Thursday night was certainly the coldest night of the Winter to date and personally I hope it stays that way, my blood seems to be getting thinner by the day. One or two of the shallower lakes froze and the muddy fields and tracks became overnight ankle breakers. The grass in the valley remained frozen all day curtailing the activity of the large flocks of geese that have been about in recent weeks. The large flock had broken up into smaller family flocks that were spread the length of the Estate. Overnight the valley filled with Snipe, forced in from the widespread feeding across the forest and farmland looking for the shelter and softer marshland to be found in the valley.

It wasn't only the wildfowl and waders that were forced to move as the number of birds on the feeders increased dramatically throughout the day. Along with the usual Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Siskin we spotted the first Redpoll on the sunflower kernals, once more photographed through the double glazing.

We still have three or four Great White Egret about the place with three still at the roost and one other heading north up the valley heading for the Bickton roost late this evening. The grey Heron in the middle shot are giving the local frog population a hard time. Just as they feel the urge to spawn the water levels fall leaving them exposed in shrinking pools. The Great-crested Grebe along with three pairs of Canada Geese and three or four pairs of Egyptian Geese are convinced Spring has arrived and are establishing territories.

I gave the nest platform a Spring clean yesterday, which involved cutting back the branches in the south east quadrant to allow the birds an unimpeded vertical drop to launch from. Will this be the year we get something a little more exciting than the local Buzzard using it as a dining table to devour his rabbits on?

The river continues to drop and clear, it at least makes tidying up the salmon pools easier. Under the powerline at Ashley was at one timed deemed to be one of the best early season lies on the river. I think it has been several years since a Spring fish was taken from that lie yet last Autumn there were at least two good fish in the pool.

A frustrating morning with the chainsaw that conspired to make life awkward with jammed bars and broken pull cords. A far better afternoon cleaning up the bridge pool, a view downstream, from the bridge and back upstream. A very satisfying result to the extent I even picked the chainsaw back up and cleared the regrowth willow from the phragmites bed. As we no longer cut them the reed beds need tidying up before they are lost to willow car and brambles. If we get a dry week in early February the reeds need burning off to clear the accumulated weeds and rubbish and to re-invigorate their growth.

A day off to chase the Channel whiting about on what was forecast as slight sea state that turned out to be a considerable SW swell with a fresh northerly making for a very bumpy day. With an hour to go the wind dropped, the sun came out and as we got back to harbour it was just perfect!

A hard frost this morning meant a cold start that required warming the gloves on the manifold cover of the strimmer every quarter of an hour to keep the fingers from dropping off. The pool cleaned up and ready for the start of the season in a fortnight. Worryingly the water level is already a little low for this pool, we are in need of a good top up, so fingers crossed we see a good downpour in the very near future.

Ibsley garage, up at Gorley, came to my rescue this morning when I had a puncture that requiring fixing. Whilst I was waiting I enjoyed the sounds drifting across the road from the rookery in the tops of some tall, skeletal oaks. Despite the hard frost this morning the inhabitants seemed convinced Spring was on its way and were disputing nest sites still in situ in the tops since last Summer.

