I can't remember which rod it was that lost a fish last year in the roots of the oak at the top of Broadmeade. It won't happen again, as the oak has recently fallen into the pool. Unfortunately it makes the pool virtually unfishable and it will be some time before we can get machinery out there to remove it. Having said that I did wade through there today and I would suggest the water height makes the area best avoided. Where the oak stood there is now a huge lump of the bank missing and the water flowing from the river makes progress extremely difficult, so best avoided for the next few weeks.

Yesterday afternoon Jonny and I returned to the scene of my recent capture to finish the introduction to the pools I had promised. Having grassed that fish in the second pool of our previous visit a further eight or nine pools on that section remained to be introduced. I had called an early bath on the previous visit as adrenaline and age had suggested one fish was more than sifficient for the day.

Yesterday's visit not surprisingly failed to produce a further fish although a couple of trout were more obliging to at least make the heart skip a beat. Despite the failure to find a fish the pools looked good and fished very well and had there been a fish present I'm sure we would have moved it. Although saying we didn't see anything exciting the photo below captures what looked like the high water may be responsible for a further creature, alongside our beavers, to take up residence on the Estate as it passed close by in the flood!

Don't look now Jonny but that looks remarkably like a crocodile circling us!

Pile Pool looking challenging as I headed downstream to check on the dugout. It actually fished very well despite the high water and gale force wind. A quicker retrieve than perhaps desired as if left too long you ended up fishing in the field!

Pile Pool

The dugout was still where I left it.

Pipe Pool

The river is actually bending around to the right, the flow behind the dugout is overflow into the meadows. if you get down that way beware as from twenty meters or so upstream of the digout and twenty meters downstream, the bank has become severely eroded.

Painted several decades ago by a local artist and hanging on our wall at home, is a scene down at the "Run" showing the "Black House" on the far shore and what I believe to be Paul Shutlers first boat in the foreground. No name or registration number but it does look like Paul's first boat the "Shangri La" A painting that is never going to threaten Van Goch for market share, I hang it to remind me of the hundreds of hours spent collecting salmon for release from the netsmen. It will now have a further memory of the Old Salt when ever I glance up at it.

Attached below is a copy of Paul's service that took place yesterday. Paul Greenacre has kindly sent through for any of Paul's friends who couldn't make it down.

Paul's Service.

Attention all birders.

............ and now for something completely different from yesterday. I know many readers enjoy catching up with Brenda's efforts as she chases her warblers about, around the lakes. I have attached Brenda's reports below for your enjoyment and edification. Thank you for allowing me to add them to the diary Brenda. Your continued commitment to the study after all these years is highly commendable and truly remarkable.

It appears the warblers on Mockbeggar enjoyed a very successful year, despite the attention of the Cuckoos. Such long-term studies will hopefully shed light on how our bird population will cope with the climate changes we all face.

Ringing at Meadow Lake.

A link to Brenda's ringing report for Meadow that will appear in your downloads.

Ringing at Mockbeggar Lake.

And the Mockbeggar report.

There's always one! In actual fact that one is me, as I head out across the flood in search of the river and a salmon to open my account.

For readers having trouble finding the photo of the fish I have taken off the child locks!

Playing a fish

Playing a fish

A couple of short clips of playing the fish. Jonny took these part way through the struggle that took in the region of ten minutes in total.

Today it was just written in the stars, a memory for ever.

It began when I decided the intended chainsaw work was not going to happen in the pouring rain that greeted us at eight o'clock. The forecast hadn't mentioned this rain and I hate getting covered in sawdust and chippings that tend to stick to you like the proverbial to an army blanket. I had forgotten to insure our Volvo, the current drive away policy was due to expire at midnight tonight, so I headed home to make sure I renewed the cover. That took ten minutes and as I stood in the lounge looking at the rain I decided if I was going to get wet it was whilst I was fishing. I donned the gear again and headed out for the valley. I gave Jonny a call, who was busy on the Estate and told him my intention to take the rod out and have a first cast of the season. It was a perfect opportunity to introduce Jonny to one or two of the pools in high water. We met in the car park and were soon headed out through the flood to find the river. It may have been drizzling and grey but salmon like those conditions, making the effort worthwhile if only to encourage more rods out, if an "old scrot" like me could get out there I'm sure others might make the effort. In all seriousness the fact there were two of us the risks were minimised, I would strongly recommend anyone intending to fish teams up with a fellow rod before venturing out.

Back to our tale. We sploshed our way across to the river that on arrival looked perfect, amazing visibility and with much of the flow out in the flood plain the channel looked spot on. My set-up as most of you will know is a little old fashioned as I still use a Spey line and I had on a wetcel 2 with ten feet of T10 to a couple of feet of 24 pound tippet. I suppose the fly has to be considered, which of course was a 2" aluminium, black and yellow, (surprise, surprise) conehead tube. With a barbless, straight shanked, size 6 circle, fished on a swing setup. The first pool resulted in a take from a rattly trout, which failed to engage, but it fished beautifully. We walked down to the second pool and within a couple of casts a perfect take and splash from an obviously good fish. The couple of minutes that Jonny captured on the clips is a snapshot of the ten minutes or so it took to land. In the first you can hear us discussing a second fish that showed twenty feet or so upstream of the fish I was playing. Two fish in a pool in February on the Hampshire Avon is quite amazing. The value of having a fishing buddy to land the fish is that it could be netted quickly, as opposed to played to a complete standstill, minimising the stress of the battle. My walking up and downstream alongside the fish for the duration of the fight is to ensure the minimum length of line is between me and the fish, keeping pressure on the barbless hook the entire time. By staying alongside also keeps the hook from changing direction, straining and enlarging the hookhold.

