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HABITAT

Varied depths make for more interesting fisheries and better habitats for fish and other wildlife. Islands and peninsulas add variety, provide shallows for weed growth and increase bank length for the creation of interesting swims. Artificial floating islands can provide cover for fish and nesting sites for water birds. For the health and welfare of the fish, some provision should be made to allow spawning, regardless of the need for natural recruitment.

Deeper water is necessary to provide sanctuary for fish in hot or cold weather. If possible, create a deep even-bedded area that will allow easy netting of excess fish stocks when water levels are lowered for management work.

Too many tree leaves or decaying aquatic plants or inputs from inlet streams can soon silt up a small pond or lake. This can result in shallow water and encourage algal blooms and low dissolved oxygen conditions in summer or when covered with ice. Consider de-silting where these problems occur but take professional advice before embarking on an expensive project. When designing new stillwaters make sure that silt inputs are minimised.

Provide

• Fixed pegs at a minimum of 10m intervals, with paths set back from the water’s edge to allow marginal plants to grow and provide some cover.
• Trees and bushes for overhanging cover.
• Some water area of 2 metres deep or more.
• Silt traps and buffer zones to minimise silt and nutrient inputs.
• Spawning substrate - submerged and emergent plants and tree roots provide good spawning substrate for most stillwater species. If natural substrate is not available, artificial spawning substrate, such as bundles of twigs, should be placed in shallow margins at spawning time.
• Shallow (30-60cm) non-fished areas with emergent/submergent plants where the water will warm up quickly and shelter should be provided.

Some natural food will be present in all stillwaters, but it is important to understand that in intensively stocked waters, the natural food will be quickly depleted. Supplementary feeding, primarily anglers’ bait and loose-feed, will therefore be needed to sustain a high level of fish stock. In intensively stocked waters, anglers’ bait may provide the main food source.

• Provide marginal or submerged aquatic plants to provide a natural larder.
• Encourage the use of a wide range of baits to provide a varied diet.
• Guard against overfeeding with loose feed/ground bait; introduce restrictions on quantity if necessary.
• Ensure that fish receive supplementary feed when the water temperature is above 10 deg. C, and other sources of food, including anglers’ bait, is in short supply.

Legislation enforced by the Environment Agency regulates the species of fish that may be stocked into stillwaters, based on the potential risks to fisheries and the wider environment. Fishery managers should also consider the welfare and ethical issues and should adhere to the following principles:

Open (on-line) waters

• Native stillwater species only.
• No ornamentals or exotics (e.g golden tench, catfish, goldfish).
• Riverine species (chub, barbel, grayling etc) – only if present in the receiving catchment.

Enclosed Waters

• Native species.
• Ornamentals acceptable.
• Riverine species (chub, barbel, grayling etc).

When stocking sensitive or riverine species into stillwaters, fishery owners should adopt the following approach:

• Stock a small number as a trial.
• Monitor capture rates, growth and condition over a period of at least one year.
• Keep records.
• Only continue to stock if it can be demonstrated that the fish have grown and maintained condition.
• Do not stock pike into waters of less than 1 acre or waters that are highly turbid.

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