November

Guests who only see us during the summer sometimes ask 'what do you do in the winter?'

The answer is dictated to us by weather and water conditions. When the rivers are low and clear enough we often steal an hour to fish for grayling. Otherwise, there just happens to be 20 miles of river-bank which needs to be maintained and kept fishable, so this is the mainstay of our winter work. Overhanging branches always seem to be growing just where one wants to cast, and when these hang down from a main trunk at a great height, the job is significant.

Soon enough now, the sea trout and salmon will be spawning, and we hope to capture some photos of this in the next two or three weeks. The woodcock will be flighting in on the next full moon, so there may also be the need to accept an odd shooting invitation! 

David fishing the Lyd in water which was clear enough, but really too high for much hope with the grayling. 

A cast below Hartley weir on beat 3. The height and force of the flow clearly shows on the weir. A few small trout came to the nymph, the lady of the stream kept her nose down and her mouth closed. These consistent high flows have encouraged salmon and sea trout to push upstream to their spawning grounds.

The otter leaves his mark on a  riverside stone, note his urine has killed off the moss. His spraint is there for other passing otters to take note. Adult male otters are fiercely territorial and will kill young males trying to move into their stretch of river.

Serious tree surgery on Silver Doctor pool on the Lyd. The limbs being addressed were hanging down to within a few feet of the water surface, but grew out from the trunk some 30 feet higher. Our tree surgeon used his ropes and climbing kit to go another 15 feet up to reach them. Please note that we are still using the imperial system of measurement!