After a rather indifferent start, yesterday turned into a smashing day with plenty of sun.  We kick off today damp and dismal with a stiff east wind just to add interest.  It looks as though it might clear again later so fishing conditions may not be too bad this afternoon.  The river is quite low but perfectly OK for trout fishing and we even had a few flies about in the warm sunshine yesterday afternoon.

More goodies landed on my door mat yesterday.  This time it's the Wild Trout Survival Guide, published by the Wild Trout Trust, sponsored by the EA and written by Vaughan Lewis.  This is an impressive piece of work which sets out a pragmatic and practical approach to the conservation and preservation of brown trout.  The objective of the guide is to ensure that our wild brown trout have a future and each beautifully illustrated section takes one through the key steps necessary to create the variety of habitat that brown trout need at each stage of their life cycle.  There is even local interest since one of the case studies looks at trout breeding on Malham Tarn.  I would encourage any fishermen who cares about the future of his or her sport to get a copy - only £10 from the WTT at www.wildtrout.org.  And why not join the Trust and show real commitment and support for their vital work.

I have now seen the plans for the proposed development at the foot of Brants Gyll.  These are a complete joke (I hope) and a classic example of greed over common sense.  The proposal consists of three, allegedly, 3 bedroomed houses (although the third bedroom at 6ft square is obviously intended for the house elf).  Of great concern to me  is the way in which the beck side has been dealt with. The proposal here is to erect a 3ft high stone wall right on the beck margin which will create a canalised section some 30 yards long with a nice little pinch point just above the bridge abutment.  Anyone who has seen the beck in full spate will know that it rises over 3 ft and the pinch point will have the effect of raising the beck still further, flooding both the development site and the cottage gardens opposite and backing up onto the pastures above.  It will also almost certainly create a scour which will wash out all the substrate over time lowering the beck bed and have an unpredictable effect on the beck above and river confluence below.

As for the design of the houses ,  It's just cheap tat with no attempt at vernacular styling or any imagination exercised in trying to create something that adds to rather than detracts from this key village site.

The Parish Council have opposed the plans and there is a  rapidly growing body of local  anger about the cavalier way in which  this site has been treated by the developer.  We now await the deliberations of the National Park planning committee.

Watch this space

Ian