By Tom Holland, Bournemouth University

For a week starting on the 11th of April, I assisted in SAMARCH’s annual smolt run. On my shifts I took part in gathering important data of both Salmon and Trout as they moved downstream. This included catching the fish, recording their size and weight, and then releasing them once they had recovered from the anaesthetic. Over the week I completed four night and three day shifts, with the weather being much milder than I remember it being last year. Overall I really enjoyed my placement opportunity as it allowed me to work in a field I had no previous experience of while also allowing me to test myself working night shifts and to see whether this is a potential area I could have a career in the future.