After a surprisingly nice day it's back to normal this morning with heavy rain blown along on a stiff westerly wind - the dying convulsions of hurricane Bill. 

I got the invertebrate check at New Inn done yesterday morning which produced few surprises.  Heptagenia are well down in numbers, but a check back reveals that this is a seasonal decrease not something to be concerned about.  Baetis nymphs are plentiful as are gammarus and stoneflies.  What is intriguing is the size of these creatures.  Most are very small compared to the general size profile evident in the samples earlier in the year.  I guess that this is because most are recent hatchings with more mature creatures having emerged into winged adults over the summer.  From a fishing perspective the results suggest that representations of adult olives should do best for rising fish, but nymphing with very small patterns might also produce results.

We have had a few incidents of casual trespass at the Tarn recently, mostly dog walkers who assume that it's their right to swim their dogs.  I have put a notice on the bottom gate stating that there is no public access to this site so we shall see whether that has the desired effect.  With a follower herd in Tarn pasture at present there should be no dogs near the Tarn so if you come across trespassers here you are encouraged to evict them.

Ian