An interesting walk a day or two ago in that I had the opportunity to see how the Penmeade Carrier was getting on. The culvert linking the Ellingham to the Penmeade, just above the Pipe on the main river, was blocked and required clearing. The branches blocking the culvert had cleared and swept away downstream so I set off to follow them and see what I could haul out in an effort to avoid blocking downstream gates. Thirty years or so ago, when I arrived at Somerley, this stream had been allowed to become completely choked with weed and silt, with only the bottom couple of hundred meters having clear water. It was solid phragmites from bank to bank and the flow was completely impounded. The link from the Ellingham Carrier had been deliberately blocked for reasons I could never fathom and the Woodside link had closed completely. Both the Ellingham Carrier and the Woodside that are interconnected with the Penmeade were sluggish, mud filled ditches. At the time I couldn't justify the expense of cleaning them out for environmental reasons and I couldn't afford the time to get involved with the regulators sorting out the required consents. In an effort to set things in motion I simply removed the blockages that had been put in the Woodside and Ellingham links, which turned out to be a couple of sheets of corrugated iron and a circular manhole cover, the latter was an absolute sod to get out! Once removed I let a little more water in at the header hatches and left Nature to do the hard work. I wasn't expecting any rapid change but any return to clear channel had to be beneficial to the fishery. Within five or six years the weed and silt had gone and we had replaced the silt and mud bed with clean gravel. The Penmeade alone is over one thousand meters with clean, sparkling gravel riffles to six feet deep pools and bends. A thousand meters of mystery as in the intervening thirty years I could probably count the number of people who have fished it on the fingers of one hand. During the Summer I have spotted shoals of dace and roach, with double figure barbel and huge chub skulking in the deep pools. I did see a twenty plus pike landed about two hundred meters up from the confluence but that's about the total sum of our knowledge. I should add two salmon redds in one of the low flow winter spawning a year or two ago, which adds a further dimension to the stream.

The pool under the conveyor, just south of the drive. North of the drive one hundred meters of sparkling gravel immediately below the inception as it begins its journey with the feed from the Woodside Carrier. The pool has depths down to six or seven feet and in the Summer, thousands of dace, plus a scattering of roach and perch, enjoy the sanctuary of the tangle of branches overhead. Rushing out of the pool the stream hides under a tangle of sallow that is no barrier to the fish yet provides further protection from the ever present Herons and Cormorants. Clear of the tangled limbs it now takes on the appearance of a lowland brook as it wanders across the meadow, beside the Crack Willow pollards in need of some attention when I have time. Still narrow enough to jump if I were fifty years younger, although even then I fear the odds would have been just in favour of a dip! A hundred meters on and the Ellingham Carrier link joins after crossing the Snipe Marsh, immediately doubling the flow, adding real intention to turn from brook to stream.

A slight detour back along the Ellingham Link to find the bridge to allow us to continue out travels. The old wooden bridge remains in situ to add further cover when festoon in nightshade, trailing several meters downstream throughout the summer. We rejoin a stream that now takes on the air of mystery that so intrigues as it skirts an ancient pollard that adds a further twinge of guilt as it requires urgent attention to ensure it continues to reign over the restored pool. A deep glide back into the shade of the undercut alders before once more emerging with sufficient depth and flow to cross the meadows ahead without need of overhead cover. At this point the route takes us out onto Goose Meadow where we are looking to encourage the breeding waders, where tree cover is undesirable as it affords cover for the ever present Crows that so heavily predate out remaining Lapwing and Redshank.

Half way down and we reach the hump-backed bridge. I have often stopped in the Autumn to feed blackberries the chub in the pool below. It was just at the tail of this pool a fine pair of salmon cut their redd a year or two ago. As I head on at the foot of the bridge a tell tale patch of chublet scales shows where an otter dined last night, which is a clue in itself as to the productivity of the stream.

Now out on the flood plain a couple of the woody debris deflectors the rivers trust added a year or two ago to undo the historic dredging and straightening the carrier had suffered in its past. They are looking well and adding to the diversity of the habitat with several new gravel bars and restful slacks to encourage further diversity and recruitment. Third shot is just a couple of hundred meters from the confluence where deep, reed flanked runs afford sanctuary for many of the inhabitants of the main river when it is in flood and backs up into the Penmeade to provide the perfect sanctuary. Finally the confluence with the parent river as it dives deep into the hidden depths of Penmeade pool. A pool that is pure Hampshire Avon, with a species and specimen list to make any river angler drool.

