Thames anglers rejoice!

[Kappa]

Is that definitely a silver bream, looks like it could be a hybrid?

 

I was wondering the same thing. Looks a little too bronze Bream or roachy to me...

 

Hope they are silver Bream it would be very exciting!

 

Vagabond? Mr Plumb?

 

Rich

[Mark Wintle]

When I researched my roach book I did a lot of research into hybrids. Many people have problems with identifying silver bream. You often see reports of 'hybrids' on the Trent and Bristol Avon yet both waters have loads of silver bream rather than roach x bream which are rare in those rivers. I've had many thousands of silver bream from many waters (including the Thames, Trent, Nene, Bristol Avon and Stour) but also catch hybrids regularly on local still waters. The lateral line counts and anal fin ray counts are different for roach x bream, silver bream and bronze bream yet they all look similar at a glance. The eye on a silver bream is very large and near the snout.

 

This fish is definitely a true silver bream as were the other two I caught.

 

Here's a roach x bream from the same water.

 

I'm still working on the other fish I caught yesterday; on the face of it a small bream but something is not right about it and the water does have the odd silver bream x bronze bream.

[Anderoo]

I'm really pleased about the silver bream, I thought they were now very rare and confined to a handful of waters (maybe they are, but the Thames is one of them?). I should scale the chub gear down next time and go for a mixed bag, I don't think I've ever caught a genuine silver bream before

 

PS flow and level dropping even more this morning... looks like all the water is just running off

[Leon Roskilly]

 

If the river keeps its flow ...

 

 

Thames Water said that despite recent rainfall, flows in many tributaries of the River Thames were still well below average, as are levels in the underground aquifers.

 

 

The Angling Trust is backing the operation and emphasised that the welcome rainfall in the past couple of weeks was not sufficient to stave off possible drought.

 

Mark Lloyd, the trust’s chief executive, said low rivers could have a detrimental effect on fish and other wildlife.

 

“A lack of flow concentrates pollutants, increases temperatures, decreases oxygen levels, clogs up gravels with silt and reduces the available habitat for invertebrates and fish,” he said.

 

“We hope that people will do their bit and leave as much water as possible where it belongs – in our wonderful rivers.”

 

 

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2106373_...ht_threat_looms

Edited January 13, 2012 by Leon Roskilly

[Anderoo]

Flow now almost gone again, and levels back to being very low...

[Steve Walker]

I could leave all my taps running if you like - trouble is, what it gives to the Thames, it takes from the Kennet