Roach project goes national

groundbreaking project to help boost roach numbers in one of our most famous rivers is 10 years old this week.

And now the founders of the phenomenally-successful Avon Roach Project are offering to help the species thrive elsewhere. 

Many clubs and associations have the ARP to thank for boosting the roach population in the Hampshire Avon. The project assists native Avon roach to become self-sustaining, and has reintroduced tens of thousands of healthy fish since it began.

ARP founder Trevor Harrop said that other clubs’ keenness to get involved represents a giant step forward for roach fishing, raising the conservation profile of the species and securing the future of our sport.

“Roach fishing on the middle Avon was in massive decline, but now it’s a different story. It’s down to 10 years of hard work from everyone involved,” said Trevor.

“But this is now about much more than the River Avon.

“There’s now a Kennet Roach Project in operation and I’ve had conversations and offered advice to clubs and associations that control stretches of the Rivers Wensum, Severn, Warwickshire Avon, Suffolk Stour and Axe.

“We want to help as many people as we can boost, healthy, native roach stocks.”

Back to the River Avon, and roach populations haven’t been in a better place for decades. Not only has there been a resurgence in numbers of small fish, but individuals have now been caught to over 2lb. 

This is testament to a project that’s been hailed as one of the most successful of its kind.

“You can now walk over bridges on the Avon at places like Ibsley and see huge shoals of fish in areas that were all but devoid of fish 10 years ago,” Trevor continued.

“Anglers stopped fishing for roach on certain stretches, but they are now catching up to 50 fish in an afternoon in these same spots and 2lb roach have been caught right where we made
our first AVP reintroduction of 3ins-5ins roach all those years ago.

“Sometimes angling is very good at shooting itself in the foot and taking without giving much back, but it’s projects like this that help give something back to the sport and our river environments.

“It’s our duty to safeguard our native fish, and I’m delighted and honoured that we’ve been able to make a difference to the point where others want to replicate what we’ve achieved.”