THINK ABOUT YOUR RIGS!!
A growing number of badly constructed rigs have been discovered on SDAA waters.  Any rig that remains attached to a fish in the event of a line breakage has the potential to injure or even kill the fish.  All terminal rigs must be constructed to prevent leads and excessive lengths of line remaining attached to a fish in the event of a line breakage.  Random rig inspections are being conducted by bailiffs.
See pictures of recovered rigs

HORSEBRIDGE UPDATE
Following the breach of the bank at Clifton overspill weir in November 2008 the character of the Ivel Navigation has changed significantly and is now much shallower and faster flowing.  The local Environment Agency fishery team undertook a trial electrofishing survey of one of the worst affected stretches downstream of the Horsebridge to the breach.  Although only a few roach were found, their survey revealed this fast flowing section of river now holds a good head of chub (to 4lb) and dace (species that are far happier in the faster flows).  Other species included gudgeon, minnows and stone loach.  A few weeks later the Environment Agency fishery team stocked 10,000 small dace from their Calverton fish farm at the Horsebridge and it is hoped these will spread out along both the upstream and downstream sections.
Relatively few anglers have fished the Horsebridge sections since the breach, but Publicity Officer Colin Smith recently caught good numbers of roach and dace from several pegs in the section upstream of the Horsebridge.  Hopefully this information will encourage other members to fish the water.  The Environment Agency fishery team hope to conduct a full fish survey both upstream and downstream of the Horsebridge later in the year and we will highlight the findings of their survey.

Last year (2208) a potentially catastrophic breach in the bank of the Ivel Navigation occurred during a period of continuous heavy rain which raised the level of water to almost flood proportions. The location of the breach is downstream of the Horsebridge approximately 800metres from Shefford town centre. Levels of the main section around the Horsebridge have fallen by up to a metre and in one section below the weir towards Clifton, an area that has produced specimen roach, chub and perch there is a just a series of pools which are likely to be completely dry in the summer months.  It was several years ago that the club initially alerted the Environmental Agency (EA) to the probability of such an occurrence when during floods damage occurred on a small scale to the bank. In spite of repeated warnings the EA has taken no action with the result that the damage escalated to a point when the bank collapsed completely. The club has had a negative response from the landowner who is legally responsible for the bank and also adjacent landowners who subsequently may be affected. The club requested the EA to carry an emergency fish rescue but to date nothing has happened. If repairs are not carried out in the near future then the river system immediately upstream and downstream of the breach will suffer permanent detrimental effects for many years.

IMPORTANT NEWS – OTTER PREDATION AT WILLINGTON LAKE. 12th March 2009

Press release    Photos not nice viewing

A full update on the otter predation problem at Willington Lake was given at the SDAA AGM on 25th March 2009.  No further carp deaths have occurred since the press release (12 March 2009) and the option to construct an otter proof fence is currently being discussed with the land owner, EA and IDB.  The findings of the recently published Otter Survey for Bedfordshire 2008/09 was discussed, which highlights the extent of otter activity throughout the Great Ouse, River Ivel and Elstow Brook catchment areas in close proximity to many established stillwaters.  We are aware of other fisheries in that have suffered significant carp losses to otters this winter.

The Otter Survey of Bedfordshire 2008/09

Google map of the otter survey sites along the Great Ouse, River Ivel and Elstow Brook

NEWS UPDATE – OTTER PREDATION

Otter predation was discussed by member clubs and the EA at the Upper Ouse Fisheries Consultative Association on 19th May 2009.  It is clear that otter numbers in the Ouse system (including the Ivel and its tributaries) have significantly increased in recent years.  This is backed up by data from otter surveys, increased otter road deaths, sightings by anglers, and incidents of otter predation.  The otter is an apex predator and will eat almost anything it comes across (i.e. fish, crustacean, amphibians, birds, etc).  Barbel and carp both become very torpid in low water temperatures and become easy prey for the otter in colder weather.  However, as the otter is a protected species there is little we can do other than hope that in time the river system will return to a ‘natural’ balance between prey and predator.  Fish stocks in the Ouse have been in decline for a number of years, but the otter is not the only factor responsible for this decline.  Only limited funds are available from the EA to help with erecting costly otter proof fencing on stillwater fisheries, which means the majority of the cost would have to be borne by angling clubs (i.e. through membership fees).  Feedback from the UOFCA meeting will be taken forward to wider ranging meetings with both conservation and angling groups to highlight the otter predation problems in the Ouse system. SDAA members should report suspected cases of otter predation (with photos if possible) and otter sightings on our waters to an officer of the Club.