Despite a little rain early on Sunday morning the river remains at summer drought levels.  But with a series of low pressure systems scheduled to cross the country this week there is hope that by next weekend we should see a drop more water coming down through Horton.

For some time now I have searched the Internet and other likely places for an image of the old MAA hatchery that used to grace Douk Ghyll.  This was abandoned in about 1906 so I had pretty well given up hope of ever finding out what it looked like.  Folk round here may hang on a bit, but even at Horton 1906 is a bit beyond living memory.  Imagine my surprise and delight when late last week I was visited by one of my regular contacts who's wife has produced a wonderful painting from old and very indistinct photos that he has of the Douk Ghyll hatching house.  The image is so vivid hat I can almost see old walker going in through the door to tend to his ova and hatchlings.  rather than selfishly keep this to myself I will hang it in the lodge so that we can all appreciate this iconic piece of MAA history.

I have been holding off doing the April invertebrate check in the hope that some rain will give me a little more than a puddle to play in, but with the end of the month fast approaching I can't delay much longer so come rain, wind or continued drought tomorrow will have to be set aside to kick around at New Inn and Turn Dub.  At least the result should show what manages to ferret away in the boulders when the H2O is in short supply.

Ian