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Anglers go behind the scenes

Anglers can sign up to go behind the scenes and learn more about the Environment Agency's fish-monitoring facility at Riding Mill, near Corbridge in Northumberland.

A limited number of places are available on the free sessions on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 May, to learn more about the work done there with a guided tour of the site.

The anglers will learn how Ridings Mill monitors salmon and sea trout populations in the River Tyne by collecting information on the number of adult fish returning to spawn and juveniles migrating out to sea. The technology used to do this includes a fish counter, an underwater video system and two fish traps, one for smaller fish and one for adults.

The anglers will also see how important it is to monitor the health of a river by looking at small animals and insects that live in the water such as caddis, stoneflies, freshwater shrimp and mayflies. In addition to being a food source for fish the number and diversity of animals found in the river can help Environment Agency staff assess water quality and identify changes in the physical, chemical and biological conditions in the waterway.

Monitoring invertebrate populations can tell us about water quality changes in a particular watercourse, and help us to identify the impacts of human activity and pollution incidents.

The sessions are:
Friday 23 May from 10am to midday
Friday 23 May from 2 to 4pm
Saturday 24 May from 10am to midday
Saturday 24 May from 2 to 4pm
Refreshments will be provided.

Niall Cook of the Environment Agency's ecology team explains: "These sessions are for anglers who want to know more about the lives and food chains of salmon and sea trout.

"Anglers play an important role in our fish monitoring work, by providing valuable information on fish catches and the fly life in the river. These sessions give us a chance to explain how the information we gather from our monitoring at Riding Mill helps us to conserve and manage stocks of game fish on the river."

Interested anglers should contact Sarah Baillie on 0191 2034138, during normal office hours only, or email sarah.baillie@environment-agency.gov.uk