History of the River Frome
The Frome’s high quality chalkstream water has resulted in world famous brown trout fishing and at one time the river also held the British sea trout record. By the end of the 1980s the 30lbs+ multi–sea winter salmon were becoming rare and have now virtually vanished. As well as fish, the Frome has played host to many legendary people. Famous visiting anglers such as Frederick Halford, George Selwyn Marryat and Roderick Haig–Brown all enjoyed the wonders of the Frome, many inventing their own flies which have now become famous – The Pope’s Nondescript and Tups Indispensible to name but two. Noteable local anglers such as the Hon. Aylmer Tryon and R.C. Hardy–Corfe accounted for many very large salmon and sea trout, up to 48lbs and 22lb respectively.
The river has also inspired many writers and artists over the years. Both William Barnes and Thomas Hardy loved the Frome – Hardy used Woolbridge Manor, near the Bindon Hatches as a setting in one of his novels. Jonathan Fry of Corfe Castle often painted the river and water meadows.
Strenuous efforts by fishing clubs and the Dorset Wildlife Trust have resulted in valuable habitat improvements. This appeal to improve salmonid fish stocks will be of enormous benefit to the wildlife within the river corridor. The otter, once common, is making a slow recovery, further improvements to habitat and fish stocks will help.
Details about the river system
The catchment lies entirely within the county of Dorset. Along its length, the main river is joined by several important tributaries above Dorchester, such as the Wraxall Brook, the river Hooke, the Sydling Water and the river Cerne. Since salmon rarely manage to ascend the Louds Mill weir, these valuable spawning and nursery areas are largely wasted. Below Dorchester, the Win, the South Winterbourne and the Tadnoll Brook completes the list of spawning grounds. It is only these lower streams that are accessible on a regular basis at present.
In the upper reaches the geology is dominated by chalk, the major aquifer. The middle reaches have a braided network of channels, many are relics of historic water meadow systems, mostly now abandoned. The lower reaches meander slowly through water meadows and some acid heathland. Much of this upper catchment falls within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), whilst the river below Dorchester is a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). In the Salmon Action Plan (EA1998), English Nature highlighted the problems affecting the Frome salmon, and the FPWDRA have taken these into account.
Analysis, by the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology (C.E.H) of tagged smolts (young salmon migrating to sea) indicates that survival of salmon parr (baby salmon in the river) is less than 30% in the main stem of the middle river and as much as 80% in upper river tributaries. This underlines the value of making it as easy as possible for salmon to reach the upper catchment.
Heavy silt build up in the river gravels suffocates both salmon and trout eggs laid in the autumn in these gravels. The silt burden has become worse over the past 20 years as a result of a change in farming practices. The main problem is an increase in the acreage of maize and winter cereals in the upper catchment. These crops leave soils exposed to heavy autumn and winter rains resulting in silt laden run-off into the water courses and the resultant suffocation of fish eggs.
Maize planted beside the River Frome
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