It seems to have been a good year for swallows.  I suppose that this cool wet summer has meant plenty of food and good breeding conditions as there are a lot of youngsters about now.  I was out at the front of the house yesterday afternoon and the overhead wires were crowded with swallows all chattering and waiting for that imperceptible signal that will send them on their annual journey to southern Africa.  It's a sign of the waning year and it certainly looks and feels autumnal this morning with a stiff north west wind, heavy grey cloud and a nip in the air.  We don't yet have the rain that was forecast, but we did have a fair drop in the night so the river continues to run at fishable levels. 

The Tarn fished very well yesterday and one of our guests caught up to the limit on what was a pretty blustery day.  I understand that this was his first fly fishing outing for some considerable time so  hopefully the positive experience he had yesterday will  fire his enthusiasm to do more.

I plan to attend the Ribble Fisheries meeting on 28 August so look out for issues raised there in the days following.  I am sure that there is much going on further down the Ribble that we hear little about up here in the hills.

There may be a few blank days in this diary over the coming 10 days.  It's a significant birthday for Mrs F on 29 August and her brothers and I have plans!

Ian