It's a tad parky this morning with a very sharp frost turning the fields and fells white and sparkly under the morning sun.  My hens are dancing around trying to keep their feet warm, hunting for insects in the leaf litter that is building up in the hollows in the croft.  All in all a perfect autumn day.

I managed at long last to get the October invertebrate check done at New Inn yesterday. No surprises, but it is good to see that both numbers and species compare well with last October.  More gammarus and stonefly this year and slightly fewer heptagenia, but overall the river looks to be healthy.

I will do the check at Turn Dub this morning once things warm up a little.  It's a cold spot at the best of times being tucked down in a fold in the hills that cuts off the sun at this time of year.  This morning it will be particularly cold even though there is no wind.

Only 4 days to go to the end of season and this blog will wind down to a weekly posting until next March.  Plans are already in hand though for 2009 with the refurbishment of the hut scheduled for the closed season and all the fish ordered for the Tarn.  We are using a new supplier next year and I have been invited to visit the farm to see our fish before they start arriving in March.  I am confident that we will get some real quality stock.

Ian