It's a rather quiet end to the season.  The lack of rain this autumn has meant that fewer members have travelled to Horton this back end to fish for salmon and the number of visits to the Tarn have dropped considerably over the past few weeks.  It all makes for a quiet life, but leaves me wondering often just what to say in this diary when I sit down at the keyboard after checking emails each morning.  One good bit of news that I can report is that Chris S has agreed that we can plant a few trees below Cragghill and will clear this with the Phil and Steven.  I can now get on and order these from our benefactor.

It has been suggested that we put a few native trees in at the bottom end of the Tarn to replace or at least disguise the Christmas trees that look a bit incongruous in this landscape.  Given that the ground here is almost permanently wet a few alder and willow should do well and provide a better mix of habitat than we have at present.  Who know what the deciduous cover might encourage to colonise this corner.  The fence that keeps the sheep out of this area needs a bit of attention, but that's a job easily attended to over the winter.

We plan to meet here on 10 November to draw up a comprehensive map of the fishery, name all the runs and pools and identify all features of importance to members such as hazards, parking places and access points.  This work has been a long time in gestation and it will be interesting to see just how many arguments there are about names of pools.  Of course, not all the recognisable features on the river have known names and the plan is to find suitable names for some of these which may well pass down into posterity.

This meeting will be a good opportunity to identify and agree all those little maintenance jobs that need doing, but somehow never get completed.  The closed season will be a good time to get some of them done.  If any member has spotted a job that needs my attention please do phone or email me and let me know. (stiles down by Penny Bridge have been on my list for months and will be done before next season).

Ian