The Victory of Hope over Expectation

 

Life on a Chalkstream 20th December 2024     Having problems reading this email? View as Webpage   ·     The Victory of Hope over Expectation Do triploid trout rise as well as wild trout? ·     The benefit of Storm Darragh ·     Going Live & Holiday Opening Hours ·     Christmas Quiz with a prize!   Greetings!   Here at the Hampshire Otter Feeding Centre, formerly known as Nether Wallop Mill, the rainbow trout are in full spawning colours.   Daily they compete at the inflow and outflow of the trout lake, or above the spring heads around the edge of the lake, to secure a supply of the coldest and most pure water adjacent to which they dig the redds where they will lay their eggs. They are totally relentless about it, scouring out many inches of compacted gravel to expose the white chalk beneath.   It is, of course, a victory of hope over expectation for they are, naturally, oblivious to the fact that they are all, being triploid trout, infertile. In many respects it is sad to see them going through the whole evolutionary driven process, even to the extent of producing eggs, as in the end it comes to naught. The process by which they are rendered infertile known as pressure shocking, happens soon after the eggs are fertilised in the fish farm. The eggs are placed in a tank similar to a divers’ oxygen bottle, where they are subjected to extreme pressure which splits one of the two sex chromosomes in half changing the resultant adult trout from being diploid (two chromosomes) of one or other sex into to an always female but infertile triploid (three chromosomes).     Redds at the lake outflow   This technique was first pioneered in the 1980’s for rainbow trout and later adopted in the early 2000’s when the Environment Agency directed that all stocked trout, be they brown or rainbow, were to be triploid. Research around that time indicated that triploiding was 100% effective in preventing 'female' triploids producing viable eggs and what interaction there was between wild and triploid fish in rivers would have no negative impacts one on the other.   Two decades on I do not think there is any reason to doubt most of the conclusions of the 2003 research though with our rivers under greater stress the conclusion that “triploids are less able to cope with low oxygen levels and high water temperatures than diploid fish” does not bode well for the future. I suppose for those of us with long fishing memories who were on stocked rivers before the introduction of triploids the question needs to be asked is the fishing better with or without them or much the same. As far as I am aware, there is no research as such, so inevitably what follows is more anecdotal than evidential.   If I am asked what has changed most in my fishing lifetime my answer is always rising fish; or rather the lack of them. Now memory is a dangerous ally in any debate, the summers always being warmer, the beer sweeter and the girls (or boys) prettier. All that said I am sure I am right about this – finding consistently rising fish seems to be increasingly hard. So, the question is, with so many things going on with our rivers and ecology in general, can we point the finger of blame at triploids?   Being both my home and office, I inevitably spend a great deal of time observing the trout, both brown, rainbow and exotics, in our well stocked lake. The truth is that judged by their propensity to freely take both surface naturals and imitations, sometimes to the exclusion of sub-surface offerings, being a triploid makes no difference to the way they feed or how, more certainly, the otters feed on them!   But, as I say this is only an opinion, so if you take time to mull it over during the holidays I would welcome any thoughts of both the habits of triploids and the historic propensity of fish to rise.     The benefit of Storm Darragh   All through the autumn I have a morning routine to keep the Wallop Brook at bay as it flows by, around and under The Mill.   For those of you who may not have visited Nether Wallop Mill we are essentially moated with the Brook splitting in three – imagine it as is looking at a rugby ball with the building the laces. The Brooks flows to the north and the south around the curved edges, whilst the channel dug a thousand years ago to power the water wheel, flows straight down the middle under the laces/building.  There is in addition, just to make life more complicated an offshoot to the south leg that feeds the lake. Now all these, for various reasons have either hatches, gates or grilles that have to be cared for.     