It's a very damp and rather dismal morning with the cloud base so low that the opposite side of the valley is invisible from Newhouses.  Still, the wind has backed to the south west so it's considerably warmer than of late and this may produce a rise on both the Tarn and the river later today.  Since we had a lot of rain in the night the river is now pretty full, not in spate yet, but still rising slowly.

Alan Maden emailed me yesterday in response to my reference to Mr Sutcliffe.  Alan tells me that this past benefactor is still alive and living near him.  Sorry I couldn't email back Alan , but for the past 24 hours I have been able to collect mail but not send it.  Something for the network wizards at Langtoft to sort out, or maybe not.

In searching for something else yesterday I came across a website devoted to campaigning against the proposed erection of a barrage on the lower Ribble.  I will collect more info on this and report back, but this may have severe implications for migratory salmonids in the river.  It seems that someone involved in the campaign has found this blog as they reported in some detail my earlier postings about the pollution at Gridleton.

Again the Telegraph turned to matters fishy at the weekend with a report on the devastating impact that escaped farmed salmon (1 million!) are having on the wild population off the north west of Scotland.  It seems that farmed salmon come from a distinct gene pool and these escapees out compete with the wild stock which may be causing a dramatic decline in the native stock.  The same research has concluded that the introduction into our rivers of brown trout from farmed stock will have the same impact on the native population.  This is what the Wild Trout Trust have been saying for some time. The evidence from fisheries such as Haddon Hall where restocking has been stopped and habitat improvement has taken place shows that there can be a dramatic increase in native stock mitigating any need to introduce fish.

Scant evidence here at Horton suggests that enforced non stocking this year due to the impact of VHS may have encouraged young native trout into lies that would otherwise have been denied to them.  Self sustainability and natural stocking has to be the future I think.

Ian

    It's a rather grey and gloomy start to the day here in the valley.  The brisk north westerly is making it feel much colder than it really is and there is the scent of rain in the air.  Still, the river is in cracking form now: running strong and clear and giving some fine sporting fishing.  There seems to be plenty of young, healthy wild trout from at least Selside down to the bottom of the beat at Helwith Bridge which bodes well for next season.

I knew that I could count on David to explain those weirs.  He rang me last evening and told me how they had been built, or at least extensively repaired, in the 1930's.  The work was paid for by a chap called Sutcliffe who was the then president of the Club and carried out by local farmers.  There were 7 weirs in all with the top one sited at Austin pool.  These were substantial affairs reinforced with angle irons and capped with slate to enable the river to glide over in spate.  They produced some fine pools, ideal for upstream fishing.  They seem to have fallen into disrepair during the late 1960's and some have now been replaced with gabions above Newhouses.  The remains of these weirs still help to create fishable pools and from time to time I fill the bigger gaps with boulders but they really require extensive work to restore them to former glory.

I was mildly chastised for not posting up a picture of Abel Heywood the prime mover in the formation of the MAA.  I have remedied this and you can find a drawing of this redoubtable character in the History folder.

Ian

    It's a morning of blustery showers blown along by a stiff and rather chilly north west wind.  The whole effect is more April than August, but as I write this I can see patches of blue appearing over the hills to the north.  So it might not be so bad later.

In searching through the material in the Horton History Group archive yesterday, looking for suitable stuff to take to the Horton show on Saturday, I came across a poor photocopy of a photograph taken in the 1940's by the then vicar.  This shows the river at Newhouses and what's noticeable is the number of weirs then present on this stretch.  There seem to be far more than now and all appear to be in good nick creating a series of cataracts with good pools between them.  The water levels seem highish but with no strong flow suggesting that these were average conditions and a seemingly much better fishing water than we get now.  What intrigues me is how these weirs were kept in repair.  This must have been during the time that Walter Pollard was keeper.  did he maintain these structures or did the club have working parties?  I suspect that this is one for David Marsden's unfailing memory.

Do come along to Horton show on Saturday.  It's not the biggest in the dales by any means but is well worth an afternoon's excursion to soak up a bit of dales culture.  These little shows will only survive if we support them.

Ian

    Just a quick update on conditions here this morning for members planning to fish this week.  We had a lot of rain in the night accompanied by a pretty good thunderstorm over Settle in the late evening.  At one stage the rain was falling in stair rods and it continued to rain fairly hard most of the night.  As a consequence the river is now well up again, but since we have a brightish morning with broken cloud and some sun the colour should drop off the water during the day.