Thirty pound pike and salmon, eight pound chub, two pound roach and three pound perch, all to be found at various times in that pool and yet perhaps some of the greatest mystery is not out their but behind us, tucked away in the Penmeade carrier. If I ever had the time I would make a point of spending a day a moth throughout the season trotting maggot in that stream, to see how our juveniles were doing and to get a measure of what the future holds when they grow and migrate to the main river. I wouldn't be heart broken if I did bump into the odd specimen whilst I was discovering what lay beneath but just a bonus not and end in itself.

That's taken bloody ages to put together, all to the accompaniment of Swamp Dogg and his wrist slashing blues. There is more to discover and tell about that simple stream, hopefully I may get the opportunity at some time in the future to add a further instalment.

The EA at its very best

No surprise there then!

If you are surprised or shocked by this you must have been on long term sabbatical, or naively believing the annual reports churned out by the water companies and the EA. It's the level of protection the NRA/EA have been affording our river for decades. Since the division of the water authorities into the water companies and the NRA under the Water Act 89, deliberately taking the funding for the protection of our rivers off into private pockets.

Achieving the other elephant in the room, the perfectly synchronised emasculation of the regulators. In the early days it was embarrassing to watch how closely ex colleagues in the NRA and the Water Companies worked. Staff moved on and well meaning though similarly ineffectual replacements took their place and we were no better off in trying to protect the fishery assets. Priorities remained fixed, the well being of the fishery, with its measure of riverine health, somewhere well down the list far below, potable water, sewage disposal, flood defence, we were stuck in there somewhere along with navigation, whilst our rivers were flushed down the pan. Bearing in mind that the angling fraternity were the only body with a statutory requirement to actual contribute to this farce, twenty four million annually. By this time the landowners had sidestepped the fishery rates and the water companies had no statutory obligation to contribute.

The government of the day, through its lap dogs Defra, had no intention what so ever of restricting the flow of cash into private pockets by any self inflicted policy such as adequately funding the regulators. The treasury instructed Defra who dutifully obliged and looked about for easy meat to cut. The EA were and remain that easy meat, with a dutiful minister appointed board, there would be no boat rocking coming from that direction. Sit back, take your bung and await your gong!

When they first started cutting and shedding staff those that saw the writing on the wall quickly established consultancies to tell everyone what they already knew but at twice the price. The price didn't matter it was the fact there was someone to blame between the ineffectual EA and Defra. “We were acting on the best scientific evidence as supplied by, “Joe Bloggs Environmental Expert Consultants” blame them no one here is responsible!

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your point of view, the cuts eventually got so savage that the consultants also began to feel the pinch and a new way to achieve the perfect balance on the fence had to be devised. Enter the realm of the “Partnership” lots of various bods all sycophantically, bowing and scraping with their hands out for minimal funding available. Just perfect to deflect the blame. A screen to hide behind for years without having to tackle any of the real issues and keep those nice people up in Defra's head office in their pay masters good books.

If the direction from the top has no consideration for the environment this is the mess you end up with. Hollow sound bites and crocodile tears will not fix our rivers. It will require a government with a genuine will to put the environment, not mammon, at the top of the priorities list. We are desperately in need of fresh legislation and a return to the polluter pays as the first step.

In light of Bertie's success with findings yesterday's kelt I thought I would take a walk along some of the shallows to see if I could match his result. Unfortunately the added colour and water height resulting from recent rain has made spotting extremely difficult. The fact most kelts sink, if they die in open water, I fear many will be washed through the system without being found this year, likely to be a poor year for my head collection! An added problem in collecting the few that our obliging otters drag ashore are the number of scavengers waiting to clean up the afters. The first photo shows three Red Kites and two of the four Buzzards that were circling, there were also two Raven plus various Crows and Magpies close by, waiting to dine. That wasn't even a kelt but a small Jack pike that some stupid Heron, with eyes bigger than its belly, had abandoned when it couldn't get it down its throat.
The second shot shows less than a fifth of the geese currently about the Estate, fingers crossed they stay as healthy as they looked today.

