Monday 13th November : An "admin" day today, so more paperwork shifted. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a huge change in organisation for rivers, and waters generally, and is generating a considerable amount of paper. I am "on traps" this week, so was checking the Peebles trap over the weekend and will be checking each evening this week. Leaves are huge problem when trapping and really determine how well traps work, and windy days, like we had over the weekend, put simply masses of them into streams where they very effectively clog up fish traps. The standard designs for traps come either from chalk streams, where 6" is a big spate or from moorland streams where there are no leaves, so these can only be operated with difficulty in streams like we have here, where there are both big spates and masses of leaves. Over the years, however, I have evolved a design that is much more "leaf resistant" and have one trap in a small burn that is the end product of this process and which works very well. The Peebles trap, however, is a pretty major construction of steel and concrete which is not so easily altered to a new design. Yesterday, however, when taking a walk up the Three Brethern before heading off to the trap, I had a genuine "Eureka !" moment when I suddenly realised that I could adapt it very easily, just with a few bits of wood. So, this evening at the trap, took some measurements and went in to B & Q on the way back for the wood I need for the modifications and I'll be working on these through the week. The trap is checked and cleaned in the late afternoon so that it is working at maximum efficiency as dusk falls, the peak period for fish movements. The BBC crew up the Ettrick have been in touch to say that they have got some excellent film of spawning salmon, but that the action is just about over in the upper Ettrick and asking if there are concentrations elsewhere that they could film for their last two days. Contact bailiffs and boatmen in the evening and hear of some good spots I can suggest to them tomorrow. Fiona has been working on data from the scales database today, checking to see if any trends in size of fish caught can be found and indeed, there is a noticeable downwards trend. In the early 90's the average size of fish caught in Autumn was around 10 lbs, but in 2003, 04 and 05 the average was only slightly over 8lbs. This year's data, of course, are not in yet.

Tuesday 14th November : The BBC team come in, and it's good to hear that they are pleased with the film they have got, and direct them to the upper Leader as a place to find large numbers of spawning fish to spend their last couple of days on.  The rest of the morning checking scales read by Barry the Scale-reader. He's got a part-time position here to mount and read the scales we collect as one of our Management Plan programmes. Obviously, this requires a lot of training to begin with and, later on, a system for checking a proportion of what he does. He's picking it up well. Scale reading tells us the proportions of Salmon and Grilse that are caught each year (size is NOT a reliable guide to this, late Autumn Grilse can reach 15lbs) and trends in things like age at smolting. Sea-trout scales are much more difficult than salmon as their life-histories are much more variable - Barry hasn't started on those yet, it is a pleasure he still has to come. Woodworking over lunch and then up to Peebles to start the trap alterations - will do a bit each day. Nothing in the trap, still only one spate on the burn this autumn and what running traps really does teach you is how dependent the spawning run is on spates to get fish up these smaller burns and waters.

Wednesday 15th November : Checking scales with Barry most of the morning, woodworking for the trap alterations at lunchtime and then out to the Peebles trap. A dreich day turning into a filthy, wet night - but great to see a decent spate at last. With traps, you become very aware of just how dependent fish are on getting a big enough spate to get up the smaller streams and burns.  A dry Autumn simply keeps them out. Nothing in the trap, water not up yet but get some more alterations work done. Go back via the Yarrow to Selkirk to get weldmesh for the alterations from Keddies the blacksmiths - road flooded in places.

Thursday 16th November : As there had obviously been a lot of water overnight, off to the trap in the early morning - the procedure for traps is that while they are only checked once a day, before dusk, at ordinary water levels, when there are spates they are checked morning and night. Larger fish really don't come up these smaller burns unless there is a spate, and if there is good spate, they will move up  during the day as well as at night. Kenny, the Trout & Grayling biologist came along with me, its a lot easier to handle fish with some help - and a lot easier to clean a trap in a big water. Four Sea-trout - though one got away while netting out. Two males (one of 61cms, 24") , very coloured, big kypes and black bellies - but no milt expressed when tested and one female. Back to the office, read some scales for a boatman who had called in wanting to know what the fish were, some work on the presentation for the vets meeting next week in London and then lunch. Afterwards, a meeting with the consultants setting up the display boards for the Ellem Fishing Club's exhibition at Paxton House. It's the oldest trout fishing club in the world, founded in 1829 in Berwickshire and for their 175th anniversary they have published a history of the Club (to which I contributed a chapter on their catch records) and are setting up this exhibition at Paxton House to preserve and show off their memorabilia. Back up to Peebles for the evening trap check, two more Sea-trout, one male, one female and a small Brown-trout. Again, the male though very coloured not actually ripe, but the female very gravid & needing gentle handling.

Friday 17th November : Off to the trap at 7am - another pair of Sea-trout, the female 68cms, one of the biggest we have ever had here. Very gravid. The mail only 52cms. Good conditions for the fish, the water remaining high. Back to the office, some work on the presentation for the meeting of the Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management in London next week, then the regular Friday morning staff meeting. More work on the vets presentation after lunch, then a meeting on formulation of policy on fish movements into the catchment. The new Tweed Order, passed on Tuesday, requires consent to be given by the River Tweed Commission (no longer Commissioners) to all stocking of fish within the catchment. We have a SEERAD representative at the meeting to tell us how formulation of policy on this for Scotland in general is proceeding. It's not as simple as it might seem, and could mean a great deal of extra work. Shaun the Student does the evening trap visit for me instead - two male Sea-trout. An odd couple, they are usually paired up as male and female.