Anyone want to help clear Izaaks river Sow?

[Trogg]

Hi All
As most of you know i live in Stafford & as such my local River is the River Sow (or Sowe as it was in Izaaks day)

I know this is a bit of short notice but i am asking for some help

On Saturday the "friends of riverway" are clearing the river of all the old trolleys & rubbish that is cluttering it at the moment.

If any of you live near Stafford & would like to help (hint hint hint) give me a ring on (0771 2745475) or mail me.

I would also like to borrow a pair of chest waders (size 10 foot n fat git waist ), a boat (not much chance but worth a try) & a grappling hook type set up for dragging the river with.

If any of you have any other stuff you think might be useful then it would be much appreciated.

The area we are clearing is one of the areas where the water vole has managed to make a come back, so you can understand why it needs clearing.

When i rang the chap organising it i introduced myself & told him of my membership of the SACG/SAA & SACN (explaining what they were) he told me i am the only angler that has ever contacted him & more importantly he had no idea we had conservaton groups he does now



Needless to say he was very surprised to find out that anglers have conservation groups.
He was even more surpised when i told him i was going to post this on the internet angling sites to see if i could get anymore help.

So if you do live near me & you fancy helping to clear the same river that Izaak Walton himself fished contact me & we'll sort summat out








Alan
insomnia is nothing to lose sleep over

 

[Dave]

Tee Hee Alan,

(I couldn't resist this)... Don't park the 'bus too close mate, you wouldn't want to walk home would you?

Seriously

, It's good to see anglers getting involved in work parties and clean-ups. At the end of the day a lot of anglers take a clean, accessable water for granted without considering the work that goes into it.


Dave

 

[Trogg]

To True Dave

Unfortunetly very few people turned up today

Good news is My eldest son went down there with me & we shifted a load of trolleys & assorted other Junk.I had to make a drag hook cos we couldn't get one (amazing what you can do with some angle iron, some lengths of chain, a couple of steel rods & a welder init)

The area we cleared is where staffords only water voles live so you can see why it was important to clear it (apart from making it fishable again).

I learnt a lot today & became a member of the friends of riverway.
The local council (being conservation minded as they are) want to build on the area & enclose the banks in steel reinforcements, destroying the water voles habitat

What the group want to do is buy the land & open it up as a park for the public to use & now i've shown them all how most anglers are conservationists they are even thinking bout putting some stages in for anglers to use (save erroding the bankside)

I will of course keep you all posted on our progress (whether you like it or not

)
Phil the originator of the group has applied for charity status so we can apply for grants etc to keep the work going.
Its just a shame more of these groups don't exsist if they did the water ways would be a lot better.

Alan
insomnia is nothing to lose sleep over

Edited by - Trogg on 27 Oct 2001 7:25:37 PM

 

[Peter]

Alan,
further to my post on AN,have just had another thought,(I'll have to watch out,2 in a day might be overdoing it)as it's to do with a river,what are the chances of getting some input/help from the Enviroment Agency.It might be worth contacting them.
All the best,
Peter......

Happiness is a rod in your hand.