The brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis Mitchill 1814 This colorful representative of the salmonids was imported to Europe from North America as early as 1884. It is therefore classified as a neozoa, alien animals that have entered a faunal area that was originally inaccessible to them through the involvement of humans. It is a very popular fish among anglers and is also valued as a food fish. However, natural reproduction is rare in Europe, so the species can only be preserved by stocking. Because even if it hardly reproduces naturally, the animals form sex products and the artificial reproduction largely corresponds to the methodology used with our brown trout. The incentive to produce these fish yourself is due to the fact that it was not possible to obtain animals in the colorful appearance so typical of the brook trout, as it is often portrayed. Why is that? The brook trout is usually used for edible fish production and not as stocking fish - which is a good thing. It simply has no place in open waters, since it hunts its prey in direct competition with the brown trout and occupies similar water structures, potentially displacing them as well. Further advantages compared to the brook trout are that brook trout hardly need shelter - as is unfortunately often the case with our straightened and therefore fast-flowing streams, as well as the better tolerance of acidic water - due to spruce monocultures. So these fish don't belong in open water and are intended as food fish or for angling - most of them end up straight from the farm directly onto your plate. It is only to be expected that fish farmers have looked for a way to increase their yield, a way that does not necessarily serve the preservation of the natural species, its appearance and it has been found. The solution to being able to produce larger quantities faster is the "Alsässer-Saibling" or "Salvelinus alpinus x fontinalis", a hybrid that was probably first grown in Alsace. In this crossing, Arctic char (alpinus) is used on the female side and brook trout (fontinalis) on the male side. In the case of hybridization, animals are usually optically closer to the mother species - here the arctic char - hence the weaker markings and marbling. It is also often claimed that "Alsatians" are sterile and incapable of reproduction - that is simply wrong. Hybrids are not necessarily sterile, but natural reproduction is as unlikely as that of the parent animals. Finding parents with the desired appearance, from a reputable source, turned out to be as difficult as it was tedious. The breeding stock was built up from young fish so that they could get used to the conditions in the breeding facility. We obtained animals from private breeders and even transported them from Bavaria to the Eifel. It should take 4 years until the first eggs could be stripped. In the spring of 2021, the first brook trout eggs arrived in the hatchery. These were picked up from a breeder friend of ours when they were in the eye point stage and we were able to gain initial experience in rearing the larvae up to the seedling. At this point let's go into a little more detail. Breeding the local brook trout naturally has absolute priority - brook trout spawn earlier, however, so we only lay small numbers of eggs, because there must always be enough space for the farios. Therefore, the eggs were placed in the incubator, which has a high capacity and is just as well suited for the rather small char eggs. An incubator offers various advantages over incubation in channels. The space requirement is very small with, in this case, 0.8 m² with a minimum water requirement of 2L/s and a capacity of up to 120,000 eggs. Another advantage is the possibility of separating the scrims according to trunks, each slot can be divided into up to 8 compartments. So can eggs in the eye point or too. Larval fish can be returned to their original waters. The average quantity of eggs in a brook trout rogner is 2,000 - 3,000 per kg of body weight. The eggs of our 4-year-old animals are approx. 3mm in diameter, they can be up to 5mm, so they are more than half smaller than those of the brown trout. So here on the right in the picture the fertilized eggs in the ocular stage. At this stage, the eggs are largely insensitive to transport. You have to know that we handle the eggs won as little as possible during incubation. A transport is only unfertilized (roe and milk separated), here the fertilization takes place immediately after arrival in the incubator, shortly after the fertilization in a small time window and just after reaching the eye point. This is quite easy to recognize - the eyes of the larva are now so far developed that they can be seen through the membrane of the egg. For transport, the laid eggs are removed from the water, divided into compartments in an insulating container, which, similar to the incubator, are divided into shelves and then stacked. It may sound wrong at first that the eggs are transported dry, but that is exactly what prevents the eggs from moving too much, they are "fixed" so to speak, because they are not insensitive to shocks and vibrations, which inevitably take place in the sloshing water. The bottom floor is left free and the top one is filled with ice. This defrosts during transport, and the water then drips through the individual floors, thus ensuring sufficient moisture and cooling before it collects again on the lowest level. Arriving at the incubator, unfertilized eggs are then selected before they are placed in a slot in the incubator. This would have been possible in advance, but it would have been much more convenient to do it in the incubator. Since Salmonids usually multiply during the cold season, transport in this way does not pose a problem in terms of temperature. Depending on what reading you take, brook trout are given with 450 - 470 daily degrees. So let's assume an average of 460 TG at an average water temperature of 6°C, which results in a hatch around the 76th day. Our clutches had at 35-.40. Day reached the eye point, leaving almost 4 weeks time for a transport or 168 day degrees. You should always take this into account beforehand, because the temperature increases during the procedure and, depending on the duration, hatching can then possibly begin. Afterwards, everyone carefully returns to the water. Here now first in a larger underflow box of a long-flow trough, everything unfertilized is now read out (no eye point recognizable = rejects). Then it goes over the counting plate to determine the exact amount, already in the incubator. From here the daily care begins, as if you had put them on yourself, until hatching. Since brook trout, at least in Europe, are very likely to come from farms, there are usually no problems to be expected in further rearing, which means above all the conversion to exogenous food. Always a critical point in rearing that cannot be missed, but with wild fish this process can often be fraught with problems. Here are the hatched brook trout in the larval stage. They can best be described as the size of a pin - really very small and filigree. It is all the more astonishing when you imagine that such a tiny thing will become what you will see below. When the first brown trout were released into the wild in April, the char were able to move into a channel that had become free - still quite small but already moving much further in the direction of the fish. From here on, however, the little ones develop quite quickly, with increasing feed size the more steadily and faster. The three pictures above show the development quite well. On the right you can already see the characteristic juvenile stripes that are already forming on the flanks, the development of the fins and their reddening as well as the white fin rays. We would have liked to have followed and recorded the development of the small brook trout for longer, but unfortunately this was not possible. On July 14, 2021, the hatchery in Willwerath was damaged by the flood and the water supply was destroyed. Luckily the water in the facility was "only" knee high and all the remaining broodlings in the facility could still be evacuated as the water did not reach the pools. Parallel to incubation, we have been looking for year-old animals in order to enable earlier entry into breeding. By selecting animals from other sources and the bred ones, the aim is to create a gene pool that is as broad as possible. As mentioned at the beginning, we had found a company that breeds high-quality fish in Bavaria and was willing to provide us with a sufficient quantity. For the transport of more than 600km we left in the middle of the night to arrive at the destination in the early morning. The trip took place at the end of March, so no temperature problems were to be expected. The transport trailer has the necessary oxygen system with EPDM air vents and an insulating container that protects the 600 liters of water from heating up during the journey. Arriving at the breeding facility, our fish were already waiting in the tanks to be picked up. They were caught from the pond the day before, which significantly reduces the stress of transport, as the fish return to the water quite quickly when transferred to the transport container. After adjusting the oxygen system the fish could be loaded and we made our way back to the Eifel. However, this took longer than the way there - every 45 minutes we took a break to check the oxygen saturation with the oximeter and make adjustments if necessary. The saturation was kept at an average of 95% over the entire route. Back home, all the char survived the transport well and we could start adjusting. The water only warmed up by 1.5°C during the trip. A third of the water has now been drained from the tank and gradually filled up with water from the pond. In this way, the animals could get used to the water values in a gentle manner and then be moved. What was left to do now was - wait. The fish had an average size of 15 cm and should have reached the 30 cm mark by the age of three. For this purpose, the feeding began with feed that has an increased carotene content. From 2mm up to 6mm grain. Char have a smaller mouth gap - therefore smaller grain sizes should always be chosen than with brown trout. After the long wait, we were able to win the first brook trout eggs from our own fish at the end of 2022 and lay them in the hatchery. The animals have developed excellently in recent years, as can be seen in the following pictures.