We were fortunate that when ready for the net we were beside a near-side eddy, providing a short length of reversed flow. The fish came strongly across the flow from midstream where upon hitting the reversed flow the momentary confusion provided the chance for Jonny to slip the net under and safely engulf the now what was obviously a stunning Springer.

The recovery and return was also as near perfect as we could have wished. The fish remained active during the five or six minutes resting in the net, before we looked for the hook. As hoped for the hook was perfectly set in the maxillary and came out with a gentle tweak. A quick photo and a further five minutes rest before a very active fish shot off into the depths. Simply magic.

The clips give a taste of the struggle and the conditions. As can be seen the banks are water logged and at risk of collapsing so I was stood well back from the edge. The other important factor I had on my side was the fact I had a lucky talisman with me. Yes, you've guessed it, Jonny. If you find yourself down here without a fishing buddy try and arrange for Jonny to accompany you for both safety and good luck.

Further news on the salmon front as I see we have an email from the EA letting us now there is approval for high water spinning. I'll stick up the rules on here later today when I have time. Perhaps the most important condition, apart from the water levels of course, is single BARBLESS hooks only on ALL lures and spinners.

Apologies for the late delivery of this email.

I am very pleased to inform you that we have received official approval for the early season spinning trial to cover the Lower Avon for the period 1st February to 15th May 2026 providing that (as well as the rules in the Hampshire Avon Code of Practice being followed) the following conditions are adhered to;

Spinning can only commence on days when the water level at East Mills Flume exceeds 1.18m at 04:00hrs (please use https://riverlevels.uk/river-avon-fordingbridge-east-mills-flume for reference)

The agreement only covers the section of the Hampshire Avon from Salisbury to the lower boundary of the Royalty Fishery and excludes all other parts of the Hampshire Avon.

The tackle to be used is as follows; A single size 4 (standard gape) barbless hook on all spinner/wobbler type lures such as Flying C, Mepps, Toby, Spoons. No multiple hooks will be allowed on any lure including plugs.

We will require landowners and fishery managers (or anglers directly) to provide catch returns for this period (1 February to 15 May) by 30 June so that we can monitor the numbers of fish caught within this trial period to assess any possible impacts this trial might have to the salmon stock. Nil returns are extremely important in helping us to understand how many fish are caught relative to the fishing effort. The address for returns is on the returns document and can be posted or emailed.

I have attached a disapplication letter to cover the change in the local bylaw and also a catch return, please distribute them to any fishermen using your beats.

I have used contact details and some other information from previous correspondence in the attached disapplication letter so could you please check this carefully and inform me if there are any errors or omissions that you can see so that I can correct them and make sure that the document you hold is accurate.

Somerley Disapplication Letter

Spinning trial catch return.

Now you know as much as I do. If you are tempted to try a traditional devon, or whatever, please ensure you adhere to all the above requirements.

Spot the salmon rod! The conditions out in the valley may be difficult but the salmon season is now, well and truly underway. There were a couple of rods out today to welcome the season, I think probably more as a gesture in wetting a line than a prolonged search for a fish. Having said that there will be one or two fish in the system. In the words of that well known saying, you have to be in it to win it, so always worth a shot.

The second photo shows the result of pushing one's luck, as the car has been washed off the Ibsley Harbridge Road. Even with a fatality on a nearby ford last week people are still prepared to enter deep water.

Blashford in full flood. Certainly should prevent rods burning themselves out too early in the season. The water has now been sufficiently high for enough time to have scoured out most of the silt and the water is now clearing. I only hope the redds where cut in areas that didn't suffer the same fate.

Obviously there are very few anglers out trying their luck. One or two in the big slacks looking for a pike or obliging chub. I hope their dedication is rewarded with a specimen to remember. For the most part the wildlife have also moved to higher ground, or eaten by the ever present gulls in the case of the voles. The wildfowl are out in the meadows in the evening enjoying the flooded access to new areas of grazing. Otherwise an eagle drfited down the valley mid afternoon and a pair of Marsh Harriers were displaying over their flooded nest site.

Blashford high water

A glimpse of today's conditions at Blashford.

I have put the details of Paul Shutler's funeral up as we do not have contact details for many of Paul's friends.

The service will take place at, The New Forest Crematorium, Stem Lane, New Milton, on Wednesday 4th February, at 1PM

Paul, with a bright fish from Dog Kennel.

No news from the valley other than the river continues to be out in the fields. It has just over-topped the Harbridge to Ibsley road and with considerably more rain to come, I expect the water levels to rise considerably in the coming week.

With the valley in such a state I have not spent a great deal of time out there. I have been at home, staying out of the rain and keeping up to date with the exploits of Alex Honnold on Taipei 101. I even watched "Free Solo" once again, outside the theatre of war, perhaps the most astonishing feat of human physical and mental endurance ever achieved.

Be careful what you wish for!

In reality this high water is not bad for the season. As I have said before it will ensure the fish can enter the river with the minimum of obstruction down at the hatches at the tidal limit. With the start of the season a week away we will no doubt still have high water to contend with throughout most of February. If you feel you don't fancy facing such conditions don't worry. February is never the most productive month, as there will be very few fish in the system. Unless you are desperate for a February Springer, or can't wait to wet a line, hanging-on a few weeks for the water to drop back to a comfortable level will see the number of fish entering the system increase. Don't wear yourself out flogging a difficult river and burn yourself out before the fish arrive. Fingers crossed that we retain a reasonable height until the peak of the Spring run from mid-March to the end of May.