Ian

    We had a lot of rain in the night here in the valley and the sky holds the promise of more today despite the occasional sunny break.  There's a light north westerly breeze that's keeping the temperature down and is making it feel rather autumnal.  Water levels in the river have risen a bit and it should be fishable in all the choice spots but it may be hard to induce a rise in these conditions.

I had a phone call from Fred Bateman a long standing member of the MAA that set me thinking.  He plans to bring his grandson up for a days fishing this week and was ruminating on how important it is to get youngsters out into the open air and develop in them an appreciation of the countryside and the wild life that inhabits it.  As Fred said, they are the future protectors of our environment and you can't start too early to awaken their enjoyment and understanding of nature.  What better way than to wander the banks of a secluded and beautiful river like the Ribble with a rod, building knowledge of what lives where and why, what the fish feed on at what month of the year.  Fishing, especially game fishing, provides the warp and weft that stitches together a profound understanding of the interactions of a riverine environment.  Much better than classroom learning as it blends together so many skills and so much knowledge coupled with a deep respect for the trout we seek.

So, for those members who don't often use the guest privileges you have why not make it a resolution for next season to introduce at least one young member of your family to what may become a lifetime passion and learning.  It could be the most valuable pound you ever invest.

Ian

   Morning all.  It's bright but much cloudier her this morning with no breeze and lots of midges.  There is rain forecast which will be welcome as the river is dropping off quite quickly and there was just a low flow coming over Settle weir yesterday afternoon.

I have another picture to add the the gallery of founding fathers of the MAA.  David Marsden has sent me a cartoon drawn by Baxter of George S Wooley the first treasurer and you can find this in the History file.

I am about to book the Crown for the October Hot Pot Supper so watch this space for further details of this not to be missed annual event and put the date in your diary.

Ian

    It's another bright and sunny morning here at Horton but there's a definite nip in the air now.  Still, this only serves to make it feel fresh and clean and it's a real delight to be up and about early to appreciate this.

Alan Maden called yesterday and reports that the river at Selside is fishing well.  Apart from the fish caught and returned (all three quarters to a pound) he saw plenty of young trout in the pools below the footbridge.  This is great news and combined with reports from Cragg hill on Wednesday suggests that the wild trout population has suffered no real detrimental effect from the prolonged drought.  Keep the reports coming so that we can build up a more comprehensive picture of wild fish stocks.

Alan also reported good fishing on his trip to Scourie and Wester Ross despite Loch Stack rising three feet overnight.  This made retrieving the boat the following morning an interesting exercise.  The amount of rain needed to cause this large loch to rise so far so quickly is mind boggling.  We could do with a share of that water at the Tarn.  Sam Wood is still managing to get the boat out of the boat house.  I think he must be hitching it to one of Geoff Davidson's cows since the boat house is virtually dry.

I have applied for grant money from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust to cover the cost of materials to fence Cam Beck.  If Successful this will enable us to protect this vital spawning habitat from stock damage and provide a refuge for introducing fry raised at the hatchery when it's up and running.  I'll keep you posted.

I almost forgot.  David Marsden sent me a drawing of Abel Heywood, following my reference to him yesterday.  Abel was a driving force in the founding of the MAA back in 1878 and the Association's first secretary.  I will format the picture and post it later today in the History folder

Ian

    Well it's certainly a week of contrasting weather.  After the gloom and damp of yesterday comes a gloriously bright and sunny morning with barely a cloud in a cornflower blue sky.  Just a hint of breeze as I finished milking and a hint of Autumn to come with a slight bight in the air.

There is good news for those members who delight in fishing the river.  Conditions are still good and news reaches me that fish are taking well down at Parson's Pool.  Talking to two members yesterday afternoon who had fished up the pool in the morning revealed a catch of 7 between them, 6 young wild brownies at about half a pound and an old stockie that must have over wintered.  The first fish was caught with the first cast of the day.  All these fish appeared to be in good condition which suggests that the prolonged drought has had no seriously detrimental impact on the wild fish stocks in the lower river at least.  It will be good to get some reports from Selside and above to see how the upper river has fared by comparison as there was much less water up there.

