I was up at Ling Gill early yesterday morning helping Paul to draw down the pools created by the new dams.  The site really does look impressive in full water and the whole job has been completed to a very high standard with straight, level dams that tumble a steady flow of water between the three new pools.

After Richard's funeral which saw a packed church, a very moving eulogy and an uplifting service well suited to his effusive character I went back up to Ling Gill to install the remaining facing panels on the middle dam.  These are smooth plastic panels that prevent determined crayfish from climbing the concrete and escaping over the dams.  Mind you, the concrete itself  is so smooth that the panels are more of a guarantee than essential.  Drawn down the site is an even more impressive example of civil engineering at this very remote spot.

At each draw down crayfish numbers found in the dry pools are becoming fewer and fewer, evidence that the installation is working as planned.  It's almost certain that most of the creatures we are finding up to now are those we missed during the initial clearance so now that the construction work is finished it's likely that very few crayfish will be bold enough to make it into the controlled area and those that do are likely to be victims caught in flood that wash over the top dam.

It's good to see that members are beginning to get to grips with the new website and a fair amount of new material has been posted up in the past few days so if you haven't visited the site for a while do take a look.  I have set up a "History" section as some of the new material relates to the long and illustrious history of the club.  There seems to be an interest developing in one past member, Harry Kershaw, who wrote the poem that's pinned to the notice board and who was, amongst other accomplishments, a very competent artist.  I was sent yesterday a copy of one of his pictures which I have printed and framed and will hang in the hut.  It really does capture the spirit of fishing on a small upland river.

It's now raining and this wet is being driven on by the east wind we have suffered for a week now so conditions out there are getting a tad unpleasant.  The forecast is not up to much either with a lot of rain forecast for later today and into tomorrow.

Ian