The start of the season will require sunk lines and heavy leaders to deal with the high flows and cold water. Short tippets will keep the flies down, two or three feet depending on visibility. As for the flies, Yellow and Black and Yellow are the Avon favourites, I'll leave the patterns to you. If you have a favorite pattern that doesn't contain yellow or a sharp contrast, don't worry. Having confidence in what you're using, along with getting it in front of the fish, is the key to success.

High water repairs

Dexterity on show

Just a couple of clips showing how high water is making roof repairs easier.

Will, brought his mobile saw bench over today to mill some of our wind blown oak. Most of the timber will be put to good use for; seats, styles and bridges on the fishery.

Some of the timber that was too large for the saw we quartered and milled radially and left with a natural edge. These will hopefully provide high grained seats and benches along the river. Some of the boards and four by four that were the end product of a hard days work.

Fingers crossed the high flows continue. The water levels at present are almost perfect for the start of the salmon season. They will obviously drop back, hopefully not as quickly as last season, to enable the fish to enter thr river safely.

No Shit Sherlock.

I guess that highlights the risk of one of the three hundred or so chemicals to be found in our rivers. Without the countless permutations that unknown reactions between that lot may impact!

I wonder how our government funded research is progressing in establishing the impact of the other 299? I guess I shouldn't worry as the water companies are monitoring the chemicals that appear in the river as part of the government imposed, inhouse monitoring requirements.

Makes you wonder what ever happened to the "Precautionary Principle" this and previous governments signed up to?

I hear rumblings that Defra are to consult on giving the public greater access to the countryside, which will include rivers. Having listened to the coverage given this topic by the BBC I only hope those who represent the countryside, environment and angling give a better performance and have researched their arguments before they submit their case to the consultation. They may wish to consider one or two of the points I raise below to bolster the case for further protection of our countryside. Not add more disturbance to already troubled waters.

I do have severe reservations about the very process of government consultations. I am aware there are laid down rules in the government methods of assessing the submissions. Hopefully the days of one in favour, one against are long gone. Just how they assess the input from a community that owns, or is dependent on the subject of the consultation, against that of a zealot purely concerned with their own hedonistic pursuits, baffles me. It certainly leaves room for abuse and the manipulation for predetermined outcomes of cynical politicians.

Their use, as with the use of consultants, simply removes the risk of blame from the shoulders of those tucked up in the Ivory Towers of the Seacole Building and Nobel House.

To help start our own analysis. If you add the membership of the three major clubs between the headwaters of the Hampshire Avon and the sea and include a number of syndicate and dayticket fisheries, you end up with a conservative number of six thousand anglers fishing local rivers.

If you consider the amount of money those local anglers pay the government. For simplicity, if the average cost of a rod licence is taken to be forty pounds, we are looking at a sum approaching a quarter of a million pounds annually. Just the return to government of the Avon Valley, Cash Cow. For which very little in return is received in the way of protecting the interests of the river and valley. You can begin to see why many involved in the rivers feel besieged, ignored and put upon. Talking shops and partnerships don't count as resolutions of concerns.

That's the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the cost incurred by the angling community to gain access to the river. Added to the rod licence fee there is the water rental to be taken into account. Now this may be a payment to a riparian owner or to a club. What ever the way water access is paid for it amounts to a considerable sum each and every year. If for simplicity sake we take the club fees, our six thousand anglers pay in the region of three or four hundred pounds annually. Lets say three hundred and fifty for our sums, times six thousand, comes to a figure in excess of two MILLION pounds. That is just on one river, perhaps in my bias view the finest river in the country, but every river in the land will have an access and upkeep cost.

Where does that angler related financial income get dispersed? The twenty four million or so pounds of rod licence money paid directly to the government, is for fisheries such as the Avon lost to the system. I think it is now well recognised that EA fisheries division are unfit for purpose. We receive no policing, bank, hatch or stock, maintenance or assistance. The only time we ever see a fisheries officer if they are checking rod licences to ensure the continuence of their institution. As for the rental money a great deal goes directly back into the upkeep of the river. Outgoings will include labour and material costs for the maintenance of; controls, trees, banks, carriers, water meadows and ditches etc. Poacher patrols both day and night, very often single handed. Not a pleasant, heart warming experience I can assure you.

In house employment costs, plant hire and specialist contractor costs can very quickly run into tens of thousands annually for many fisheries. That is just to get the physical work of managing the river, up and running. Added to that are the hours of bureaucracy involved in dealing with the regulators. The greater part of which, is all to often an educational process as public money is poured into the consultative trough.

Of course the reason the regulators get so involved in the valley are for the most part the number of conservation designations it is afforded. The environmental sites start with, Ramsar sites - Wetlands of International Importance, SAC - Special Area of Conservation, SSSI - Site of Special Scientific Interest and SPA - Special Protection Area. Just where and if this lot still applies, after the balls-up of Brexit and this current governments environmental record, is anyone's guess but we still have to live under their regulations. Added to that of course we have, conservation areas, footpaths, TPO's and "Uncle Tom Cobley and All" the lot involving local authority planning.

The included photos below are from previous diary entries, added at this point to illustrate some of the presented arguments...... and to keep Phil happy!

Summer's here and the idiots are abroad. "We didn't see any signs" "We're doing no harm" "That law doesn't apply to us" I despair! I don't suppose they'll be the last but at least the police saw these two clowns on their way. More pleasant signs were my first Five-spot-burnet of the year and what must be a record Mandarin brood of eighteen - unless you know differently of course?

