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To conserve and enhance the native fish stocks and the natural habitat of the Frome, Piddle and West Dorset Rivers

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Formed over 60 years ago we strive to uphold the Environment Agency’s (E.A.) statutory duty “to maintain, improve and develop salmon, trout, eel and freshwater fisheries”. We do this in partnership with many other organisations and of course on behalf of our own membership, made up of fishery owners, tenants and fishermen.  We are an entirely voluntary organisation, the members all sharing a deep love of and concern for our rivers.  Over the decades we have worked with the old Water Authority, The National Rivers Authority and currently with the E.A., indeed our longest serving Hon.Sec Chris Rothwell was for many years Chairman of the E.A.’s Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee.

Our successes include the establishment of a water abstraction regime in the Piddle catchment which protected the delicate chalk stream habitat from highly damaging low flow/no flow events caused by over abstraction of water from the chalk. This took 22 years to achieve since the water needs of the populations of Dorset and Somerset had to be balanced with our concern for river flows.

More recently we have worked closely with the E.A. and raised tens of thousands of pounds to assist them with their efforts to remove old weirs and other structures blocking the free passage of salmon, sea trout, brown trout to and from their spawning and nursery areas. Fifteen years ago very few migratory fish could ascend the river beyond Dorchester. Following a total investment in the region of a million pounds salmon and sea trout now reach beyond Maiden Newton with no difficulty. Grayling, previously only found below Dorchester, have now colonised the Upper Frome and tributaries. These are triumphs that have taken a huge effort to achieve.

In the early 1990’s myself and a friend founded the Wild Trout Trust, (WTT) now a well know national charity. The WTT has developed various river habitat improvement techniques, which we are delighted the E.A. have adopted and put into practice in our Dorset Rivers with the aim of improving the in-river habitat for all stages of the life cycles of fish species. It is not just fish that benefit from the WTT’s toolbox of techniques, however damming a river has never been considered of any benefit or at any time suggested, quite the reverse. It should be noted we have no problem with man-made “leaky dams” correctly sited.

AGM

AGM

, Annual General Meeting Friday 27rd September  6.30pm   Winfrith Newburgh Village Hall Water Lane, Winfrith Newburgh DT2 8LR   The guest speakers will be  Professor Ken Whelan – a fisheries scientist with extensive international experience. Bill Beaumont - SAMARCH...

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Catch up from the Committee

Catch up from the Committee

Dear Members and Friends   It has been a while since we last met up and much has happened and changed.   As many of you will know, we have lost our dear friend Richard Slocock; who was our Chairman for so many years and I am sure he had chalk stream water in...

Richard Slocock

Richard Slocock

Richard SlocockDear Members.  As some of you will have heard or read, our Chairman, Richard Slocock has been battling with cancer for the past 6 to 12 months.  Sadly, on Saturday 13th 2024 at 2200 hrs he died peacefully at home with Sally and his family at his side. ...