Trout in the Town:

The latest in a series of river restoration guidelines has been launched by the WTT. This latest installment focusses on guiding local community members in adopting and caring for their urban river reaches and have been developed by the TinTT programme manager based on the first two years of working with the first 8 UK chapters of TinTT. The guidelines are available for free download in low resolution here: URBAN RIVER RESTORATION GUIDELINES Here is the report on the first two years of the project including progress against objectives as well as lessons learnt: FINAL REPORT They will shortly be available to purchase at full resolution on CD from the online shop at THE WILD TROUT TRUST Enjoy. PG

Here on Facebook: SPRITE facebook group Enjoy PG

A little London Chalkstream near Sidcup which has been diligently looked after in recent years by Thames21's Ashe Hurst got another shot in the arm on Thursday and Friday last week. Two of the WTT's conservation officers (Andy Thomas and Paul Gaskell) did two days of specific habitat improvement works in order to train the Thames21 staff and volunteers (including local youngsters who have been excluded from schools). A variety of uses of woody debris, brash bundles, wire, stakes and metal pin fixings were used to promote localised scouring of the stream bed, sorting and cleaning of spawning gravels and submerged "brashy" cover for juvenile fish. The videos below show the increase in flow and change from "concreted" immobile gravels (with dark algal growth) to mobile and silt free (light coloured)particles at the pinch point created by an upstream "V" flow deflector The flows prior to the installation of the upstream V were much more sluggish and fa...

An example of some of the useful communication of highly relevant information that can be passed directly to grass roots participants just by contributing to an online specialist forum. Click the link below: http://www.flyforums.co.uk/826909-post86.html In summary - don't trim/remove debris that produces localised gravel scour: This trailing branch debris is cleaning and "sorting" gravel for spawning - note the brighter patch of gravel and don't tread on redds (trout "nests") containing eggs: Newly formed redd which will allow eggs to hatch and emerging tiny fish (alevins) to shelter in the gaps between the pebbles below the surface of the gravel bed Trout cutting a redd - photo Peter Henriksson

SPRITE came runners up in the 2010 Sheffield Telegraph community environmental project awards this week. This is great recognition for all the hard work done both on the conservation of the river but also for the invaluable community engagement and education that everone involved has put into the city of Sheffield. Very well done also to this year's Winners - Wisewood School.

Please follow the link below and click on the video thumbnail to watch a short film that outlines the work of the Wild Trout Trust, with particular reference to some of the Trout in the Town work done in Sheffield and Colne in East Lancashire: Fish On DVD

Please see the photos and text on the link (below) that shows what we have been up to all last week on New Mills' River Goyt near Stockport: River Goyt PV