A helping hand for wild trout

The Wild Trout Trust provides hands-on advice for fishing clubs, landowners and other groups on providing the perfect habitat for this iconic fish

- SHAUN LEONARD

Somewhere in deepest Dorset during the mid- 1990s, a car carrying two men known to regular readers of The Field, Charles Rangeley-Wilson and Richard Slocock, was the scene for the creation of an esoteric-sounding organization: the Wild Trout Trust (WTT). These two chaps saw a need for a practical, hands-on body, akin to Trout Unlimited in the US, the purpose of which would be to advise and help landowners and fishing clubs to better manage their rivers (and lakes) for wild trout and the many plants and other animals that rely on naturally functioning waters. Thus, it came to be, with the Wild Trout Society forming in 1997, morphing into a charitable trust two years later. Since then, many landowners, fishing clubs and other community groups have worked with the Trust on sensitive and practical management of their river: everything from advice through to full-blown river restoration projects. WTT’s philosophy is based on the three critical elements needed for brown trout to thrive: good water quality, water quantity, and habitat. Where trout thrive, we know that the environment for them and myriad plants and animals are at least reasonable or better; where they don’t, something is wrong and WTT’s idea is to try to tackle habitat deficiencies, involving people to try to make things better. Furthermore, our brown trout is a perfect indicator not only of the state of our aquatic environment but also the land that drains into it. Ultimately, healthy rivers are good not only for trout but for people and much wildlife.