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RAFTS Challenge 2011, 27-28 May, Wester Ross

Posted: Friday 4 February, 2011 @ 12:04:47

Amidst the Gairloch Hills

In May 2008, the Tweed Foundation hosted the inaugural RAFTS challenge trophy following a workshop in Melrose. As recipients of the trophy, Wester Ross Fisheries Trust invited river and fisheries trusts from Scotland and beyond to Gairloch in June 2009 to fish for wild trout and sample aquatic invertebrates in the hills of Wester Ross. http://www.wrft.org.uk/news/newsitem.cfm?id=80

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Since then the RAFTS Trophy has been to the Hampshire Avon (http://www.wsrt.org.uk now Wessex Chalk Stream and Rivers Trust www.wcsrt.org.uk ) and now resides back in the WRFT Office in Gairloch, following a memorable weekend in May in 2010. http://www.wrft.org.uk/news/newsitem.cfm?id=114

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There are over 400 stillwaters within the WRFT area. These lochs and lochans are wonderfully diverse. Many support trout populations, some support charr, eel and stickleback. However, others do not support self-sustaining fish populations and instead have a much higher diversity and abundance of other animal life, often with the palmate newt as 'top predator'. WRFT still does not have a complete inventory of which waters support wild trout populations and which waters do not. Our challenge is to continue to find out more about them.

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Following registration, each Fishery Trust will be allocated an area with 5 or more lochs and lochans, with appropriate fishing permits and permissions. This area will be their sampling area where the trust team will be based over the night of 27th May. A registration fee of £25 will cover the cost of a registration pack which will include a map of the sampling area and guidance and workshop details. Participants will normally require a good level of fitness. To reach sampling areas, a ½ hour drive and a one hour walk will normally be required. A roadside sampling area has been set aside for any team which has a member with limited mobility. The minimum team size is 2 participants; the maximum size is 4 participants.

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For further details please go to 'notices' at downloads page or click here.

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