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