Master Bertie Cutts, proudly measuring a large salmon kelt found on the bank of his family's stretch of the Hampshire Avon at Folds Farm. A classic Avon salmon in its day still retaining an impressive depth, despite the best efforts of the local otter and fox population. Many thanks to dad, Alister, for letting me know about the fish as its exactly what we are looking for to further the research into the amazing travels of these incredible animals. Although the Crows or Magpies had removed the eys this remains a valuable specimen as the otoliths remain intact. Please remember I am looking for them for my head collection, if you're out and about and spot one a call or a text and I'm only too happy to drive over to collect them. It would be great to think that such research may just add to our knowledge enabling us to safeguard these fish, making sure that Bertie may look forward to landing such a Springer from the Folds beat in years to come.

This is well worth a listen, my favourite subject!

Feargal still hard at it, doing an absolutely brilliant job, "Flushed Away".

It has been a long time since "Hoodies" could be fished safely and I'm delighted to report the "TreeMenders" were in yesterday sorting out the horrendous, tangled mess. The first shot is how we've become used to seeing it in recent years with the windblown poplar resting on the horse chestnut under which Hoodies used to be fished. With the amount of dead wood precariously balanced overhead and the tottering nature of the inter-twined trees not somewhere to spend a day relaxing as you watched your nodding rod tip. The middle shot captures the removal of the poplar canopy and the third and final shot the finished horse chestnut pollard, hopefully now safe for a good many years to come. The swim now has to be approached from the south as the old northern route is blocked by the root plate of the massive, wind blown London plane that we removed some time ago. Fingers crossed we see a return of Hoodies to the magic of its historical past with a string of specimens few swims can equal.

The ash tree where the first Goosander in the valley bred way back in 2000 is slowly sliding into the river. It suffered the indignity of losing the top a decade or so ago, recorded somewhere on this diary. Being on the outside of the bend the bank beneath the root plate has now been eroded bringing about the inevitable collapse.
The second shot is a great deal more alarming showing a dead swan washed up on a gravel bar below Blashford. The reason for the alarm? The high incidence of bird flu currently being experienced across the country. With cases ten miles to the south, twenty miles east and ten miles west we are dreading its appearance on the Estate. With a resident population of about one hundred and twenty Mute Swans and currently a goose population of between five and six hundred birds an outbreak with us could be devastating. The bird in the photo was hopefully a powerline strike washed down by the high water over the weekend, we see in the region of ten birds hit the cables each year. If its either of the cables at Hucklesbrook or Ellingham, which they hit as they cross the river, they usually drift off downstream before the foxes are able to drag them out. There were a pair of Raven doing their best to dine of this bird but its semi submerged state was making progress difficult for them. As can be seen in the photo there were over thirty swans in the field immediately opposite the site where it was caught up, the sooner it goes on its way and clears the Estate the happier I will be.

A shot or two from about the fishery as I was out and about looking for redds and any kelts that may have been washed up. The first shot is the large slow run at the tail of Botney pool, the list of specimens from that spot is staggering. Too coloured for redd spotting and possibly too early for any kelts to be washed through the system. There are certainly kelts in several pools that are showing constantly, it would seem the exertions of their spawning have yet to catch up with them. The middle shot is just a record of the sad demise of yet another old oak pollard that has finally given up the ghost. I have walked past that tree for decades and it is sad to see it fall, which is an increasingly familar sight as our ancient oaks struggle with the stresses of climate change. I did bump into Tim when I visited the lakes who was doing well on the waggler with a roach a cast with the occasional bream to add a little interest. The weather was mild and overcast, fish were moving and feeding freely, a pleasant way to spend a few hours watching a float. Back to reality tomorrow as I believe the cold weather is about to return!

The first daffodil to welcome the New Year, lets hope for an improvement on 2021.

