The Environment Agency has this week made a 3,000 fish injection into the upper River Ouse and its tributary the lesser known River Ouzel at Milton Keynes. The stocking comes on the back of a massive depletion of barbel in the upper river Ouse in recent years which was once home to more giant barbel than any other river in history.
The Ouse saw more than 600 barbel introduced into four sections, including the previous record-holding beat at Adams Mill, as well as at Turvey, Harrold and Odell. This 2011 stocking comes on the back of a smaller barbel introduction last year; fish which have subsequently shown in angler’s catches.
All of this week’s fish were just over a year old, four to eight inches long, and were reared on the Agency’s Nottinghamshire Calverton Fish Farm. EA fishery staff have carried out spawning site and habitat improvements on the Ouse for more than two years and it is hoped the newcomers will thrive and multiply.
The River Ouzel received 500 young barbel as part of the same consignment with 200 introduced near Orchard Mill and 300 in the section adjacent to the Open University.
Sadly, as far as anglers are concerned, the reason behind the loss of the most famous barbel fishery of all time remains un-tackled and unless something changes the chances are that most of this current crop of barbel will end up as otter fodder long before they reach the heady weights of their predecessors.
