Thursday 20th June was the first chance I had to fish my beloved river this season but I found her far from well. A few years ago after the dry spell we had been through at the beginning of June the river would have been crystal clear but the water was very coloured. This was an unhealthy colour not the natural, nutrient rich brown of flood water but a greyish brown. This is, I believe a result of the increase in boat traffic on the Kennet and Avon canal and is made worse by the low levels in both the river and the canal. The canal is not so deep due to low river levels and the propellers of the barges are closer to the bottom and are stirring up more silt, as the river and canal flow in the same course for part of their length this silt ends up in the river.
Let us not forget that the river Kennet is a chalk stream and that is why it is such a wonderful environment for all nature. If you take the clear water away from this equation then the environment suffers. Something must be done to stop a small minority who want to spend their time boating from ruining a whole ecosystem.
On the plus side there seems to be more streamer weed than in previous years apparently due to some planting this winter but how long will this last in such coloured water. Plants need light to prosper, insects need plants, fish need insects, the whole ecosystem hinges on photosynthesis and the canal boats are stealing the light from our river.
I started the day trotting with hemp on the hook to sharpen my rusty reflexes and was soon catching average sized dace. The Bait Warehouse I mentioned previously sold me some giant hemp, this stuff is as big as tares and makes ideal hook bait. I later switched to casters and caught more dace and some roach to half a pound, no barbel though.
It was wonderful to be back on the river but that discolouration is worrying.
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