These provisional salmon count figures indicate that the Lune will still achieve its conservation limit for the 12th consecutive year, despite the decrease in numbers.  However, the significant fall in numbers of sea trout is most noticeable and shows an unfortunate continuing downward trend. This comes after a relatively stable period between 2004 and 2010. The poor return in 2011 may be associated with the dry spring in 2010 and the smolts being heavily predated on.  

Salmon

The fish count for January was 437 which is the best over the last 10 years. These late running fish may well have been held back in the lower reaches below Forge Weir due to the extreme cold weather and low flows experienced during December and early January.

February to May are usually quiet months for fish movement.  A total of 339 salmon were counted over these 4 months.  June, July and August counts were comparable to the 5 and 10 year averages.

Previous counts for September and October indicate that the majority of the annual count should occur in these two months.  Given the good water conditions, we would have expected a similar pattern of increased fish movement passing through Forge Weir at this time in 2011.  However, this was not the case.   The total count for September was 1576 compared to the 5 and 10 year averages of 2014 and 2092 respectively. More noticeably, the October count was only 1138 compared to the 5 and 10 year averages of 2883 and 2654 respectively.  Furthermore, throughout the year there seemed to be a distinct lack of grilse in the system.  Despite the lack of grilse, there were good numbers of Multi Sea Winter (MSW) fish present and this was confirmed by anglers fishing the lower beats of the Lune.

November and December followed this trend with both months showing a significant reduction in counts compared to 5 and 10 year averages.

Sea Trout

The counts for sea trout at Forge Weir show that 2011 was the worst year since the Logie fish counter was installed and records began being collated in 1992.

The count for May was 429 compared to the 5 and 10 year averages of 403 and 650 respectively.  However, we started to see overall numbers declining in June and July.

The 2011 June count  was just 3267 fish compared with the last 5 and 10 year averages of 3898 and 4633 respectively.  However, the earlier 2001 to 2005  5 year average annual count for June was 5367 fish.  This shows there were approximately 2100 more fish counted entering the Lune in June between the years 2001 to 2005 than we counted in  2011.

In July 2011, the total count was just 792 fish compared to the last 5 and 10 year averages of 3011 and 2994 respectively.  The average count for July between the earlier years of 2001 to 2005 was 2978 fish.  This shows there were approximately 2186 more fish counted entering the system in July each year between 2001 to 2005 than we counted in 2011. 

Trapping

There were 5 spring salmon trapped and floy tagged during May. These were all fresh run female fish – the biggest weighing 7.3 kg (approx. 16lb). 

There was a noticeable increase in the numbers of Multi Sea Winter (MSW) fish that were trapped and caught by rod and line during 2011.  This correlates with the reasonable grilse run we experienced the previous year in 2010.

In comparison the grilse run in 2011 was poor.  The last Environment Agency report for the Lune Rivers Trust in 2010 indicated that goosanders were seen congregating on the river in numbers that have not previously been witnessed.  So it may be presumed that the smolt run was heavily predated between April and July, which resulted in the poor grilse return of 2011.

A total of 87 salmon with an average weight of 4.1 kg (approx 9lb) and an average length of 716 mm were trapped in 2011.  All were screened for Red Vent Syndrome (RVS) and – on a positive note – RVS was less prevalent than in previous years.  Only 9% of trapped salmon were affected in 2011 compared to 27% in 2009 and 22% in 2010.

A total of 244 sea trout with an average weight of 1.44 kg (approx 3.1 lbs) and an average length of 483mm were trapped in 2011.  Scale samples were taken off all fish and the results will be used by the Celtic Sea Trout Project (CSTP) group.  This multi-agency partnership project is investigating sea trout  stocks and fisheries in rivers entering the Irish Sea.  The Lune and Ribble rivers are both involved and many anglers have contributed scale samples with other biometric information to facilitate the work.  The project will help lead to a better understanding of the lifecycle of the sea trout.  For more information, go to www.celticseatrout.com

LRT Secretary’s Note:  We have reported fish counts regularly, but fish counter data is an imprecise art influenced by several issues.  Previously, the effect of water flow on the proportion of fish using the counter as opposed to jumping the weir has been commented on.  This year, Andrew Croft considers the potential effect of a very cold winter (2010-2011).  Caution needs to be taken interpreting single year data – which is why the 5 and 10 year averages are so important.  The trapping / scale analysis data is new here.  It will help understand the age profile and migration patterns of fish, thereby defining any problems more clearly. We encourage fishermen to help with this important work.

Photograph above courtesy of Joan Capstick.

