Here are the Environment Agency catching broodstock salmon for a hatchery this November. Three sweeps of this pool gave up 43 salmon with a few over 20lbs.


PS. If you know where this is - please dont say!

Well its not on the Wye so we can lift the secrecy on the location

looks remarkably like one of Peter Grays nets, which also indicates its not on the Wye where the EAW prefer the brood fish to be dragged out on spinner and WUF it appears prefer them not to be caught at all

__________________
The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'

Most definitely not the Wye where EA-Wales hatchery records show recent catch ups, for Elan mitigation stocking, to be an 'inferior' hitch potch of late running 2SW salmon and 1SW grilse. Most definitely not the best mix to regenerate the run of 3 and 4SW springers that once ran the Wye headwaters and the Elan valley I would have thought.

Didn't Peter Gray's Kielder mitigation stocking bring much greater success, arguably restoring the Tyne salmon run from near extinction almost to its former glory? Must get his book as a stocking filler this Xmas. Anyway nice to see several over 20 pounders in the 3SW genepool wherever the recipient river may be.


Back to river Wye 2011 stocking, and returned broodstock: http://www.rwga.co.uk/archive/EA%20S...0to%202011.pdf

Number Stocked: 2011	Size	Which River	By whom
14,000	0.004kg	Digedi Brook, Hay	EAW
14,000	0.004kg	Blue Lins Brook, Pen-y-Cwm Bridge	EAW
15.200	0.004kg	Maes Brook, Llandrindod Wells	EAW
15,200	0.004kg	Sgithwen	EAW
16,000	0.004kg	Nant Cwmryn, Rhayader	EAW
21,000	0.004kg	Felindre Brook, Felindre	EAW
23,300	0.004kg	Dulas Brook, Hay	EAW
30 cocks, 11 hens, ex-broodstock	50-100cm	Wye, Glasbury	EAW
8,000	0.045kg S2	Wye, Cadora	EAW
2,500	0.015kg 1+/S1	Lugg (Lugg Mill)	EAW
9,100	0.004kg	Tregoyd Brook, Hay	EAW
9,800	0.004kg	Triffrwyd, Bronllys	EAW
10,000	0.004kg	Nant Gwyn, Builth Wells	EAW
9,000	0.004kg	Ennig	EAW
6,000	0.030 1+	Lugg (Lugg Mill)	EAW
2,500	1+ parr	Mork Brook, Coleford	Hopkinsons

Length to weight table: 50 cm = 1.4 kg (about 3 lbs) I don't think we should be breeding from inferior grilse stocks. The token 100 cm fish would have made over 20 lb though.
SF, do you know why EA Wales are stocking the kelts, despite having the tanks and means to restore broodstock kelts for further stripping at Abercynrig, to the main stem at Glasbury (why always Glasbury?) when mostly caught up on the lower Wye at Cadora?

__________________


Save the softmouth trout

Not impressed with the way they are handling the fish! In particular the chap at the back at 1:03min
I was always led to beleive that damage would be done to a fish if lifted by the tail like he did?

Its odd I also thought that the broodstock were being re-conditioned.

The book is great buy an absolute wealth of information from the horses mouth so to speak.

__________________
The word 'politics' is derived from the word 'poly', meaning 'many', and the word 'ticks', meaning 'blood sucking parasites'

Hi Kingfisher I think all these salmon were treated as dead fish which I imagine in those small bins they soon would have been. I'm not impressed at all with the way catching and keeping the fish was handled.

Great to see them numbers of fish in 1 pool,things looking good for that river.. think they could have handled them with a bit more of what they deserve....!!!! ( respect )

David

__________________
Remember, there are two kinds of fishermen, those that fish for sport and those that catch something.


My new website,still lots of work to do on it..!![URL="http://www.flyandlures.com/"]http://www.flyandlures.com/[/URL]

Am I alone in thinking the broodstock were being handled with the greatest of respect and care?
Certainly more than is apparent to the casual observer by the well practiced EA team in the video.

After careful removal from the trammel net pockets the video showed they were being held/supported in the 'small' (try carrying anything bigger) tubs containing Tricaine (MS-222), a fast acting anaesthetic soln to sedate and relax the fish as it washes over their gills prior to transfer to larger containers, for eventual stripping.
Some of the tubs had the hatchery name on them; but I'm sworn to secrecy.
I would have thought survival was near 100% given the low temperature/well oxygenated section shown.

__________________


Save the softmouth trout

Thanks Ephemerella
Your explanation is very reassuring.