Hatchery Donations River Camel

Donating River Camel Fish To The Hatchery Project

Please carry your phone with you and when you catch a fish;

a) Play the fish hard and bring it as quickly as possible to the net

b) Do not use a tailer under any circumstances. They are now illegal, damage the fish and make it very difficult for us to keep the fish healthy until it can be stripped.

c) If you are worming, you must use circle hooks. They do work and don’t damage the fish

d) Unhook the fish with great care and avoid bleeding. If you are worming and the hook has been swallowed, do not offer the fish for the hatchery. We will only take fish where the hook can be seen. If you cannot remove the hook easily, we may be able to remove it under anaesthetic at the hatchery

e) Decide that the fish is suitable for the hatchery. Stale fish are best. We cannot take fresh fish, but we can now take double figure fish.

f) Make sure that the fish is fully recovered by pointing it upstream into a reasonable current. Hold it gently under the belly and at the tail. Try not to “over-handle” the fish. Keep it in the net if possible.

g) If you are able to do so safely, put the fish into a carp sac, pike sac, rocket or other suitable container, and keep it with its head upstream, ensuring that the gill covers are able to open i.e. not being pressed shut by the sac. Put the fish in the sac tail first, tie the sac to make that the fish cannot turn round. Bring the fish to a bay with enough current but not too much and tether the sac to a suitable tree

h) Call the contact numbers in the following order

Jon Evans 01208 812447 or 07732 921015

Mark Bolton 01208 78849 or 07882 477615

Tyson Jackson 01208 831515

i) Tell your contact where you are and arrangements will be made to bring the trailer to you for collection of the fish

j) The trailer with tank and aerator will be kept at Polgeel and Jon (usually) will bring it to the nearest point on the river to where you and the fish are. The fish will be carried to the trailer and then taken to Wainsford

k) If for some reason, it is not possible to contact any one or the trailer is not available, please let the fish go to spawn naturally

l) A fish movement form will be filled in by Jon and sent to the Environment Agency where records of all fish taken will be held. The form has information about the size and sex of the fish, how it was caught and where it came from and where it is going to.