Members of East Meon Nature Group completed a survey, last Wednesday, looking for river flies in the River Meon in the section in the High Street that was planted up by The Wild Trout Trust. River flies are a good indicator of the health of the river. The Meon was extensively culverted using concrete through the majority of the village in the early 1950’s in an effort to prevent the regular flooding that had been a problem up to that time. This unnatural habit is not generally conducive to river flies and other invertebrates that fish need to feed on and live in the river.
The section of the Meon, just upstream of The George, was planted up by The Wild Trout Trust to help improve the habitat. This survey was to establish what river life was there. We were surprised and pleased that a very healthy selection of river flies were found, comparing very well with the testing in the natural riverbed just upstream of the sewage farm.
The results were as follows:
Cased Cadis: 6
Caseless Cadis: 2
Mayfly: 20
Blue winged Olive: 16
Flat B. Clinger: 2
Olives 20
Stoneflies 2
FW Shrimp 100
Plus one Bullhead fish
Cased caddis flies
