Monday 6th August : In the office all day

Tuesday 7th August : In the afternoon out with Kenny and Steven to repair a trout trap on a small burn near Jedburgh. Wear and tear on these small wooden traps can be considerable and this one has been on the go for nearly ten years.

Wednesday 8th August : Up to the Tweedsmuir trap to dig out the gravel from the adult holding box. Although the sluice gate of the trap is left open in January to let gravel through, so much has come down with the high water since the winter that the sluice has had to be opened again. August is a month of very low numbers of downstream migrants, so nothing much should be missed.

Thursday 9th August : Down to the estuary to try the trap again. Best conditions yet, little extra water in the river. Still no success though, will have to think of Plan B. While there, was found by an angler who had been in touch with the office and been told where I was - and who gave me a Grilse with a bleeding vent that he had just caught on the Whiteadder, at Allanton in response to the appeal for such fish on the news page. Back at the office did an investigation of this and easily found the worms that are thought, at present, to be the problem (see photos on the news page)

Friday 10th August : Not usually a fieldwork day, but the weather has disrupted the programme, so out electric-fishing with James, Sean and Barry as part of the monitoring of possible impacts of the Fallago Ridge windfarm. Steven out with Kenny catching up on trout burn electric-fishing surveys.