Anglers cast hope over fish hide-and-seek plan

Anglers and Environment Agency staff have tried to create hiding places for fish in a lake

Anglers trying to help fish thrive in a lake are waiting for the results of sonar tests.

They hope a project aimed at creating hiding places - to help fish in Gunwade Lake, at Ferry Meadows, Peterborough, escape from otters - has been successful.

The Environment Agency has been a driving force behind the £22,000 habitat improvement scheme at the lake, which measures about 50 acres (20 hectares) in size.

A local fishing club chairman said winter monitoring results should be available soon, but indications were that work had been effective.

Rob Harris, chairman of Peterborough and District Angling Association, said: "From what we can see with the naked eye, the work has been really successful.

"You can see the fish using the hiding places.

"We can see the predators trying to get at them and failing."

He added: "However, it's always good to get some proof.

"We've done the monitoring work and we should get some results in the next few weeks."

The Environment Agency wants to help fish in a lake escape from otters

Mr Harris said in July the Environment Agency had contributed about £7,000, and anglers and the Nene Park Trust - a charity that manages the area - had chipped in.

He said underwater monitoring could not be done in the summer because there was too much vegetation.

"Its main objective was to mitigate the increased pressure on fish populations by creating a variety of enhanced fish refuge habitats within Gunwade Lake," the Environment Agency said in July.

"Surveys revealed that otters were targeting the limited fish-holding areas, significantly depleting fish populations.

"The project effectively expanded the range of fish habitats in the lake, creating additional safe hiding places."