Page 45 - Anglian angling on the broads

44 Environment Agency Angle on the Broads Environment Agency Angle on the Broads 45

Environment Agency What’s down there?

staff profile Fishery surveys

For the angler, one of the most exciting aspects of fishing a large river or Broad is
Mike Holbrook
Environment Agency never quite knowing what’s down there! But when it comes to managing fisheries, this
Water Bailiff can also be one of the most difficult aspects. This article should help to explain a little
about why we need to know and how we go about finding out.

Mike Holbrook joined the
Environment Agency’s predecessor,
the National Rivers Authority in 1991 Why we need to know and in the future. Now you can see rings on a tree. By carefully counting
following 28 years service in the how important knowing what’s down the number of these annuli we can
Metropolitan Police Force. During The presence of a healthy, thriving there is when it comes to managing tell how old the fish is. By measuring
this time he served in both central fish population is vital for angling the Norfolk Broads and its fisheries. the distance between the rings we
and outer London, his last few years in the Broads. Fish also play an can also estimate the length of the
patrolling the M11 and M25. important role in the ecology of How we find out fish when it was younger. The gaps
the Broadland waterways. So an between the annuli can tell us how
After this busy and demanding time, understanding of the current state of More often than not, finding out fast the fish has grown throughout its
Mike moved to Norfolk with his the fish stocks can not only help us about fish populations means we life, highlighting particularly good or
family, looking for a change and to to ensure good fishing, but also to have to get out there and catch bad years for particular species.
work in the nature or conservation maintain and improve the health of fish. For example, we can study the
field. Despite promising his wife that the water and its wildlife. Fisheries age and growth rate of a fish by Fisheries surveys on the Broads are
he would have a break from work for surveys may also enable us to detect measuring its length and carefully typically carried out in late summer,
a few months, he very soon saw an changes in fish populations, which removing a scale sample. The scales from July to September. We also
advertisement in the local press for may affect the quality of angling now contain rings, or annuli, similar to the conduct surveys later in the year to
a water bailiff. He duly applied and assess which habitats fish prefer
has always considered himself very during the winter. We use a number
fortunate in his appointment. of different methods to sample fish
Mike Holbrook at work populations on the Broads.
Bailiffing work has changed little
from his initial National Rivers Seine netting is used to sample
Authority days and he was taught the “I pay my licence fee, why shouldn’t roles. He always says there is nothing fish in open water. This technique
ropes by some real old characters. everyone?” quite like walking a riverbank or involves setting a 100m seine net
The work is always different and using one of these boats early on with a ‘cod end’ into the water in a
varied and, most importantly to Although based at the Ipswich office, a sunny morning. horseshoe shape. Once set, the net
Mike, outdoors. Mike’s patch stretches from central is slowly drawn in and the fish within
Norwich to Great Yarmouth and it are captured and recorded.
Over his years with the Environment from West Somerton to the Waveney
Agency Mike has built up a friendly valley, including several Broads and Electric fishing is used to sample
rapport with many anglers who fish private fisheries. the edges or margins of the Broads
in his patch. He is a great believer and enables us to effectively catch
in speaking to and treating people In more recent years, Mike has been fish in amongst reeds, branches and
as he would wish to be spoken to involved in showing new bailiffs the other vegetation. The equipment
or treated. ropes. He holds a Royal Yachting is set up in a small boat, powered
Association Level 2 certificate, by a generator. Specially trained
Only a part of the job involves entitling him to skipper some of the fisheries officers immerse hand-held
checking rod licences but Mike Environment Agency’s inland craft electrodes in the water and fish are
wholeheartedly supports a phrase that are regularly used in a variety of Checking the condition of a Trinity Broads pike drawn by the electric field towards
used by many regular anglers,