Vereinsheim und Hüttenbuchung The Anglerklause at the Willwerath reservoir The Anglerklause is located on the east side of the reservoir. The club home of the Angel Club Prüm 1967 eV, built in 1973, is open on many Sundays during the fishing season and is a popular destination not only for anglers but also for hikers and guests of all kinds. A list of open Sundays can be found below. Visit us at the reservoir - the hut is open from 10:00. The Anglerklause can also be rented for private parties / events, on request with service and catering - space for up to 40 people in the interior and for another 20 on the terrace - our hut keeper will be happy to answer your questions. Aal Salmo trutta fario Bachforelle (Salmo trutta fario) Brasse Döbel Grasskarpfen Hecht Rotauge Rotfeder Schleie Schuppenkarpfen Spiegelkarpfen Zander Der Zander (Sander lucioperca) wird maximal etwa 120 cm lang und etwa 20 kg schwer. Der Zander ist ein Süßwasserfisch der Gattung Sander aus der Familie der Echten Barsche (Percidae). Er ist in den Binnengewässern Mittel- und Osteuropas weit verbreitet. Früher reichte sein Verbreitungsgebiet östlich der Elbe über Osteuropa bis zum Aralsee. Im letzten Jahrhundert wurde der Zander auch westlich der Elbe eingebürgert. Er lebt einzeln oder in kleinen Schwärmen und bevorzugt im Gegensatz zum Hecht das uferferne Freiwasser. Der Zander bevorzugt größere, durch Plankton getrübte Fließgewässer (auch stehende Gewässer wie Teiche oder Seen) mit festen Untergründen. Der Zander lebt überwiegend im Süßwasser, kommt aber auch in Brackwasserbereichen (Flussmündungen) der Ostsee vor. Normalerweise lebt dieser Raubfisch bodennah in Wassertiefen von 3 bis 5 Metern, wo er an markanten Bodenformationen (Felsen, Vertiefungen) oder an Spundwänden auf Beute lauert. Bei klarem Wasser zieht sich der Zander in tiefere Wasserschichten zurück. Dank einer reflektierenden Pigmentschicht im Auge (Glasauge) kann der Zander nachts sehr gut sehen. So findet er seine Beute auch bei sehr schwachem Licht. Die Verbreitung des Zanders wird durch Besatzmaßnahmen und die Schaffung von Laichplätzen unterstützt. Bei Sportanglern ist der sehr scheue Zander ein beliebter Zielfisch. Bevorzugte Stellen für den Zanderfang sind z.B. Spundwände, Vertiefungen oder erhöhte Bodenformationen.

