Wheelie bin helps trapped fish negotiate Sidmouth river weir

THIS Saturday, October 23, sees the next fish rescue at Sidmouth’s Toll House weir in The Byes.

At a recent rescue, Mike Flynn, river warden for Sid Vale Association, working with the Environment Agency, circled his net through the waters below the weir to trap any fish waiting in the deep waters under the shadow of an overhanging willow.

The weir is too high for almost all fish to jump up, so they are trapped and quickly transported in a wheelie bin 30 yards up river and released to continue their journey upstream to excellent breeding grounds.

This year their efforts were rewarded with the trapping of a good sized brown sea trout (pictured).

SVA would like to build a fish ladder so that human intervention would no longer be needed, as this inevitably causes some stress to the fish.

*Saturday’s fish rescue will take place, weather permitting, at 1 pm by Toll House weir.