22 May 2022 News/Editorial
With apologies for this early post for w/e 21st May, but we are by way of going south to the Test, returning late-ish Sunday.
As this is being written, Wednesday 18th, the fishing has remained pretty much as last week, lack lustre perhaps best summarising it. There has been a little water, but the beneficial effects perhaps negated by both heat and sunshine.
With little change forecast for the rest of the week, it would take an optimist to expect any dramatic change in fishing prospects, but you never quite know?
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After last week's little treatise on smolt numbers, the good news is that down in these parts large numbers have been seen, and although extra water was limited, every little will help in speeding them on their way and keeping them from those pesky (male, because the females are nesting) sawbill ducks.
Here is a most interesting, if depressing, extract sent by my very kind and observant correspondent, from his fishing last week.
"In the evenings there were flocks of, mainly male, goosander on the upper beat of 15 to 40 in number.
On Thursday evening as I approached the Milk Pot about 40 took off from behind the rock barrier. After fishing the pool down I waded back along the downstream side of the barrier and spotted a newly dead smolt.
Without making a proper search I counted 11 dead smolts before it dawned on me that these would have been regurgitated by some of the goosander as they hastily took off.
I took a phone photo which I attach for your interest."
While we are at it, here is another photo reminder of what one goosander can do for just one meal on one day (the caption says it all).
Luckily most of the cormorants have gone, bigger birds with larger stomachs to fill, and although the goosander count was down this, these are sobering reminders of the damage they can, and do, inflict.
Quite why cormorants and goosanders should be protected within the river corridor, when their numbers are not threatened but salmon numbers are, remains a mystery. I have said it before, and will go on saying it, but in my world, (if I ruled the world!) protected status should be removed for all goosanders and cormorants within the river corridor (say 50 yards either side of the main stem and its tributaries) from Ist November to 31st March, and for male goosanders until 31st May when the main smolt run is over.
As these pictures show, nobody needs a dietary analysis of what they eat when the smolts are running. They eat smolts.
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As for next week, it is too early to make any predictions re wind, weather, rain and general fishing conditions.
However, the really excellent news is that our long standing, charming, so polite, considerate (they drive past our door at 10 kph, not 45 kph) and, of course, very expert fishing German tenants will be here again, after two frustrating years of being Covid-ed out.
A true sign that things, one hopes for ever, really are getting back to where they were. They have missed their annual trip here, just as we have missed them. They are most welcome.
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