Eel Trap results 2012

1 eel 85mm today, nothing else in trap.

Tiny and inconsequential, till you think it's swum from Mexico to be at Molesey lock

Good news all the same, from Mexico with love

Update from Joe the ZSL lead...

Dear Everyone,
I’ve been in touch with most of you pretty recently about eel related things but I thought I’d give you a quick update on the project. I’d be grateful if you could forward this to your teams of volunteers please?

The torrents of rain have disrupted monitoring at a few sites . Those of you with in-stream traps have certainly had plenty of opportunities to fine tune your trap repair techniques! So far we are recording elvers on the River Medway, Darent, Roding, Lee, Wandle and The Thames at Molesey weir.

Its early days and not possible, at this stage, to make any meaningful comparisons to previous years. Top prize for most unusual catch of the season so far goes to the Medway, they pulled up the trap a few weeks ago to see seven Sea Lamprey in it.

Some of the most important findings from the project come when we don’t catch elvers at all and certainly at 2 sites where we are yet to record eels we are gathering very important evidence with which to work with the Environment Agency to improve eel passage downstream.

We have already had a few volunteers joining ZSL staff on their ‘eel run’, which they do every week on a Tuesday and Friday. The trip starts at 9am at London zoo and finishes at approximately 3pm and includes traps on the Roding, Darent, Wandle and the Mole. If anybody would like to join the run you would be most welcome. Send me a couple of suggested dates, avoiding the Olympics, and I’ll book you onto the ZSL wagon.
Late June, July and early August are typically the busiest period for the elver migration so if you are yet to see an eel, it all might still happen.

For more news on the programme keep checking our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ZSLMarineAndFreshwaterConservation

Thank you all very much for your continued efforts.
Best wishes

David Harvey wrote:

Late June, July and early August are typically the busiest period for the elver migration

Have been wondering when busiest time is. Good news that we could see many more in the coming weeks.

Getting busier now Steve.

Checked the trap mid afternoon and found 13 ranging from 110mm to 195mm, remarkable. Then was showing the lockies what was in the bucket, an Eel of around 350mm came up and into the trap, bizzare.

Pics as below, note the big one has some sort of damage or possibly a fungus, have sent the pics to Joe.

Sizes

110
130 x2
140
145
155
160
180
185
195
350

Who can do Sunday folks

Me and Michael can check trap on Sunday and we will return the life jacket at the same time.

Lovely sir

Checked the trap a bow locks several times and only had one native crab

Myself and Mike checked the eel trap at four o'clock today and it was empty.We gave it a good clean out and i returned the life jacket to the eel trap moitoring box,the one we borrowed on Saturday,
Colin / Mike

Nice one Colin. You and Mike have been a real asset to the club lately with all your efforts on the eel survey and the riverfly work.

Excellent work people.


Richard

Is anyone around to check the trap this weekend, if not I can do tomorrow.

The Jack and me can do it, but can you give us a lifted as we awill go fishing a hampton court afterwoods for the afternoon, then get bus back

cheers


keith

ps

hoperly, we will catch lots of bream and have a nice smally landing net on the bus,

Keith Collett wrote:

hoperly, we will catch lots of bream and have a nice smally landing net on the bus,

yep mine stinks from last night will the bream.
its been on the washing line all day..
good luck

David Harvey wrote:

Is anyone around to check the trap this weekend, if not I can do tomorrow.

No problem for me to do it on Sunday - I'm working there!

Mikes away this weekend so I can do with my wife if you want, let me know.

Michael and I are free to check the eel trap this weekend 7th 8th July, please confirm if Ok for us to, thanks.

No Eels last Thursday or Sunday, well sort of.

The trap, as Colin found out early on, may not exactly suit the recording of very small Elvers due to the mesh size. Last Wednesday the EA lead on the project found 3 'pigmented' Elvers in the trap but were getting through the mesh cage, when I checked it Thursday they were gone.

Investigations today have concluded that the trap needs replacing and Fishtek have agreed to do this, I am not sure at who's cost, though maybe a design fault. It is only the start of a long term program, and hiccups will always occur and lessons learnt, good lessons.

No change in what we do, the bigger ones are still there and Joe recorded four today

Even better given all our hard work, there are two new traps for next year that may come our way, one on the Mole and one on the Wey, early days yet but said we will like first refusal on the monitoring. It may suit you chaps who are close by.


Edit: Colin yes please mate, Sunday if pos

Ok we will do Sunday

Colin Arbon wrote:

Michael and I are free to check the eel trap this weekend 7th 8th July, please confirm if Ok for us to, thanks.

Wife & I have just arranged to meet up with some friends in Hampton tomorrow so very happy to check the trap on the way, save anyone making a special journey.

Ok Paul, look forward to hearing results.

Hi paul
I believe you couldn't locate the key today,me and Mike can take a trip tomorrow,what was the river level like?
Colin

The key should be on the red tag in the cabinet, if not Joe P may have it as was down on Tuesady, let's us know Col.

Cheers

neither of the 2 lock keepers on duty whilst I was there were able to find the key & they looked through the cabinet a couple of times.

Nothing visible in the trap from looking under the lid, even when swiping the net around, which added to the decent flows I think means a trip this weekend is probably not necessary on fish welfare grounds.

Checked today and the key was there so should be fine, its got a red plastic fob with eel trap written on it.

The EA were down this morning and checked it and found 24 ranging from 112mm to 422mm, remarkable. I went down this afternoon not knowing it had been checked and found another 8.

Need to step up the checks now to 3 a week if we can. Is anyone around daytimes and can get down there?