Tag Archives: News

S&TC UK at The Great Yorkshire Show

STCUK Great Yorkshire Show 2016

The local branch of Salmon & Trout Conservation UK are at The Great Yorkshire Show from Tuesday 12th to Thursday 14th of July so please call in at our marquee and say hello! We are there all three days and the show is open from 7.30am to 7.30pm (6.30pm Thursday).

Salmon Leap

Come and find out about the important work we do to preserve our aquatic habitats and dependent species for future generations.

Great Yorkshire Show Fly Casting

Watch fly fishing demonstrations from the experts and have a go yourself in the casting area.

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust

Learn about rivers with the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust.

See HERE for further info on the event.

We hope to see you there!

Aire and Wharfe Riverfly Monitors

Conserving our Rivers by Stephen Cheetham
This month, by way of a change, Roger has kindly allowed me to take the reins to talk about the conservation work which is carried out on our rivers.  Each river in Yorkshire is under the scrutiny of a Rivers Trust specifically set up to take care of their local river. Not many people are aware of the work done simply to keep our rivers clean, healthy and safe from pollution and invasive species.
Whatever the weather, I can be seen, up to  my waist in the River Wharfe every month at Addingham High Mill –brandishing a large net. But before anyone reports me to the river bailiff, I would like to point out that I am not using it to try to catch any fish!

Riverflies and Bug Hunting with Steve Cheetham
Riverflies and Bug Hunting with Steve Cheetham

Instead I am one of an army of over 400 volunteers who regularly look after our rivers and streams in the UK, checking on the levels of invertebrate life to help to monitor water quality.  The nets used are specifically designed to collect a sample from the gravel on the riverbed so that they can be checked for a range of insect life.

The initiative is the responsibility of the  Riverfly Partnership, a national group that organises and trains teams of volunteer samplers who look for the bugs and mini-beasts living in the riverbed and report back on the numbers they find. Most of the tiny creatures we are looking for are the water-living stage of winged insects such as mayflies and sedges. They are sensitive to changes in water quality and if they are not present in sufficient numbers, I and my fellow samplers alert the Environment Agency. Their job is to  investigate and take action if they find that an incident of pollution has caused the drop in numbers.

Last year Addingham Beavers joined me for a sampling session and were fascinated by what they found. The group of over 20 children and their leaders, along with parents and volunteers, spent a happy if frenetic hour identifying the bugs in their sample trays before returning them to the river (leaving me and my fellow samplers helping me out exhausted!)

Anglers and environmentalists know about the bugs that live in the river but most people are unaware of them.  Anglers are often the first to be aware of changes in water quality because they know their rivers so well. And they’re in a good position to act as samplers as they don’t need much persuading to get into the water!

Most of the nationwide teams of samplers are made up of anglers, a fact which surprises many who think that fishermen are only interested in catching fish and eating them.  But fishing is now mainly about conservation and most fish caught are returned to the river unharmed.

Currently, on the River Wharfe, we have just a small team of samplers but much more needs to be done to ensure better coverage.  We would like to train more sampling teams to sample other stretches of the Wharfe and also other local rivers, but we need funding to do this.  Thankfully, with funding from the Salmon & Trout Association, West Yorkshire Branch, and the Aire Rivers Trust, we are now able to begin training 12 new volunteers to sample 12 points on the River Aire, starting March 2015.

Anyone interested in volunteering as a sampler, or in sponsoring the training of sampling teams or advising on funding for these can contact me on sales@fishingwithstyle.co.uk . You do not have to be an angler to volunteer, you just have to be interested in conserving our rivers and, as a result, our environment.  All we ask is for two hours of your time per month.

Find out more at The Riverfly Partnership website.

Aire and Wharfe Riverfly Monitors blog site:

https://aire-wharfe-riverfly.blogspot.co.uk/

and our Facebook Group page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/AireRiverflyMonitors/

Aire Riverfly Workshop

Aire Riverfly Workshop

The Salmon and Trout Association West Yorkshire Branch in partnership with the Riverfly Partnership, the Aire Rivers Trust, the Environment Agency and East Riddlesden Hall, National Trust.

