Conditions here are best described as moderate.  We had a little rain over night and into this morning that has kept flows on the runs just about fishable.  The clouds are lifting a bit now on a light breeze and some sun is beginning to break through so all in all things could be worse.

For those members who blanch at eating lunch in the lodge with slimy, fishy fingers I have some good news.  Thanks to yet another generous donation from Gavin I have installed a gel hand wipe dispenser in the lodge.  This will remove all traces of slime with just a water free rub and a wipe with a paper towel so you no longer have to tolerate your cream slice with a side order of essence of trout.

It looks as though the footings for the new bridge are at long last nearing completion so the timber should arrive sometime next week.  This might prove entertaining as I have just been told that timber extraction from Greenfield forest should begin next week.  I await with interest to see how an irresistible force will over come an immovable object on Newhouses lane should a logging waggon meet the bridge transporter.

News from the two interns who are busy with the crayfish check and riverfly survey on the upper becks is interesting.  Because most of the beck substrate at the sites they have checked so far is fairly well compacted few inverts have been collected in the samples, but they have found a very high number of cased caddis.  It's too soon to draw any conclusions, but two thoughts spring immediately to mind.  First is that a bit of judicious forking in selected areas might improve the spawning capacity of the becks and increase the inverts.  Second, the caddis will provide a good feed for adult trout if we can adjust the bankside habitat to offer suitable cover.

The survey has now reached Birkwith heading down stream so over the next few days we shall be getting data on the beats that members fish most often.

Ian