I just love sunny weekends

"I didn't see a sign" "Onus of responsibility on the individual, whats that mean?" Wonderful things these public footpaths! Why not do some boating and kill some cygnets? Finally I see Sainsbury's are doing their bit to keep the Avon tidy. I assume its Sainsburys that left it, if it were my name and address all over the litter thats the assumption the regulating authorities would make! Aren't the Great British public wonderful?

Hooray, a new record for the river! The most swans being driven by one canoe, 110 in the photo, 35 further downstream around the bend and about 25 that had panicked and flown back upstream. At 170 that will take some beating. I did ask the couple in the canoe what they thought would happen when they compressed this lot into the section above the hatches. They didn't have a clue! Thankfully, despite having heart burn through having had to gulp down my lunch when Pete's call came in, I reached them before they collected the two lots of newly hatched cygnets in that section, I wouldn't have given much in the way of odds on them surviving the final panic. They were a nice couple just totally ignorant of the impact of their actions. I had to give one of them a lift back to Fordingbridge as they had left the down stream pick up car keys in the drop off vehicle. It just makes your head hurt, half the population appears to be of an equal standard of awareness and that's the polite version. Why, oh why, is not respect for other people and the environment taught in schools. If the Defra policy, through the national parks, is to turn the countryside into a giant theme park, as is the obvious intent with the New Forest, surely they have a responsibility to educate the masses they release on us.

You can tell its a Bank Holiday weekend!

Bank holiday visitors.

Bank Holiday Blues!

There are now numerous videos similar to the one above illustrating the consequences of Mute Swan disturbance on the Avon. I recently spotted one on national TV, filmed at Fordingbridge, with a Swan killing another adult swan that had been chased into its territory. My attempts at video, whilst quite extensive, suffers from my apparent DT's, not I hasten to add actual DT's but seem to manifest themselves in a similar fashion. The sound also requires a little improvement, despite which I have a growing collection of videos that look as if taken on horseback!

I said to the lads in today's photos I would put up a link that would show the Defra view on navigation as advised to the minister at the time. See below. They did say they had an email from the EA telling them they could canoe on the Avon. I have asked for a copy, always assuming it wasn't just a porky, that might well prove interesting if they send it through!

The two links below will appear as downloads in your download box, hopefully!

Defra opinion

Letter to then minister

Defra are responsible for all the redaction etc. not me.

As can be seen, in the eyes of the law, as advised to the minister at the time, Navigation on non-tidal rivers above the tidal limit is quite clear.

It only exists where it can be shown to have been subject to;

Immemorial usage

Which the good Rev Caffyn and others have tried and failed to establish on the Hampshire Avon.

By Act of Parliament

– of which there is not.

Or by expressed grant or dedication by the owner of the soil

Such as Fordingbridge TC who permit paddling on their couple of hundred meters in the recreation ground. Also the reason Natural England will only prosecute the riparian owners in the case of the disturbance or destruction of a SSSI/PAC/ESA/Ramsar/SWALK and uncle Tom Cobbly and all, site in the case of the River Avon and its associated flood plain. Navigation on the Avon requires a consent from NE who will only grant consent to the riparian owner, hence it is the owner that falls foul of the law in NE's view. That seems to be working well???

Perhaps a little more background to our problems might help. We have in the order of twenty two pairs of breeding Mute Swans on the Estate, each with their own territory, spaced about every three or four hundred meters. Add to these over a hundred non-breeders we are not overly short of swans, even before the winter flocks gather. All is well until established pairs interact. Aggressive cobs will not tolerate interlopers, with the worse case individuals that includes ducks, geese and almost anything else they can get hold of. Pairs and cygnets being herded downstream by boat traffic soon meet their neighbours and all hell breaks loose. Once the boats have passed the birds are all mixed up and in the wrong territories resulting in the all too familiar dead cygnet syndrome.

Apart from the obvious impact on swans there are more subtle impacts that most would be totally unaware. For years we have had eight or nine pairs of Great crested Grebe nesting on the Estate's length of river. Strangely the numbers of successful broods fluctuated considerably from year to year. We were slightly bemused why such variations should occur when food and water height seemed to remain pretty much constant. As I'm sure most will be aware they are for the most part fish eaters and the Avon abounds with small fish. Other fish eating birds flourished, Goosander, Kingfisher, Cormorant etc. As GCG nests float, or are anchored to vegetation, summer floods risked flushing them away but the frequency of floods didn't coincide with the dips in nesting success.

Exposed Great Crested Grebe nest.

The penny only dropped when many years ago a renown wildlife cameraman making a film on the Estate filmed the GCG nest being predated by a Moorhen. This opportunistic practice has been witnessed several times since pointing to the cause of our population fluctuations. GCG when nesting usually choose a nest site that is often very open and exposed. To compensate for this visibility the adults are extremely attentive to the nest. Meaning an adult will be on the nest virtually continuously, If not actually on the nest very close by in sight of her eggs. Even when on these brief nearby feeding breaks she will meticulously cover her eggs with weed and sticks to hide them from predators such as Crows and Gulls. Unfortunately the evolution of the GCG nesting strategy had not developed sufficiently to deal with disturbance by boats and Moorhen.

When scared from the nest the sensitive birds, in a similar fashion to our Swans, move downstream ahead of the boats. Not having had time to conceal her eggs that now sit in all their glory exposed to the world. The adults move ahead of the boats until side channels or wide reaches allow them to get back past the boats and head back upstream to their nests. This may take many minutes leaving the exposed eggs fully on view. This is where the problem of Moorhen predation rears its ugly head. The defence strategy of the Moorhen when disturbed by a boat is to simply hide in the marginal reedbeds. As Moorhen are far more populous on the Avon than Grebe there is almost certainly a pair within a few meters of every GCG nest. The boats pass, the Moorhen re-appear from their reedbed hide outs next to the nest and in the meantime the protective GCG are still heading downstream ahead of the boats. The rest as they say is history!