Interessante Links zum Thema Angeln, Natur und Fische links of friends Over the years, as an association, but also due to the project work for species conservation, we were able to get to know many nice and interesting people. We would like to introduce a few of them, at least those with an Internet presence, to you here: ASV Hillesheim 1977 registered association Fishing friends Burbach Fishing club Schmidtheim 1982 eV Frey water analysis Trout Gut Rosengarten fish farm Kauth Fishing club Liblar ARGE Nice LIFE project freshwater pearl mussel German Angler Association eV Eifel info Holiday region Prüm

Lake Willwerath North bank (entry area) East bank (cabin side) South bank (outlet structure) West bank plateau with barbecue area (parking lot Kleinlangenfeld)

Die Äsche - seltener Flussbewohner The grayling ... ... beautiful and threatened thymallus thymallus ... it is considered to be the most colorful local fish, it is the leading fish of the river region of the "grayling region" and fish of the year 2011. But the "flag bearer" has become a rarity in our waters or has completely disappeared. Grayling stand in the middle water, show no escape behavior and do not seek cover like brown trout would. So they are usually the first to fall prey to the invading cormorants. In most cases, however, water pollution from agriculture and industry, but also the construction of rivers and the associated reduction in shallow water zones, which are indispensable for larvae and juveniles, as well as the warming of the water is a main reason for a decline in stocks. The grayling Thymallus thymallus due to the large, striking dorsal fin also called the flag bearer belongs to the family of salmonids (salmon-like). In many places, committed associations are trying to preserve the species in their waters through stocking measures. However, it is scarcely possible to support established tribes with outside stocking. It is more promising to remove parent animals from existing populations that have already undergone a regional adaptation genetically. By breeding these animals it is possible to rebuild a stock "from below". It is a misconception that the use of adult animals is the right way. These can usually not adapt and contribute little, if any, to the natural reproduction of inventory. The search begins ... ... so it happened that in 2018 we started looking for a source for suitable grayling parents or fertilized eggs. Only a few are dedicated to the breeding of grayling, as a rule, breeders encounter animals that have been imported from Sweden / Denmark, if any statements about their origin are made. Our colleagues from Switzerland recognized the signs of the times and started a breeding program very early on. But after several conversations it was clear that no suitable material could be obtained here either - the Rhine Falls near Neuhausen represent a natural obstacle to hiking and the grayling trunks above and below differ genetically too much to be able to bring them into our waters.

