REDFA Activities
The activities of REDFA are primarily recorded in documents available for download from the Documents Page. This page records a selected sample of activities and river improvement schemes of interest to REDFA.
Investigations into Ullswater Lake & River Eamont levels during sustained 2017 "drought" - and UU abstraction at Gale Bay
Ullswater 12.05.17 - just 2 inches above the record low in Sept 1995.
10.05.17 River Eamont at Pooley Bridge at 5 inches river height.
Searching for the UU Gale Bay abstraction point.
Visit to UU abstraction, fish pass and counter facilities on Swindale Beck 08.06.17
Looking upriver at the Swindale weir eel pass.
David of UU at the fish pass.
Terry Cousins kitted out in all weather gear.
Just before it started to chuck it down.
Miscellaneous REDFA Activities carried out in 2016
Bob Bradney and Roadlink manager prior to works beginning on Warwick bridge improvements.
Daniel of ERT and the Leith Fyke net smolt trial.
ERT volunteers with coordinator Paul Greaves at a lunch break during a tree planting session on Colby waters.
Gareth Pedley of WTT & Steve Dawson on a trip to a section of fenced off River Leith.
Paul and Suzie of ERT with volunteers at Appleby Treatment works - source of the thousands of plastic filter media that were carried downstream in the Dec 2015 floods.
Flood debris gathered up below Bolton Bridge in a joint PAA,AAA,ERT Spring 2016 litter pick.
Visit to the new UU Swindale Abstraction Intake to Haweswater Reservoir and Weir/Counter planned for the Summer 2017
Visit to the EA Keider Salmon Hatchery (December 2016)
Stripping a female salmon of eggs
And a cock fish of milt
Even precious parr with a syringe
Egg to alevin hatching out trays
Countryman Show Fishing Island Event (August 2016)
REDFA together with a group of stewards and volunteers supported and attended the 2016 Countryman Show Fishing Island event. This is the 3rd year that REDFA have coordinated the casting competition events and Eden Fisheries marque working with Glyn Freeman and Chris Bowman of Borderlines who manage the Fishing Island exhibitors and activities. The afternoons were once again very busy, with some keenly fought battles for the Junior and Adult prizes which J. Norris of Penrith very kindly donated. There were over 130 entrants, many of these being youngsters for whom this was their first opportunity to cast a line. Great fun and many thanks to Borderlines, the AAPGAI instructors and everyone that took part.
Lowther Castle Country Fair (August 2015)
Borderlines of Carlisle and sponsors James Norris of Penrith combined with AAPGAI instructors, Angling clubs and exhibitors to host two days of fishing activities and demonstrations at Lowther Castles country fair.
Eden Valley Junior Angling Event (June 2015)
REDFA ran its second successful Junior event in June by kind permission of the Bousefields, Holme Farm, on its AAA waters. The event was supported by Appleby, Kirkby Stephen and Penrith Angling Associations. We greatly appreciate the backing John Norris of Penrith provided, and the professional and friendly approach of Borderlines of Carlisle who coordinated the day`s activities with enthusiastic instruction provided by Chris Bowman, Glyn Freeman, Geoff Johnson and Derek Kelly. The photos capture the enjoyment of youngsters and the many parents who stayed for the day. The river was low, weather glorious and we all left with the impression that this would lead to a number of youngsters interested enough to take up our sport.
Mixed Pictures
Caldew bank clearance. Jan 2015 ERT and CAA volunteers.
Homhead Weir and the big summer flood of June 2012.
A lost art? Chris Pearce of BAA Tenkara style on the Kingwater.
The much talked about River Lowther gravel excavations on waters above Askham.
An nice fish going back. Glyn Freeman and gillie on Grinsdale water.
Clive Mitchelhill presenting a prize to a Junior angler at Appleby 2014.
Source of the Eden? A 3 hour hike above Mallerstang.
Flood relief constructed in the recently constructed northern Carlisle by-pass.
Salmon Fishing
Last day of salmon fishing 2013 at the Half Moon in Rickerby Park Carlisle. From the left: Gerry, Sam, Tony, Allan, Adrian and Sooty.
Last day of salmon fishing 2012 at the Half Moon in Rickerby Park Carlisle. From the left: Ken, Adrian and Allan.
Last day of 2009 season on the Eden at Rickerby Park, Carlisle.
A nice 8.5 lb cock salmon caught by Tony Britton in 2011.
Eden from the Air
Eden from the air (Tony Britton 2011) Estuary at Sandsfield
Eden from the air (Tony Britton 2011) Beamont to New Bypass bridge
Victorian water abstraction scheme from River Eden for City of Carlisle (Pictured 2013)
Below is a collection of images of the old City of Carlisle water abstraction scheme from Victorian times. The city waterworks abstracted from the Eden in/at Stoneyholme and used a beam engine to pump water to a reservoir at Hilltop heights. The pipeline was laid along St Aidans road and Rydal Street into Botchergate (which is still the longest straight road in carlisle). It then went up London Rd and into a large sandstone reservoir which can still be seen in part. The beam engine was removed and scrapped in the late 1950's by the vandals of Carlisle City council. Brunton Park football ground north end is still called the Waterworks End.
River Caldew. Repairing Erosion (2013)
The works consist of repairing the erosion caused to both banks of the Caldew . This was needed as an island of gravel etc has built up from the bank erosion about a mile upstream at Cummersdale Holmes. This deposit has built up over a long period at an area just above the Nicholson bridge, and was a salmon spawning area . The works consist of posts driven in and logs laid behind them and wired securely, the material from the island is then being placed behind the woodwork to rebuild the bank to its original line. It is then overlaid with topsoil and Hessian matting seeded with grasses to complete the work. It is envisaged that the island will be taken down to water level and expect the flow of the Caldew to resort to a more centralised stream.
New bridge over River Caldew (2010)
Pictures of the new footbridge over the Caldew at Bousteads Grassing in Carlisle, part of the Carlisle and Caldew Flood Alleviation Scheme, a £24million project completed in 2010.
River Petteril Bank Repairs (August 2008)
In August 2008 bank erosion repairs were caried out on the Petteril.