Weed rack against the mill and a side gate to right   Firstly, the lake has grilles at the inflow and outflow to prevent the trout escaping. These have to be cleared of leaves and detritus daily. Secondly, the mill channel has a weed rack to prevent anything entering the wheel mechanism. This has to be cleared of leaves and detritus daily. Additionally, the gate in the mill race has to be adjusted according to the water height based on what rain has fallen, is falling or is anticipated to fall in the next 24 hours. Thirdly, the hatch that regulates the flow around and under the north side of the building has to be cleared and adjusted based on the same rain expectations as for the mill race. To make life even more complicated none of these work in isolation. For instance, if you close the mill race gate too much it backs up the flow creating the potential for calamity elsewhere.   All this water regulation is pretty easy in the spring and summer but it becomes especially problematic from October to December when every day the grilles and racks become blocked with autumn detritus. Really fancy fish farms or other places such as sewage works who have to contend with regular blockages have mechanical solutions to clear the debris 24/7 but here at Nether Wallop Mill it is me with a rake once or twice a day lifting clear leaves, twigs, branches and sometimes really quite substantial logs, not to mention a daily array of tennis balls. Where do they all come from?   So, why was I so pleased by the arrival Storm Darragh? Well, it finally stripped the trees of the remaining leaves so my daily chores are much reduced for another nine months.     The mill race and control gate     Watch my guided tour of the mill streams and all mentioned above     Going live & Christmas opening times   Firstly, before I get into our Christmas Quiz, I would just like to say from us all here at Fishing Breaks (and the fish too!) thank you for all your support and encouragement in the past year and wish everyone the very best for a Happy Christmas and a joyous New Year.   Just by way of a change, having bought the signed Matt cartoon for our Christmas card, we are giving the original away as a prize for our Christmas Quiz.   As of 5pm today (Friday) the office will be closed until we reopen on Monday 30th December. However, all the 2025 diaries are now live for online bookings and you may order a gift voucher for email delivery as late as you like. Believe it or not, gift orders come in on Christmas morning!   Emails will be checked most mornings over the holiday period, with the notable exception of Christmas and Boxing Day, so feel free to send any questions or requests my way.     Happy Christmas & New Year     Quiz   Not your normal random collection of questions inspired by the date, events or topics in the Newsletter but rather a carefully curated set of questions with a signed Matt cartoon the carrot on the stick.   Answers on email by 31st December to info@fishingbreaks.co.uk. Include a tie breaker by completing the sentence based on the Matt cartoon: I think the angler is indicating that he has seen ....... The most amusing, or thought provoking word or phrase wins.     Angling literature 1)     Who wrote A River Runs Through It? 2)     Which innovative saltwater angler won a Nobel Prize for Literature? 3)     Who wrote Fly Fishing (1899) but was also Foreign Secretary at the start of World War one? 4)     The Compleat Angler was first published in what year? 5)     Who wrote the poem The Brook that begins, “I come from haunts of coot and hern, ….”     Fish names What is the English name for the following freshwater fish: 6)     Salmo salar 7)     Esox Lucius 8)     Cyprinus carpio 9)     Thymallus thymallus 10)   Gasterosteidae     Fishing personalities 11)     Who are the stars of the Gone Fishing BBC TV series? 12)     Which rock and roll legend caught the biggest Icelandic salmon of summer 2017? 13)     Which member of Pink Floyd owns a house on the banks of the River Test? 14)     Who was the most recent US President to fish the English chalkstreams? 15) What is the nationality of water campaigner Feargal Sharkey?   Where in Britain 16) Which is the longest river in the British Isles? 17) Which is the largest lake (by surface area) in the British Isles? 18) Which is the longest road in the British Isles? 19) What species of tree is the oldest in the UK? 20) How long is the UK coastline? A) 5,073 miles B) 7,073 miles C) 9,073 miles D) 11,073 miles         Livvy, who looks after all things fishing cabin, with the signed Matt original   Happy Christmas!  Best wishes,     Simon Cooper simon@fishingbreaks.co.uk Founder & Managing Directorwww.fishingbreaks.co.uk         TIME IS PRECIOUS. USE IT FISHING     The Mill, Heathman Street, Nether Wallop, Stockbridge, England SO20 8EW United Kingdom 01264 781988 www.fishingbreaks.co.uk Check out our social media

