If you speak to fisheries officers with the EA you would discover that the overall biomass (weight of fish) if the Thames has risen significantly over the past ten years. This has been largely due to the growth of carp or put another way, one 20lb carp is worth up to 40x8oz roach. No doubt that one or two might get into this new river in good time, but it's not what our member clubs want right now.
Good bream and roach catches are more likely to be the order of the day. If they want to catch carp, whether by pole-bagging or the BBB (Bivvy, Bolt-rig, Boilie) methods there are umpteen carp lakes and glory holes in the area that anglers can fish. Why not just have a river as a river?
I am great fan of barbel, but I don't want them stocked in there particularly. Same with Zander, we don't have them in the immediate area, but doubtless they will invade at some future time. It will be interesting to see how it develops, but I think that this new river will be a great bream river exactly like the Fenland drains.
Anyone wanting good bream catches now can enjoy some nightime sport on the main Thames at Marlow, Maidenhead and Windsor. Frank Gutfield, who hates bream normally, is interested since some are coming up in double figures and overall catches can be well over 100lbs per session.