Gewässerverschmutzung und Verdrängung der Bachforelle Project work since 1991 Eifel brown trout and Pearl mussel The starting point Due to the increasing pollution of the waters and the displacement of the brown trout, two species were "on the brink" in Rhineland-Palatinate in the early 1990s. The brown trout (lat. Salmo trutta fario) prefers the fast and turbulent flowing, as well as oxygen-rich and summer-cold upper reaches of rivers. It is a district builder and the leading fish species of the "trout region" named after it. The brown trout hunts its prey, predominantly insects, insect larvae living in the water, but also small fish such as minnows, gudgeons or paddocks from the cover of tree roots that protrude into the water or washed-down bank areas. During the spawning season, which extends from late autumn to the winter months, the brown trout migrate upstream to spawn in gravelly areas, sometimes in the smaller side streams. It was found that the brown trout rises to the smallest brooks. In the last century, the brown trout was widespread in all running waters in the trout and grayling region. Spawning areas have been lost or silted up due to water pollution and the technical expansion of small streams, as well as the entry of washed-off arable crumbs in agricultural areas, which has had a negative impact on the breeding success of brown trout and unfortunately still does. So it was no wonder that the brown trout in Rhineland-Palatinate was often found only in smaller stocks and in 1987 on the Red List "endangered species" was recorded. On the other hand, a decrease in the population and habitat loss was observed in the river pearl mussel as early as 1800. It was not until the end of the 1960s that intensive studies on the pearl mussel and its rapid decline in population began at several locations. In the years 1985-1987 a comprehensive inventory check of the pearl mussel stocks in the FRG was carried out. It was found that the stocks on the right bank of the Rhine had already expired and the stocks on the left bank of the Rhine only existed at 5 locations, four of which were in the Eifel and one in the Hohen Venn. In 1985 it was decided to take measures to safeguard existence.

Virtual tour of our facilities On the following pages we enable a virtual tour of the association's facilities. There are currently problems with smartphone support - we are working on it ... For smartphone users, it is possible to move through the 360 ° sphere using motion control or to use VR glasses (can be activated below on the right). Reservoir angler's cottage In the litz Hatchery

Wie züchtet man originale Eifeler Bachforellen salmo trutta fario "Eifel brown trout" Back The stripping of farmed fish Every year in the first weeks of December, project work begins for us when our spawning trout are stripped. Each of these hand-picked trout comes from wild catches of regional streams or from the breeding program itself. A main task is the regular "refreshing" of the spawning fish strain in order to incorporate a maximum of genetic diversity into the breeding program. For this purpose, the fishing club Prüm 1967 eV has a fixed spawn fish in the breeding facility "In der Litzer". Here the trout experience year-round care and care and can be stripped off with minimal stress. The seed (milk) of the male trout (Milchner) are then added to the eggs, and here too, as with spawning, several trout are streaked. Since there are usually more males than females available, the mixture is mixed in a ratio of 2 - 4, which benefits the genetic diversity due to the different mating. Water is added to the mixture for fertilization and carefully stirred with a goose feather. When they arrive at the hatchery, the eggs are rinsed out in clear water and carefully placed in the undercurrent boxes with a counting plate. From now on, these are checked daily and dead eggs are read out. Until the eye point stage is reached, the eggs cannot be transported and unnecessary movement is avoided. We expect about 420 daily degrees for our trout. This means that at a water temperature of 6 ° C, the larvae hatch after about 70 days The female trout (Rogner) are spread the eggs into a fine sieve with gentle pressure on the belly. The eggs are in ovarian fluid here, contact with water is largely prevented to prevent the egg membrane from closing. If you have enough eggs, put them in a smooth bowl. Left trout larvae just before hatching. You can clearly see the eyes and the torso through the eggshell, the orange color comes from the yolk sac, from which the larvae feed in the first few weeks before being fed. Larvae hatching and hatching below. Even if a continuous supply of fresh, oxygen-rich water is important throughout the breeding - from here on it is essential. Even brief disruptions can result in significant losses. In late April to early May, the time has come. The trout have outgrown the hatchery and need more space to thrive. A large part is brought to the "In der Litzer" pond for further breeding. Another part is released into the upper reaches in streams leased by the association. These are not fished, but only nurtured for spawning fish at large intervals. Trout become sexually mature at the age of 2-3. First spawners are not used for breeding purposes, at 4-5 years high quality roe / milk can be obtained and the cycle closes.