I wrote a couple of days ago about the actions of the sabs at Caton on the 12th of August and I see that there is another lengthy article in the DT about this.  Clive Aslet who is the Editor at Large of Country Life has written an essay under the title "Fishermen are firmly in the sights of hunt saboteurs: will Labour decide to protect them?"  His assessment of the political environment is that with well over 3 million course fishermen, many in traditional Labour constituencies the pressure on the Government to do something to protect their interests will be hard to resist.  But, we live at a time when young people are encouraged to regard every opinion as valid no matter how extreme and violently expressed.  Educators have not made Britain's long tradition of common decency and tolerance seem so compelling.

My own take on this is that we can't leave it to the politicians.  We need to mobilise ourselves to protect our sport.  We have a tremendous story to tell about conservation and care for our riverine environments and we need to be robust in telling it and telling it repeatedly until it sinks into the subconscious of the general public.  The huntsmen left it far too late to try to mobilise public opinion we must not do likewise.  The MAA was founded on strong guiding principles of conservation and improvement.  Abel Haywood himself was anxious that the Association should not be regarded as a bunch of fish killers.  These principles are the foundation of our constitution 130 years later and we should be proud.

Next week is national fishing week let's see how much of a ripple this creates in the media pool. I suspect, very little.  Next year must be different.

Ian

    Its a rather moist and very misty morning here in the valley.  We had some rain over night after a fine day yesterday.  There is plenty of fly about this morning judging by the squadrons of swallows that are buzzing over the pastures here at Newhouses.

I was up at the Tarn last evening and despite the rain of the past few days the level is still too low to get the boat out (or back) with any ease.  The water quality is improving slowly with pH lowering a bit and temperature down a lot and the fish seem happier.  There were a good few rises as it got dark.

I nearly forgot, but Newhouses Lane will be closed to all traffic today whilst United Utilities dig up the road to relay the water main.  So access to the Tarn will be closed until late this afternoon.

Ian

    It's been a bright, sunny and warm morning first thing here at Horton but the cloud cover is building now with mostly thin, high stratus that develop to rain later.  The river is now bank full, falling off the spate of yesterday and losing its colour.  So, fishing conditions over the next couple of days should be perfect.  Let's see where the fish are.

I'm taking my house guests down to Stainforth this morning to see if we can spot any early salmon coming up the foss on the flood.  It's a wee bit early in the season, I know, but there were certainly salmon at Grindleton a month ago and those that survived the pollution incident there may use the recent high water to move upstream.  I've yet to get a decent photo of salmon leaping at Stainforth so fingers crossed for this morning.

Once again I am indebted to David Marsden for sending me an item from his archive of MAA history supported by his extensive knowledge of the club in its earliest years.  He noticed that I have attached a History album to the pictures file on the blog and thought that this should be graced early on with an illustration of the Association's first President, Col Mawson.

I have accordingly posted this in the album.  An impressive looking gentleman is Col Mawson and a very interesting character.  I will dig out a photo of the current President.

Ian

    Welcome to another dull, grey and rather damp morning here at Horton.  I rained hard in the night and has been raining on and off since first light.  However, the forecast is for a brighter, warmer afternoon and if this materialises we should have have good fishing conditions later.  The river certainly looks in good form now with water under both arches of New Inn bridge.  I was up at the Tarn just as it got dark last evening and there were some hefty rises out beyond the weed fringe. 

Mike Howarth emailed me yesterday about my reference to mobile phones not being a reliable means of summoning help.  He tells me that a good signal can be got for a few yards on the lane above the Tarn so it's worth experimenting wherever you happen to be fishing just in case you need to use the phone in a hurry.

There is some good news on the VHS front.  Now that the second round of testing has proved negative, DEFRA have redrawn the control order area to exclude most of the Yorkshire catchments not immediately associated with the original infection.  So now fish farmers in the Wharfe, Aire, Derwent, Rye, Calder, Don and Rother catchments can trade normally.  Of course that still leaves the Nidd, Swale, Ure and Ouse catchments under severe restriction, but the results of further testing are awaited and if these prove negative also then further relaxation of controls may result.  However, CEFAS still don't know how the original infection occurred so this too will have a bearing on how soon the controls will be fully rescinded.

I had a phone call on Friday evening from a farmer further up the dale who was concerned the the beck (Coppy Gill)  near his house was, in his words, foaming like a bubble bath (raises interesting questions about his personal ablutions) and stinking.  I told him to ring the EA hot-line and report it and have heard nothing more so I think that this was probably cow muck washed down as the becks rose after the summer drought.  I went down to look at the river near Newhouses and it seemed to be running clear and I have found nothing dead on the water so I think whatever it was has dispersed naturally.  If anyone does spot anything untoward down stream of Selside can you let me know please.