The upper weir was originally built to form a boating lake upstream of the weir but it was abandoned many years ago and the site of the lake is now mature woodland.

The aim of the second part of this project was to remove the defunct upper weir as it also formed a major impediment to migratory fish. After taking advice, we decided that the best way to do this was to lower the weir in stages and monitor the movement of gravel after each phase. By doing this with (highly skilled) volunteers, we were able to complete the whole job well under budget and the photos tell the story …

  Photo 1.  Work in progress on the lower weir.

  Photo 2.  Electrofishing.

  Photo 3.  Upper weir before demolition.

  Photo 4.  Straw bales  used to absorb silt as the weir was lowered.

                                                                                                     Photo 5.  Volunteers and Trustees at work for the second phase…

                                                                                                     (thumbnail above).

  Photo 6.  .. and taking a welcome breather during the final push.

  Photo 7.  Migratory fish can now move freely upstream.

  Photo 8.  Above the weirs gravels are settling again after large floods.

Our thanks go to Mr. Huddleston for allowing us to carry out the work, our volunteers for all their hard work and Tim Sarney, Trustee for leading and directing our efforts and Hartley Tool Hire for their understanding.

The Lower Lune has just been added to the Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) project – a Defra funded campaign run by Natural England and the Environment Agency.  The project’s purpose is to help clean up the water at Morecambe Bay and Heysham by giving local farmers free one-to-one or group training, advice and capital grant funding to reduce diffuse water pollution from agriculture.

Why is this important now?  New more stringent EU standards of water quality indicate that the bathing and shellfish waters in Morecambe Bay are predicted not to meet these safe standards by 2015 – the next Bathing Water Directive review date – due to high levels of bacteria from faecal matter in the coastal water.  Such an outcome would have knock on effects for aquatic life and the tourism industries unless we do something about it now. Catchment Sensitive Farming has been going on elsewhere across England since 2006 and has been very successful in improving the quality of other problematic water bodies.  Now it’s the turn of the Lower Lune.

Elizabeth Graydon is the officer looking after this new catchment and has been launching and promoting the project since October 2011.  Elizabeth will support and work alongside the Lune Rivers Trust and vice versa as both groups have similar objectives for the local water quality.  Strong lines of communication are the key to positive results.  Elizabeth is targeting the areas closest to Morecambe Bay and Heysham – the lower part of the Lune catchment from the Hornby area down to the sea at Morecambe Bay.  If any farmers in this lower Lune area would like to get involved in the project, please contact Elizabeth on 07833 400 404 or Elizabeth.graydon@naturalengland.org.uk.

The photograph left shows the wing wall elver pass at Wray; the photograph far left shows the elver pass at Wennington.

Introduction, Sarah Littlefield, LRT Secretary:  One of the big issues for fish is access to our becks and rivers from the sea.  Many of these waterways have tidal flaps at their entrances, causing major obstructions for fish migration.   Our colleagues in South Cumbria Rivers Trust (SCRT) have started to tackle this problem.  Peter Evoy (SCR Trust Manager) explains below why this problem has arisen, what it means, and describes their initial success in dealing with it.  We plan to do similar work in the next year.

Banging your head on a closed door?

Morecambe Bay is a large expanse of inter-tidal sand and mud flats in north western England.  It is an internationally important wetland supporting many feeding and breeding bird species.  The Bay includes Ramsar/SPA/SAC and SSSI among its many designations.  This area is also renowned for its strong and fast spring tide movements – a consequence of which are the many flood prevention measures that surround the Cumbrian and Lancastrian coasts.  Tide Doors are simple man-made structures that govern many of our rivers and becks.  Their purpose is to prevent upstream flooding.  As the rising tide builds, the force and pressure of the incoming water closes the door tightly against a rubber seal and prevents the tides’ upstream advance.  Unfortunately, as these doors are simple, self-closing designs they cannot be controlled to close only on selected higher tides when flooding is a real risk.  They often close at an early stage on all tides that reach the door regardless of there being flooding risk or not.  It is during this closed door period (which can be significant during a single tide cycle) that all species dependent on migration between fresh and salt water to complete a part of their life cycles, are shut out.  The cumulative effect of exclusion over many tide cycles is thought to be highly damaging.  Total exclusion has probably been prevented only by chance blockage of the door – either through silting, debris or other means.

Many fish species – including eel, salmon, sea trout and lamprey –are affected by this delay to or exclusion from migration.  These fish are not only a very important part of our natural heritage in South Cumbria, but need particular help as there is concern for their numbers.  The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a species subject to a particularly dramatic decline in numbers.  It is now on the International Union for the Conservation of Natures’ red list – this means it is critically endangered!