Why the NFU ghosted Jeremy Clarkson

 

Greetings!   This is not part of the weekly quiz but give this one a go; what is the connection, aside from being adjoining buildings, between 17 & 18 Smith Square, Westminster? The answer is, despite the paved streets of SW1, farming: 17 Smith Square houses the Ministry of Agriculture and 18 Smith Square the National Farmers Union.   This adjacency goes a long way to explaining the incestuous relationship between those who farm and those who regulate the farmers and why Tom Bradshaw, recently appointed President of the NFU, informed Jeremy Clarkson in the midst of the March for Farming that his support for farmers, at least in terms of the Oxfordshire gentleman farmer being an official NFU spokesman, was not required.      17 & 18 Smith Square

 

Now, I for one am not too bothered if the NFU choose to turn their nose up at Clarkson – it is pretty clear the NFU nose is heading in another direction. They have clearly made the calculation that associating with a right leaning Clarkson will prejudice their influence in the corridors of power with the current left leaning administration. However, what this vividly illustrates, along with the visceral public support for farmers in the Inheritance Tax row (53% against the tax and 18% for it in a poll this week), is how hard we are going to have to fight agricultural interests who share an equal blame with water companies for our polluted rivers.   Frankly, I am not sure how we do it. The rural idyll and the plight of farmers as selfless custodians of the British countryside is hard wired in the consciousness of the nation. But intensive farming, and most farming is intensive, be it in poultry sheds, dairy units, pig rearing enclaves or fields that are slavered with pesticides and fertilisers is gradually killing the rural idyll in plain sight. But if you think the NFU are going to stand by to let ecology trump the financial interests of farming prepare to be disappointed; they will wield their influence with the neighbours with no regard to the ongoing and increasing damage to our rivers.   It is going to be a long battle fought over decades with evidence, logic and determination the key weapons. However, that battle will not be helped by the likes of Clarkson, who more by accident than design, has positioned farmers as food heroes when the truth is something very different.

 

 

Feargal Sharkey Video of the Week   It makes me sad to have to bring you this video as it features Feargal Sharkey highlighting pollution from the banks of the River Test for his weekly feature on LBC.   Would that it was not so, but as Feargal carries out nitrate, phosphate and ammonia tests the results are as depressingly anticipated. However, what struck a chord most with me was Feargal’s parting shot, coming as it did in the week of COP 29.   As he rightly points out, the British government is happy to fly 400 plus delegates halfway around the world to deliver lectures on saving the planet to others whilst, right in our backyard, less than 75 miles from the Mother of All Parliaments, we are wilfully destroying the chalkstreams, one of the most precious ecosystems in the world, whilst the government looks on doing little to address the root causes of the issue, namely farming and water companies.   Watch the video here .....

 

 

 

Fishing with Ted   A while ago I told you the shelves of Waterstone’s drew me to Graham Swift’s Waterland, the eels on the cover catching my eye as much as the title. As I say, it has been a while as it is a long read at nearly 500 pages.   Did I enjoy Waterland? I think the answer is, in part. It is no easy read, far from chronological and there are some diversions which made me wonder whether Swift sometimes wrote under the influence. I am glad I read it, but I am most glad that, thanks to the advice of another Swift fan, I was pointed in the direction of his book of short stories, Making an Elephant.     Ted Hughes

 

I think it is fair to say, in easy to read chunks, Swift is far more accessible in this format but most especially we learn that he is a fly fisher who, after youthful dabbling, came to it as a passion in later life, something to which many of us would incline a nod of recognition. In Fishing with Ted, Swift relates how he regularly fished with poet laureate Ted Hughes, mostly in Devon and was taught some semblances of skill by none other than friend of this parish, David Profumo. The book is definitely worth the price of admission for these two chapters alone. Here is a taste of what to expect:   Fishing, if you think about it in a certain way, is a fairly silly, childish activity, absurdly pursued by some till their dying day, a thing of no virtue or importance. This doesn’t stop it offering up to fishermen moments of ineffable triumph that imprint every flash of their glory permanently on the brain, or moments of abysmal disaster that will never, ever be forgotten or exorcised. Such dramatic highs and lows life itself doesn’t necessarily or so reliably or so intensely provide.

 

 

2025 online booking going live   If you are already thinking ahead to fishing next season you should know that all our diaries will go live for online booking at 5pm on Friday December 20th.   However, ahead of that we do have Abbots Worthy (Itchen), Barton Court (Kennet), Eric Hope (Lake District). John Bailey (Wye), Kimbridge (Test) and Mulberry Whin (Driffield Beck) available to book now along with all the cottages, lodges, courses, private tuition and family days for 2025.   Use this link to check dates and use the pulldown to specify Rivers & Stillwaters, Cottages & Lodges or Courses & Tuition.

 

Quiz   The normal random collection of questions inspired by the date, events or topics in the Newsletter. It is just for fun with answers at the bottom of the page.   1)     What do the initials COP, as in COP 29, stand for?   2)     On which London street did a 6 day IRA siege with 2 hostages start on this day in 1975?   3)     What is the name of Clarkson’s sidekick in Clarkson’s Farm?

 

Have a good weekend.    Best wishes,

 

 

Simon Cooper simon@fishingbreaks.co.uk Founder & Managing Directorwww.fishingbreaks.co.uk

 

 

 

Quiz answers:   1)     Conference of the Parties 2)     Balcombe Street, Marylebone 3)     Caleb Cooper