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. Clubs & River Keepers are often aware of the spawning grounds and will be monitoring them from the bank to check all is well.
It’s so important to leave these spawning grounds alone during the Winter as disturbance could jeopardise thousands of juvenile fish, which are so vital not only for future generations of Trout but also for the river ecosystem as a whole. Such is the case that’s it’s actually a criminal offence to willfully interfere with spawning fish or even a spawning area in the river. It’s in everyone’s interest to protect and encourage a successful and diverse river habitat that benefits not only the fish but the wider habitat on and around the river system.