My normally rock solid wireless internet connection died on Wednesday evening and has just been restored.  It would seem that sheep were the culprits.  Seeking shelter from this glorious liquid summer weather they managed to dislodge the antenna cable in the barn that houses the local link and trod on it causing a short.  All is humming along nicely again now.

I went up to the Tarn first thing yesterday morning with the intention of doing the invertebrate check at Turn Dub.  The natural bowl that hold the water looked spectacular lit by shafts of sunlight breaking through the heavy cloud.  As I watched these searchlight beams sweeping the Tarn I was mesmerised by the sight of a rainbow brought to being by a sudden squall crossing the valley.  From my vantage point the near foot of this intense spectrum of colours seemed to come to earth right on the hut.  Search as I might I could find no crock of gold either in or under the hut.

On getting down to the river it was immediately clear that the check would be impossible in the high water conditions.  Despite having a staff and life jacket with me the current was far too strong to make wading a less that life threatening exercise.  So discretion being the better part of valour I beat a retreat.  Levels are still high today so the Turn Dub check will have to wait until conditions are more favourable.

On a brighter note, I have mentioned before the fact that there seem to be a lot of young trout throughout the fishery this year which bodes well for future fishing.  Further confirmation of these observations comes from Gavin P who fished up from the Tay bridge on Tuesday evening.  Gavin tells me that -

Last night I took the opportunity to fish up from the Tay Bridge into Parkers Wood from around 6.15 to 8.30 pm mainly because of the shelter from the trees. The river was coloured and looking as though it was rising slowly.

 The fishing was good with 9 fish in all from around 8” to 12”,but just in line with what other members are finding there was lots of smaller fish moving to the fly and I lost around a further 4 or 5 fish some much smaller than those landed. With this in mind it seems as you and other members have indicated that there appears to be a significant increase in exceptionally health young fish in the river.

Even though conditions last night where not the best with the gusting strong winds there was a considerable amount of surface activity as I worked up this stretch of the river. Fish appeared to be feeding strongly in and around all the foam lanes at the edges of the currents despite the awful weather. Most of the fish came to a dry fly with just a couple on a bead head nymph.

When I walked back to the car  a large fish came out of the water in the narrow faster stretch at the bottom of the pool  just above the Tay Bridge, which is I would think is in line with the salmon Alan caught earlier, and with other fish moving up into pools. It was quiet clearly visible, and was a dark fish, but wouldn’t have been as big as the one Alan recorded. This is a good sign for the salmon anglers as fish look like they are stating to collect in the pools.

Regards

Gavin

One other item as I was driving down the lane to park In Phil’s Field in front of the car was a stoat running around the lane chasing a Chaffinch. When I drove nearer it dashed into the grass edge and stayed there even when I stopped at the side of it and wound the car window down it still stood in clear view looking up defiantly. It made no effort to run away even though the car was stopped within 3 ft of it. I have never seen these little creatures be so bold, and as I drove on it came back out into the lane appearing not to be even concerned that a car had just disturbed it. Amazing behaviour.

I think that this just goes to prove the wisdom that Council have shown in not stocking with farm bred fish and allowing our wild fish the space and habitat that they need to recruit naturally.  We should have a wild trout fishery to be proud of in a couple of years time.

Ian

A dry start to the day enabled me to get out first thing and do the invertebrate check at New Inn.  Results are good with plenty of heptagenia and baetis nymphs and a lot of small stonefly nymphs.  Water conditions were excellent, a full, fast flow the colour of weak tea.  Anyone planning to fish the river over the next few days should ensure that they have a good supply of very small iron blues as these were hatching from the sample tray as I counted them.

As I have said before, the numbers of individuals in each family included in the check do seem to vary by quite a bit month to month, but looking back over the two plus years that we have been monitoring it's good to see that the results show a good correlation between the same months in different years.  Fly life does not seem to be increasing, but then again it's not decreasing either.

The surprise catch this morning was a 5 inch stone loach, the first of this species that I have caught on the river.  It looked quite shocked to be in the net and up close looked rather primeval.

My plan is to check the Turn dub site tomorrow weather permitting and as the forecast is for some sun with a scattering of showers the plan should come to fruition.

