Environment Agency Survey on the River Stour

I happened across a Training Day for Environment Agency employees on Monday where they were practicing Electric Fishing as part of a fish survey of the river. The method used is to put two nets across the river 100metres apart then make several sweeps between the nets in a boat, trailing electric probes which temporarily stun the fish. These stunned fish collect in the downstream net and are catalogued, measured, etc then released.

I know the Stour at Blandford has some nice Brown Trout holes but I was surprised at the fish they'd recorded recently - Roach, Rudd, Dace, Bream, Eel, Carp, Chub, Tench, Pike, etc, all the usual river species - but they'd also caught quite a few Grayling and a Salmon !!!

£32 for membership of the Blandford & District Angling Club doesn't seem all that expensive now, especially when you take the swap book with the Dorchester and Wessex clubs into account

The Stour is great!