Theo Pike - Wandle Trust
London, United Kingdom

South London’s River Wandle, historically revered for its crystalline, trout-filled waters and quite probably the birthplace of the dry fly, did not survive modern times.  By the 1970s, its polluted, toxic streambed was officially classified as “open sewer.”

Today, Theo Pike, Chairman of the Wandle Trust, is working to restore this classic English chalkstream to its former glory and inspire people everywhere to invest in their local, urban watersheds. Together with the World Trout Trust, the Wandle Trust runs educational “Trout in the Classroom” programs, rebuilds habitat and partners with local councils and the water company in their restoration efforts.

And at least once a month, Theo and a band of brave volunteers don waders to remove shopping carts, sofas, motorbikes and the occasional firearm from the Wandle.   These efforts are not without their rewards.

“Last New Year’s Eve,” Theo reports, “we saw trout spawning here for the first time in nearly 100 years."