You know, living here and seeing all manner of humanity passing through; most of it off duty, on holiday and therefore often on its worst behaviour you think you have seen most of the peculiarities that people can present to the world.  A sight this morning really took the biscuit though.  A party arrived at the bunkhouse next door and from one car emerged a a bottle blonde female with a very small and peculiarly hairy dog on a lead. Nothing unusual in that I hear you cry.  Wait a mo.  She was wearing a natty pair of ankle boots that were so much like the dog that the could have been related.  I hate to think what might happen if the dog happened to be asleep near these boots when she came to put them on.  I doubt if Dalehead veterinary surgery have ever had a dog presented with a foot stuck up its bum.

Ian

Yet another wet start here in the valley with cloud masking the fells all round and a thin, soaking rain that the Scots very appropriately describe as dreich if that's how you spell it.

Talking of things Scots I watched the BBC programme on rivers with Griff Rhys Jones last evening out of curiosity and have to say that overall it was quite good.  There was a rather informative sequence on salmon conservation showing the netting and stripping process and some good shots of a very impressive hatchery setup.  Mind you, it beats me how anyone can make a film about the Tay and not include a single fisherman.  There was a sequence about salmon caught including a couple of fine examples caught on the same day many years ago.  It would seem that two members of the same family (father and son) set out to fish and father caught the fish of a lifetime.  Whilst this 44lb monster was laid out on the front step being admired son appeared with a 50lb specimen.  Father's fish was acknowledged as being quite a good "tiddler".  You can't win them all!

Let's see how this programme develops as we venture onto the rivers of England.

Ian

For all my adult life I have been fascinated by old stuff, old buildings, old machinery, old tales told by older people (even my wife is seven years older than me!) - you get the picture?  My extensive toolkit mostly dates from the first part of the 20th Century when tool steel was made to take and keep an edge and handles were of ash or beech, made to be used all day long without discomfort. So an article in today's paper caught my eye.  It seems that there is a strong revival in the art of bamboo rod making with demand increasing despite the current financial down turn. 

Chris Yates in his article reckons that the finest rods ever made are being produced right now by a craftsman in Newbury.  These rods are reckoned to be more robust than carbon rods, give a better feel when fishing and are lighter in the hand.  Not being much of a fisherman I can't comment, but the look of these little pieces of sheer art certainly appeal to my aesthetic sense.

The craftsman in question is Edward Barder whose CV includes working for Hardy's in Pall Mall.  You can contact Edward via the following address www.barder-rod.co.uk.  Is it time to bring back the bamboo? 

Yet more evidence reaches me that our wild brownies are beginning to recruit well.  A member came up this morning for a guest ticket and departed for the top end to try his luck in near perfect water.  On returning this evening I asked him how he got on.  It would seem that whilst he caught nothing up at Lodge Hall he was knocked by a lot of 6 inch fish which bodes well for future seasons.

The forecast here for tomorrow is pretty miserable which is a shame after today's warm sunshine.  The remainder of the week looks fairly grim too with heavy rain and gales forecast for mid week.  So much for summer!

Ian

My rant yesterday about Mr Rhys Jones and his lament that he and his ilk are prevented from turning our quiet rivers into a linear theme park for boaters prompted an observation from a member who has suffered the tribulations of trying to fish one of our Dales rivers in the company of the great British public.  Let Gavin describe his frustration in his own words:

I have been reliably informed that this was a feature on the Jeremy Vine show on Thursday, but as yet I have not had chance to listen again on the BBC’s web page.

 I as you know I fish a certain Yorkshire beauty spot with stunning views of an old Abbey, but we constantly have to endure the attention of  dog walkers who decide just at the crucial point when you have waited fishless for the last 2 hours, and worked your way to rising fish when splash half a tree branch appears in the river in front of you from some hapless dog walker who is busily sending his dog to collect the floating object which even if it did actually manage to get hold of this lump of wood then the dog would have to be built like Goliath to physically drag it from the water, and whose owner protests most strongly at the abuse that you have just hurled his way thinking that you have just decided to reek vengeance on his dog. Or alternately when blessed with a warm balmy night you are fishing away in one of the many quiet pool when up bobs some gormless youth with reversed baseball hat still intact, and who as just decided it was time to impress the group of 12 year olds with is swimming prowess. For all this you are asked to pay a princely sum to enjoy the pleasure of these fine surroundings.

There are hundreds of miles of navigable waterways in this country all in public ownership that were designed and built 200 years ago for the benefit of those who wish to travel by water.  Our canals are maintained largely through our taxes and the efforts of dedicated volunteers. They provide an extensive network connecting almost every major town and city in the country giving access to some spectacular scenery.  It is not necessary to impose even more pressure on our wild rivers by opening up access to canoeists and boaters.

