LWD (Large Woody Debris)

Although we all mostly enjoy being able to trundle our nymphs along the river bed without the fear of getting snagged up on some sunken branches there is a school of thought that far from being a hindrance large Woody Debris (LWD) and also Coarse Woody Debris (CWD) is highly beneficial for the whole Eco-system of our rivers.

In the past, on most fishing clubs 'bank clearing days' fallen trees or sunken logs obstructing club waters were swiftly removed to leave trouble free riverbeds, but research has shown that the careful introduction of LWD has huge benefits to both the fish and invertebrate life of the river system and also helps reduce bank side erosion.

A small river I frequently fish in Shropshire is a very good example of the benefits of LWD. It can be very frustrating to fish but once you plot a mental map of the areas to avoid the overall fishing experience is greatly improved with higher than average catch rates.

Just two of many fish taken on both nymph & dry this weekend.

In my mind there is no doubt that this is the way forward to improve our rivers natural fish stocks and create a more harmonious balance between catching a few more fish and losing a few more flies.

More informative PDF file HERE.