When I looked yesterday the weather forecast was favourable for this morning so I felt my annual pilgrimage to trot the Bridge Pool at Ibsley seemed like as good an idea as any to welcome the New Year on the river. When Manny was filming back in the Autumn there were plenty of dace and roach both above and below the bridge so I was hoping one or two may still be there. It wasn't an early start as I only wanted a few hours to give the tackle a run out. The water looked well, fining down and off the banks, I decided to start above the bridge and trot maggot, as I had a couple of pints in urgent need of using up. I was soon set up and running the float through an almost perfect trot, fifty meters down to the bridge. Half an hour and nothing seen other than salmon kelts throwing themselves clear of the water every ten minutes or so. Kenny dropped by to exchange seasons greetings on his way downstream and told me the forecast was now for rain at eleven o'clock, which was a complete pain, as I hate trotting in the rain, especially with a pin without a line guide. Kenny went on his way and sure enough in half an hour, at eleven, the skies opened and it poured. I was thinking of packing the gear away and heading for home but as Kenny said it was only due to last an hour I took the opportunity to move downstream, below the bridge. The rain stopped on cue and I fished down the left bank, opposite the hatches, in three different swims with just one sucked maggot and the small dace in the photo that saved the day. At mid day a large dog otter came swimming up the middle of the river and disappeared over the spillway into the weir pool below, which was signal enough for me to call it a day and head for home. Hardly the most exciting few hours yet I thoroughly enjoyed the few hours on the bank watching the river enter the New Year.

It doesn't look as if the cock fish managed to spawn, the infected, saprolegnia coated vent looks as if it was just too much to cope with. Sad as it is, hopefully it will not have died in vain as his head will go into my collection for the further uni investigations of his life style. Don't forget I am collecting heads so if you come across any kelts that have given up the ghost please don't forget to give me a call.

The year is ending on a high, where the water level and temperature are concerned anyway. The recent rains have coloured and raised the water level preventing any further attempts at finding redds. I did get one or two messages from upstream letting me know thay had fish on the redds in the headwaters, which is always pleasing to know. I do appreciate such feedback as it at least allows us to believe that the future generations are safely in the gravel. The tricky bit is getting them back out and onto smolt stage to allow sufficient numbers to run to sea to safeguard the future of the fisheries. As mentioned in the piece below there are changes ahead, one being the trees that can be seen in the three shots are all threatened by disease and climate change. The ash just showing on the lefthand side of the first shot already has die back and will be lost. The ash beside the hatches that can be seen in all three photos remains healthy and it will be interesting to see how long it stays that way. The tangled mess of polar, chestnut and London plane i the middle shot will hopefully soon be sorted out and made safe. It really is an ugly job for the Treemenders as the tops have to be taken down bit by bit to ensure the rotting timber does fall on passing anglers. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, we will get back to a pollarded horse chestnut that will once more be a safe place to fish that classic Avon swim "Hoodies"

At my age there is nothing quite like looking back to, “How it was done in my day” a bit of nostalgia is good for you. My arse, I bloody hate it, particularly in light of the fact it is my generation that has got us into this environmental pickle. Reviews of the year are all well and good, unfortunately other than one or two lessons learned, hold very little value. Its what's around the corner that matters. There are many side issues such as a coloured old cock salmon that still holds the sea trout record to distract. That actually says more about the rod caught record committee than the fish! Its the influence that you can bring to bear on major issues that will undoubtedly impact on us all that should be the focus of our attentions. Ask what you can do for your river, rather than what your river can do for you, sounds familiar? Real issues such as the extent to which the Environment Act 2021 will improve on the WFD, as promised by the Somerset gnome. That's not the ugly little sucker at the bottom of the garden, more the ugly little fuckers sat on their filthy lucre in Zurich.