A very happy fisherman arrived on my doorstep this afternoon.  Alan M came up to fish the (canoe free) river and finding the water rather higher than he anticipated decided to try his luck anyway.  Setting up a reservoir rod with  small salmon flies he fished up from Cragghill towards Whit Beck.  He got 5 trout on this assemblage including one cast which resulted in two fish on at once.  However, the crowning glory of the afternoon was a 5.5 to 6lb salmon taken just below Whit Beck pool.  I understand that whilst not in full silver glory it wasn't over coloured.  All those members who wait eagerly for the salmon season should take note!

It's actually stopped raining now and the forecast for tomorrow is promising so conditions over the weekend should not be too bad.

Ian

Yet again the weather put paid to molesting invertebrates in the river this morning.  We had a monumental downpour mid morning which rose the river and left me with the urgent task of rodding my drains.  I have lowered the water level somewhat (in the drains that is), but suspect that DynoRod will be needed to restore an uninterrupted flow.

By all accounts the Tarn crayfish are thriving.  The two handling courses this week saw a reduced number of creatures in the traps compared to last year, but all these were healthy showing no sign of porcelain disease or any other affliction.  The population survey in a few weeks time will give us a better feel for the number of natives resident in the Tarn so look out for creatures bearing numbers.

Here's something to raise the blood pressure somewhat so grab a large scotch and read on.  That pseudo Welshman Gryff Rhys Jones has for some reason taken against anglers.  Writing in the BBC "Countryfile" magazine Jonesy laments the fact that our rivers "no longer belong to the people".  The fault it would seem lies with angling clubs who own the fishing rights on some of our most secluded rivers and prevent the lower orders from enjoying a quiet stroll along the banks or a gentle paddle down the waterway.  He claims to have met many anglers and is of the opinion that the great British public should get out and disturb as many anglers as possible.

Here's a thought for you boyo, without the protection, preservation and relentless campaigning of anglers down the last 200 years or so many of our finest rivers would still be open sewers, a convenient place to dump rubbish, pretty well devoid of life.  There are hundreds of miles of waterways in this crowded island open to boaters and canoeists.  The miles in the preservation of angling clubs are, by and large, havens for wildlife since they are relatively undisturbed by human impact pressures. 

This business of allowing people to go wherever they please has disbenefits that are largely ignored by the "access all areas" brigade  I suggest that we all go and camp in Mr Jones back garden.  His ownership of that land is denying me my right to be there.

Ian

It's been wet and windy over the past 48 hours, more like October than July.  So I still have not got the invertebrate check done.  It's a job that's a real delight when you can spend considerable time really studying the content of the tray after each kick, but it's far less to my fancy when the rain is running down the back of your neck and the wind is trying to firstly tip you into a rising river then empty the sample tray before you have chance to count the critters it contains.  Added to which I need reading glasses to do a thorough identification and it's a real sod trying to see through rain smattered glasses.

A drier day is forecast for tomorrow so a morning spent doing the check should be in order.

I hear that the Tarn was hard work this afternoon and the fish were reluctant to play.  I'm not surprised.  When we get a cold wind like that we had this afternoon it seems to put the fish down and they seem reluctant to rise for a couple of hours after the wind drops off.  It's fairly calm now, but still quite cold and there is a lot of high grey cloud masking the fells.

Whatever happened to the long hot summer we were promised.  So much for global warming!

Ian

A gloomy morning here has turned into a fine and sunny evening with little wind, good water on the river and some fly hatch.  The forecast is none too promising though so my plan is to try to get the monthly invertebrate check done tomorrow before everything goes pear shaped. 

God is clearly an Englishman and has obviously commanded decent weather in celebration of an historic victory at Lords this morning.  Let's see how our Antipodean cousins whinge their way out of a hundred run defeat.  As a life long Middlesex CCC supporter it's good to see the home ground packed to the rafters.

A member emailed me with a very good question about crayfish.  Why, he pondered, do American signal crayfish not cause the same degree of devastation in their home waters in the States as they do here.  The simple answer is that across the pond they have natural predators and diseases that keep the populations in check.  Here they have no such limiters so are able to recruit to the point where they overwhelm all other species.   We can't introduce predators (remember the old woman who swallowed a fly?), but the magic bullet may be found in a parasite that will only target signal crayfish.  The hunt is on.

