A brief update on key news and some activities that have been taking place around our system in recent weeks.

Voluntary River Endrick Work Group – Sunday 30th August 2020

Following a recent suggestion by Kevin McCormick and several of our Endrick anglers a small ‘voluntary work group‘ of six like minded Endrick anglers successfully and safely made some significant improvements to an agreed stretch of the upper Endrick on Sunday 30th August. This followed communication and support from your committee in order to allow them to fully understand the scope, nature and location of the proposed work and to ensure any landowners were consulted.

This work comprised of improving bank accessibility and carefully trimming some of the very low overhanging tree branches. The small voluntary work party consisted of K. McCormick, L. McCormick, L. Taylor, C. Turner, P. Webster and C. Liddell. Covering and area from ‘Coolies Lyn‘ and using a rule of thumb of 1m above high water surface height the team worked upstream ‘sympathetically’ removing low overhanging branches that were significantly inhibiting angling coverage of the main pools and runs. The team worked an area from Coolies upstream through Wee Netherton and finished at Netherton itself.

By the end of the session the end result was clear  and unanimously agreed to have been a very worthwhile investment by each member of the team who were enthusiastic about the amount of work achieved and the opportunity to now access and fish the stretches in the coming weeks following this ‘makeover’. They were also keen to discuss and agree other areas of the river that would benefit from further such voluntary work sessions.

As an unexpected added spin-off benefit then members learned first hand from Kevin McCormick and some of the other experienced Endrick anglers about the various ‘lies’, pools, boulders that made those areas of fish holding value or in many cases understanding new lies and how they may be best fished.

Endrick Voluntary Work Group (from the left; LTaylor, L McCormick, K McCormick, P Webster) missing from photo C Turner and C Liddell.

This voluntary effort and commitment is exactly the spirit  that we would like to promote and encourage going forwards not only concerning the River Endrick but for the River Fruin as well as further work of this nature on the River Leven where volunteers already have work planned once water levels permit.

To this end we would welcome hearing from any other members who may be interested in forming any similar work groups to undertake similar work on the River Fruin and River Leven as this is something we would wish to encourage and support. If you would like to propose and discuss any such future voluntary work then contact us at reports@lochlomondangling.com

 As per the information on membership cards and permits members cannot take things into their own hands regarding riverside maintenance. Apart from the LLAIA owned stretches of land on the River Endrick, the river banks, riverbed and trees etc all belong to other people, companies, Council and the LLAIA need those persons approval and agreement concerning what work can and cannot be done. 

We definitely welcome and are supportive of all such voluntary work with the prerequisite that the committee are always engaged and that they are given adequate notice of such proposed voluntary work in order to ensure that the scope and nature of any work is considered in relation to health and safety, Covid-19 guidance and compliance and that any landowners consent or notice can be sought. 

Bailiff Team get to grips with clearing huge tree at Cowdenmill

Following the recent spates and subsequent subsidence then our Bailiff team have been busy trying prioritise and remove some of the resulting trees that have become lodged in parts our river systems that are within our scope and responsibility. We believe that we are aware of all such trees or major obstacles currently across the system. Priority is given to those trees or obstacles that may be blocking or significantly fish passage and many such obstacles may also require landowner support or direct involvement in the removal of such trees.

One such priority was a large tree structure that had become lodged within the Cowdenmill pool. Using the resources available to them then our Bailiff team managed to safely reduce the mass of the tree in this instance. The removal of the remaining part of the tree however was beyond the safe winching capability of their equipment due to the size and depth of water involved. Arrangements were then made with the local landowner involving the use of a tractor to finish this job.

The original tree structure within Cowdenmill

The reduced tree structure awaiting tractor removal

Following last week’s last spate however then this root structure has unfortunately been dislodged and swept downstream before the removal of the remaining part of the tree could be completed. So whilst we are grateful for the considerable effort that our Bailiff team has expended in tacking this obstacle then we will need to establish the new location of this tree remnant and then once more assess and prioritise any action required.

I am sure that we appreciate and would wish to recognise this ongoing effort and persistence by our Team in surveying and prioritising such works.