To celebrate the International Day of Action for Rivers, ESRT Project Support Officer Luke Farnish tells us how some recent improvement works on the river Fynn in Martlesham, Suffolk unfolded.
Background and Planning
Work to improve this stretch of the River Fynn has been ongoing for over 20 years, and the ESRT has previously supported several improvement projects at this site. The Fynn and Lark Fly Fishing Club hold the fishing rights for this section and have worked with the Wild Trout Trust, Environment Agency, ESRT, and others to enhance fish habitat and water quality. Improvements have been documented since at least 2002, when the Wild Trout Trust conducted an advisory visit, although some work may have taken place even earlier.
As we celebrate International Day of Action for Rivers, it is useful to remember that for every day spent on the ground, there are many more spent in planning and logistics. For this round of work, discussions began several months before the site day. These preparations involved many sets of permissions, as well as ensuring that funding was in place for the work to begin. This takes some time before everything settles into place and a date can be set for work to begin. Then materials for the site can be ordered and final arrangements made.
I visited the site in relation to these works three times, along with my colleague Andy Went, the ESRT’s Natural Rivers Manager. The first visit was to formalise a plan for the day and the second, the day before the work, was to deliver material to the site. It’s surprising how much a few wooden stakes can weigh!
Teamwork on the Riverbank
At last, the day of the works was upon us, the 4th of March 2025. We met up at the carpark close to the site. The team for the day was made up of staff from the ESRT and Environment Agency as well as several volunteers from the Fynn & Lark Fly Fishing Club who have fishing rights and ownership of this segment of river. There was a health and safety briefing, and PPE was handed out. We then made our way to the site in good spirits and bright warm sunshine.
The first task was the creation of a woody mattress to protect the bank at the most downstream segment of the site. This took up most of the morning and was hard but fun work, with those staff and volunteers suitably dressed in waders hopping into the river to hammer in stakes and build up woody bundles.
After some lunch, work was made on repairing some of the flow defectors further up the river and building up another woody mattress. This is physical but very enjoyable work. We were extremely fortunate to have great weather, and everyone was excited to get stuck in, chatting and laughing together and even taking a little time for some birdwatching.
If you have never joined a working party like this, I would highly encourage it. It’s a wonderful social experience and great for the body to be exercising out in the open air. At the end of the day, we packed away our equipment and took with us a collection of litter that we had recovered from the river.
Results and Reflections
The latest river improvements completed on the Fynn will help narrow the channel and keep gravels clean for the native trout that spawn there. The consistent flow of water, as well as the repairs to the banks and the controlled deposition of silt (and previous upstream work) mean that this section of river is now a habitat in which fish and other species thrive.
Unlike most sections of fished river, the Fynn and Lark Fly Fishing Club no longer need to stock their river, such is the recovery of fish populations and the provision of fish habitats in the area.
There is a huge sense of achievement and satisfaction that can be derived from being part of the ongoing story of a river and it is incredibly rewarding to know you’ve helped improve an important habitat for fish and other wildlife.
Find out more
Explore our projects page to see more of the work we're doing in Essex and Suffolk
Learn about the the International Day of Action for Rivers
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