FATHER and son anglers David and Lewis Smith caught nothing but crayfish during a recent fishing trip to Hury reservoir.
Mr Smith voiced concern about the widespread presence of invasive crayfish at Hury – last month, the Mercury reported on the spread of the creatures to Cow Green reservoir.
Mr Smith, of Evenwood, said: “All we caught in five hours were multiple crayfish.
“The reservoir was so full of these creatures – you expect to have a sporting chance.”
Mr Smith contacted Northumbrian Water, which manages the reservoir, with his concerns about the presence of the non-native crayfish.
Don Coe, waterside parks operations manager at Northumbrian Water, said: “We work closely with the Environment Agency Yorkshire & North East on the national problem of invasive crayfish, and adhere to the policy rules set out and expected of us.
“The policy for this region as directed by the Environment Agency is one of containment, which helps to protect native crayfish.”
Mr Coe added: “Since reopening our reservoirs for fishing in May, we have stocked thousands of healthy rainbow trout into the region's reservoirs for our anglers to catch.
“At Hury reservoir, we have stocked 3,800 rainbow trout that range from 1lb 12oz to over 10lbs in weight.
“Like our other fisheries, Hury is stocked weekly and receives an average of 450 fish each week from our fish farm in Teesdale. The average current catch for each angler visit is 2.8 trout per visit.
“Sometimes, the success of fishing is dependent upon the weather conditions, the area of bank anglers choose to fish from and the tactics they use.
“Our rangers are on hand to provide expert assistance and to give our anglers the best advice to help them enjoy a successful day.
“The team will advise on the best methods, best areas, best baits and how to avoid those bait stealing crayfish.”
