat with trees and sanctuary areas. I wish them well with it. The Avon Roach project guys are also working hard on the Avon and are carrying out enhancements to the gravel spawning areas. The trouble there though is they are not allowed access to many of the areas that were the former strongholds of the Barbel. Then there is the the high water levels preventing access. Fingers crossed 🤞
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One of my clubs have a hatchery & have started rearing some of their own stock from within their own controlled waterways... I love that! 👍
 
Julian Griffiths said:
One of my clubs have a hatchery & have started rearing some of their own stock from within their own controlled waterways... I love that! 👍
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Surely that's far better than fish from another river? Do you mind saying which club and river? I wonder whether other clubs might be interested in how they are going about it?
 
Undoubtedly many will perish to predation/floods/pollution etc but those that do survive will be just that - survivors, and hopefully attain good weights and naturally reproduce. The restocking policy is not a quick fix but rather a longer term plan for the rivers future. Some of the fish have been implanted with a subcutaneous transponder so the EA can track there movements over the longer term
 
Alan Palmer said:
Undoubtedly many will perish to predation/floods/pollution etc but those that do survive will be just that - survivors, and hopefully attain good weights and naturally reproduce. The restocking policy is not a quick fix but rather a longer term plan for the rivers future. Some of the fish have been implanted with a subcutaneous transponder so the EA can track there movements over the longer term
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Yes. Same as the Throop fish. Good luck with it. 🤞
 
This December we stocked another 200 barbel into Throop, these were supplied from the EA hatchery at Calverton and are about 12 inches in length. 17 of them have radio tags in them which will emit signals for 12/18 months. We have receivers on about 5 miles of river which will pick up signals from passing fish, the receivers go down to the Royalty on the Hampshire Avon as we know fish move between the 2 rivers. Hopefully in 12 months time we will have information on the movements which will be prepared by Bournemouth university.
 
Trevor Summerfield said:
I hope this stock takes the Gt Ouse back to something like its glory days, not to mention club tickets, Tackle Shops, and visitors to the area to fish the River.
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Generally quite a large percentage of local clubs sell out their memberships every year.
There's zero chance of the Ouse returning to its for.er glory until the water companies halt this mass pollution, abstraction is eased, predation and other negative influences stop.
At least by stocking of larger size fish, their survival rate should increase. Herons and Little Egrets must have had it easy over the last 15 years or so, with all the smaller fish stocked
 
Chris Guy said:
Generally quite a large percentage of local clubs sell out their memberships every year.
There's zero chance of the Ouse returning to its for.er glory until the water companies halt this mass pollution, abstraction is eased, predation and other negative influences stop.
At least by stocking of larger size fish, their survival rate should increase. Herons and Little Egrets must have had it easy over the last 15 years or so, with all the smaller fish stocked
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I don't know about everyone else but I personally don't begrudge the Heron's a few. They belong there, Cormorants though don't. They are a different matter entirely. Hugely destructive birds.
 
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