River Frome - My local

This post is a bit of a diversion from my previous musings as I wanted to highlight the virtues of my local river - and tip a wink to a very friendly chap called Clive.

I was shopping in my local town, Stroud, one Saturday a few weeks ago, when I decided to visit the office of the Cotswold Canals Trust (CCT), mainly out of curiosity although I must admit to having a slightly "trouty" agenda when I entered. The background to this is simple. The CCT are leading a major project to renovate the old Stroudwater Navigation canal, which in years gone by was part of a major commercial link between the River Severn and the River Thames. Stroud was one of the hubs of the wool and textiles trade in the Cotswolds and the ability of local businesses to move goods east and west via the Stroudwater route was vital to the local economy. The emergence of rail and road links in the early 19C introduced competition to Stroudwater and eventually it fell into disuse in the 1950s as modern transportation took over. The canal has since fallen into a state of disrepair, but is now the subject of major renovation that ultimately aims to recreate the entire link between the Severn and the Thames.

So what does this have to do with trout??

Quite a bit as it turns out. Because running alongside much of the Stroudwater route is the River Frome. This little river has been a subject of interest for me since I first noticed a small but thriving wild brown trout population in her waters. These little trout must be some of the most resilient known to man. For starters much of the upper reaches of the Frome where the trout live runs through Stroud via several industrial estates and parallel to the main line that links London to Cheltenham. So it's a real urban backwater with all the associated environmental challenges. Additionally, much of the bankside is overgrown - positively wild in some spots. This creates high silt levels from annual leaf fall in some areas; not so great for trout breeding. Finally the river seriously burst its banks during the infamous 2007 summer floods.Yet despite all this, if you know where to look, I guarantee you'll find healthy and very active trout.

River Frome at Brimscombe Port, east of Stroud

Which brings me full circle to the CCT and the visit to their office in Stroud. My curiosity was driven by the CCT renovation and its impact on the Frome. Enter Clive Field, the very welcoming Visitor Centre Manager. Clive very kindly organised a cup of tea for me and talked at length about the CCT mission and how volunteers can get involved. We discussed the close linkage between Stroudwater and the Frome, as well as the mutually beneficial activities of the CCT renovation in regard to the local environment. Specifically, one of the mission objectives of CCT is "To promote the restoration of the two waterways [Stroudwater Navigation and The Thames & Severn Canal] to give a balance between the needs of navigation, development, recreation, heritage, landscape conservation, wildlife and natural habitats"


I'm sure the Frome can significantly benefit from the renovation project and there's a great opportunity here to ensure both waters enhance each other for the benefit of all those who visit, as well as the local wildlife.

A trouty glide just upstream from Brimscombe Port

Clive has a huge amount of passion for Stroudwater and his energy was infectious. I think he sensed an opportunity when I shared my passion for fly fishing and highlighted my interest in the Frome. I'm now on the hook to write an article for the CCT's member magazine! Actually it's an honour and a privilege to be asked, so I'll give it my best shot. The article is intended to highlight the flora and fauna that can be found on the canal route and surrounding environment at this time year. No doubt I'll try to slip in a line about the local brown trout!

As for this blog, I intend to document a year in the life of the Frome and try to observe how the environmental characteristics of the river support the trout population. Without being overly scientific, I'll endeavour to discover the underlying entomology which the trout vitally feed upon, as well as identify where their breeding environments might be found. Who knows, one day I might be presiding over a major new trout fishery - right on my doorstep!

A Frome trout - this one was feeding and rising to midges