Cases in point

Gleaston (Deep Meadows), Newlands and Colton becks are all water courses governed by tide doors at their respective confluences with the Leven estuary.  In each case there is a history of sea trout and salmon runs which have sadly dwindled along with the general decline in eel stocks.  The SCRT has, where possible, been retro-fitting “pet door” type fish-friendly apertures (with flaps) into existing tide doors.  These smaller doors hang open during the incoming tide and close only at a tide height that is pre-determined and adjustable by a float mechanism.  In essence, we can set the door to allow free access for the eels and fish over a longer period of the tidal cycle when the main door is shut.  This creates greater opportunity for these important species to pass through the tide door and colonise, perhaps re-colonise, our water courses.  

The last of the tidal doors we re-fitted was at Colton beck at the end of March 2011.  We had to replace the entire tidal door here.  The old one was known to be particularly effective in its response to the incoming tide and being very lightly balanced it closed particularly early in the tidal cycle.  This single “obstruction” was believed to be the major cause of decline of sea trout in this once prolific beck.  It gives me great pleasure to report that the specially commissioned replacement door, incorporating two of the fish-friendly “pet doors”, appears to be working very well.  In November 2011 – following this door replacement – my own observations showed that sea trout were back and spawning in the clean gravels of the beck a short distance upstream from the tide door.  Not only was this an uplifting few minutes spent watching these wild creatures go about their procreation, but  it also emphasises that simple solutions can work extremely well and extremely quickly.  Provide habitat and all manner of creatures will exploit it.  Provide access to our becks and fish will find their way in.

Our work is continuing.  A further two retro-fit tide doors were completed by the end of 2011 and there are two more sites set for completion during 2012.  For the near future, SCRT are involved in setting up an elver (juvenile eel) monitoring program to validate the efficiency of the fish friendly apertures at these tide door sites.  In the first instance, this will involve some element of netting around the tide door to establish the presence of inward migrating eel (elvers) and their safe passage through the apertures.  We will also attempt to use some level of remote recording so that we can obtain hard data of their use by both elvers and fish. This is exciting and interesting work.  With the expansion of similar work around our coasts and improvements to fish and eel passage within our rivers, let’s hope that for eel at least, this work comes in time to help them re-establish safe population levels.

In the spring a bitch and her three cubs were frequently seen on the Wenning, sometimes for long periods. One morning, on the Wenning upstream of Hornby Castle, this posse was seen walking along the bank towards my informant (Ken Green) when mum – in the lead – took a flying leap into the river onto the back of a mallard which managed to escape this assault.  This reminds me that in examining spraints on both Wenning and Lune I have found remains of feathers.

One memorable morning, a regular informant (Ian Holcroft) for about half an hour watched something remarkable: on the edge of some clear water mum appeared to be teaching her cubs to fish.  A large eel or eels had been caught and rendered into pieces, as had a brown trout.  Mum then placed these among stones on the river bed and then encouraged the cubs to find them.  The family seemed aware of Ian’s presence, but so long as he walked no farther toward them they remained happy.  If he advanced by so much as a pace, they retreated into the water.  The last sighting reported to me of this family was in September.

After that no sightings were reported in our vicinity until a week or two before Christmas when a young adult was seen on the Wenning below Hornby.  Elsewhere an otter has been seen descending Cowdber hill (Burrow), most likely making the crossing from Cant Beck to the Blind Cant, or perhaps onward to Leck Beck.

There has been the occasional sighting, and frequent spraints and padding found on the Lune at Arkholme, and interestingly on Beckerthwaite Beck.  In my previous un-reformed otter hunting days it was reckoned that this was the route by which otters crossed from the upper waters of the Keer to the Lune and vice versa.

Downstream on the Lune, there has been a sighting of three otters on the weir opposite the rowing club boathouse. Much padding has been seen in the vicinity of the Hermitage holt – a strong indication that someone may be in residence. It is reported that there have been many sightings under the motorway bridge at junction 34, and one report was of an otter that appeared to be stalking a mallard.  It is also reported spraint has been found in Tarn Brook after a long absence, following the death there of a young female otter. Another report is of a phenomenon I’ve previously not heard of: a well used otter loo, found at the base of a poplar tree on the riverbank.  One thing that has not been reported locally is any road death.

Elsewhere: South of Preston otters have been sighted on the river Lostock in the Cuerden valley and at Croston bridge on the Yarrow; the former being a tributary of the latter.  James Williams, writing from Somerset, tells me that in 2011 they counted forty deaths on the county’s roads.

Many thanks to my informants; your reports are important and greatly appreciated.