PLANS for the largest fish pass ever built on British waters have been revealed, and local anglers are delighted by news of the project.
Set to be installed on the River Trent, voted by Angling Times readers as ‘River of the Year’ for the last two seasons running, the venue is already highly regarded for its spectacular fishing. But the new fish pass is set to make it even better.
Overseen by the Environment Agency (EA), the project will take place at Colwick, where Holme Sluices currently span the river and act as its largest single barrier to fish migration.
It’s the first scheme of the ambitious Trent Gateway Partnership (TGP), which aims to remove all barriers to fish migration along the mighty Midlands waterway.
The fishing at Colwick is controlled by Long Eaton Victoria Angling Society, and their General Secretary, David Kent, has worked alongside the TGP, representing fisheries and angling interests.
He believes that the club will benefit from the work, and that it will improve the health of the river.
“Our stretch starts about 50m below the sluices, and I can only see positives from the project,” he told us.
“The problem with Colwick is that under normal river levels, the bulk of the flow feeds the slalom course next to the river, which leaves around 25 per cent of our stretch with slack, almost stagnant water.
“This is only good for fishing when the river levels are up, but the new fish pass will drastically improve flow. I’ve mentioned the project in club meetings, and never heard a bad word,” he added.
The EA also doesn’t expect the building of the fish pass to have any short-term impacts on angling, with a spokesperson telling us that ‘most of the work will be done away from the river’.
More importantly, it should provide a wealth of long-term benefits:
“The fish pass will bring 60km of the Trent from poor to good status for fish and will open 60km of new spawning habitat upstream. As a result, fish populations will improve, which will benefit anglers,” the spokesperson added.
### Wider Benefits of the Fish Pass
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The scheme will produce £18.6m of environmental benefits
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Salmon and eels will find it easier to reach their spawning grounds
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Potential to increase the number of fish species on the Trent
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Promote awareness of fish passes and river quality to local communities
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Attract more anglers to the area and boost the local economy