AGM Tuesday 20th October 2026 at 7.30pm
Guest speaker: Martin van Heerden, EA Fisheries Technical Specialist, Hertfordshire & North London
Title: Reading the Riverbed for Redds
New Venue: Lower Hall, Dagnall Street Baptist Church, AL3 5EE
FREE event. All welcome.
The brown trout is an iconic chalk stream species that colonised the UK’s rivers after the last ice age 10,000 years ago. Despite
all the challenges of low flows, flooding,
warm water and pollution, a population
survives in the River Ver to this day.
Martin, a long-time fisheries expert from the EA’s local team, and angling enthusiast, is going to explain the brown trout’s habits and life cycle, to help us better understand this fascinating species. He’ll also explain how to look out for their redds – the ‘nests’ they create in the river’s clean gravel where each season’s eggs are laid to hatch into the next generation of Salmo trutta.
In part two, there will be brief reports, the latest Ver Valley news and then voting by Society members for the 2026/7 committee. As per the Society’s constitution at each AGM the Officers and Executive Committee shall retire but may be eligible for re-election. Nominations are invited. These should reach the Secretary, Kim Scrivener, by Tuesday 13th October. Proposer and seconders from the membership will be required.
©Martin van Heerden and Wild Trout Trust