Since recently publishing the story: 'Danestream, Dane Stream or Danes Stream, who knows?' (click here to read), I have recalled some feedback I had from Terry Langford.
Now this is quite scary on two levels, firstly it means that someone reads the nonsense I write, & secondly he knows what he is talking about, something I have never claimed to do!
Terry writes: Dear Ed, As a freshwater biologist for over 50 years, I regard the Danestream as a "stream", one of the suite of New Forest streams, albeit more urbanised than most. Actually, the definition is immaterial...a stream or river to most of us is what we want it to be. In America the Danestream would probably be called a ditch.
The Danestream is quite interesting ecologically in that it suffers urban run-off but still manages to hold a head of sea-trout, quite large some of them. It has mayflies too, but the fauna is not a diverse as those of the less urbanised streams. There seem to be no major inherent problems apart from the urban run-off in the stream above Milford on Sea, but it is interesting. Probably a bit too much silt near the bridge but that is because the channel is too wide for the low flows and silt settles out then.
So there you have it, you can call it what you like, you can fish for the odd sea-trout, & if you hear an American call it a ditch, tell them that it is a river which is full of salmon.
To read previous article on the Danestream, please click here.
To read previous article on the Danestream, please click here.
Back in the 1970s there was quite a healthy number of small wild brown trout and I have seen small shoals of dace. Walking along the stream, I can attest to the fact there are or at least sea trout running up the stream. Several times I saw rather large fish that did looked out of place due to the size of the stream. I live in America now and I am not sure it would merit the title of a ditch to the yanks although there are some small streams that run near my home that are known locally as creeks.
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