Eel Trap Results 2017

Good to see you all last weekend

New post for this years results, stick them down below as before and we can also converse as to who is about.

Tomorrow I am working and next weekend, so whoever is down good luck. Depending on results I may pop in midweek but may not be necessary until we get some numbers up.

Let the Eel tickling begin...  

Going to pop down Saturday morning between 10 & half past. If anyone fancies it.

Had a look today, there was a bullhead but no eels. Both siphons still running well, and flotsam caught up between the trap and the lid, which indicated it had overflowed at some point. I find it hard to believe, but I guess at night when the lock doesn't operate, levels could rise a bit. Any way still waiting for the first one, good luck all.

See you around 10 tomorrow mate if your down.

Going to pop down tomorrow as usual. I will grab some big cable ties and hopefully clean out the bottom chute as probably full of mussels. Hopefully more flow means more eels too. Or one maybe.

Thanks mate, sorry completey forgot about dropping some off this week.

On eariles so drop me a message if you have any numbers to count.

Nicola and I went to the trap this morning, and there was 1 eel at 95 mm. We also cleaned the bottom of the out flow channel there were a couple of hundred mussels and several handfuls of accumulated sand and gravel. All in all a successful morning, plenty of flow on the old river which is nice to see, quite fancied myself with a feeder rod sat in the sunshine having a few. Wont be long now.

Be down tomorrow chaps, see you at 10

Dave Nicola and myself had a look in the trap today. There were 21 eels. 2@80, 3@85, 1@90, 3@95, 7@100, 1@105, 1@120, 1@125, 1@135 and 1@140. We had to re start the big siphon as it had stopped other than that all was in good shape.

Had a phone call from an angling mate, who was net dipping with his kids in the tillingbourne at abinger hammer. They had an eel about 100 mm. This is a long way from the tidal limit of the Thames, I believe Joe mentioned elvers would be likely to travel 15 miles above. Said limit. They are very strange creatures.

Excellent, all ready go for the big eel rush now!
Big tides are happening this weekend, the Old Deer Park is flooded at Richmond, should check more frequently if possible.
May try to get down there this afternoon with Matthew and have another look.

Monday 5pm Matthew & me cycled down and found 6 eels in the trap
1@105
2@120
2@125
1@130
https://goo.gl/photos/GgH2UNzqGm5ha4PC7

Nice one getting down there Ed & Matthew, well and truly off and running now

Big tides means more over the next week

Chaps I can't get down in the morning as have to be elsewhere quite early. Ed, Keith are you around to join Patrick for a brew ? I can get down Sunday.

I am going to check it midweek next as getting to that twice a week time.

Cheers

If all goes to plan I will be there for 10 o clock.

Patrick, Nicola, Matthew & me met at the trap
zero eels today
The green syphon had stopped, and there was a load of sticks and vegetation blocking the top end of the pass. Restarted the syphon, opened up the pass & cleared it out, also a few zebra/quagga mussles building up in there again. Water is flowing through nicely now.
Plenty of fry evident in the water, we ground up some of the mussels from the pass and fed them to the fish.

Thanks guys

We had to start it last weekend as well so can only think the headwater is dropping below the level.

I am coming off nights on Sat am so gonna be asleep by 1000, I will pop down Weds morning and take a look.

Quick check this morning, 2 × 95 1 x 90 1 x 85

And a tiny bullhead

Syphons are doing there thing, well done chaps.

Coming off nights Saturday morning so won't be around.

Cheers

1@70 today with 3 back up bullheads.

8 eels today, 3 bullead, and one large mitten which had just chnged shell and was very active.  It climbed up the side of the trap as I was lifting it out with the clear intention of attacking my hand.
1@75
1@80
1@90
1@95
2@100
1@105
1@115

The syphon had stopped, it was a bit of a job to start it single-handed but developed a new technique - connect the pipe and submerge the whole pump in the trap whilst pumping.
Also had an interesting chat with the chap who contacted us on Facebook about hundreds of elvers going upthe far weir at night.

