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Home News Diary Dates About Membership S&TA Store Issues & Conservation Access Conservation Consultation Responses Cormorants & Predation EA Policy Papers E&T Committee Fly Life Invasive Species Power lines Marine & Migratory Species Right to Fish New Briefing Papers on Environmental Issues Sheep Dip Stillwaters Trout & Grayling Unity Water Resources Archive Events Branches Scotland Learning to Fish Becoming a Coach Where to Fish Links Contact Sitemap	Salmon and Trout Association: Fly Life   The Importance of Fly Life   Fly Life Decline   Millennium Fly Life Abundance Study   S&TA National River Fly Life Survey   Fly Life Workshops Fly Life Papers and Gamefisher Articles S&TA Spring 2007 Gamefisher - Fly Climate Proof S&TA Spring 2007 Gamefisher - Fly Abundance Survey S&TA Autumn 2006 Gamefisher - Supporting Branch Water Resource Officers and Flylife Surveys S&TA Autumn 2006 Gamefisher - Two Important Flylife Surveys S&TA Autumn 2006 Gamefisher - Flylife Report Durance and Ormerod Global Change Biology The Riverflies: Mayflies - Gamefisher Autumn 2005 Angler Led Flylife Monitoring Initiative - Gamefisher Autumn 2005 The Importance Of Fly Life "At it's simplest there are three ingredients in fly fishing: The Fish The Fisherman The Fly Flies, aquatic or landborne, in larval nymph or final form are the essentials to tempt the fish." There are flies that are widely distributed throughout the land and others found only on a local basis. This variation has enchanted entymologists, fly tiers and anglers through the centuries. Healthy fly life provides charm in our sport, and effect in ensuring survival of insect species is vital." Fly Life Decline Peter Hayes Hypothosises on possible reasons for the Fly Life Decline The possible causes for the decline in aquatic fly life are many and varied. Some of them work together or sequentially to reinforce their effects. Climate Change Increased long dry periods with serious storm events which results in greater variations in river flows. Floods scouring the weeds and gravel are detriment to fly eggs. General temperature increase may be limiting the success of certain species. While this reason is favoured by the EA, it also gets them off the hook, and can’t be the only reason why people don’t need Holt’s BUG SHIFTER in their car anymore. Pollution Point source pollution from agricultural change with climate change and diffuse pollution from soil siltation and grime that run off into the aquatic environment. Invertebrates and their habitats suffer. Chemicals may be interfering with the ability of fly eggs to stick to stones and weeds. Abstraction Dries up tributaries and concentrates pollution, as well as loss of flow and velocity, loss of weed, loss of maginal habitat and increased algal blooms. Predation By swans and ducks, small birds, crayfish, and trout stocked to excess Fishery Managers and Keepers Weed can be over-cut and lost; in-river margins cleared, bankside and overhanging vegetation is cut leaving nowhere for the dun to shelter, metamorphose, or crawl down stalks and leaves into the water to lay eggs. When Tree and shrub clearnance to enable backcast removes fly shelter from wind and rain, and can destroy whole populations of certain sedge species. When trout are stocked to excessive levels, a disproportionate effect upon fly at is vulnerable stages. What Can We Do To Reverse the Trend? We can start with reversing the fishery management practices that are bad for fly. To read Paul Knight's Gamefisher article on what is happening to our Fly Life click here Millennium Fly Life Abundance Study The Millennium Fly Life Abundance Study uses anglers’ personal recollections and records, to measure either improvement or degradation in local fly life. The 2003 Questionnaire covered the years from 1950 through to 2001. Anglers from across the UK completed it. This year’s questionnaire (to be distributed after the end of the trout season) will continue on from the Millennium Fly Abundance Study and cover 2002, 2003 and 2004. From then on the survey will be sent out on a yearly basis, and each single year will be covered at the season’s end. S&TA member, Mr Brian Dunn explains why he took the time to complete the Fly Life Questionnaire, “It is absolutely vital for anglers to share their knowledge of fly life. No one else knows the rivers and cares for the rivers like anglers. I urge other anglers to complete the Fly Life Questionnaire—it’s easier than it looks.” “The decline in fly life on the rivers is a wake up call. It is quite frightening as fly life is near the base of the food chain. Nymphs and flies provide food for fish, birds, and other aquatic life. We need to support this kind of scientific research as it is part of what is needed to ensure the countryside gets the care and attention it deserves.” The original fly life survey conducted by the Wiltshire Fishery Association and the Environment Agency reported a serious decline in fly life abundance in the Wessex chalkstreams over the past 20 years. This UK wide fly life questionnaire follows the same methodology as the previous survey and the data is analysed by the same experts in the same way to ensure consistency. If the fly life in the UK rivers, outside of the southern chalkstreams is declining, then the S&TA will call on Government to develop and implement a course of action to reverse this disturbing trend and bring our rivers back to health – as we are doing for the Wessex chalkstreams. Each questionnaire filled out is important. As Study Coordinator, Peter Hayes explains, "It is better to have 10 questionnaires completed for one stretch of a river, than 1 questionnaire, as greater numbers help provide a more complete picture. Even if they are only filled in for fly in general and not for individual species, they still provide vital information – so you don’t have to be an expert to fill one in!” S&TA Fly Life - S&TA National River Fly Life Survey: Sponsored by the S&TA Trust To read further details about the S&TA Trust Project follow these links: 1950's to 2001 survey results 2002 - 2004 survey form 2005 Survey form 2006 Survey form 2007 Survey form The survey will continue each year following the same format. So please share your knowledge, and complete a survey form. Fly Life Workshops What goes on at the Riverfly Identification and Survey Workshops? By Craig Macadam, Ephemeroptera Recording Scheme At these workshops, anglers, the natural custodians of the river environment, learn to monitor and survey aquatic habitats, by recording the natural insects that they aim to imitate with artificial flies. The workshop objectives are that participants act as catalysts, conveying the message that anglers can do valuable work monitoring their rivers, and feeding back data to the national recording schemes. The S&TA-led flylife survey contributes to the national recording scheme. The resulting long-term data on the distribution and abundance of riverflies is critical to driving an effective conservation initiative. Who are the instructors? An expert team comprising the national recording officers for Ephemeroptera (mayflies or up-winged flies), Trichoptera (caddis flies or sedges) and Plecoptera (stoneflies), specialists from the Natural History Museum and The John Spedan Lewis Trust for the Advancement of Natural Science For workshop information see www.riverflies.org or contact The Riverfly Partnership via email info@riverflies.org.
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