This incredibly successful project, the brainchild of Trevor Harrop and Budgie Price working in conjunction with the Environment Agency, has created an immensely positive recovery in the of the Avon Roach.

The Project team induce roach to spawn on special boards and then hatch and nurture the fry for one year in large tanks, then for a further two years in a series of stew ponds until they are released into the river at three years of age and bordering on maturity.

Release into the river

Two years’ hard work

The beautiful roach

Special safe-havens for the roach, along with many other fish species, have been created in backwaters, to shelter the young fish from the vast power of the Avon in flood. The estate has been pleased to help in minor way by creating one of these havens – and we have been lucky enough to have received some of the fish nurtured by the Project.

Our Winkton and Bisterne fisheries have recorded splendid numbers and weights of roach.

Here is a link to the Avon Roach Project, with its very amusing and interesting blog. 

The Threat of Cormorants

Amongst the significant enemies of the roach are the  cormorants, and interested conservationists up and down the Avon are working tirelessly to persuade the government authorities to reduce the predation by this killer alien species, each one of which hoovers up at least a pound of fish daily.