Well there we are, summer almost over and autumn looming large on the horizon.  It's been a grey and gloomy day with much cloud, but very little wind.  The river is very low now with just a trickle going over Settle weir.

It struck me as I was driving up the lane this afternoon and looking up river I haven't seen a heron fishing the Newhouses weir pools all summer.  In the past few years hardly a day passed without seeing at least one grey poacher stood motionless by the water waiting for the chance of a strike.  Why the herons have moved on I know not although it's not for want of fish as the pools are full of young trout.

I'm not complaining as the fewer grey piscators frequenting these waters the better for our trout, but It's another of those puzzles that nature throws up when you stop to think.

I dropped into the office this afternoon and found the place buzzing with activity (and the carpet liberally spread with mud following a rather mucky bat survey at a quarry over in Lancashire).  It looks as though the company will be giving a presentation at the River Restoration Centre annual conference at Nottingham next year on the work that PBA have been doing over in Cumbria.  We now have 450 meters of new trout stream giving access to over 6 kilometres of sea trout spawning beck that has been denied to these fish for the past 150 years.  Much credit to United Utilities and Eric Wright the civil engineers who have done all the heavy work.  It just shows what can be achieved when you have an integrated project team bringing diverse expertise and skills.

Ian