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Where did Zander Come from...???? 

 The text below was taken from a chapter in the book  'ZANDER'  by Fickling and Rickards

 The First records of Zander in Britain date back to 1878, when 23 German Zander of around 2lb were introduced into Woburn Abbey Lakes.  The Date was 3rd Feb 1878.  This project was arranged by the Duke of Bedford and the President of the German Fishery.

In 1919 another batch of German Zander were stocked in Woburn Abbey Lakes by the the 11th Duke of Bedford, sizes unknown.

In 1924 a batch of Walleye arrived, unsure of where they were actually stocked but the River Delph still holds the British Record.

In 1947 a batch of 50 fish from Woburn Abbey Lakes, from fingerlings to 4lb were stocked into the lakes at Leighton Buzzard, the River Ouzel and a Canal arm of the Great Union Canal near Tring.

Also around this time Husbourne Crawley and Linden Lake were also stocked, numbers and sizes unknown.

In 1950/51  approx 30 five inch fish were placed in Claydon Lake in Bucks, the fish are still established today, and fish to over 15lb have been recorded.

1952  Fish were stocked into Sevenoaks Lake near Kent.

1960  A Batch of 500 Swedish Zander were put into Mepal Pit near Ely, Cambridgeshire.  These fish are still established.  Fish regularly caught to over 9lb every season.

1961  The Great Ouse River Board transferred Mature Zander from Woburn Abbey Lakes and placed them at Hengrave near Bury St Edmunds on March 2nd.

1962  The 1961 stock were moved from Husbourne to Woburn Sands Clay Pit.

1963  On March 18th 100 Zander were moved from Hengrave to the Relief Channel, only 97 survived the Trip and were introduced to their new home.

Cawkwell and McAngus who were Water authority Baliffs at the time quoted, ' The Zander could room free and man could no longer control their movements'.

On the way to the Relief Channel, some fish were released into Landbech Lakes, as a gift to the owner.  For letting the 97 fish stay overnight in his lake.  Landbech Lakes still holds Zander, but numbers and sizes unknown.

After this introduction fish started to appear all over the Fenland Drainage System.

1966 The Tidal Ouse                                                                                                            

1967   The Hundred  Foot Drain at Welney                                                                  

1968  The Great Ouse at Ten Mile Bank                                                                         

1969  The Great Ouse at Littleport and Ely, River Wissey, River Lark, River Cam, River Little Ouse, River Delph and Old  Bedford River. 

1970  The Great Ouse at St Ives and Huntington, Roswell Pits, Old West River and the Middle Level Main Drain.                                                                              

1972  The Great Ouse at St Neots and the 40 foot Drain.                                                        

1973  The Great Ouse at Eaton Socon, the 16ft Drain and Old Bedford River.  

1975  The Old River Nene and the 20ft Drain.                                                                             

1975 to 1990  Most Midland Stillwaters, River and Canals, The River Severn, River Trent, River Soar, Warwickshire Avon, Gloucester and Sharpness Canals, Coombe Abbey Park Lake, Old Bury Hill, Nottingham Lakes, Lincolnshire Drains and some Rivers, Smeatons Lake in Newark (Adjoining to River Trent).

When Non Zander Anglers from the Sport have a need to complain about the Zander being illegally stocked into their favourite water, what they should really do is take a look at the history of the Zander in Great Britain.  Its not an overnight stocking, the Zander have been here for 120 years.