Electric fishing ...what is inside?!? E-fishing is not a method for the lazy angler to recreate the animals, but the most gentle method to get an overview of the species spectrum of a body of water. The exercise is only permitted for appropriately trained persons and also requires official approval for each fishing operation. The devices used are subject to inspection by the TÜV or a qualified electrician at specified intervals and are constantly maintained by us in order to largely exclude hazards . But electric fishing is exactly what it sounds like - electric current flows through the water - which is always potentially dangerous, especially if you wade through the water. However, if you want to manage / maintain a body of water, e-fishing is the most tried and tested means of checking the stock - fish monitoring - in order to plan further measures based on this. In addition to monitoring, e-fishing is also used to catch spawning fish, for purposes of scientific research, to resettle fish during construction work and to determine the extent of fish death. Fish that fall into the effective range of a catchable field are temporarily deprived of the ability to swim in a targeted manner and can then be removed with landing nets. If used properly, the fish will not be harmed and will be back to full agility and vitality within a very short time - usually immediately after switching off the field. In principle (without wanting to go into too much detail) there are two methods of e-fishing related to the way the devices work, that of methods with pulse or direct current. Due to the lower energy consumption, the pulse current method allows a longer distance to be fished because the battery cell is less stressed, but has a higher scaring effect. The direct current method offers the advantage of a more targeted swimming movement towards the anode (the positive pole) - thus the fish can be steered towards a by-catcher in the field, which then catches them. Disadvantages are the higher energy requirements due to the direct current field and any difficulties in "keeping" larger fish. The safe nursery In order to give our small brown trout a good starting position for their start into the wild, we also use e-fishing. In small streams on gravel banks and somewhat deeper pools with enough hiding places, we release our little brown trout to freedom. But even in these small streams, predators are lurking. So that we do not set the table for them, we have to move them now. Locations are targeted where trout can be found that can be dangerous for the little ones. These are then removed, fed to breeding or reintroduced further down the river. This gives the small trout enough time to get used to it and to find hiding places. Because the fish that are released further down rise again in the water. In this way, the loss of broodlings can be somewhat limited and new breeding-fish can be obtained at the same time. The wildlings obtained in this stream are characterized by their rich colors with bright yellow bellies and the sharply defined drawing. After the brook piece has been searched with the e-net, the little ones can move in. As mentioned at the beginning, e-fishing is also used for stock control. The pictures shown here were taken during fishing at the end of April, so minnows were found that had their spawning rash, bullheads, loaches as well as brook lamprey that had already spawned - therefore areas with fine sediment were left out - there are ailerons to be expected (larval stage of the brook lamprey) . Here are the minnows - the male in the spawning dress, to his left 2 "fat" females almost ready to spawn and in the next picture a loach.

Bandbreite der Tätigkeit im Projektteil Eifeler Bachforelle Fishing club Prüm 1967 eV Species Conservation Project Eifel brown trout and freshwater pearl mussel SERVICES Insights into project work Spawning & Fertalisation Every December we organize the spawning of the farmed trout in the Litzer pond. Events Hatchery In our hatchery, the fertilized eggs are taken care of until hatching and the trout larvae are fed to the brood learn more Caring for wildlife Not all offspring are involved in the pearl mussel projects, some of them serve to preserve the game populations. learn more Freshwater Pearl Mussel Mussel glochidia come from our project partners - the infection is usually carried out in August. learn more Life cycle ABOUT Breeding station The pond system "In the Litzer" Home of the conservation project The facility has been the heart of trout breeding since 1991, and has been supervised by the Prüm 1967 eV fishing association, especially for the species protection project planned and built by the state of Rhineland-Pfalz. The modernization of the plant has been in progress since 2016 and will adapt the location to the new environmental conditions. Learn more A little insight Arbeiten im Rahmen des Artenschutzes GALLERY

In silent memory of our deceased friends The most beautiful monument that a person can get is in the hearts of those around them. Friedrich G. Conzen *22.05.1946 † 24.09.2022 Karl Heinz Schmidt *05.04.1954 † 11.01.2022 Martin Hillen *08/12/1969 † 09/13/2021 Herbert Schneider *31. 10. 1950 † 21.10.2020 Klaus Diederich *31. 12. 1970 † 11/24/2017 Erhard Nieder *13. 01. 1942 † 05/15/2015

guest book est. 2018 ....write us something nice....