Filmed and edited by yorkshireflyfishing.com

Branch News 2014

Branch News 2014

We now have a new meeting venue as from 12th October we will meet at Ilkley Bowling Club, albeit the room is slightly smaller it is warm and the beer is cheap.

2014/2015 Branch Meetings at Ilkley Bowling Club

Behind Nidd Vale Motors on the junction of Skipton Road and Church Street, Ilkley, LS29 9EW, 01943 605002

Click here to find the new venue

Dear All.

Writing this in mid August 2014, I am well aware that there is a lot of fishing to be had before the end of the season but also very aware that the start of the Branch winter programme is coming up fast.

In past years, I have used this opportunity to pass on general Branch news but now we are getting our web site functioning properly, members will be able to catch up with news of Branch events there so keep checking; all will be in place soon.  (Even I can find the Branch web site at www.sta-westyorks.org.uk !!)  We are grateful to Stephen Cheetham for pushing the web site development forward and to Phil Sheridan for his brilliant work on the design, the photography, and keeping the site fresh and up to date.

Our shows programme has been encouragingly successful.  At Burnsall we had a good attendance in view of the wet weather and our stand at the Great Yorkshire was arguably one of the best efforts ever and drew much praise from the show organisers.  We were also at Bingley Show where we could demonstrate solidarity with members who fish the Aire and with clubs, mainly course fishing clubs who hold waters on the Aire and adjacent still waters.

I must also mention the Riverfly sampling project now in the capable hands of Kathleen Roberts.  We were disappointed in not attracting funding to run further training courses for sampling teams and major changes in the organisation at national level frustrated our plans to extend sampling on the Wharfe and establish sites on the Aire.  However, Kathleen is not easily discouraged and is now keeping all existing and potential sampling teams informed and up to date with developments.  Anyone (member or not) who is interested in joining a sampling team should contact Kathleen direct on kathleen.roberts1@btinternet.com

Sadly, the coming AGM on 10th March 2015 will see a number of long serving Committee members standing down and we urgently need to identify candidates to take on the role of Training Officer, Secretary, Treasurer or Speaker Secretary.  This is your chance to help the Branch continue its good work so if you are interested please have a word with Stephen Cheetham or myself for more information.  Stephen Cheetham has now exceeded the time in office allowed by the Constitution and whilst willing to continue in office is prepared to stand down if the AGM so wishes.

Andrew Lawson, our Speaker Secretary, has engaged a very attractive range of speakers for our winter season.  Details are as follows:-

       
  14th Oct    2014 Mark Hamnet       Partridge and the history of hooks    
  11th Nov    2014 Stuart Crofts         The river angling year    
  09th Dec    2014 Stephanie Peay    Crayfish    
  13th Jan     2015 Peter Turner         The river Aire environment    
  10th Feb    2015 Dr Clark Colman   The evolution & development of modern flies    
  10th Mar    2015 Branch AGM @ 7.30pm and @ 8.00pm Paul Proctor on Fishing    

All meetings are open and anyone interested is welcome as a guest.  The entrance fee remains at £7.00 which includes a supper of pie and peas or sandwiches if ordered 7 days in advance.  Orders to be sent to me as indicated on the attached form.  We normally convene at 7.30pm for half an hour of social chitchat and the speaker takes the floor at 8.00pm; the exception is the AGM meeting as above.

And finally, a special note to members.  Due to spiralling postal and printing costs I will be sending this letter to all Branch members by email if they have registered an email address with head office.  Only those without email will receive a hard copy.  Member should also note that this letter constitutes the required formal notice of the Branch AGM to take place on Tuesday 10th March 2015 at 7.30pm in the Ilkley Bowling Club rooms.  An agenda will be available from 1st February 2015 on request.

Your Committee has worked hard to make the Branch activities interesting and relevant and we hope you all enjoy the remaining weeks of the season be your quarry trout, grayling or salmon and we look forward to welcoming your strong support for the winter meetings.

David Bryan.

Honoury Secretary.