Hi everyone,

The small rivers I fish here in my part of Ireland are often very overgrown. Large tracts of the banks are completely covered with branches which reduce light and prevent access to anglers. I am considering trimming a few branches back, thus allowing slightly better access next season and want to know your opinions on this. I know the fisheries board did some similar work many years ago, but the banks have been allowed to run wild since then.

Let me be very clear - I am NOT planning cutting down swathes of trees and bushes with a chain saw! I am thinking more about removing the odd awkward branch here and there (many of which are already dead). I know many forum members have given time and effort to habitat improvement on steams, so what are your opinions/recommendations?

C&N

I say get onto the fisheries board and get them to do some work for a change instead of just sitting on their ar$es getting payed for FA !!!

Do many people fish the water ?? Why not get a little work party together to help you ???

__________________
Your fish ----> ><((((º> My fish ----> ><(((((((((º>
__________________

Cheers Danny

Co-Founder of S.S.F.D 2010

Hi Danny,

The Fisheries lads would need a map to find these rivers - I have never seen any of them anywhere near them! Good idea about getting a few friends together to do some work. Trouble is that I have never met anyone else fishing these streams. They are off the beaten path and, as you know, most West of Ireland game anglers tend to fish the loughs rather than the rivers.

I will ask around and see if I can muster some assistance though.

C&N

I recently did a bit of bankside renovations at a private stream I have permission to fish. Asked permission and bright and early the next day 6.30 am started cutting. Was finished by lunch time after which I tested my work with a bit of fishing which landed me a 9 inch brownie and a 10 incher.

The secret is to not go crazy just cut wee arches and remove the odd branch that is a right royal pain in the **** when casting.

Flyinghigh

As a first approximation - a ratio of 60% dappled shade to 40% light reaching the river is not a bad starting point. There's nothing wrong with creating some scattered clear patches. If you have the resources, rotational coppicing would be a good option. This way the trees are encouraged to grow at a variety of heights instead of all being one uniform blanket.
Chunky bits of wood arising from such coppicing would also enhance things by being left (or deliberately fixed) in the channel.

Definitely do not remove large tracts of low "fringeing" or overhanging branch cover. People might lose flies on them, but there are seldom any fish to cast to in the absence of this low-level cover. Coppicing is good in this respect as the low bushy regrowth is excellent low-level cover.

One or two "tunneled" sections of deep shade will become more important with climate change - to act as refuges from scorching hot weather and low water conditions. Such tunnels also deter cormorants, as they prefer a clear vertical line of sight for takeoff. Similarly, introducing brash/bushy tree tops (either by wiring and pinning in place or by partly cutting through trunks and hingeing the tree top into the water) make excellent anti-cormorant and general anti-predator refuges for juvenile and adult trout. Hingeing trees in this way will also open up overgrown canopies.

Hope these suggestions give you some good ideas. The WTT are active all over the UK and can be approached for Advisory Visits (free apart from travel expenses) via the website: Wild Trout Trust

PG

Many thanks for the replies guys.

Once the waters recede sufficiently I will go and do a bit of trimming. I am blessed with some fantastic wild trout fishing on my doorstep and just wanted to do my bit to enhance the banks a little bit. There are many stretches of 'tunnel cover' which I will leave alone.

C&N

Let us know how you get on. Have you fished many of those little streams? Are they linked to loughs closely, there are alot of these streams in Donegal that makes me wonder of the potential.

__________________
Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car,
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star,
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams;
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

It varies, some of these streams flow into well known salmon rivers, others into large loughs. Some of the streams are tiny, only a couple of yards across in places. It would be easy to pass them by, but virtually all of them hold a head of wild brownies. The fishing is tough, fly losses are horrendous and often the trout are pretty small. But the reward in terms of sheer enjoyment is worth all the effort.

My question regarding bankside foliage was posed because there are lots of places where the removal of a few branches could allow access to a nice run or deep pool. My advice would be to try some of those small streams up there, as long as you don't mind catching small trout. There are always surprises (like the 3 pounder that ran off downstream one evening after grabbing my black sedge), but mainly the trout will be 7 -10 inches.

C&N

You should check the website smallstreams.com &bull; Index page

__________________
Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car,
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star,
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams;
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.