Back to our navigation problems and the other reason we are so protective of the river. Unlike many rivers where there is a right of navigation, such as the Thames, Wye etc established under one of the three aforementioned means, we do not receive government funding for repairs to banks and controls. The Hampshire Avon is classed as a heavily modified river, repair of banks, in perched channels such as the Avon's, can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. Revetment materials may run into thousands of tons, transporting that material to site, construction machinery etc all cost money. Controls are weirs hatches etc and rust and collapse requiring renewal. The only financial income available to the Estate to pay for these works is that raised through its fishery income. Fisheries are dependent on exclusivity so I'm sure you can work out the equation for yourselves. No fishery, no income, no repairs, its that simple.

I have always said to the BCU and many other paddlers, if they are prepared to pay for the maintenance of the river to the same extent as the angling community please come and see us. We would be more than happy to discuss options. To give an indication of the scale of the investment you will be looking to meet the anglers rental and amenity contribution that runs to well over a million pounds annually just on the Avon. Over and above the quarter of a million plus pounds Avon anglers contribute in Environment Agency rod licence money each year, which we have no say or benefit from its expenditure.

So lads if you bothered to look up this link as I suggested and have bothered to read all this through to the end, that's why I appear as a miserable old git.

I always claim I was a light hearted jovial fellow, full of the joys of Spring, with a constant welcoming smile, until I ran into those that would abuse the Avon Valley! I don't only refer to canoes in that, there are far worse contenders for the crown of least caring. Stand up those that would discharge raw sewage, farm effluent and suck the life blood from the aquifers. Along with those that would sit by and watch such abuse take place, you know who you are!

A pair of dead salmon showing signs of saprolegnia and wear and tear from a long summer. A final added bonus to my day was the arrival of a couple of canoes, you can't win 'em all.

If designated sites are safeguarded who is going to inform and educate the public and police the resultant chaos? I'm sure those that know and understand the law will respect it. Unfortunately we have several instances where even Local Authority officers are unaware of the designations and management that determines the management of the river and valley. Protection of invasive species, with TPO's on Holm Oak, where ten miles down the road in a different authority area, they are actively removing them. Failure to protect designated species within the SSSI, where breeding waders were sacrificed to the mantra of public access, being examples. Even when more walker friendly alternatives were available, at no public expense.

Great Crested Grebe, Lapwing and Redshank still await the water levels to drop back so they can get on with nesting.

We, as land managers and owners, plus of course the environment itself, suffer a constant flow of trespassers incorrectly claiming "The Right to Roam" or the "Right of Navigation." The majority of the general public do not have a clue that many rivers are non-navigable and the land alongside them private. It befalls the lots of the owners, in both time and employees wages, to protect, educate and remove such disturbance. Confronting the misinformed and purely ignorant, is relatively easy, the arrogant, self opinionated and violent take a greater toll. Verbal and even physical abuse are unfortunately all too frequent occurrences.

Bad start to the weekend, wild swimmers last night and an illegal rave to follow. The swimmers weren't serious swimmers, just idiots thought it looked inviting to swim above the hatches and having to climb out through all the nettles. Poor dears got stung to bits! The type that unfortunately become a statistic and a newspaper story. The rave involved cutting the padlock and chains off the gates and setting up in a hay field. Apart from the criminal damage to the gates the hay crop is worthless as baling the assorted poppers, pills, bottles and happy powder is unlikely to do the livestock much good. Much the same mentality as the swimmers I fear.

Interesting meeting with these half dozen guys this morning. They had been on the canoeing websites and seen the usual misinformation related to the Avon. I have to say once the situation had been explained these guys were as good as their word and left the river. In doing so creating all sorts of hassle for themselves in getting their canoes and kit picked up. Just what on earth do these canoeing websites think they are achieving by perpetuating this mistaken belief related to navigation on inland water ways, apart from causing genuine canoers a lot of hassle. Just why don't they publish the Defra advice and legal view on Avon navigation, it would save a great deal of grief and frustration for genuine river users and in many cases their members and supporters. That advice can be found on this blog on the entry dated 29th August 2020. That's not my opinion but that given the Secretary of State.

The spread of beavers across the country adds to the need to minimise disturbance.

Wild swimmers

If asked I'm sure they would profess to be law abiding citizens, living within the social bounds and responsibilities of the rural society within which they live. One area I can assure you they are totally ignorant of are the responsibilities and time scales placed on owners and managers of SSSI's by Defra. Having that knowledge would make little difference of course, were it to conflict with their hedonistic approach to life! At that point respect for the rights of others, English Common Law and environmental law, related to SSSI's, Ramsar sites etc go out of the window. They were firmly of the we're doing no harm brigade and had the actually arrogance and temerity to tell me what I believe in.

When asked why they ignored the half dozen signs, or for an explanation or rationale of their behaviour, claimed to have ear plugs in and can't hear. The signs don't apply to them! Jeez what's all that about?

Insist the footpath affords them the right, thank you HCC, I won't repeat my views on the value of HCC. Suffice to say that many are unfit for purpose and an unnecessary drain on public resources. They have just held a consultation on the future direction HCC should follow, into which I really should have entered a submission. I'm afraid, as with so many of our public institutions and agencies, Parkinson's Law is fully implemented making such submissions worthless and a complete waste of time and effort, institutional protection being the preferred way forward.