I am still alive, but now have a full time job, M/F, it killing me,after 14yrs being a fat lazzy get, me bod is in bits, going to take some time to get back into some kind of shape, so will help out were can, just letting you know,

Good on yer.
Look after yourself.

Message from Joe, Monday 19th June:
I was down at Molesey this morning and processed and released the 12 elver that were trapped in the pass down there. Darryl and I were showing some eel scientists from Japan how it all works.

Also, there is a PhD student interested in studying the rate of quagga colonisation in the eel pass- he is planning weekly visits from this Thursday and has permission from the EA to access the pass . I planned to ask him to also check the trap for us during his visits – this will be helpful if the numbers start to come up but, if there is already someone checking it on Thursdays  I can ask him to leave it- let me know?

Information about the quagga research is attached but drop me a line if you need more details

---

Investigating Quagga Mussel Colonisation Rates and Associated Invertebrate Species in Molesey Eel Pass.

Introduction:

In late April 2017, a series of local volunteers led by ZSL’s Joe Pecorelli carried out an annual maintenance check of the Molesey eel pass on behalf of the Environment Agency. Within the bristled drainage channel of the pass, volunteers found a significant colony of invasive freshwater molluscs, - dominated by the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis). This species is a recent arrival to the UK from the Ponto-Caspian region of Ukraine/Russia and was first discovered in the Thames catchment in late 2014 by the Environment Agency. As the subject of my PhD research, I am trying to investigate the ecological and biofouling impacts of the quagga mussel.

Interestingly, the quagga mussel is a close relative of an already more widespread pest species, -the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha). Both have been shown to rapidly colonise freshwater systems where introduced; typically outcompeting native invertebrate fauna and contributing to a large proportion of the biomass on river/lake beds. As particularly robust and fecund, quagga mussels readily form dense colonies on river beds and can quickly biofoul hard surfaces such as concrete and brick.

Given the recent arrival and invasive reputation of the quagga mussel, scientists are highly concerned about its impact on both native ecology and hard-infrastructure features on the River Thames such as weirs, lock gates and water transfer pipes. The colonisation of the eel pass structure at Molesey is a clear indication of the quagga mussel’s biofouling potential and provides a unique circumstance to further study the invasive characteristics of this new species to the UK.

Study Aims:

The aims of this proposed study at Molesey lock are:

(i) To better understand the current colonisation rates of quagga mussel within the Molesey eel pass structure.

(ii) To determine, if any, which other invertebrate species may be associated with quagga mussel
colonisation in the Molesey eel pass structure.

Methodology:

At the start of the study, the Molesey eel pass’ drainage channel will be fully cleaned by myself and a volunteer student from Kings College London. All quagga mussel, silty debris and other invertebrates will be removed from within the bristle sections, providing a ‘blank slate’ for the study.

Following this procedure and for a period of one year, I will visit and examine the eel pass on the 2nd day of each month to assess whether any new quagga mussel have colonised the drainage channels.

The roofing of the eel pass channel will be carefully lifted, and all Quagga mussel individuals inside the bristle sections will be counted.

In addition to counting all quagga mussels present, I will use a small brush to take a sub-sample of the invertebrate and algal community also colonising the drainage channel, if any. This will determine, over time, what other invertebrate and algal species can colonise the eel pass drainage channel. Also, it will permit an assessment of how these communities might shift with changing densities of quagga mussel, as my monthly visits go on.

The above procedure will also ideally be undertaken at a nearby eel pass known to not currently contain quagga mussel populations. Upon inspection with ZSL’s Joe Pecorelli on 26th May 2016, Teddington Lock’s eel pass appears to be an excellent candidate for this ‘control’ site as a suitable comparison to the pass at Molesey Lock.

Results Publication:

Following the completion of the study, one year after the start date, a report will be produced to describe the findings of the work. This will be gladly circulated to any interested parties.

Just another useless 'study'. There is a solution developed called the Biopill which is a pill
made up like the food the Quagga mussel eats. It goes into the stomach and the outer layer is dissolved
and releases salt which kills the mussel.
Would not it be better to try this out at your sites and see the effect this has in eradicating
this evasive species.