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Whilst the Upper stretches of the Derbyshire Derwent are the home to game fish such as Trout & Grayling, as the river makes its journey down south towards the confluence with the Trent, the water slows. These slower reaches start to become a home for different species of fish such as Chub, Barbel and other…

Rivers are often surrounded by trees, and naturally, from time to time, larger branches or even whole trees will fall into the river. These days there is a fine balancing act required between maintaining a clear channel to mitigate flood risk and allowing the ‘large woody debris to remain in the river. Why would you…

As the colder weather starts to hit, our indigenous Derbyshire Brown Trout will be starting to pair up and spawn. Trout spawn in the gravel beds of our rivers in areas known as Redds. It’s so important at this time of year that these areas are protected against interference, in fact, it’s actually a criminal…

Some of the Derbyshire rivers are low at the minute, with the very shallow riffles being exposed. The kingfishers are very active, with low water and sunny days providing the ideal opportunity to feed on visible fry in the shallows. For the fish, the Trout will soon be sensing the changing of the seasons and…

It’s been a very strange year on the river. We seemed to go straight from Winter to Summer with very little in the way of spring. Everything seemed to be rather late this year but the wagtails seem happy enough now, hovering above the river feeding on aquatic flies. The fish are becoming shyer, having…

If you know of a better fish pun, let minnow. It’s an old one, but a good one, and a reminder that there are many smaller species of fish in Derbyshire’s rivers that are important. Whilst huge Barbel, Trout & the rare Salmon may take the headlines, there are a number of small species of…

It’s an interesting statistic that we are more likely to get snow at Easter than Christmas. Whilst we are certainly still in Winters grip, on the river bank, and in nature, the first signs of Spring are showing. On the river, we hope that our native brown trout have been left in peace to spawn…

Throughout the country, rivers have faced huge challenges over the last century. From pollution from heavy industry to over-abstraction and other human pressures. In Derbyshire, we are lucky to have the hard-working angling clubs, rivers keepers and others in the angling community who have been stewards of our local rivers for over a century. This…

Whilst the headline-grabbing fish in the Derwent can be its huge barbel in the lower reaches or stunning wild brown Trout in the higher end of the river, the Grayling is one of the most interesting fish that live in the river. The Grayling is a wild and indigenous fish to the UK and was…

As the weather starts to cool and the first frosts of the year spread over the land, the Trout in Derbyshire’s rivers will be getting ready to spawn. Trout spawn by cutting a nest (known as a Redd) into suitable size gravel on the river bed, often in the faster riffles or tails of pools….