Volunteer Spotlight: Andy’s Journey with Lakefly Monitoring
17 December, 2025
This month, we caught up with Andy, one of our dedicated Lakefly volunteers who samples regularly at Bassenthwaite. His passion for freshwater life runs deep, and his enthusiasm perfectly captures the spirit of the Lakefly project. Here’s what he had to say about his experience.
Andy, Lakefly Volunteer
What inspired you to get involved with Lakefly monitoring?
For Andy, the connection to freshwater began early.
“I’ve had a very deep connection to the natural world and particularly to being around, in and on, freshwater lakes and rivers. I was introduced to fly fishing at the tender age of 6 and was instantly mesmerised by learning about this incredible hidden kingdom beneath the surface, and the fascinating, complex and beautiful lifecycles of the invertebrates quietly going about their business, concealed from human view.”
What does a typical Lakefly sampling session look like?
For Andy, sampling is something to savour, not rush.
He begins by checking the weather and lake levels a week in advance, both to ensure safe access and to find a day when he can dedicate a full morning to careful sampling and recording. With a fair bit of kit to bring along, preparation starts the night before.
Once lakeside, he sets up a foldable camping table as a base for examining the tray of invertebrates. From there, he follows the standardised Lakefly protocols:
a health and safety dynamic risk assessment
surface search
kick sampling of the lakebed in different locations within his defined piece of lakeshore
manual searching under stones and submerged material
All samples are collected in a net, transferred to a tray, identified, counted, and then uploaded to the FBA database back at home.
“The material and training provided by the FBA is first class, and the procedures to follow are clear and straightforward. They are importantly standardised and repeatable, so that our data is statistically relevant.”
Andy completing a monthly Lakefly sample on Bassenthwaite
What do you enjoy most about taking part in Lakefly?
Uncovering hidden biodiversity is a major highlight for Andy.
“I enjoy the fascination of uncovering the incredible biological diversity living beneath the waves and how this changes through the seasons.”
There’s also the joy of learning: deepening his existing knowledge while discovering just how much more there is to know. And of course, the community aspect, sampling alongside likeminded people by the water.
But perhaps most meaningful is the project’s purpose.
“This is the first project that aims to give long term countrywide data about the health of our lakes. If we don’t know what’s happening to life at the bottom of the food chain, and have some base level data, how can we hope to protect these incredibly valuable resources?”
Have you learned anything new or surprising about freshwater invertebrates or lake health through volunteering?
Absolutely. Andy expressed how astonishing the diversity of lifecycles is among freshwater invertebrates.
“The diversity of life is staggering. The beautiful upwinged Ephemeroptera are probably my aesthetically favourite group…and the Green Drake Mayfly is probably the Cat Walk Queen of the bunch! Spending two years grubbing about in the lake bed to emerge into a dull “dun” before drifting to the bank to shed it’s drab coat and emerge into the spotlight, a shimmering, silky-winged “spinner” which then goes on to swarm, mate, and die. Its lifecycle of living in the shadows before one glorious day of freedom is like something from a Shakespearian play …”
Andy completed Lakefly training on Bassenthwaite in October with the Lake District National Park Authority.
What would you say to someone thinking about becoming a Lakefly volunteer?
Andy’s answer was simple and enthusiastic:
“Do it!”
“If you have a passion for biology, a real interest in learning and a wish to contribute something genuinely meaningful to the future management of our precious freshwater lakes, you will really enjoy it. The training and support is first class and the FBA are just a lovely, fun and interesting bunch to be involved with.”
Thank you, Andy!
We’re incredibly grateful to volunteers like Andy, whose curiosity, care, and commitment make the Lakefly project possible. If his experience has inspired you, why not find out more about becoming a Lakefly volunteer? You could help uncover the stories hidden beneath the surface of your local lake.
How can people get involved?
Currently, the project is in the middle of a comprehensive pilot phase and no more training events are planned, however we anticipate Lakefly going ‘live’ in Spring 2026.
Individuals or organisations interested in joining future training can register their interest via the Lakefly email (lakefly@fba.org.uk). New training opportunities will be announced in spring 2026.
Interested in discovering more?
Find out more about the Lakefly citizen science project.