ANGLING NOTES:AS THE COACH came to a halt, the ensuing stampede by 20 schoolchildren was likened to the charge of the Light Brigade as they made their way to the riverbank at Carton House in Leixlip, Co Kildare last Wednesday.
The momentous occasion had arrived to release into the River Rye more than 300 salmon fry reared over the past four months by fourth year pupils from St Kevin's Boys National School in Finglas.
The intriguing story began in January when a fish tank with microscopic eggs arrived outside the principal's office in the school.
It had been presented by Patrick O'Molloy from the salmon hatchery at Islandbridge on the River Liffey. Under careful guidance from Des Chew of Dublin Angling Initiative (DAI), the children divided into teams to look after the eggs. This required a twice-daily check to keep water temperature below 8 degrees, maintain the filter and record data on charts. A turkey baster was used to remove dead eggs and a pillow case covered the tank to keep light out.
In mid-February, the eggs started to hatch and became alevin or fry. As alevin absorb their yolk sac this, in turn, creates an ammonia discharge. To keep ammonia levels down the water must be partially changed and left overnight so that the chlorine evaporates.
Throughout the project the pupils referred to the popular Something Fishy education resource for classroom exercises and demonstrated their interest by arriving into school over the mid-term break and weekends to check the eggs.
On Wednesday, estate manager, John Plummer (who showed a fantastic interest in the project) escorted the group of students to a vantage point below the cascading waterfall where each pupil had the opportunity to release salmon fry into the wild. Plummer said the waterfall is to undergo an overhaul this year to improve the fish pass for salmon to ascend and descend the river.
Later, over lunch in Carton House, general manager David Webster indicated he would welcome a similar project to be held on the estate on a yearly basis. School principal Ciaran O'Flanagan and vice-principal Siobhan Moss, said: "The project was so successful it generated a great interest on our website to view the videos of the eggs before and after they hatched. We would like to thank Des Chew of DAI for awakening an interest in the children to such an important resource." The "salmon project" is one of many DAI initiatives run in schools throughout the year and proved a highly successful way of encouraging young people to take an interest in Irish fish species, their local environment and habitat.
See www.fishingireland.net and click link to St Kevin's BNS to view stages of the project with a series of photographs and videos.
• The Central Fisheries Board (CFB), in co-operation with the Western Regional Fisheries Board and National Parks and Wildlife Service has announced that the long awaited Lagarosiphon weed cutting boat arrived on Lough Corrib last week.
The OSMA weed-cutter was built in Italy and meets many of the specifications required to tackle the highly invasive weed Lagarosiphon major. Preliminary trials took place in the Oughterard area on the west side of the upper lake. With origins in southern Africa, where it is regarded as a nuisance, the submerged plant was introduced to Ireland in contained ornamental garden ponds and aquaria as an oxygenating plant.
Once established, the aggressive alien plant can displace the habitat of native Irish plants and insects, and has the capacity to alter the ecology of the infested watercourse. The density of vegetation also poses serious problems for angling, boating, environmental and tourism, and can cause fish kills through oxygen depletion.
It was first discovered in significant quantities on Corrib in 2005 where, at Rinneroon Bay, for example, it took over 26 acres of water. At that time, a task force was established with the brief to examine all possible options to control, and, if possible, eliminate the invasive alien species.
For details, contact CFB website www.cfb.ieor local contact, Greg Forde at 091- 563118.