Ian

The weather here on Friday was truly appalling.  It rained hard from early morning right through to late evening and by the afternoon the river was in full spate.  Yesterday was drier so the level has dropped off considerably, but today has begun wet with an increasing cloud cover so river levels are set to rise again.

We put some fine looking fish into the Tarn yesterday to complement the remaining residents so fishing here should remain good for the next few weeks.  Once again I am impressed with the quality of the stock that Dunsop Trout Farm are providing.  These are perfect fish, fully finned with no sign of ragged or stunted tails.  They will take well and fight the line.

Turning to things crayfish related.  Paul B ran a crayfish course at the Tarn yesterday and though I could not stay to see all the traps retrieved first impressions are that our population remains strong and healthy.  I will get the results of the trapping from Paul over the next few days.

The strategy workshop at Malham ended with some real progress made and in a very positive atmosphere.  I absented myself from the field visits in the morning as I have seen most of the sites and have a healthy aversion to getting pointlessly wet.  I arrived at the Centre in time for a massive buffet lunch and a very useful conversation with a member of the new Angling Trust.  We talked at length about fishery conservation, sources of funding  for further habitat work and some practical steps that we can take to further promote the recruitment of wild trout.

After lunch there were a series of presentations from EA regional teams outlining their crayfish work and the challenges that they face in controlling the spread of non natives and preserving remaining native populations.  Some of this was quite depressing.  The maps showing the decline in native crayfish distribution are quite alarming and clearly show that we here in the north west are right on the front line of the battle to ensure the survival of our white clawed crayfish.

The final session was extremely positive.  We pulled together all the thinking that had gone on over the two days with a focus on how to use existing powers to firstly limit the spread of non native crayfish and secondly preserve remaining populations of white claws.  The outcome was a set of action points that will be used to draw up a national crayfish strategy that clearly identifies the steps that must be taken by various public bodies to protect and preserve our ecology from the threat posed by non natives and how we can all work together to promote the well being of the white claws.  Education will be a prime element of this strategy and engaging fishermen will be crucial.  When you have seen the evidence that I have of the impact of American signal crayfish on the viability of a fishery, doing everything possible to prevent their arrival on your waters becomes a no brainer.

All in all a very positive outcome.  I was very impressed with the passion and commitment demonstrated by all delegates.  If only a fraction of this can be harnessed to implement the actions then real changes will take place.  Quickly!

Ian

It's been rather wet here over the past couple of days and it rained hard last night with further heavy showers this morning.  The upshot is that the river is running strongly at present with quite a colour so fishing is not really feasible until the level drops off a bit.

I spent most of yesterday involved with the crayfish strategy workshop at Malham Tarn Field Centre.  This event has brought together many of the movers and shakers in the crayfish world from organisations such as DEFRA, the EA, CEFAS (the aquaculture laboratory) and Natural England with the aim of producing a national strategy and set of policies to promote the conservation of native crayfish and control the spread of non natives. 

First of all we spent a couple of hours up at Ling Ghyll looking at the plague eradication project.  This prompted a lot of interest and debate and really set delegates thinking about the key issues around the control of crayfish plague.

Then it was over to Malham for a very warm welcome from the Centre and a first session aimed at getting people thinking about what was already being done around the country and what should be done in future.  It's clear that response to the threat of non native invasion and conservation of natives varies considerably from region to region, but much good work is being done in the field and a very lively discussion began which continued over an excellent dinner.

Thus fortified we turned to a series of thought provoking presentations which set on context the scope of the threat from non native crayfish species to a whole range of interests including those of both game and course fisheries.  The facts are truly frightening and as I have reported here before the bottom line is that where you have a high density population of American signal crayfish you have damn all else - no invertebrates, no molluscs and no fish recruitment.  This was graphically demonstrated by a picture showing a young fish with its throat cut by a signal crayfish.  Whilst this specimen (which was just about alive) was being measured and recorded a signal crayfish that was also being processed scuttled onto the measuring board and sank its cheripeds into the back of the head of said fish.  Ample proof that signals predate on quite large fish

These presentations generated a great deal of discussion and lead to some really focused thinking about the shape that a strategy might take.  What's emerging is the need for nationwide consistency in addressing the issues, but this must be tempered with flexibility to tackle catchment specific problems in their own way.  It was heartening not to discern any enthusiasm for a 'one size fits all' approach which is so often the response from Government Agencies.  These discussions were still going strong in the bar when I left at 10.30.

