The river Wandle once offered wonderful trout fishing until the latter part of last century, was highly prized by anglers, including, some say, Lord Nelson who was fishing here two centuries ago, before annihilating Napoleon's fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar.

The fast flowing rivers are more again use water mills to produce power everything from silk to gunpowder, but also to carry the effluent and, by the 20th century the river was almost dead!

Now, after centuries of abuse and neglect, and the indignity of running red, pink and blue dyes manufacturers of printed fabrics, and worse, we are learning to appreciate the Wandle. As a result, the kingfisher, and ephemeral water rats have returned.

In the 1960s the Wandle was officially designated as an open sewer. An important factor in their recovery, since then, goes back to the privatization of the water industry in Britain. In our area of Thames Water has invested millions of pounds in improving water quality.

In March 2003 brown trout were released into the Wandle first time in 100 years, thanks to Alan SuttieÂ's Â'Trout in Classroom 'program, which is managed by the Jet Set Club in collaboration with the Environment Agency and Thames Water. This is a relatively simple idea where teachers create aquarium and incubate trout eggs in their classrooms. Teachers and children are responsible daily maintenance and observation of the eggs until an aquarium full of trout fry, which is released into the Wandle during a field trip class.

The project is specifically designed to incorporate environmental education into the curriculum more inviting local primary schools to raise trout in the classroom and release River Wandle in helping to keep the population of brown trout Rivera.

Although only two of every hundred are likely to survive until adulthood, this is a cumulative process and hope that each of this release increases the benefits exponentially.

March 27 local primary schools Saw 4 and Linden Lodge school special visit from Merton Abbey Mills to release this Yeara frying trout in the Wandle, in the presence of several local dignitaries, including Deputy Merton Major and his wife, and the leader of the Council. A parallel event involving schools Wandsworth took place a few days later.

© Michael Hart.

I am the website administrator of the Wandle industrial museum (http://www.wandle.org). Established in 1983 by local people to ensure that the history of the valley was no longer neglected but enhanced awareness its heritage for the use and benefits of the community.

Extreme canoeing