Landowners and managers are defenceless against such ignorant and offensive behaviour, the agencies and local authorities are totally ineffective or err on the side with the trespasser on H&S grounds!! The police do not have the resources or the desire to chase infringements of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. We could go down the very expensive route of fencing the footpath. Should we do so Natural England would probably insist we remove it as it may have potentially adverse impact of the designated species. We could take out injunctions against individuals, which is also extremely expensive and time consuming.

Openly confessing they intend to return what is the way ahead? All I can do is to ensure our meeting was as memorable as possible and hope some form of respect for others and common sense prevails.

Give me a run in with a gang of poachers any day, they usually know the law better that I do and are far less obnoxious!

What might seem all too obvious to those involved in the management of the river and valley is the lack of respect for the rights of others and the law of the land. Hedonistic self interest drives the zealot demanding changes to meet personal aims, regardless of impact on others and the environment. That may be harsh, as in the case of many it is simply down to ignorance of the implications, environmental, financial and mental well-being, of those living and working in the valley.

In the event of increased public access landowners would need to ensure their public liability is upto date and they ensure due diligence where risks such as trees are concerned.

The driver of the vehicle swept off Moylscourt ford, who managed to get safely ashore, will now be able to retrieve his car from our tree! During the high water, when it was swept away, just the top was visible so it looks like we are down a couple of feet. What makes people think they can cross a ford when the river is in full spate I can't imagine. Especially when there is a bridge 200m away. What ever it is it appears to be an annual occurrence as we seem to get one or two most years. Thankfully most car occupants have managed to get out unharmed, its been many years since anyone lost their life at this spot.

Amazingly the local authority came and closed the road after the event, when the river had dropped back. I'm not sure which I find more confusing the death wish to drive into a flooded river or the highways closing the road after its dropped!

An entry from back in 2020 highlighting the risks of the Avon.

One of two Paddle-boarders about to duck under the radial gates on the Ringwood hatches. Despite no control in the fast flume both made it safely through and agreed to leave the river once the situation had been explained to them. Interested to see the EA Deputy Director of Navigation is out promoting paddle-boarding and kayaking in the hope of filling the coffers of the regulators quoting the rod licence as an example of value for money. It would seem to be in stark contrast to the deafening silence we hear from the EA about similar activities on the non-navigable Hampshire Avon. Let me assure all paddle-boarders, kayak and canoer users, you will get absolutely sod all for any money they manage to prise out of you. It would be nice to see the EA undertaking some educational programmes to bring the GBP up to speed on the reasons behind the non-navigational status of the heavily modified and conservation designated Avon. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at anything I hear about the EA these days. Bevan, the Head of the EA, is stamping about town making speeches promoting the lowering of standards of assessment on our rivers now they are no longer bound by the WFD. At the time of the vote to leave the EU I asked what route of independent appeal we will have once that of the European Commission is no longer available to us. I still await an answer. Add the thousands of tons of untreated human sewage they licence to be pumped into our rivers every year, whilst the they wash their hands of any meaningful regulation. Always assuming they are not washing their hands in the polluted river! They should hang their heads in shame. One other aspect of the WFD that might prove interesting is the removal of the obligation to establish the conservation levels of each salmon river. Will this mean we will no longer see hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money flushed down the river through the fish counters that are designed to tell us what we already know.

When the government release the consultation on greater access to the countryside, including rivers, those who purport to represent the interests of the landowners, environment and the anglers need to ensure the government hear the message that a further layer of poorly researched legislation, releasing a wave of uninformed public, will be catastrophic for the rural community and the environment. That is the very nub of this argument, our rivers are struggling as illustrated by the species decline, invertebrates, fish etc. To even consider adding to the problems of, abstraction, pollution, disturbance, to mention just a few, is irresponsible to the point of criminal.

I could bitch on for hours about the abuse, misuse and suffering rivers and valley inhabitants have suffered at the hands of, Defra, water companies, carbon off-setting, housing policy, institutional protection and my piles (perhaps not the latter) but enough is enough, for the moment at least.

In all seriousness, whilst the screed above may seem depressing it expresses the reality that confronts the rural community on a daily basis. There is a great deal more to be said on that subject if we are ever to make headway through the mailaise that we see confronting our river and valley. Unfortunately, the many issues that impact our rivers are mostly political. I have thousands of words written on the alternatives but I am reluctant to put them on here as they will bore many to tears. I will drip feed them into the areana for discussion as the future of the rural community comes under further scrutiny by the government as an easy target for a populist agenda.

In the meantime lets get back to the day to day activity of the river.

A salmon head Jonny found today is in perfect condition for the research project. An unusual fish in that it was an otter casualty that would appear to have still contained ova. By this time of year, under the water conditions, I would have expected all the salmon to have finished cutting. Hopefully the eggs around the carcass were just the remnants of the ova that had been retained after cutting.

Knappmill counter data.

The latest counter data would seem to point to a run that sits alongside the long term average for the river. After the disaster of the Summer I think I would consider that an encouraging run. Lets hope they all reached the redds and spawned safely.

As last nights blow began to break up the ice on the lakes the Shoveler soon returned to their favourite haunts. The photo shows about fifty birds vortex feeding in the clear areas of the lake with the remaining smooth area of ice cover rapidly disappearing.

Raven.

One or two readers may find the clips a little gruesome but I'm afraid they just reflect the raw reality of Mother Nature. I have hundreds of similar clips of scavengers cleaning up the mess our roads create on a regular basis. Scavengers that keep the carcasses from becoming a disease infected rotten mass. As well as the obvious Raven, Buzzard, Magpies etc I have clips of Robins and Blackbirds finding rich feeding on the fat and maggots the carcass provides. Very little is wasted when left to the natural world to clear up after us. All that is required is time, what ever material or substance is involved. I imagine most of the smaller birds nest within quite a distance will be lined with deer hair this Spring.