Well, here's to a great back-end's fishing now that the Dales are wet again.

Ian

 

    Morning all.  First the good news.  Although I was in Halifax all day yesterday and did not get home until the wee small hours of this morning my neighbour reports that it rained here all day yesterday.  As a consequence we have good water all down the fishery which should last through for a few days even if we get no more rain today.  The weather here is pretty overcast this morning with cloud well down on the hills so another damp day is a possibility.

Now the less good news.  On the front page of yesterday's Daily Telegraph there was a report about an incident affecting two anglers not so very far from here.  It would seem that the police and keepers working together had prevented a gang of anti blood sport protesters from disrupting a shoot at High Bentham.  Frustrated, this gang moved to Caton near Lancaster where  these valiant and brave guardians of animal welfare assaulted two female anglers destroying their gear and causing one some physical injury before being driven off by other anglers fishing further  upstream.  Regrettably, these attacks are becoming more frequent across the country as the anti's look for other victims away from fox hunting.

We are fortunate here at Horton that most of our fishery is distant from  public access or view but this does pose it's own risks.  Without wishing to be unnecessarily alarmist I would advise members to consider what steps they might reasonably take to remain safe when fishing both the public reaches and the more remote lengths of the river (and maybe the Tarn).  Make sure that someone knows where and when you will be fishing.  You are more than welcome to phone or email me and if you experience verbal or physical assault tell Settle police (dial 999 as the station is not always manned) and tell me also, but remember that mobile phones are not a reliable means of communication up here.  Sheila (my wife)  is a local councillor and has regular meetings with North Yorkshire police at Horton Parish Council meetings.  I will ask the local constable what actions we might take to help protect members.

On a brighter note it would seem that most of the restrictions placed on fish farms following the outbreak of VHS back in May are about to be lifted.  More on this tomorrow.

Tight lines

Ian

    Just a very quick update for those members contemplating fishing over the weekend.  We had a lot of rain yesterday. Persistent, steady and prolonged.  It just goes to show how dry it's been over the past few months as the river is still not in spate and normally it certainly would be after that deluge.  However, the good news is that the Ribble is flowing from bank to bank, by no means full but a moderately good water.  It's cloudy rather than coloured but should clear as the gunk of the past weeks washes downstream.  There is lots more to report so a mega blog later tomorrow.

Enjoy!

Ian

       It's a grey, gloomy and rather damp morning here at Horton with a light and fairly warm westerly just lifting the temperature somewhat and showing a hint of brightness over in the west. We had over 2 hours of torrential, thundery rain last night which has done wonders for the river.  It's not in spate but is flowing stronger than it has done for weeks, a little coloured at present, but the prospects for a good fly water are better than they have been most of this season.

I mentioned the other day that I had written to a descendant of Nat Hunt, the Association's long time keeper.  Tony Greenbank rang me almost as soon as he got my letter and we had quite a long chat on the phone.  He knew his grandfather well and has fond memories of watching him dress flies which were renowned.  One particular recollection he has is sitting in his grandfathers garden watching him dress flies for Arthur Ransome who was seated near him in his waders.  This is interesting as, in Rod and Line, Ransome often mentions fishing at Horton and the quality of the flies used on the MAA waters, but rarely mentions names or gives details.

He will call in on me when next in Horton and tell me more about Nat.

This diary may be a bit sparse over the next couple of days as we have a big family wedding in Halifax over the weekend and a house full of guests all clamouring for attention and regular feeding .  A return to sanity on Wednesday, I hope!

Ian

    Just a quick update this morning as I'm a bit tight for time.  It rained a bit in the night.  Not enough to make any real difference to the water levels so far but it looks as if it's going to be a day of showers and some sunny spells so let's see how things are by this evening. 

I wrote to a descendant of Nat Hunt, the Association's long time keeper in the early years of the last century telling him about the work we are doing to bring the hatchery that Nat ran back into use and invited him up to Horton to take a look.  I had not realised that there might still be a tangible link here in the north with Nat who seemed to be an elusive character but a chance conversation with a friend who was born and brought up at Horton revealed a lot about Nat and his family.  I hope to meet this chap and hopefully learn more about his grandfather.

Ian

    It's a bit lighter and brighter here this morning but we still have a fair bit of cloud cover.  With only a very light westerly breeze it's not bad fishing weather.

