In 2013 pollution in the canal devastated fish stocks. To help restore fish numbers, specialist fish contractors MEM Fisheries have transferred fish from Aylesbury Basin and Westbrook Mere in Hemel Hempstead to the Aylesbury Arm near Buckland.
The fish were caught using large nets, placed in special bins filled with clean water and transported by trailer to the canal.
John Ellis, national fisheries and angling manager at the Canal & River Trust, said: “Back in 2013 pollution entered the canal near the village of Buckland killing a vast number of fish and affecting the fishery along a two mile stretch of the canal. Thankfully we have now been able to restock the canal by relocating fish from the canal basin and those donated from the Boxmoor & District Angling Society who kindly provided us with mature roach and bream from their fishing lake.”
Roach and bream
Mike Heylin OBE, secretary to the Boxmoor & District Angling Society, said: “This lake is principally a carp fishery so when we heard that the canal needed some extra fish we offered the Trust and Tring Anglers the opportunity to take some roach and bream as really we had too many in this water. Having too many fish in a small lake can be bad for fish health and growth so we wanted to reduce the numbers whilst also helping to restore stocks in our local canal. By donating these fish also means our carp will flourish and should grow on well now.”
