I'm assuming this is a reference to me!

This section of the Blyth referred to was run by me some 12 years ago. We operated under the name of the Hampton Fly fishers.
The syndicate was a success for many years and no the fish did not disappear! For many years we stocked the river some times twice a year with quality browns and rainbows. This supplemented the wild stock witch get introduced by the EA as fingerlings up at Earswood.
One of the issues I had was poachers and not just kids with a maggot or bread but adults and travellers with spinning equipment. They can wipe out a small river very quickly. My days were consumed with driving by 4 x 4 every day some times twice a day down the river. It became an obsession which spoilt the experience. However that was not the death of the river!
About 6 or so years ago an adjacent gravel extraction re developed as a bird reserve. This attracted the dreaded Cormorants. One winter there were over 15 pairs on the pool, every body said no problem they will go back to sea or the summer. But no they felt right at home with a ready food Source.
It’s not so much that they eat all of the fish but they chase the fish off. And here is how bad it was.
The EA undertook a fish survey every year around February. This involves electro fishing from a boat over the same 100 yard stretch. The year prior to the arrival of the cormorants they filled four large tanks with fish. The water was black with fish it was an amazing sight. It was so prolific they had to abandon the second run through the stretch because they would never have counted the fish in the day. (PS the records are available for the EA upon request).
The next year (after Id been pulling my hair out knowing things were not right) they did the run three times and only counted three small roach!! It was so bad even the EA on site said this was as bad as a pollution wipe out. Then they sweeped the whole stretch, nearly a mile. Two additional fish.
This bird still has protected status but is devastating out rivers in the midlands. I had to give it up in the end, it was like losing an old friend and still upsets me to this day and there is nothing effective you can do if it affects your river.
PS the Hampton fly fishers were none profit I charged an amount each year to cover the lease and the fish. If anybody fancies getting together a syndicate it can be very rewarding and not to difficult to do. May be if there are more post from people who fancy the idea I have a few venues in mind that could works very well.

---------- Post added at 05:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:07 AM ----------

I just read the last post re a "Sad sight and slow moving river".

We all have "English Nature" that wonderfull Qwango to thank for that !