I thought that the picture labelled "The old and the new" might interest some of you (in the MAA History picture folder) it shows, on the left and seated, Robert Walker the first keeper at Horton whose descendants still farm here; and on the right' standing, Nathanial or Nat Hunt who was MAA keeper for over 40 years and devoted much of his time to running the old hatchery at Bransghyll.  Many thanks to David Marsden for the picture which is taken off an old MAA dinner menu.  Interestingly, a similar picture appears in the third edition of "Anglers' Evenings" published in 1894,  titled "The keepers at Horton".

Last week I mentioned the latest issue of Fish and a further article here caught my eye.  It seems that a Brecon based company with a factory in Lancashire has just won an innovation award for their new fly line.  BVG Airflow has produced a line which they claim can be cast further and with more precision than any other on the market.  Working with Cardiff University, BVG have created a line with revolutionary longitudinal ridges that are so small that the line feels like a conventional line but offers vastly superior performance to all current lines.  One for the connoisseurs amongst you?

Ian

    Another grey day with heavy cloud cover, a chill in the air and a touch of mizzle.  Both Penyghent and Ingleborough are hidden in murk which is drifting up the valley.  Not such a good day for Brian Sheared who is bringing a guest up to the fishery this morning.  Still, if it brightens a bit and warms up, who knows, we might get a fly water to tempt the fish to rise.

I had a chat with Marma White in the post office yesterday.  He farms from Low Birkwith and owns the land around Camm Beck which I have an ambition to fence and restore.  He is happy for us to fence the beck and I have arranged to meet him and his brother Dave up at Low Birkwith  in the next few days so that we can walk the beck and agree how the work will be done.  Then it's the tedium of applying for grant funding and EA permissions if a drinker or crossing place is wanted.  I have the workforce in the shape of Crave College champing at the bit and ready to start in the new term.  The purpose of this work is to significantly enhance the trout breeding capacity of Camm Beck by excluding livestock from the beck margins and allowing the natural bank side vegetation to regenerate.  It will also prevent the sheep from entering the beck and muddying the good spawning gravels that are present here.  These breeding becks, situated so high up the catchment, are vital for the health of the trout population in the whole fishery.

I shall keep you posted.

Tight lines

Ian

    Another pewter skyed day here at Horton, but it's appreciably warmer with the wind having backed to the west and dropped in velocity to a light breeze.  There is a light edge to the cloud in the west that suggests things may brighten later and even as I write this I can see patches of blue from my north facing office window.

I spent an absorbing hour or so yesterday reading another of David Marsden's delightful reminiscences of life in Horton in the mid 20th century.  This was mainly about shooting and the wildlife that could be found in these south western dales at that time.  Of particular interest to me is his account of the antics of a group of whooper swans seen on the Tarn since this immediately brought back to mind my own experience of these stunning birds at the same place a couple of years ago.  I had gone up to the Tarn to have a check around and was surprised to find five swans rather than the resident two.  The three offcumdens were clearly whoopers from the shape and colour of the bill and the distinctive noise they made as I approached.  They seemed apprehensive about my presence and soon took to the air with majestic, almost silent wing beats, non of the frantic thrashing of the mute.  After circling for a while at some considerable height they obviously decided that I was harmless and again on silent wings they glided onto the surface of the water.  They were around for three of for days before I last saw them heading north east at considerable speed.

What's intriguing is the reaction of the resident mutes.  From time to time we get a sizable group of Canada geese up at the Tarn.  These the swans will not tolerate and the cob spends hours chasing them up and down the water in full fury mode.  They completely ignored the whoopers whilst they were present.

I'm off to take the monthly water readings today so we will see what effect this recent cool, cloudy weather has had on pH and temperature.

Ian

    We awoke to a distinctly autumnal morning here at Horton.  It's cold, grey and gloomy with a strong north east wind rattling through my runner beans.  There is a smell of rain in the air and Pen y ghent is veiled in murk.  Not a good fishing day.

Last week I was fulminating about grips and their impact on river levels.  This prompted David Marsden to have a quick trawl through old records and he emailed me with a short piece which seems to show that rapid fall off after spate has always been a problem on this river.  So it's questionable just how much impact the old 1940's grips have on current water levels.  Still, getting rid of them can only help to conserve water in the peat moors which must help a little to keep the river flowing in severe drought.

I have been invited to speak about our hatchery work at the next Ribble Fisheries council meeting in September.  This will be a good chance to explain our conservation plans for the upper river and the action we have taken already.  Since we own the fishing on the highest waters of the Ribble what we do here inevitably has some impact on fisheries lower down and it will help raise the profile of the MAA as a good steward.