Will Section 5 of the act see “Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plans” actually achieve anything in my lifetime? If so they'd better hurry up as I'm no Spring chicken! Will the Secretary of State be up to ensuring the plans are firstly produced by competent authorities, that bring integrity and understanding to the issues. That's not as simple as it may sound, especially if the advice behind the plans is to be produced by the water companies themselves. Probably better the water companies fund the plans and independent agencies and NGO's, with executive powers with regard to what is included, produce them. Will the plans Impose a time frame that has meaning, perhaps more importantly, with significant penalty clauses for failure to meet any such targets? I can already hear the cries of poverty and diverted infrastructure expenditure. I wouldn't mind the resultant enforcement undertaking if I thought the subsequent bonus payments to the water company exec's and share dividends wasn't as a result of the fines avoided. I look forward to seeing the plan for our area completed and published in the near future. Hopefully we won't have to wait until September 22, by which date the legislation states it has to be published.

We've also got the bright, shiny new Agriculture Act 2020, promising to work with farmers to ensure that further desecration of the countryside is prevented and funded properly. That's not desecration that's funded properly, its the measures to prevent it of course! Under ELMs (Environmental Land Management) will we see less winter brown fields as cover crops provide protection for the soil and potentially food for the wild birds? It won't help the ancient grasslands that covered the downs in walking distance of my ancestral home. They disappeared under the plough decades ago and any true reversion to downland seems highly unlikely. Potentially a step in the right direction if its supported in sufficient numbers. Banning winter sown cereal and mono-cultures might also be an option worth considering.

With the new filters being developed for washing machines will the discharge of micro-fibres into our rivers be prevented? Will the extent and implications of this invidious pollution be fully investigated? Alternatively will we see materials made from these previously heralded man made fibres banned or large sanctions placed on their import. Possibly a resurgence in the price of wool to make it once more the valuable product that shaped the South Downs, Salisbury Plain and Cranborne Chase. As opposed to it costing almost as much to get it sheared than the farmer receives for the fleece. Could that once more see those historically important downlands that now go under the plough each year restored to ancient flower rich grasslands? Considerable thought may need to be applied to stocking densities to avoid a return to economics of scale yet under ELMS anything is possible. I know meat is out of favour in the dietary requirements of many in Middle England but what's better, monoculture cereals destroying the soil structure and causing siltation of rivers, or a return to ancient grasslands? Isn't it odd how so many issues are interlinked.

As well as ridding the countryside of the menace of subsidised winter arable perhaps our greatest concern on the rivers is that of pesticides. Under ELMS we are assured we will continue with the EU's efforts to limit the indiscriminate use of herbicides and insecticides we have become accustomed to. With the current government looking to reverse the ban on neonicotinoids for sugar beet growers I fear it's not looking very promising.

Failure to meet the ELMs requirements, losing subsidy payments is perhaps insufficient incentive to adhere to the rules. A significant fine or potential stay at her majesty's pleasure might focus the attention. Whilst inside they could attend environmental workshops with the water company exec's they may well meet!

I suppose we could all go for “re-wilding” and run tourist trips around the place to show the urban population what we do and the yokels that sit on the village wall watching the world go by. Mind you very few yokels can afford a village home any more, accountants, lawyers, media exec's, retired Middle Englanders and second home owners, seem to have the sway these days where rural properties are concerned.

In reality the idea the countryside can be saved by re-wilding on any significant scale is pure nonsense. Unless of course the government intend to nationalise land, in which case anything is feasible. Otherwise land is an asset and has to be managed as such. If outside finance can support the abandonment of the land all well and good, otherwise it has to produce a financial return or rent.

Lots of other issues to get your teeth into if you feel so inclined and its a good idea if you do. The self regulation of the water industry has proven not to work, it requires honest regulators with teeth and an independent over sight. Carbon offsetting, a real alternative or a developers charter? Climate change and how we can adapt to its reality. Short sighted planners and how do Highways England get away with the run-off from the roads entering our rivers without filter?

Having got that lot off my chest I'll stop there. That's quite enough to add to this depressing, grey old weather without sending you all in search of the Prozac. I dare say the aforementioned will crop up many times in the coming year and I bet a good many more will be added to the list. I just hope there are enough of the younger generation, who care, out there to look over the shoulders of those impacting our rivers to keep them honest.

