Eel Trap Results 2015 !

Blimey, training day yesterday and guess what an early wrigglers



Not sure how long lol

So we being, next Saturday will be the first official check

After Joe dropped it on the floor and Matthew managed to wrestle it into the measuring bag. It had lost some weight, but it came in at 120 millimeters. Great morning had by us nice to see everyone again. X

Has been entered on ZSL database

WILL trot on down tomorrow, and give it a good looking at,

Nice skills mate as ever

Did you manage to get down, any joy ?

went today,   nil  eels

Has been entered on ZSL database

Anyone going tomorrow morning?

eye will pop down sunday

OK sunday should be better for us too, what time

1100ISH

WONT b going, raining, getting old, plus thwedne river track will be to muddy for me bike, next time free will be wednesday, off to dorking fishing

Zero eels found today

Has been entered on ZSL database

The larger of the two siphons has stopped, needs re-priming, but still plenty of flow anyhow.
The nice channel we had made in the gravel at the foot of the pass had all "silted up" with sand so we made some improvements...

Nice baffles Ed. Hopefully that'll slow the flow and drop all the suspended bits away from the outlet. Couldn't get down this weekend as I had to dig my driveway up and re-lay some slabs. Should be good for next week though.

Gonna try to pop down Saturday 10.30-11

Went down with Nicola this morning for a peep. 1 crab 0 eels and some silty stuff. Had a bit of a clean up. Very low above the weir so only the blue pipe making it flow. Need to re prime the green affair but that requires some mangeneering prowess which the pair of us were lacking.

Has been entered on ZSL database

if no wind, rain, not to cold, cloudy, sun is out, will pop down tomorrow morning, thats Tuesday

I am intending to construct a hand pump that should be able to prime the syphon without fiddling around or having to drink river water.  
It should be something like this but not quite as slick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaho7JSVS1I
I have a few bits of pipe already;
These are the cheapest valves I can find & should be sufficient to do the job.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/non-return-shower-check-valve-mm/71542

That said, for the price of 2 of those valves I could just buy this, it is probably rubbish but if sufficient to do the job, a lot less hassle. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360884256024

I'm fairly sure I have a pump that can be put on a cordless drill. Dunno how big the outlet bore is probably only 15 millimeters so may not be any good, but I'll look for it and see.

I ordered the crappy pump thing, once we've figured out how to connect & use it I'll leave it in the eel gear box at the lock so whoever is down there will always be able to prime the syphon.

Nice one. I found the drill pump thing but it is worse than useless.

Pump thing has arrived, it's cheap but OK, will probably do the job with a some pipe adapters.
I'm doing riverfly with Trevor on Saturday morning though so can't get along until the afternoon, or maybe Sunday.

From Joe Pecorelli

Hello Everyone,

So far it’s been an unusual eel year - is there ever a usual year I hear you ask! A brief scan of the data on www.zsl.org/eeldata shows that we started trapping earlier than previous years at a number of sites but the numbers aren’t picking up as they have in the past. Yesterday I was told by EA guys over on the Severn that the incoming glass eel migration on that side of the country has been much reduced this year, which is an indication of what we can expect in the Thames region.

I’d like to extend an invitation to any of your eel volunteers (please forward this message) who might like to learn more about the eel monitoring programme and join ZSL staff when they visit the 4 traps we monitor. It’s a full day out involving a 9am start at ZSL, London Zoo and a trip to the Rivers Roding, Darent and Mole. The sites are checked on a Tuesday and Friday each week . We can only have one extra person at a time but there are plenty of dates available.

Anyone who would like to join the trip can drop me an e-mail and I’ll put them in touch with the organisers.

Thanks very much to you all.

Best wishes, Joe

Joe Pecorelli
UK & Europe Conservation Programme
Zoological Society of London
Regent's Park
London
NW1 4RY
Email: joe.pecorelli@zsl.org

THE EEL KING STRICKS AGAIN


6 EELS, HAVE TO SAY THAT AGAIN        6 EELS

Has been entered on ZSL database








plus 3 crabs, who went to the crab heven    

Excellent news, we are off and running

Just got back from Molesey, after a bit of fiddling we re-started the main syphon using the new hand pump.  It took quite a bit of hard pumping but it worked after a bit of trial and error.  We didn't leave the pump there as more adaptation is needed to improve the connections.  The trick though is to pump water up from the lower end, and have someone hold the top end just under the water,  that way all the air gets fully flushed out.  All flowing nicely now.

As a bonus, 2 eels, 1x 80mm, 1x 90mm.
Plus one late mitten crab.

Have been entered on ZSL database

STILL THE ELVER AND CRAB KING        
2 more elvers and 4 crabs gone to crab heven

Have been entered on ZSL database