For over 40 years in the early part of the 20th Century the MAA river keeper at Horton was a man called Nat Hunt.  He seems to be a rather shadowy character as I have had great difficulty in finding any positive reference to him in local records or the national census.  However, when I took the local history group up to the Tarn last Wednesday one of the older Horton residents recalled him clearly.  Dora told me that his daughter, who was also briefly employed by the MAA to feed fry at the hatchery, had married a chap called Greenbank and their son, whom she knows well, is a reporter on the Dalesman.  She is keen for us to get in touch as she thinks that he will want to run an article about the work at the hatchery where his grandfather and mother spent so much of their lives.  We will see.

Ian

    A blustery, cool and fairly cloudy day but with some broken sunshine.  Wind in the north east so it feels rather colder than it actually is.  The river levels are holding up surprisingly well considering that we have had only brief showers over the past week.  It's low on the runs and riffles but is still flowing and the pools are certainly fishable.

Brian and I lifted the trailing branches off the east bank water along the pools by New Inn yesterday.  It's now possible to cast under the trees without getting snagged and the increased light and air should improve the lies.  Looking at the before and after pictures you can't see much difference but down at water level the change is quite marked.  I will have a go at the west bank during this week.  Take a look at the two pics in the "Habitats" album.

The latest edition of Fish the magazine of the Institute of Fisheries Management landed on my door mat yesterday.  Many interesting articles that I will come back to over the next few days but to kick off there is a long piece on VHS which doesn't add anything new to my understanding of either the disease itself or the strategy for eradicating it.  There is, however, a very impassioned editorial calling for a fairer deal for the 32 fish farmers affected who have seen their livelyhoods reduced to nothing through no fault of their own.  The IFM are clearly ratcheting up the pressure on the Government to consider some form of relief or compensation.  This was echoed in this weeks Craven Herald.

Also of note is an interesting article in Thursday's Daily Telegraph which describes the efforts that the EA are making to reintroduce native crayfish to the chalk streams of the southern counties.  This is described as the first attempt at large scale reintroduction and the results will be worth watching to see what lessons we can learn for our own reintroduction programme on the Ribble.

I'll keep you posted.

Ian

    It's a lovely bright, fresh morning here at Horton with plenty of sun and a light scattering of fluffy cloud.  Just right to tackle the overhanging foliage down at New Inn and I'm shortly off to meet Brian Tomlinson to get started.  This should improve the habitat in the fine trout pools opposite the football field, allow a little more light and air to the water and make for easier casting to the lies under the banks.

I forgot to mention yesterday that on Wednesday evening I took a small group from Horton Local history Group for a walk round the Tarn and down to turn Dub.  We talked about the history of the Tarn and How Harry Speight in his Craven and North West Yorkshire Highlands in the 1890's described how the Tarn was formed some 50 years before when a pothole became blocked during a violent thunderstorm.  This may be folk tale but it's really not clear just how long the Tarn has existed.  We also looked at the wildlife that makes its home here and considered the geology of Turn Dub and the complex hydrology that sees the water from the east flanks of Ingleborough resurging on the east bank of the river.  Think about it.

Finally we did a quick tour of the archaeology round the Tarn including the supposed man made rabbit warren to the south of the path by the duck wall and the remains of the old monastic boundary wall that runs north from the Tarn.

They seemed to enjoy it even though the wind was bitingly cold and blowing strongly.

Ian

    A very late posting today , sorry.  I had an appointment at Bradford Hospital at 9 this morning for tests prior to my cataract op.  All went well and I now await a date for the procedure. 

I did see Stephen Hatton and Rachael Perryman of the RCCT yesterday and very fruitful it turned out to be.  They have no firm plans to work on the river within our fishery so we have a free hand here but they have taken on board the need for a more strategic approach to trying to combat the increasingly rapid fall off in water levels and will make representations to the EA about the need to fill in grips.  This will inevitably be a long and possibly fruitless exercise as the obstacles are many and complex, but a start has been made.  I am taking Stephen up to Camm Beck to look at how we might fence it given the agreement of the farmer who I know pretty well.

They have taken up my idea that we should get Horton School involved in the river on its doorstep.  My thought was that the school should adopt Horton Beck (Douk Gill) which runs past the doorstep.  The Head Teacher is apparently very keen and Rachael is currently drawing up a plan and programme on which she will seek my comments. The aim is that the children will become the eyes, ears and general guardians of the beck working with me as appropriate.  They will study the life in the beck and probably rear trout fry in the classroom for release at suitable sites along its length.  I await the draft with interest.

