Over two hundred roach were recently stocked into the River Wensum in Norfolk in an exciting collaborative project between Norfolk Fly Fishers Club and the Environment Agency.
Very little information exists into the movement of coarse fish following stocking. It is not known whether they remain in the stretch into which they've been stocked or if they move elsewhere. What is unique to this project is that these fish are likely to have originated from the Wensum and were swept into a nearby lake when the river over-topped during high flows.
All two hundred fish were caught by the anglers using a rod and line. Before the roach were released, they were implanted with a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag to enable them to be tracked and monitored. Monitoring equipment placed at strategic locations along the river will then over the course of the next year track the movement of the tagged fish.
“This is a fantastic project, as we’ll get unique information regarding the movement of fish” said Helen Beardsley from the Environment Agency. “We also hope that the addition of the roach into the river will help boost the resident brood stock already present in the stretch.”
“The stretch of the Wensum into which they're being stocked is fast-flowing and not a typical deep or slow roach environment, therefore what we're attempting to monitor is where the fish move to. We hope that they remain in the same stretch but due to the fast-flows present we think that they may drift downstream away from the stocking area seeking areas of refuge from the flow. Tagging the fish will therefore enable us to monitor their movements and obtain never before achieved information.”
