End of January on the river

Watery, wintery sunshine on the Lyd. A cold grey wind from the west, and a few local boys chasing the last of the pheasants across the Tamar. Snowdrops now open, the very first of the Dog's Mercury already showing flower, and tentative shoots of wild Garlic pushing up through the flood-swept banks.
Twenty-one herons erupted from the heronry on the lower Lyd, they will pair up on Valentine's day. The cormorants gave us the slip again, but our season for them goes on until April....
Masses of water in both rivers, more rain forecast tonight. Spring, however, is definitely in the air.
David Pilkington

Happy New Year!

After what seemed like absolutely endless rain and floods, we at last have a dry day. Tim and I have been opening up a nice little spot on the Lyd, felling a few small ash trees and hacking back some brambles, to give more casting and fishing space. The ground is still completely saturated, so we had to carry all the tools, rather slow and laborious work, but it was so good to be on the river - we saw an Olive!
Yesterday we checked out the Tamar, just a walk with the gun - given the slip by a couple of cormorants, but there will be other days. Also saw 5 goosanders. Massive floods have done terrible damage, at least two ladders washed away, one of which we found at head height in a hedge. Some major erosion of banks, trees fallen in, river-bank fences totally trashed - if the ground ever does dry out, we will be busy.Most of the pools look to be still nicely fishable, we will not be able to assess it properly until the levels drop.
Purple buds shooting on an elder which we felled, and sap rising from the cut sycamores. Snowdrops are showing white tips in my garden. I shall soon want to go fishing!
David Pilkington