Don't worry about the German sniper hiding in the bushes beyond the birds, its just another potential camera position being familiarised.

Some of the most enlightening clips I have record the language between the Raven. I will dig through the eight hundred odd clips I have and try and find one or two that record their conversations.

Fox.

It looks as if the cold snap we have just experienced is on the way out, as storm Goretti comes rolling in from the south west. I have my fingers crossed the temperature has been sufficiently low to reset Nature's clock.

In keeping with the feeling the weather is never on our side. A downside of the cold weather has been that the water levels have dropped dramatically and the water visibility has cleared. Before the start of the salmon season we need a significant amount of rain to bring the levels back up. Lets hope Goretti is the start of the recovery process.

Roofing the lodge.

As there is not a great deal going on in the valley I have added a couple of clips of the beavers as they attend to the roof of their lodge.

Roofing the lodge.

Reading coverage of the recent Winter Solstice I was interested to hear of the special mystical qualities of mistletoe that has grown on oak. If that is the case, the oak tree in the photo above must be about as mystical as they come.

On the subject of oak. The stick in the bucket of the JCB is a wind fall from a year or two back that we are collecting together in readiness for a visit from a mobile bench. The resulting boards and posts will be put to good use around the Estate, where good hardwood timber is required.

Last night's Wolf or Ice Moon. I think the latter if the frozen valley was anything to go by this morning.

Adding to the Lodge.

New Year update showing Mum, dad and junior, busy constructing the lodge.

What a sad, sad start to the year with the news that Paul Shutler, one of the most charismatic of anglers ever to grace the banks of the Avon, has suddenly passed away. Of course it wasn't only the Avon that Paul was a regular, he was equally at home in the harbour down at Christchurch and the inshore fishery of the bay, where he made his living. He was part of the very fabric of the river and coast where he was born and brought up. He was the quintessential hard working local fisherman, with a vast knowledge of his patch.

I'm sure both salt and freshwater ran through his veins, where ever there was water with fish in it Paul would not be far away. He was not simply a stay at home angler, he was happy fishing for marlin in the Indian ocean, or salmon in the great rivers of Norway. Many of his travels were with friends he met at Somerley and I'm sure his loss will be hard felt by them all.

His presence at Somerley pre-dates my arrival as he was a close friend of my predecessor, Alan Jones. When Alan was busy Paul used to fish his rod, on Alan's allotted day. The first time I spotted his name was when looking through the catch records on my arrival. He had grassed the first off the river from Pile Pool, the previous February. From that time forward I was to get to know Paul very well indeed and his presence in the valley and down at the coast will be very sorely missed indeed.

The new year has arrived with large areas of the lakes and the margins of the river frozen. The Shoveler in the photo are gathered on the areas of ice free water.

A brief review of the year

Whilst the coarse season on the rivers was in full swing at the start of the year the water was out in the fields. In light of the difficult conditions for the coarse lads it make sense for me to start a look at the year with the February start of the salmon season and look at the coarse river now, at the end of the year.

Great water height to start the salmon season that dropped dramatically by the first week in April to a point the fish were reluctant to run. We managed to find one or two fish but the hoped for run never materialised. By the end of May we had reached the temperature cut-off point and that basically was the end of the season. We did manage to get back on the water for a fortnight at the end of the season in August but in reality we were not going to see fresh MSW fish. In total we lost somewhere in the region of three months, which makes trying to make any assessment of the season bordering on the pointless. The only saving grace has been that the counter recorded reasonable numbers later in the year and we have seen surprising numbers of fish on the redds with us in the middle river.

The river currently looks spot and I have to admit to looking forward more to this season than I have for many years. I cannot tell you how much I wish to see regular top ups of the water levels throughout the year, unfortunately that is well beyond my powers to influence.

The weather having conspired to mess up our salmon season it then turned its wicked attention to my butterfly transect. Whilst many parts of the country enjoyed the lack of rain and sunshine the shallow gravelly soil around the lakes baked almost to drought levels. It didn't quite get down to those disastrous levels and butterflies struggled on through. Numbers were down with us in contrast to the majority of the transect group. Having said that I still thoroughly enjoy my couple of hours a week seeking the jewels of our meadows.

I should mention whilst over on the lake that Brenda was also over there almost everyday, busy counting her Reed Warblers. It was a a good year for the warblers and an even better year for Cuckoo records. At a time when we hear so much negative news about the state of our bird populations to know that ours seem to be going from strength to strength. A great result Brenda, its good to have it confirmed some of our efforts seem to be in the right direction.

Whilst on the subject of birds I'm afraid the presence of bird flu in the valley had devastating effect on one or two species. Our Mute Swan population has crashed, from a norm of twenty two territorial pairs his year we were down to just five pairs and I don't they were very successful with only a handful of cygnets raised. Our non breading flock has dropped equally dramatically from over a hundred and fifty to fifty or sixty birds. There may be a glimmer of light on that fron in that there are unseasonally high numbers of swans down the bottom of the river at Christchurch Harbour. Have our birds realise there is something killing them in the valley and retreated to the coast. Lets hope so and we see them back with us when this wretched disease burns itself out. The other obvious concern is that Steve Reeds eagles may scavenge the carcasses that are dotted about the valley and succumb to a similar fate. As yet I have no reports of eagles falling foul despite their regular appearance in the valley throughout the year. Our raptors are doing well with several pairs of Gos and two pairs of Marsh Harrier now well established. Kestrels, Sparrow Hawks and Buzzards, remain in great shape providing hope for the future.