When you next have occasion to be sat across the table, or on the phone, to someone in the water industry bear in mind the truth behind what you are being told. They are concerned about; antibiotics, microplastics, diffuse pollution, abstraction, nitrates, Tom Cobbly and all, to the extent they will obfuscate, delay, green wash and plead poverty, as long as you are prepared to listen. The water companies are a closed door, hiding behind the regulators, its those self same regulators that have to grow a set and prove they are fit for purpose.

A lovely Christmas Day with Anne, thankfully recovering from her latest work inflicted injury, family coming and going, the Perfect Day. Strictly has just started, much to Anne's delight, which seems an ideal opportunity to sort out next years diary files and enter the WeBS info. With a glass of good red to help the concentration of course. I should add my congratulations to the James Webb launch team that provided such an unusual tension to the day.

George has landed this lovely fully scaled before this year but its no hardship to catch her again for Christmas. Well done George, great result and thanks to dad, Nick, for sending through the pic.

I have received from the EA my section 25 that allows me to collect dead salmon for the ongoing salmon research.
Over the coming weeks we are likely to see the salmon kelts being washed up on the gravel bars as they die after the rigours of spawning.
Should you come across any casualties whilst out and about on the river please give me a call and I'll drop by to pick them up.

A Christmas Message

I've spent several days recently beside the river, preparing for the salmon season, which is just over a month away. Fear not I will sort out the renewals asap! This has also allowed me plenty of time to keep an eye on how the salmon spawning is progressing. Over the past week or so I have found about a dozen redds with fish actively cutting. Recent days have seen a slowdown yet fish are still moving slowly upstream, I walked beside a small hen today as she negotiated the Trout Stream by-pass channel. I only hope this current rain amounts to sufficient to give the water level a boost and enable the fish that have still to cut a helping hand in reaching their preferred destination.

I was somewhat surprised to see reasonable numbers of fish still cutting with us as I would have thought the rains of October and November would have seen the fish move into the headwaters without any problems. I was also surprised at the water levels in the river after the rains of October and November, the plug seems to have been pulled and the water has all gone. Much of the weed has been stripped away by the earlier floods and the swans adding to the drop in levels. Travelling fish will have trouble negotiating obstructions at the current height.

A fantastic Avon cock salmon

Recorded by Danny Taylor up at Northend, this is a thirty plus cock fish that would have been the fish of a lifetime when it was fresh upon entering the river. An astonishing fish that sadly is not looking its best, fingers crossed it makes it to the redds and finds a mate to pass on its unique genetics. Although touched with sadness it never fails to amaze that such fish are still to be found in the Avon. Thanks for letting me use the video Dan, much appreciated, see you in the New Year.

Different salmon video file

Several readers have said that Dan's salmon video above does not open so the second link is a different format that will hopefully solve the problem.

This fish should be a threat to all that enter his domain, “Finny bites your legs” that will be lost on the younger generation of readers. Instead we have a saprolegnia plastered lethargic lump just holding station in the shallows. They will spawn even with a certain amount of this fungus attached, see 18th December 2016, but he definitely is not screaming well being I fear. These incredible multi-sea winter animals suffer the maximum extent of societies indifference. Did the MSW cock fish in the video run the river immediately on reaching the harbour or did he wait in the Lower Stour, as many do before attempting to enter the Avon via the Great Weir? Irrespective of Avon or Stour they enter our river system in the Spring and as I said in a recent post, have to suffer the indignity of the abuse we heap on them. They are the first to arrive in our system and have the longest exposure to high temperatures and all the associated pathogens of aquaculture, agriculture and our own “flood event” STW releases. Then their progress is dependent on sufficient water to negotiate the previously mentioned barriers we stick in their way.

