Caring For Our River!
Spawning gravel being laid.
Looking after our natural habitat and resources takes time, energy and commitment. Making sure that our river is kept in the best possible condition helps improve our fishing grounds and migration counts.
A&DAA are committed to enhancing and development of our river habitats and tributaries.
Over the years we have taken time and invested heavily in making sure that pollution incidents are kept to a minimum and that our members stay vigilante to pollution offences. Our river is vulnerable to all sorts of hazards and we endeavour to highlight and identify the problems. We continually monitor the commercial businesses near our system and help agencies investigate incidents and ensure these incidents are well managed.
We undertake to have regular kick samples collected and assessed regularly over the Six Mile System. Jim Gregg from the Six Mile River Trust, among others, does an incredible work on the river making sure it is kept in the very best condition.
House building and development are a constant hazard for our waters, so A&DAA work with local government and developers to make sure that planning applications do not jeopardise our system. The club will continue to have a voice into the local planners and agencies to make sure that planning does not have a negative impact on our waterways.
River enhancement schemes take place regularly with spawning gravel, spawning ground maintenance and natural habitats being regularly created and developed. The Club will continue to supply funding and resource to enhance these areas.
A&DAA have a team of dedicated bailiffs who patrol the rivers and tributaries during the course of the year. Netting and illegal fishing are a constant threat and we work hard with government agencies to eliminate persistent offences and to prosecute offenders. We will continue to resource and equip our bailiffs.
The club continues to maintain our walk ways, making sure fishermen and visitors alike can have easy access to the river. Styles and bridges need regular maintenance and we continually require members to help out with our River Maintenance team.
A&DAA continue to support scientific research, the club assisted QUB with a genetic study of brown trout populations by providing more than 200 samples of adipose fin clips from rod caught trout. The club also provided support for a QUB MSc Thesis Study on investigation and remediation of pollution on the catchment, and in conjunction with its sister club, Ballynure Angling club, provided AFBI with financial and labour support for an acoustic monitoring project on the movements of brown trout & Dollaghan on the Six Mile Water. Electro Fishing and rod caught returns are recorded every year, with numerous specimens being recorded and verified by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee (ISFC). Brown Trout River specimens, i.e 5lb+. Scale analysis of the iconic Dollaghan indicates a growth rate of 2lb per year for returning trout from Lough Neagh back into the river, making the Six Mile Water one of the best “Wild Trout Rivers “ in Europe. The Club will continue to assist the scientific community in the best way possible.
If you would like to learn more about to how you can help improve our system, please contact us here!