I should review how the lakes have fished at this point. As far as I am concerned they have been absolutely spot on. The difference between the wild fish of Mockbeggar and the angler friendly giants of Meadow couldn't be further apart. It is that difference that makes our lake so challenging. If you want a monster sit it out on Meadow. If you want to add to our store of knowledge of our wild fish, Mockbeggar is the one for you. Fish that look with destain on the over complicated rigs and baits of the modern carp world. Water craft as opposed to a war of attrition, are both on offer and the results on both fronts have been superb. Increasingly large bags of tench from Mockbeggar, whilst the huge bream of Meadow are almost completely ignored. The attraction of massive carp seems to blind many to what else lurks below. All I would ask is that when one of you carp guys get a seriously large bream, even in the early hours and its pissing down, you weigh it. I just need to know! The reason is you can't fish for them all, we are spoilt with what is on offer and long may the mysteries remain. There is nothing more demoralising than knowing the history of every fish in the lake. It is that mystery that keeps us all coming back for more of those frustrating sessions.

Back to our river and the astonishing fish that lay within. I won't list the specimens we have seen grassed this year, suffice to say they have been mind boggling. Even in my wildest dreams in my earlier years I couldn't have believed such fish existed so close to home. The low warm water of the summer made it the year of the bream. They seem to appear in almost every swim. I don't mind river bream, they are great looking fish and the average size being around five pounds they put up a good account of themselves in the fast flow of the river. They may be a bit of a nuisance if you are focused on an eighteen pound barbel, or seven pound chub but don't dismiss them out of hand they are a welcome sight to many. Along with some huge river pike and a welcome resurgence of the roach on the horizon, fingers crossed of more to follow.

One aspect of our river that is never easy to review is that of the surrounding we enjoy whilst on the bank. I have tended this wonderful river for over thirty years. I have known and fished it for over sixty and I still get a thrill from walking its banks and letting my imagination run riot at every pool and shallow. There is magic in every inch and it is second to none in the register of great river fisheries.

We are lucky in having syndicate members who see that magic we are privileged to enjoy. The appreciation members illustrate on so many occasions when we meet is one of the greatest pleasures of my job. We now have a new face on the fishery in Jonny Old and I'm sure he will share our understanding and pleasure in these very special few miles.

I could go on forever about the wonders of this river but I will sign off now and wish you all a very happy new year and look forward to meeting you on the banks in the coming seasons.

The carcass of the road casualty is proving even more popular in this cold weather, there seems to be a constant queue of creatures glad of a food supply.

A very cold and misty finish to the year as the lakes froze over and the mist hung in the air all day. The second shot is the river outside the lodge at midday, with the sun still failing to brake through.

A New Year shot for my Welsh readers, our dafs in the front garden are putting on a brave show for the Year to come.

The second shot is almost an exact copy of the shot a year ago at the very start of the year. The reason I've added this again is to show the perfect hook hold in the scissors. Circles have been a revelation for almost all of my fishing and I can't recommend them strongly enough.

The rest of the setup is my favourite lure in the shape of a small jack that I have removed the trebles from and replaced them with size 4 barbless circles, fished on short assist droppers. The rod is a HTO, 9.4m, 20-50g lure rod, with a ABU Gacia pro bait caster, loaded with 30lb Whiplash to a 30 pound rubbing trace, to a final plastic coated 20 pound wire trace.

A second set of Ford car keys have been found. Give me a text or email and I'll reacquaint you.

I said at the beginning of the year I thought 2025 would be the year of the beaver on the Hampshire Avon. As it has turned out it has been the year of the beaver on a far wider area that the Avon Valley. There seem to be reports of wild beavers coming in the length and breadth of the country. They would seem to be well established on many rivers that their activities will certainly change for the better. Our own pair on the estate remain busy with lodge extensions and riverside trees being felled and extracted for food and housing. One habit they seem to have adopted is trimming the willow branches that have intruded out into the channel. This has saved me considerable work in keeping the salmon pools clear, lets hope they continue the good work.

Poplar on the menu.

Preparing dinner.

The final cuts.

Almost there.

Its been an odd day or two over the holiday as the number of; bird watchers, fishermen and local shoots have made it a deceptively busy place. Many of the birds have been looking for quieter areas to avoid the disturbance. One of the lakes that is currently closed has offered one such sanctuary. With the added attraction of a recent road-kill the scavengers have been enjoying themselves. The Heron has probably been the most regular, jealously protecting the meaty territory from all his kin. Other bolder species have ignored his bill snapping and hissed threats, tucking into the carcasses offered bounty.

The resident Heron and a pair of Raven.

Thanks to Phillip Parkinson for a text telling me the whereabouts of the head of the first kelt of the season. Although its been well chewed by the otter and the birds, hopefully the vital information it contains can be used by the scientists who are studying them. The salmon having apparently spawned the kelts will be slowly dropping back and being washed ashore. The otters will drag out many of the slow and easy to catch specimens and should you come across any please text as we are still collecting them. To add a little balance over the otter activity in that all the cock fish and most of the hens will die. Its the lot of salmon to die on completion of its spawning ritual, making their removal by the otters no loss to the river. Quite the reverse in that otters enjoying the seasonal bounty are not predating any other of our fish.

A photo of the White-fronted geese taken a day or two ago. Being close to the road they were at risk of disturbance from both traffic and pedestrians. I needn't have worried as one of the White-tailed eagles showed up and they departed post-haste.