Ian

    Good morning all.  It's another bright and sunny morning here but we do have a pretty stiff north west breeze which is keeping the temperature rather cool.  There seemed to be a weather front building over Ingleborough a short while ago but this now seems to be breaking up and drifting south down the dale so it may well stay fine.

I owe you an update on the hatchery.  Not much progress of late as we are waiting for the EA to grant the abstraction licence  so that work can begin on the holding weir and supply pipework.  This is due any day now.  In the meantime there is some repair work that needs to be done as the dry weather has caused the cement render on the tanks to crack in a few places.

I'm off to see (no, not the wizard) the RCCT at settle today to talk through with them their plans for the catchment.  What I want them to consider is how we can slow the run off and maintain a better water level in the river during dry weather.  It seems to me that this is the priority as it's pointless conserving a riverine corridor if, for long periods of the year, there is no river.  A major challenge, but one we should begin to address.

Ian

    It's a lovely bright, fresh and sunny morning here at Horton.  The midges are out in force and there is hardly a breath of wind, just a thin smear of cloud to diffuse the morning sun.

It's strange how history can repeat itself and seemingly unconnected events or situations can have a resonance over time.  I was reading in the Sunday Telegraph that fisheries down south, especially on the Northamptonshire Nene, are having considerable trouble with east European immigrants.  These migrant workers have discovered that our rivers carry an abundant supply of course fish and have been illegally fishing for chubb, perch, pike etc, etc as a means of supplementing their diet.  Things have almost come to blows, shots have been fired and feelings are running very high.

Fortunately we are far too remote here in the north west Yorkshire highlands to be of particular interest to new arrivals from the Peoples Republic of Europe but 130 years ago we did experience a very similar situation.  During the early 1870's the Midland Railway company was driving its express route to Scotland up Ribblesdale.  The work was done by an army of navvies, mostly immigrant Irish workers and their families who were accommodated in shanties along the route.  It did not take long for this bunch to realise that the Ribble could supply a source of free meals and Sunday afternoons were spent with a sledge hammer and a few sticks of dynamite happily fishing the pools for trout and salmon.

As a consequence, when the MAA established their fishery at Horton in the early 1880's they found that the river was almost completely devoid of fish.  That's why the hatchery was built at Douk Ghyll, later moved to Brants Ghyll and considerably enlarged.  The same hatchery that we are now, slowly, refurbishing.

All things go in circles.

Ian

    Oh well.  The intervention of Mr Sod and his well known law prevented any pruning yesterday.  Just as I was leaving the house to go down to New Inn the heavens opened and we had a decent amount of rain.  As a consequence it's much fresher here this morning with high cloud, a little sun and a light westerly breeze.  The river has come up a bit and again is fishable on the usual pools.  The runs and riffles are still rather low but certainly better than they were early last week.

If I get time this week I will try again to do some work at New Inn.

Ian

    It's a rather gloomy, muggy morning here at Horton and I would not be surprised if we got some rain today.  The river could certainly do with another lift as it's dropping off quite quickly now.

For some time I have had fairly regular contact with a body called the Ribble Catchment Conservation Trust, quite a mouthful.  But they are a really useful organisation dedicated to the protection of the Ribble and all its tributary becks and streams.  They have carried out extensive work on the river in past years including the erection of buffer fencing and bank protection.

I see that they are holding a series of open days shortly to gain a better understanding of the problems on the catchment that need addressing.  They have just secured considerable funding from the Lottery to pay for targeted work and are keen to get started.

I will go and have another chat with them about our 12 miles of river to ensure that we complement each others projects and see if I can tap into their funding arrangement to support the fencing and habitat improvement work that we plan to do this autumn.

Why not drop in and see them at any of the following venues:

     Settle          Victoria Hall        9 August
    Accrington    Town Hall        10 August
    Colne           Town Hall         18 August
    Preston         The Minster      21 August
    Barrowford   Heritage Centre   23 August
    Burnley         St James St Kiosk   4 September

Or visit their website at www.ribbletrust.org.uk.

Off shortly to do some pruning.  Pictures later.