I see we have received the latest update from Knappmill that illustrates the problem of both salmon and our coarse fish when it comes to negotiating barriers. The update points out the chublets and juvenile dace that migrate up our river in their thousands mid Summer. It did not show many large barbel, chub, pike and roach that also naturally migrate many miles upstream during spawning migrations. They are certainly large enough to trigger the counter many being considerably larger than the seatrout and grilse that are counted.

When we were running the hatchery we were continually trying to understand the key to maturation in our stock fish, in an effort to avoid the need of pituitary injections. We kept them in black polythene shaded tanks, reducing light levels in an attempt to simulate natural photo-period. We ran coolers to try and stabilise water temperatures all with the minimum of success. I am sure some wizkid fishery scientist will now tell us where we were going wrong. It has to be remembered that at that time they were still destroying the ecology of the Avon cutting out the weed, frying our fish population with the “big boat survey” and chopping off appendages that had taken millennia to evolve.

Are they safer higher in the catchment or do the reduced flow and exposure to exploitation outweigh any advantages. Lower in the catchment where they have deep and hidden sanctuaries and a greater volume of water to await the autumn floods, if they arrive. Does the pollution burden of the river decrease with the greater volume of water in the lower river, as forest stream with less human impact enter the system. Despite the fwit planners in the National Park trying their best to bugger up the west flowing streams. Or is the additional pollution that enters the river on its way, from the huge trout farms and STWs at Downton, Fordingbridge and Ringwood, to the sea counteract this? If they are waiting in the Lower Stour, STWs at Throop, Wimborne etc still pour shite and chemicals into the water column. They also run back out through the Mudeford run and go back to sea, just how many of these ever re-enter the system we have little data.

A classic example highlighted in the FT today in that most water companies have slashed their infrastructure investment since the 1990s. These cuts have for the most part fallen on the STWs that have seen a reduction in the order of 20% over that period. Does that come as a surprise? What do you think? They should be in prison! It raises all sorts of questions that need to be answered by our regulators.?

I cannot say I was a fan of the previous Labour Party leader yet I have to agree with getting the water Companies out of private ownership. As for inspiring, encouraging and rewarding best practice, pay large bonuses to ALL staff, dependent of course on our rivers being in A1 Condition! As in all aspects of life a balance between idealism and realism has to be reached.

Bah Humbug!

Just keep your fingers crossed we see a rise in water levels to get the remaining fish to the redds.

In the true sense of Christmas may I wish all readers a very happy Christmas and a more peaceful and settle New Year than that we have all endured in the one just past. Take care and I look forward to seeing many of you in the approaching new seasons.

This mornings sunrise, the first after the Winter solstice, was cold and bright making the drive to work a joy.

Two very grainy, confusing shots taken as the light faded of one of the lake islands. This roost has been with us a couple of months and I have not mentioned it for fear of attracting unwanted attention. The roost has now broken up and many birds seem to have gone their seperate ways, which makes recording it on the diary safer. At its height it contained 26 Little Egrets, 9 Great White Egrets and 3 Cattle Egrets. I just hope the unseasonally mild weather of recents weeks hasn't lulled them into a false sense of security risking exposure to any cold weather that may return. We still have half a dozen Little Egrets and two or three GWE's but they tend to roost wherever they can find the most shelter from the wind.

A silhouette that we will hopefully become familiar with in the next few years as a White-tailed Eagle circled lazily over Ibsley this morning. Despite its massive size it is all too easy to overlook these huge birds as they drift silently by overhead. The spread of the finger like primary feathers at the wing-tips is the important ID feature.

The Starlings have broken up into two roosts with one at Blashford and the other further north at Ibsley. Over the next few days they may unite again as the southern flock were being continually harassed by a Sparrow Hawk, Marsh Harrier and a Merlin that came through at lightening speed on a couple of occasions. The poplar was one of the largest trees on the Estate towering close to one hundred feet and where it sheared off in the last storm over four feet in diameter. The strength of the wind to snap such a massive piece of timber must have been incredible and it all took place in about ten minutes on a Sunday morning a few weeks ago.