Peacock Fly Fishing Club - Bradford Bonus

It was the annual get together of the Peacock Fly Fishing Club last night and we were in for a special treat...

Warren, the head river keeper for the Haddon Estate, announced the addition of a new river to the waters that we Club members will be allowed to fish from next season onwards, at no extra cost.  The fees stay the same as this year!  The river is the delightful River Bradford, an important tributary to the Lathkill/Dakin, which in turn flows into the Derbyshire Wye.

The rules are simplicity itself.  Dry fly only and no wading.  The major caveat we have to pay attention to is not to contaminate the river with water from elsewhere.  That is, if we fish the Wye, we must not take a damp net up to the Bradford with Wye water on it.  This is a protection measure to ensure we do not contaminate the Bradford with the crayfish virus.  The Bradford is the last place in the Peak District to still have a population of the native White Clawed Crayfish.  All the other rivers have lost their native crayfish to the virus carried here by imported Red Clawed Signal Crayfish.

A stitched panorama of the "Coach Road" section of the meandering Bradford

There are 1.7 miles of double bank fishing on a delightful little spring-fed river to look forward to next season and all the members have to do before fishing it is to make sure their nets are dry and that they text Jan to let him know they are going there.  The Bradford has a remarkable head of insect life, including the Drake.  ALL members will be allowed to fish the Bradford during the WHOLE of the season, including the time of the Drake!

Much will have more, eh?





Regular Rod