Today there are a series of site visits this morning that should get everyone nice and wet then we turn to the 'so what' questions which will hopefully lead to the formulation of a set of specific actions that should produce tangible results and lead to some real changes in the way in which non native spread is controlled and natives protected.

Representatives from the Angling Trust will be there this afternoon so I anticipate much more of benefit to fisheries interests coming out of this event.

Ian

I was up at the Tarn this morning attending to a few jobs watched with avid interest by the swan family.  It's heartening to see how well the cygnets are growing.  All three are around the same size, all look healthy and are feeding well.  It will be some considerable time before they are completely safe from predators, but each week that passes takes them closer to survival.

We had a lot of rain here last night so the river is in good shape and with more thundery showers this evening conditions are likely to remain good towards the weekend.  I met Neil Handy (Fisheries Officer) by the Tarn and he tells me that he has noticed a marked increase in young trout below Horton.  This accords with my own observations and the  catch returns that have been posted on the club web site.  It's good to know that Neil's expert view is so similar to our own observations.  The decision to cease stocking the club's waters  is clearly having a beneficial impact on wild fish recruitment and the next couple of years should see a lot more adult fish throughout the fishery.  This ought to lead to even more juveniles as more wild fish reach breeding age.  I am greatly heartened by my conversation with Neil.

Ian

Just a quick update on conditions here at Horton today.  We had a lot of rain last night which has brought the river up to a fishable level today.  Generally it's overcast with a stiff westerly breeze and the occasional shower.  Anyone planning to fish the river tomorrow should find it in quite favourable condition.

The draw down at Ling Ghyll gave further evidence that the system is working well.  Despite a flood during the preceding week only 60 crayfish were found in the top pond.  None were found in the second pond and one individual was discovered lurking in the lower pond.  These escapees to the lower pond are too few in number to enable plague to persist so it now looks as though the system will enable the eradication of plague in the river as planned.

Everything is now gearing up for the big crayfish seminar at Malham on Thursday and Friday.  I am attending to offer a fisheries management perspective so expect a report back on Sunday.

Ian

We seem to be entering a further dry period here at Horton.  Some members have arrived this week anticipating a full river based on the volume of precipitation they have had at home only to be disappointed.  The best thing to do before embarking on what may be a long and ultimately less than rewarding trip is to ring me.  I am only too happy to advise on the state of the river and the likely conditions over the following 24 hours.  I can't guarantee to always get the forecast right, the weather here follows its own laws not those dictated by the Met Office, but I can at least let you know what the current conditions are and let you make your own mind up as to whether it's worth a trek up to Horton.

At present it's dry and sunny with no rain forecast for tomorrow.  So with the river back to bare bones only the deeper pools are worth setting up tackle for.

The Tarn continues to fish well although it's been quiet up there this past fortnight with few visits.  We stock again on 18th so anyone planning to introduce a novice or youngster to the fine art of fly fishing can anticipate a relatively easy time for them from Sunday week.

Finally, at long last I have learnt to drive so watching the river should be a little easier from now on. 

Ian

It's a nice bright start here in the valley and the weather seems to have settled down again after the persistent showers of the past week.  Consequently the river is lowering quite quickly and is once again past its best though still fishable on most beats.

Following comments from members about the new boat seat and after discussion with the Hon Sec I have made some significant changes to the way in which the swivel seat is installed.  The bench with its integral buoyancy tank has been reinstalled.  I have found a way to fix the seat to the bench using a swivel plate which I think should address the very sensible concerns expressed about the original installation whilst making fishing from the boat a more comfortable experience for those with long legs and dodgy knees. Once again I would like comments and observations.

Where are all the budding authors in the club?  It's noticeable that most of the material posted on the club website is from a very small handful of members.  We all have treasured experiences and observations that would make compelling reading for others and one of the reasons for setting up the site was so that these could be shared in much the way that the founding fathers of the club shared their thoughts and experience through the regular Anglers' Evenings.  So do chase the muse and if you are reluctant to wrestle with uploading the result to the site just email it to me and I will do the techie stuff.

Ian

More rain overnight has lifted the river again giving quite good conditions for fishing.  We have had the odd shower today, but nothing significant so far although the cloud base is lowering now so more rain is a distinct possibility.

