Our native wildlife can go about its business by the river at Selside a little safer this morning.  After a six hour vigil which included narrowly avoiding being covered in clart by muck spreading operations as he was so well hidden the Hon sec caught his mink.  This turned out to be a large, fit and very healthy female.  Since she showed no sign of lactating it's hoped that she has been taken before breeding this season so a major threat to our wild trout and all the other small creatures that house by the water has been removed.

Predator control is always a balance between the interests of the predator and its prey, but mink are an alien species and like their American colleagues the red signal crayfish they simply should not be here and both have a devastating impact on native species if left uncontrolled.

Whilst on the river recently it is noticeable that there are a number of toothed duck (goosanders and mergansers) about.  These fish eating duck do have an impact on fish recruitment as they take young trout and salmon as well as minnow and bullhead.  Unlike mink they are protected by law so controlling their predation is more problematic and they are quite tolerant of human presence.  However,  regular visits to their favourite haunts  can deter them from becoming too comfortably settled so we will have to step up these visits to sites where we know they are present.

Still no sign of rain so the river is well below its best for fishing.  Its dawned a dull, but bright morning with a moderate easterly breeze keeping the temperature on the low side.

Ian