There is no doubting that trout like gammarus when they can get them.  I suppose a good belly full of gammarus is a bit like a prawn sandwich only more filling and large shrimps help to sustain large trout.  With this in mind and with an eye on sustainability I have been researching how best to boost the population of gammarus in the river.  I think I may have found the solution and it seems in theory to be simple.  All you need is a large mesh sack stuffed with barley straw and a few floats which you place in the water where you wish to aid the recruitment of gammarus.  The little beasties can't resist the security and food source that the straw provides and they go forth and multiply.

That's the theory!  I now have permission to run an experiment using this technique using the larger pond at the hatchery.  All the material is ready and, time permitting, I will set things up later today.  All we need do then is wait a few months to see what results we get.  If this works then I intend to repeat the experiment on quiet backwaters on the river and at the Tarn.  The bonus is that the gammarus will migrate out of the straw over time thus becoming available to the fish for food.  They will supplement the other invertebrates already in the fish pond and ensure that the young fish get a good start before they in turn migrate out into the beck.  A further benefit is the impact that the straw will have on water quality as it breaks down.  Due to the release of a cocktail of chemicals the straw will keep the pond free of algae as we know from past experience at the Tarn.

I did an invertebrate check at New Inn bridge yesterday and am pleased to report that all seems healthy.  There were no real variations from previous checks and it was pleasing to see a good crop of stoneflies in every sample I took.  I even found our friend  above in two of the 4 samples I kicked.  Being detritivores, gammarus are not common in this fast running water, but they were there yesterday.

Someone turned off summer again this morning.  It's currently very foggy and damp.  Potentially quite good fishing conditions if you can find your way to Horton.

Ian