Thanks to detective work and past observation by a regular correspondent the riddle of the damsel flies is solved.  The dun and electric blue variants are the same species with the male being the blue variety and the female the dun version.  I now even have a photo to prove it.  Click on this link odo_male_damselfly_clasping_female02.JPG (JPEG Image, 1131x789 pixels) - Scaled (77%) to view.  Thanks David.

I was visiting a neighbour yesterday whose house is arranged with the living accommodation on the first floor and bedrooms downstairs.  She took me to her kitchen to show me are most unusual decoration on her window sill.  A thrush has constructed a nest in the corner of the sill against the wall and in it are 5 very mobile chicks that look to be on the verge of fledging.  This family seems completely unfazed by activity in the kitchen and almost oblivious to being watched from a distance of a mere few inches.  I am going to try to get some video and still pictures if I can of this unique set up.

Ian

We have had a fair few heavy showers over the past 24 hours with more persistent rain over night so the river is looking in better condition than it has done for weeks.  As I write this it's raining and the forecast is for showers throughout the next couple of days.  Those of you who have been frustrated at the lack of water should now find conditions much more conducive to good fishing.

As I said a couple of days ago I have fitted a new seat to the boat as per Council instructions which should make fishing from the boat less of a strain on older knees.  The hight of the seat is crucial in this respect so do please let me know if you find the installation is too high or have any other comments on the seat.  I have another unit that can be fitted at the front end if the one already fitted meets with general approval.

I have singularly failed to discover whether the dun coloured damsel flies at the Tarn are immature common blues or a different species.  They seem to interact with the blue variety, but are smaller and there are less of them.  The trout don't seem fussy though and will eagerly leap from the water to take either colour so the flavour must be good. Damsel fly sandwich anyone?

Ian

It rained here most of yesterday finally clearing towards evening.  It was steady, soaking rain rather than a thundery monsoon so the parched ground has really benefited as has the river which, whilst not in great water, is certainly more fishable than it has been for some weeks.  This morning has dawned bright with a fair bit of dark cloud that may bring more rain as the day progresses so the prospect for good river fishing into the early part of next week is fairly good.

Be warned that Horton is yet again besieged with sponsored walkers today so if you are planning to come up to fish then parking in and around the village will be nigh on impossible.

The crayfish in the classroom project at Horton school is proving a great success and all the eggs that the resident female was carrying have now hatched.  The tank is full of tiny crayfish all sculling about and hiding under mum or the stones provided for just that purpose.

The big national conference on this endangered species at Malham is now not far off and the Hon Sec and I will be be there to present a fisheries management perspective and promote the argument that all angling clubs should be concerned about the spread of non native crayfish and be proactive in conserving natives where they are still present.  We have high hopes that this conference will lead to changes in legislation and Government policy that will enable the EA to be far more effective in controlling the decline in native crayfish numbers and populations and reduce the threat to our fisheries posed by non natives.

Ian

Another scorching day with the sun beating down from an azure sky and little white fluffy clouds drifting lazily in the still air.  It was cooler and breezier up by the Tarn with quite a ripple on the surface. 

I went up this morning to fit the new seat to the boat.  This is an innovation suggested by a member whose knees protest strongly when bent at an acute angle whilst fishing off the bench seat.  Not one to suffer unnecessarily he has provided a raised, padded swivel seat with a backrest and Council have sanctioned the alteration to the boat.  The seat is now firmly fixed and I have to say that it does provide a measure of comfort that can only lead to sloth and loose living!

It was so pleasant by the water that I spent some time just watching the squadrons of damsel flies patrolling the margins.  Whilst I watched three small fish swam in line into the shallows.  I assume that these are minnow.  Two were about two inches long and the tail end Charlie was about half that size.  As these swam under the hut a very large female crayfish emerged and proceeded to bumble around presumably searching for food.  I don't often see these in day time and its possible that the very warm water had made her more active in daylight.

Ian

It's a very warm and humid start with more sun than we had yesterday.  A few showers overnight have dampened the ground, but done little to improve the quality of water in the river.  The Tarn continues to fish well and is showing a consistent ratio of catch to visit of over 3.5 and very few blanks.  Anything that resembles a damsel fly should do well at present although if I were a trout I might be getting sick of the sight and taste of damsels by now. 

There are swarms both on the water and in the grass surrounding the margins.  Some are electric blue, but others are a dun colour.  These may be male and female of the same species (common blue?), but none of my wildlife books are very helpful when it comes to damsel flies.  Thoughts would be welcome.

Ian