Monday 16th Feb : Having just finished the Fisheries Manual at the end of last year, which contained the 4th Edition of the Fisheries Managment plan, am now working on the 5th. Had a meeting with James and Kenny on the Salmon section last week in which we worked through it and discussed what had been done and could be dropped, what needed changing and what had to be added. Since the first edition of 1990, technology has changed considerably and this latest edition will include aerial habitat surveys and genetic fingerprinting. Got materials for a new fish measuring board for the Junction as their old one is falling to pieces.
Tuesday 17th Feb: Commenting on the revised application for funding for the North Sea Sea-trout programme. The application form boggles imagination. I had never heard of a GANTT form before - and now wish I never had. Recover with some manual working making a new fish measuring board for The Junction, one of the fisheries that collects scales for us.
Wednesday 18th February: More on the North Sea application, then started making notes for a talk on long-term catch records that I'm doing for the RAFTS annual conference next month. Consultations with Kenny over changing pages in the trout fishing logbooks. Following our advice, many clubs have changed from traditional size limits, to "slot limits", where some small fish (9"-12") can be killed as can old, specimen, fish (22"+) but the actively breeding part of the population, 12"-22" are protected. These limits reflect what we find running up the burns to spawn in our trout traps -lots of small trout, mainly male, but very little over 12". Very difficult to get this sort of recording onto the small area of page in the logbooks though.
Thursday 19th February: Gave the Peebles trap its weekly clean in the morning, then spend the rest of the day on a mix of matters, updating catch record graphs for my talk at the RAFTS annual conference being the most interesting. News that my bid in the AST auction has been succesful, so I've now got a day's Haaf netting and tuition for two on the Nith in July. I'll take James with me - these sorts of traditonal catching methods are always of interest as demonstrating ways of getting hold of fish for sampling.
Friday 20th February : Out early for the "January" Goosander and Cormorant count. Much delayed by weather and water levels this year, so not sure if it can really be regarded as part of the sequence. Indeed, find the birds all partnered, so not the usual over-wintering flocks that we count. A good number of anglers out on the river, rather a nice, cool, morning in fact. For the first time in my life, had binoculars to hand to watch an Otter - it was only about 20m away and not much worried by my presence. Back to Drygrange by 11.00, then the weekly staff meeting, with arrangements for the RTC AGM on the agenda. Rest of the day on admin