got to say a big thanks to the local EA guys for the work they have done over the last couple of years...KAS approached them for help, basically our bit of river is going tits up..one of the obvious problems with this bit of the cherwell is the impounding.
the shipton to gosford bit which tony miles made a little bit famous with his catches of double figure barbel...and lets not forget simon lush who probably caught more than any(he wont admit though, secret squirrel and all that)....these guys along with a few others found a pocket of big healthy fish.
thing is they were last in the line.... the rivers habitat as gone down hill for many years, flow rates in particular dropping... leading to near none existant fry recruitment, throw in the awakening of the oxford canal... signal crayfish, mink, cormorants and the eventual return of the otter...and the ultimate problem of human population growth and the never ending need for water.
does not sound good does it...well it's a start, barbel will now be able to migrate along a big section of river, before they were impounded to a few miles...the first stocking of only 500 a couple of years ago managed to turn up below kidlington mill without heavy flood so the access for movement upstream is a must...no wonder with all the problems they had they were on there way out. the shipton/thrupp gene pool for these fish must have been at its end.
Well in the last two years nearly 3000 barbel have been stocked, bays and riffles are being put back in...and more work on the cards.
watch this space....
P.S. i'm forever the optimist and with a little help these little ones will be back at shipton and thrupp spawning again...that's the aim
