John Craven's Countryfile has just started on BBC1.

This week it's coming from Exmoor and should be covering native White Clawed Crayfish and their protection.

I'm watching it!

Highlighting how anglers could spread them. Naturally absoloutely F.A. about the far more likely risk posed by the canoeing fraternity. I feel sorry for the angler who appeared on this programme who very sensibly described the decline in his river's ecology over the last thirty years only to have the programm suggesting that his sport was the cause of the crayfishes territorial expansion.
Fair point about disinfecting equipment beteen infested and untainted river catchments though, something we should be doing regardless perhaps.

__________________
Musha rig um du rum da

I agree Col, true statement, good post, we should all take better care when changing from one venue to another, the possibility of cross contamination is a serious one!

Yes - I had no idea that crayfish plague was so easily spread on fishing tackle and by wading boots.


The ecologist was being disingenious in linking the two. Surely the spread is normally by infected American Signal Crayfish? These she seemed to hate with a passion I've rarely seen on TV before.
At least the unfortunate angler concured with her view on what was eating all the river Exe insect and invertebrate life up.



For those who missed it. BBC's i-player will have it at around the 27 to 29 minute mark.

I've not seen the programme but I think the spread of so-called crayfish plague is due to the introduction by whatever means of Signals. These could come in via an introduction of trout from a source farm that has signals in the river that feeds the farm. This is being monitored by the EA. The problem is likely to get worse as the requirement to stock only triploid browns increases and small local farms lag behind their bigger competitors. I am sure this will resolve itself in the long run, but it behoves club secretaries to be a bit more careful where they order their stock fish from for a few years yet. Once signals are in a river system they will colonise rapidly and will dominate the biomass to an extent that many will barely believe possible. I give you one example: 2.8 tonnes of signals taken from a relatively short stretch of one river by one commercial trapper in less than one year. This was only ONE trapper on that river. Two river keepers took more than 40,000 signals from less than ten miles of river using about 50 traps.

I have never seen a Crayfish on the Exe.

Mr Dawson is a guide in our neck of the woods i believe.

It would of been nice to of shown a younger guy fishing instead of the tipical older guy fly fishing

There are some huge Crayfish in Clatworthy ressie which were introduced when a Crayfish farm went pop and they dumped them in the feeder stream(from what i have been told).

Some of them would pass as lobsters.

Very tasty with lemon

__________________
http://devonschoolofflyfishing.com/ The BEST Fly fishing tuition guiding in Devon

http://funkyflytying.co.uk

I was wondering what evidence there is to support the claims that anglers can spread the crayfish plague so just looked at the EA website. The Information there says:
"The fungal spores of crayfish plague can survive for up to two weeks in water, but can be killed by drying or disinfecting.
Its spores infiltrated the waterways, sometimes carried between sites on fishing equipment and even wellington boots.
Introducing signal crayfish into water previously free of the disease can spread crayfish plague.
It can also spread on people's wet footwear and equipment.
Anglers have a key role in helping to reduce the risk of spreading the disease by:
Drying, or disinfecting any boots or nets before moving between rivers. It is best to avoid fishing different rivers on the same day.
Not using any crayfish as bait (this is illegal)."

No mention of other water users being asked to dry or disinfect equipment!

Keith

...and herons legs, otters, mink, kingfishers, ducks...

__________________
http://141207.blogspot.com/
http://www.haddonestate.co.uk/rivers/rivers.php
http://www.thepeacockatrowsley.com/fishing.html

Hi', All. I suppose we could reach a point where using disinfected gear would be obligatory, for all river users, not just anglers. I sincerely hope such a move is not made 'after the horse has bolted.' We have a penchant for reaction as opposed to pro-action in the UK; and repair can be more expensive than regular servicing. I would rather we 'try now than cry later.' TC