Invasive non-native species (INNS) tend to thrive most vigorously in places where human impacts are greatest. And that, of course, often means city river corridors and other edgelands where urban river restorationists and fly-fishers like to ply our trade. Now balsam (and floating pennywort, rhododendron, mink, signal crayfish etc…) bashing season is here again, Merlin […]
Author Archive
May 13 2015
Urbantrout hyperstealth fishing hoodies are here!
New for the 2015 season we’re super excited to launch this new version of our classic olive fishing hoodie – now with hyperstealthy dark green logos for maximum blend-into-the-background on your favourite urban river. Just like our popular spring green, guide orange and classic olive hoodies, this new dark-green-on-olive colourway is durably screen printed with […]
April 26 2015
Urban river restoration: River Anton, Andover
Fresh from helping to deliver several projects on the middle and upper Wandle, river restoration consultancy Aquamaintain recently moved its focus to another urban chalkstream – this time the little River Anton in Andover. In the words of Test Valley Borough Council’s River Anton Enhancement Strategy, these headwaters of the globally-famous River Test have lost […]
April 20 2015
Urbantrout sidecasts: Monday 20 April
At times it felt like Apocalypse Now: Paul Shorrock (aka SharkeyP) reports from the early season Lancashire Colne… and sparks a keen debate on the merits of urban river cleanups! Salford Friendly Anglers launch a restoration plan for the Dirty Irk (backed by this report from the Wild Trout Trust) Smelts in the city: ZSL’s […]
April 13 2015
Pic of the day: Easter Monday
Arc-welder sun in sheet-steel sky. Daffodil banks, LDOs tumbling downwind. And somewhere, under slag-heaps and shopping trolleys… the hope that a fish will rise…
March 22 2015
Film night: Saving huchen from hydropower
Protecting the River Mur‘s rare population of huchen (Europe’s very own relict taimen or landlocked salmon) from the threat of hydropower in the heart of Graz, Austria’s second biggest city? Our only question is this… Why wouldn’t you? As you’d expect, the Fish Where You Live idea of local people valuing and protecting their urban […]
March 4 2015
The Wild Trout Trust charity auction 2015: Which city stream will you fish this year?
It’s on! This year’s legendary Wild Trout Trust charity fundraising auction is now fully live over on the big auction site. And as you’d expect, we’ve been trawling through the lots to spot the juiciest urban fly-fishing opportunities… Lots 56 and 57: Doubling up your chances to win a week’s permit for 2 rods on the Town […]
February 18 2015
Afon Cae Person, Llanwrst: Conwy Council’s masterclass in trashing an urban stream
So what happens when the very modern curse of got to spend your project funding by the end of this financial year collides with the last, semi-fossilised remnants of the 1960s-era if it moves, concrete it over approach to flood risk management? This, apparently. At the end of 2013, according to the BBC, the Welsh […]
February 10 2015
Winter warmers: Urban river cleanups around the UK
When it comes to cleaning up litter and heavy rubbish on the banks of urban rivers, the very coldest months are often the best time to do it. Most of the summer vegetation (native or otherwise!) has died back in the frost, so you can actually see what’s been collecting in the brambles, nettles and knotweed throughout […]
