Dorchester Fishing Club - Newsletter July 2005

News

We had the great pleasure of Richard Slocock's company on the annual Managing Committee river walk. He was very impressed with our river improvement work along the Club's water. He advised us on a few extra little tweaks to help boost the recruitment of our brown trout and I suspect Members have seen evidence of these.

We stocked the river on May 2nd with 300 fish, supplied by Hooke Springs Trout Farm and many thanks to Joe Tallents for his help. The Environment Agency noted that we had increased our stocking levels on previous years and requested that we meet one of their fisheries consultants. This meeting ignited ideas to further improve our fishery and since this meeting we have drawn together some amazing projects involving English Nature and the Dorset Wildlife Trust - John Aplin will be presenting these at the AGM. a date not to be missed! Monday 5th December, Casterbridge Room, Kings Arms, Dorchester.

I hope you agree the River Frome is looking a lot better than it has for the past few years, but if anyone knows a good rain dance? There are also noticeably more juvenile trout in the main river and carriers, a very good sign for future seasons.

Obituary - Maurice Edwards died in February at the age of 85. He was born and bred in Dorchester but for the last 55 years lived in the Piddle valley. He practised in the town as a Chartered Accountant joining the family firm of Edwards & Keeping after a distinguished war service with 5th Battalion Dorset Regiment.
He was the longest serving Member of the club, having joined in 1958 and was one of the Town Rods. The Club honoured him in 2001 by making him an Honorary Member. Sadly in his later years he found it harder to get about, but still managed to fish still water occasionally and was always keen to hear how the fishing is going on the river.

Keepers Corner
By John E. Aplin

Well I must say and I am sure that most of you will agree that despite being somewhat low, the River Frome looks to be in fine order. I had a meeting with the Dorset Wildlife Trust on the Lower Water before lunch today (16th) and the Mayfly were in abundance, as were fish taking them.

As always everything is growing like mad, including at long last the Ranunculus. It makes a huge difference to the in-stream flora and fauna not having those massive peaks and troughs of rainfall over the winter months. As a consequence of this, the ground water is down by 50% for the time of year.

Over the winter months we have been throwing a few ideas about on how to increase the recruitment of our native Brown Trout. Some of these ideas are underway with the addition of fry bundles and willow being laid into the edge instead of being cleared away. We did a huge amount of gravel washing and yet again the hatchery box was a great success.

Some of the ideas are on a slightly grander scale and following several meetings with the Environment Agency, English Nature and The Dorset Wildlife Trust, we have already secured some considerable funding. There are several long term projects in the pipe line involving willow groynes and mattresses on the upper water and a large project on the lower water including the moving of fences, new riffles being constructed, re-profiling of the banks and tree planting. This is all very exciting and I propose to do a presentation at the next AGM with regard to all these changes.

Thank you to those keen fisher folk who kindly put their names on the "work party" list, don't worry you will be called on in the near future. Incidentally, a bit of excitement, I found a lottery scratch card on the lower water today and it just so happens to be quite a winner, well enough to fund a work party lunch or two, so if it is not claimed, that's where it will be going. I dreamt of spending it on another Tarpon trip, but John Secretary wouldn't let me!

The stock fish went in on the last bank holiday, lots of them, and they are nice fish. The sun shone on those stocking the upper beats, and the heavens opened on yours truly on the lower beats Whilst on the subject of drenchings, watch out for the deep hole under Poundbury, I forgot about it the other day when wading!

Lots of very exciting projects in the making and lots of fine fishing left this season, oh and the fence at ten hatches, the Farmer has kindly moved it back in a few places.

Hope to see you all out fishing in the months to come.

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