Pollution hit river stretches to be restocked with baby fish

Nov 25 2009 by Gareth Purnell, Birmingham Mail

STRETCHES of the River Trent and Tame that were badly affected by recent pollution incidents will get an early Christmas stocking of thousands of baby fish.

Over the next few months, the Environment Agency’s Calverton Fish Farm will provide tens of thousands of young fish, including chub, dace, barbel, roach and bream.

Many of the fish are destined for a new home in the River Trent close to Burton-on-Trent and to re-populate a stretch of the river that was badly affected by last month’s cyanide pollution. The Birmingham Anglers Association controls fishing close to Burton at Handsacre.

Many others will be released into the River Tame, which was badly affected by pollution during summer storms.

n BARBEL anglers normally have to change their approach on the big Midland rivers at this time of year, switching from big baits like boilies and meat to maggots and long hook-lengths.

However, expert Lewis Baldwin shows there are still a few fish prepared to feed aggressively by tempting a 12lb 7oz beauty from the Lower River Severn on half a tin of Spam.

It was the best barbel of an eight-fish haul over two days, which included another double of 10lb 2oz taken on a prototype boilies Lewis is testing for Teme-Severn Baits. Lewis also added 16 bream averaging 6lb, all the fish being beaten on ESP Raptor hooks tied to Kryston Mantis hook links.

n  WITH the river running close to three feet up and with a slight tinge of colour in the days running up to the three-day Fox Wye Festival, most anglers were anticipating bumper weights.

However, on the day the colour dropped out and fishing became tougher. The match turned into a head-to-head between two Midland match aces, Dave Harrell and Shakespeare’s Dave Brittain.

Former champion Harrell won day two with a superb 57-11-0 of barbel and chub from peg 11, which when added to the two points he accumulated on day one made him firm favourite going into the final day.

However, Brittain, who was tied with a number of other anglers on four points in second spot, had other ideas and he made the most of peg 11 to put together 13 barbel for a section-winning 36-9-0.

That tied with Harrell on five points and saw Brittain take the title on a weight count-back.