Monday 13th October: Some office work in the morning, then out with Kenny to set up the Peebles trap, taking the various bits from the store to re-assemble it. Good water flows for now at least - last Autumn the average depth of water over the trap barrier was just 9 cms, almost half what it has averaged in previous years. There was only one spate last Autumn, which reached 19cms, just about the average flow level. No Sea-trout got up at all - they need a flow of about 25cms to get up the burn. Back at the office sorted out the nets, buckets etc. that will be needed.

Tuesday 14th October: Out early to clean the trap, then back for the annual Technical Review, which is when the Foundation's Trustees and the committee of the RTC review the Foundation's work and debate future plans. In the afternoon working on catch records - have updated our records of one particularly good series and am doing a report on them for the proprietors. We spend a significant proportion of our time on historic catch records as this provides the best way of monitoring what is going on with the fish and shows up long-term trends. There has been recent concern over the decreasing size of fish being caught, for example, but there is nothing new in this - the trend towards smaller fish actually started in the 1940's. Whatever lies behind it therefore is something large-scale and long-term and is not amenable to any sort of quick-fix. Kenny away most of the day down on the Bowmont assisting with a major fish rescue as the river is put back in its old channel - reports a mass of trout fry in the fields that had been flooded and that many left dry at the end.

Wednesday 15th October: More on catch records - a query in from a proprietor about the October catches of one of his beats which have been decreasing for five or six years while those of nearby beats have been average or better. Check through the figures and find that this is indeed the case - his beat tracked the October catches of other beats and of his sector of the river as a whole till 2003 since when they have been consistently poorer than the rest. The odd thing is that the September and November catches of this beat have continued to follow the general trend - only October doesn't. This rules out physical changes to the beat as these would affect catches in every month equally.Can't think of any plausible reason for this - even odder is that while all the other beats in this sector had a better than average October in 2006, this one beat did not.

Thursday 16th October: Out early to clean the trap - can't expect any Sea-trout in this until water levels in the burn hit 25cms after the 1st of November, going by previous years, but need to be prepared in case something different does happen. More catch records back at the office, then out fishing in the afternoon as the guest of the Chairman, who acts as boatman. This is part of his programme to get all the RTC bailiffs and TF staff some fishing, following the Biblical proverb of "Muzzle not the Ox that treadeth out the Corn" . A bright and blustery afternoon, the wind a bit difficult as coming almost directly upstream but get a tug, then catch a little 5lb hen which put up a really strong fight despite its small size and the long length of the rod it was on. Not quite fresh, but not far off it, and pretty plump with eggs. Not much distressed by its ordeal either, two seconds back in the water and it gave a massive kick with its tail and was off. Lost a smaller fish and fluffed a good take - as a trout fisherman I'm too slow to strike and as a salmon angler, too fast, so the worst of both worlds.  A reasonable number of fish showing, which kept interest alive. A very nice tea afterwards, when gave the Chairman his boatman's tip - a pot of my home-made plum jam.

Friday 17th October: Weekly staff meeting in the morning. In the afternoon out to the Peebles trap with Kenny so we can get the Cardrona one set up as well.