“Fishy forecast” tool proves a big hit with anglers

2nd PR from the EA for ADV  

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/150390.aspx

21-Oct-2013
The Environment Agency’s new internet tool for anglers who fish along parts of the River Thames, Wey and Kennet has hit over 1500 users.

‘Angling Data View’ was launched in July and has already exceeded expectations in the number of people using the website.
The increasingly popular angling internet tool is a simple one page website displaying “live” data from the Environment Agency’s network of river data recorders on the river Thames, Wey and Kennet. The network recorders are located  at Reading (Caversham), Windsor, and Staines (Penton Hook) on The Thames, Reading (Fobney) on The Kennet, and Shalford on The Wey. Keen anglers can click through to the website, which is available as a link from the Environment Agency’s website.

David Harvey, Chairman of the Thames Anglers Conservancy said:
“Since we moved into the cooler months, being able to watch how the river temperature changes has been invaluable. Now with the first real taste of cold I will be watching ADV and am expecting some big movements.
“Over many years we have trudged down to the river and manually taken a reading, now having accurate real time data available on-line is a definite edge”.

Stuart Keable, Environment Agency Fisheries Officer, said:  “We are thrilled that anglers have taken to our new data webpage. We have had a fantastic response from people who use the site to find out details of river temperatures, turbidity and oxygen levels over the last seven days and ahead of venturing out for a catch”.

Fish are cold blooded creatures and very susceptible to changes in water temperature which exerts a strong influence on activity and feeding patterns.  Turbidity, or ‘colour’ can be similarly important to the confidence with which fish feed, and healthy oxygen levels are of course vital to aquatic life in our rivers.

“By giving anglers access to relevant data recorded and displayed in real time we are providing them with a valuable tool to remotely monitor river conditions, with the potential to save wasted journeys, maximise their time on the river, and hopefully catch more fish”.

The project is the result of a collaborative project between the Environment Agency’s fisheries team, it’s national instrumentation team, and The Meteor Data Centre in consultation with anglers from the Thames Valley Angling Association and Thames Anglers Conservancy.
This new angling service uses an existing network of sensors and data recorders that are already in place along the rivers for  monitoring water quality.

The Angling Data View site can be accessed from the Environment Agency website at: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/recreation/fishing/127327.aspx

Looks good and will come in handy, cheers

   

Cheers chaps, great example of EA West Thames fisheries guys knowing what us anglers want