There has actually been many benefits to us anglers thanks to Europe – lots of improvements have been thanks to various European Directives and our improving water quality across our rivers is fantastic for trout and salmon.
However in collaboration with Yorkshire Water I am able to reveal some exciting news about the Little River Don also known as the Porter which is a tributary of the River Don in South Yorkshire. It arises on the Langsett Moors in the northern Peak District, the Little Don River feeds the Langsett and Underbank reservoirs. It runs through the town of Stocksbridge before joining the River Don. I have fished the River Don a few times and it is a great river that it looks like may improve even more thanks to Yorkshire Water.
Yorkshire Water, you see, are funding three fish passes which will open up spawning habitat for trout, salmon and grayling. The investment into the new fish passes also contributes to the Don Catchment River Trusts ‘Salmon to Sheffield’ project, which aims to return salmon to Sheffield for the first time in 200 years. I hope that there will be some keen and budding urban angler in Sheffield right now who is starting to gear up at the prospect of Salmon returning to the city. In the 18th century the Don was considered one of the finest salmon rivers in England. Salmon were once so common in the River Don in Yorkshire that they formed a staple part of the local diet. However, the harnessing of the river to drive the Industrial Revolution in Yorkshire, and the increased pollution from industry in the 19th and 20th centuries made the river uninhabitable for most wildlife.
Over the last 20 years, water pollution has been reduced. However this rich local heritage is still undervalued, and the river remains fractured by weirs and locks which threatens this recovery.
Sound familiar?
Yes, because it is almost the same as the Kelvin that runs through Glasgow and look how good that is doing – fantastic!
Yorkshire Water is planning to use the opportunity of opening the fish passes to educate the general public about the importance of fish migration and maintaining and improving the environment in which we live.
You can read more over at Yorkshire Water
Just found your site after returning from glasgow. I spotted what i think was the Kelvin at Bunhouse carpark near where it joins the Clyde. It looks a cracking spot. Didn’t mange any fishing as i had the gamily……Yes The Don is cracking. I live in Stocksbridge and fish the little Don, the don in Sheffield and the Loxley at Hillsborough. All are absolutely cracking. Ive had both brownies and grayling to 1¾ in weight and very rarely blank. Hopefully we’ll see salmon in the next few seasons as the Don runs into the ouse and also does the Yorkshire Ure which is a an established salmon river in its own right…..One of the best things about the Don is that the majority is free fishing as know one really holds any rights. May change if we get the silver tourists though!