Ian

    Well it's a misty, moisty morning here at Horton and we had some rain over night.  Not much but enough to freshen things up again.  The river is dropping quite quickly now, but the pools remain fishable and seem to be in good condition after the drought.  It would be good to get some report back from members who have tried their luck since the drought broke just to see what impact the very low water had on the resident trout population.

I still intend to do some pruning at New Inn tomorrow so will post up "before and after" shots when the work is done.

Ian

    It's brightened up considerably here since this morning and the sun is now trying to break through.

I have rebuilt the stile over the wall above the boat house and it seems solid enough but do take care and step to the centre of the timber through piece above its wall support.  Stepping on the end causes leverage strain which will loosen the timber in time.

I have also put a large slab on the boat house side of the stile to lessen the step up (down) and replaced the lose step on the far side with a large flat top boulder to make it far easier to cross the wall carrying tackle.  The fence post to the right of the stile as you face the duck wall end of the Tarn is firmly nailed to the timber through piece and can be used as a hand hold.  Again take care, I accept no liability for accidents.

Ian

    Just a quick update this morning as I'm tight for time.  I may post up more later.  It's heavily overcast and murky here this morning, but dead calm and very midgy. 

Any member fishing the Tarn over the next couple of days is warned to be very careful when crossing the wall above the boathouse as the stile here is dangerous.  I will try to effect some repairs today but in the longer term the whole thing will need to be rebuilt.  I will let you know when this is done.

Ian

    It's a lovely clear, bright, cool and fresh morning here at Horton.  The river is flowing but not too high and has cleared considerably since Tuesday evening.  So, the fishery is in much better shape than it was this time last week.  I doubt if water levels will remain up for long as we had too little rain to really fill the aquifers, but the forecast is for more heavy showers tomorrow so the weekend should be OK.

Spurred on by our efforts on Tuesday I intend tackling the overhanging trees just upstream from New Inn bridge to open up the pools and lies opposite the football field.  This area is badly overgrown is is one spot on the river that older members can reach with relative ease.  I will try to tackle this over the next couple of days and post up pictures of the result.

Ian

    I am very pleased to report that we have a decent river again here at Horton.  It's running a bit green at present as all the accumulated gunk of the past 6 weeks gets washed through, but by Thursday it should be fishable for the first time in nearly 2 months, but be warned we are due a lot more rain today so we could see our first spate since March..  This rain has been a long time coming and it will be interesting to see just what impact the drought has had on fish stocks.  Do let me know how you get on if you fish the river over the next few days.

The President and I had great fun last evening.  We did a lot of pruning down at the tail of Parson's Pool (the Marker Pool).  We have lifted the tree cover on the east bank so that it's now possible for a right hander to cast into the fine lies in the deeper water under the bank.  There are always large fish here and we have left sufficient cover to ensure that they remain so.  As we worked the river was noticeably rising and running with sufficient flow to carry away all but the largest branches.  We will progressively tackle some of the other overgrown pools below Newhouses over the next few weeks.

Nothing more to report on the pollution incident so hopefully things there are settling down again.  The loss of sea trout especially is a tragedy as on the water we have at present they may well have made their way up to Horton.

Ian

    Good grief, August already.  The season is nearly over and it seems like only last week I was putting the first fish into the Tarn.  But, it was March!

We have the prospect of much happier fish and some decent fishing this week.  It rained on and off for much of yesterday and there is a veritable monsoon falling outside as I write this.  So the becks are filling and the river should begin to rise a bit.  It won't fill but at least there should be some flow to freshen the pools and runs.

David Hinks contacted me with an update on the pollution incident at Brungerley.  Good and bad news.  On the positive side, the EA have carried out an ecological assessment and concluded that there is no evidence of immediate harm to the river invertebrates.  What long term impact there might be remains to be seen.  But the less good news is the number of fish deaths.  So far the tally is:

3 eels
457 brown trout (5oz to 2lb) mostly breeding age
102 sea trout (majority 4 to 8lb but some 14lb)
16 salmon (12 to 14lb)
129 salmon parr
15 grayling (1 to 1.5lb)

This is pretty devastating and probably represents only half of the true destruction along this fine stretch of river.

Apparently the police, as usual, are indifferent (no stripes to be earned in catching polluters) but the EA are co-ordinating efforts to catch those responsible and Environmental Health officers are carrying out inspections of hauliers premises and their waggons.

The President and I plan to do some pruning to trim back the overhanging trees along the river by Cragg Hill this evening to open up some of the fine pools between the Tay bridge and the farm.  That's if we don't get swept away by the flood!

Ian