Well, I'm back from London and the atmosphere here at Horton is pretty depressing with the news of another Pirbright related outbreak of FMD in Surrey.  This comes at the worst possible time for hill farmers as the main autumn sales of gimmers is just about to start and over the next couple of weeks over 40,000 gimmer lambs should have gone to market. It's the time of years when most incomes are realised after all the hard graft of the preceding year.  It just goes to show the truth in the maxim that "pride cometh before a fall" with DEFRA preening itself on how clever it had been in containing the August outbreak - conveniently forgetting that the source was it's own research facility and the most likely cause its parsimony in addressing known infrastructure maintenance issues. 

I'm more than ever convinced that the time is well overdue to restore to Parliament proper sanction where the Executive fails in its duty of care to the electorate.  It's no good fining DEFRA, this simply impacts on future programmes and services as has been well evidenced by the single farm payments fiasco.  What's needed is the authority vested in Parliamentary committees not only to examine public administration but to exercise powers of sanction including to remove from office ministers and officials who have demonstrably failed in their duty.

It would be good to see as many members as possible at the Hot Pot supper on 12 October to offer a bit of moral support to our friends in the Horton farming community.

Having got that off my chest let's turn to something more positive.  On Tuesday before I left for London I had a quick check on the invertebrate population in the new spawning beck at the hatchery. The good news is that it's thriving with a vast increase in both species and numbers within species since I last tested back in July.  The gravel is teeming with Baetis nymphs (olives) and in a 40 second kick sample I found well over 50 specimens.  There are a good few midge larvae as well as small water beetle and a few worms.  Plenty of sustenance for hungry trout fry.

I am meeting a member of Burnsall fly fishers on Sunday 23 September to talk about our conservation and wild trout programme and hope to convince them of the benefits of moving to a non- stocking policy allied to conservation and encouragement of wild brown trout.  Of course, they also have grayling on their waters so the their needs must be kept in mind also, but evidence from Haddon Hall shows just how effective good habitat management can be in promoting the health of both species.

I also understand that someone moderately famous wishes to talk to me about the river and our conservation work.  More on this when I know more myself.

Ian