Frogspawn in the ditches

Frogspawn in the ditches, snowdrops on the banks. A new sense of impending Spring is creeping through the woods and fields. A blush of bright fresh green is now showing as the new leaves are breaking on the hawthorn, and the wild honeysuckle is flushing a delicate sage-green as the life of another season starts to appear. The first Grannom were seen on the Tamar, and a fish was seen rising last Sunday. It took a dry grannom emerger on the very first cast, not the hoped-for grayling, but a brownie. A few more brownies, along with a peal kelt and a couple of very silver ( and quite early!) sea trout smolts, took the nymph intended for grayling. A brace of grayling did oblige, along with a better one which wriggled free of the barbless hook before the leader could be touched - under accepted rules of engagement, this fish definitely lost, not caught.

Can you see this man? If so, he would like his money back from the Army surplus store. Fortunately, the cormorants were lulled into a false sense of security.

Mankind may have thought himself very clever when he hit on the idea of using a hook to catch fish, but as ever, Mother Nature was there long before. This is the last thing many smolts and other fish see, prior to disappearing alive down the gullet of our least favourite waterside bird. Our licence from Natural England allows us to shoot one cormorant per calendar month, during the winter period only, so that is it for February.