Invasive non-native species, Pocket Guide to Balsam Bashing, Trout & Salmon, Writing

Invasive non-native species in the pages of Trout & Salmon

Especially if you’re an angler, invasive non-native species can really spoil your day.

From giant hogweed on the banks (with phyto-phototoxic sap which inflicts third-degree burns that’ll keep coming back for years) to signal crayfish and killer shrimp in the water (which destroy the food web from the bottom up by chewing through all the native invertebrates) very few of our rivers, streams and lakes are immune to the impacts of these unwanted invaders once they’ve gained a foothold.

Luckily, there’s almost always something we can do to fight back, and I’m proud to say that my very first article for Trout & Salmon magazine addresses this issue of saving our fishing (not to mention most of our native aquatic ecosystems) for the future.

Now available at all good newsagents, the Know How section of the Trout & Salmon May 2017 issue includes my feature on dealing with Himalayan balsam, giant hogweed, floating pennywort, Japanese knotweed, mink, signal crayfish, Ponto-Caspian shrimp and Pontic rhododendron.

Thanks to Andrew Flitcroft and James Beeson, my Pocket Guide to Balsam Bashing also gets a mention in the Tackle Talk section, and my publishers Merlin Unwin Books are offering two copies of Balsam Bashing for the price of one until 6 July (one to keep for yourself, and one to give away to friends and family).

Just call 01584 877 456 quoting ‘Trout & Salmon’ to claim this generous offer… and maybe tell ‘em I sent you…