The Hatchery Project: has been a great success this year with about 33,000 swim-up fry  stocked out in selected sites in the headwaters during late March. The association were able to trap their broodstock from the fish pass at Monkokehampton Weir with relative ease at the end of November and by mid-December all five hens had been stripped and the eggs fertilised. The alevin started to hatch at the end of January and have grown on steadily with very limited mortality. The weather has helped: it has been a colder winter than average with the water temperature only once going above 10C.

Many thanks to Alex Rowson who kindly sent the images below showing the transfer of swim up fry from Torridge Hatchery to a tributary of the River Torridge.

Looking back through my many images I discovered to my amazement that the hatchery has now been running since at least 2008. It is still very difficult to assess its success but it has given hope to Torridge River Association and as each salmon is so valuable it is likely that it has helped the river cling on to its dwindling salmon population. The project works in line with other efforts to protect and enhance the complex river environment.

Since posting this I have spoken with Paul Carter who informed me that next years is the hatcheries 20th season and an average of 30,000 swim up fry have been into the Torridge system a total of 600000. This has surely helped the salmon maintain a foothold in the river.