Monday 8th September: Pick up more genetics tissue sample vials from the Faskally laboratory and have a half day's leave.

Tuesday 9th September: Kenny & Steven and James & Sean go out to try electric-fishing on the Ettrick and Yarrow, which largely missed the massive rainfalls that have flooded so much of the catchment, but can't get on the water. It looks very like we will not be able to get the surveys finished this year. James & Sean get some crayfish traps in at least. A phone call from the Paxton netsman this morning to say he is packing up early for the season, having managed 3 days netting in the last 8 weeks. He's been on the river 50 years, man and boy, and not seen summer water levels like this before. Next week's netting is also out therefore, but there is a chance of netting in October if the river settles. Rest of the morning at a Trustees' quarterly meeting at which see some photos of the Till in flood over the weekend - it rose higher than the 1948 flood's markers, so it has been a massive event. In the afternoon, everyone back in the office, Sean data inputting, Steven transcribing fishery records, Kenny on the TTGI folders for the clubs, James on database construction and Barry in as well, scale-reading, so an unusually full house.

Wednesday 10th September: Out with Steven to clean the Peebles trap and measure up for some minor repairs at the Tweedsmuir trap - just able to it at the present water levels. In the office the rest of the day, working on Euro budgets for Sea-trout.

Thursday 11th September: Most of the day budgeting for the North Sea Sea-trout programme. James reckons the fish now moving well through the Gala fish counter - 16 went through between the time he finished work there and his getting back to the office. They don't linger in the camera chamber now, they flash through.

Friday 12th September: Staff meeting in the morning, afternoon frantic budgetting to get  finished today. Just managed it, I think.