NEARLY 200 bream trapped in a tiny brook have been rescued and returned to their home in a 70-hectare lake, much to the delight of local anglers.
Pennington Flash, Leigh, has a reputation as one of the best bream waters in the North West, but when its fish spawned near the outflow, heavy rain washed them into Pennington Brook. This shallow watercourse is subject to low dissolved oxygen levels which left them in peril, but a local angling club contacted the Environment Agency which rescued 174 of them with a combined weight of 900lb, including fish weighing over 10lb.
Ian Cunliffe, president of Leigh and District AA, is delighted and said:
“Saving those bream meant a lot to us. I have nothing but praise for the EA’s local team.”
If you spot fish in distress, contact the EA on 0800 807060