November 2012 update

The weather changed for the worst and no more electrofishing or netting was completed in 2012. However it can still be said that the 2012 field season was a great success and the report writing will keep both Biologists busy for a few months anyway! It also doesn’t mean that the field work stopped completely.

Plankton net coming in

 Kate is still out monitoring mink rafts on behalf of the Scottish Mink Initiative, although thankfully has yet to find any mink prints. She is only one of the many volunteers around the area involved in checking traps and their sterling work has to be recognised. Without these unsung volunteers the area would be a lot more vulnerable to the impact of this, and other, non-native species.

Sampling for the sea lice dispersal project (in conjunction with SAMS and Loch Duart Ltd) continues, with the latest samples collected in October. Thankfully we’re getting faster at the analysis (that and there’s less plankton around!) and have also seen a few lice so feel happier that we’re on the right track. While it’s not good to see that there are sea lice out there, it is good to know that we didn’t just miss them in the blank samples and that, yes, we can identify them!

Plankton sample - the louse in to the left of
 centre with a pronounced 'eye spot'

 Big thanks have to be extended to the boat crews for their help in collecting the samples and to Sonja for her organisational skills and help with the ID. Her little tubes of home grown lice are well used for reference and the peering at poor quality photos to confirm or otherwise our ID was very gratefully received. We have many more samples to collect and analyse over the next year or so, and that will be made much easier with the LDL input.

Report writing is progressing well, with Kate getting to grips with the electrofishing reports while Shona deals with the rest. We’re also trying to develop other projects within the area – both alone and in combination with colleagues from other Fisheries Trusts. The latter is slow work, but will hopefully show results soon. Watch this space (and the website) for updates!

There was great excitement in the WSFT office in October when our first internet sale was recorded. The Shop hadn’t been long online, and this was some evidence that we have an internet presence and that there are others out there! Remember Christmas, and get your friendly fishermen some unusual and useful presents - polo shirts, t-shirts, baseball caps and Sutherland Trust flies - from www.wsft.co.uk/merchandise.html.

Kate has done a phenomenal job over the past few months getting the Website sorted and Facebook running. We haven’t forgotten our Twitter followers either with Facebook posts also tweeting. Thankfully a new computer also means that Shona can now update Twitter on its own. Yes, the old computer was finally consigned to the retirement home for obsolete hardware and Shona now has to get used to ‘normal’ speeds – both desktop and Internet! – which may improve productivity.

We can be ‘liked’ at www.facebook.com/westsutherlandfisheriestrust or followed at @WSFTrust. We are, however, always looking for comments and suggestions for improvement so please have a look and get in touch. We can be contacted at wsft@btconnect.com or via the website (www.wsft.co.uk).

2012 sampling season winds down

Another field season is coming to an end, mainly thanks to the change in weather. There's still hope that we can complete the last catchment - we have another couple of weeks - but all in all a great season for the Trust already and 2 very fit Biologists. Unfortunately the September netting has had to be cancelled as a result of high flows but we'll try again in October. The October netting will be the last until next March.

Kate and Shona were also to be found at Nedd and Clashnessie pulling Himalayan Balsam during August and September. While there's not much left thanks to the hard work of our volunteers in recent years, it's still important to get the last few plants and stop the spread of this highly invasive plant. We're on target to get it more or less cleared in the next couple of years, however, which is great news for the rivers and the Trust.

Kate is also continuing to monitor mink rafts on behalf of the Scottish Mink Initiative, although thankfully has not found any mink prints yet. As part of this project 'mink dogs', specially trained to find mink traces, were brought into the area during September. Thankfully no traces were found within the area, although it will continue to be trapped and/or monitored by the SMI and its volunteers to make sure of the findings.

The first weekend in August saw Kate and Shona standing in a tent on Fishermans Row at the Moy Games with the Ness & Beauly Trust. It was a really enjoyable 2 days and great to talk to the many people who came in to see us and ask about the Trust and the area. The Moy is a very good field sports event and has lots for all the family. Highly recommended for next year, where we will hopefully be attending once again, if you are looking to plan your holidays.

The Moy Games also saw the launch of the WSFT merchandise for sale - polo shirts, t-shirts and baseball caps - as well as a selection of the Sutherland Trust flies. The latter was designed for the Trust several years ago by Stan Headley and has since been featured in the Trout & Salmon. It has proved itself to be a good all round fly and been responsible for the capture of many salmon, sea trout and brown trout. All items are still available for sale at www.wsft.co.uk/merchandise.html.

Sampling for the sea lice dispersal project (in conjunction with SAMS and Loch Duart Ltd) has now started with the first samples taken at the start of September. We plan to sample the 12 sites monthly - that will definitely be weather dependent!! - and we have to say a big thanks to Loch Duart Ltd for the use of the boats and help with the trawls. This project will run for 2 years and has the potential to be really useful in the management of our sea lochs - if we can find lice.

Unfortunately it looks like many hours will be required looking down the microscope for the analysis. There's certainly a lot of plankton in most of the samples (thank you OCB4 for being relatively clear!) and it's a slow task, but hopefully we'll get faster. While we don't really want to find lice in the area in another way it would be nice to see just one or two. There are some amazing looking animals out there however, and its interesting seeing them all.

As well as looking at plankton samples, Kate and Shona have also been updating the Website, as well as dragging the Trust further into the 21st century by establishing a Facebook page. That can be viewed at www.facebook.com/westsutherlandfisheriestrust and hopefully you'll like it. We are, however, always looking for comments and suggestions for improvement so please have a look and get in touch. We can be contacted at wsft@btconnect.com or via the website (www.wsft.co.uk).

Over the next few months we will hopefully get the sweep netting and electrofishing completed and then the reports written. The sea lice dispersal project will continue over the winter and proposals for other projects developed. It looks to be a busy winter in the far north!

A good start to summer 2012

With the exceptionally dry weather we have had over the last couple of months electrofishing and netting is well underway and we have been very busy here at the Trust since the last posting.  It is great to be out and about on the rivers and we have seen lots of lovely fish. To date we have completed electrofishing surveys in seven catchments starting with Bhadaidh Daraich and Badnabay, although the Bhadaidh Daraich sites looked quite different compared to last time due to the extensive growth of trees.  Fewer minnows were present at one of the Bhadaidh Daraich sites which is always a good sign. There was a good mix of fish from the Garvie, Culag and Geisgeil catchments, including one very large trout from one very small burn! Today saw the completion of the Achriesgill sites where there were nice fat salmon and trout parr as well as a few fry. Given the suitability and condition of the habitat more fish were expected although one or two did manage to escape.

As well as the usual sites the Trust has been busy surveying in the Hope catchment as part of the work for the potential hydro electric schemes on the Reay Forest Estate.  This is a beautiful area and some trout were present but far fewer fish in the upper reaches of the system. Many thanks to Don for helping to fish some of Gober sites and ensuring we were in exactly the right place! Overall the walks to sites through jungles of over the head bracken, falling into holes and climbing wobbly deer fences were definitely worth it, not to mention that Shona and Kate are now practically superfit.

Sweep netting on the Kinloch and the Kyle of Durness is now finished for this year with a lot of smolts from the Kinloch on the first sweep but no fish on the second sweep. Most of us got stuck in the mud when trying to take the net out, much to Kate's amusement. A fair few sea trout were caught in the Kyle, all in good condition. Netting on the Polla and Laxford continues monthly and so far there have been lots of fish with varying numbers of sea lice. Some particularly good looking fish were found on the Polla including the recapture of J77 (sea trout) last seen seven years ago as a wee smolt, the oldest on our records. A beautiful fish! According to the scale reading we think she has spawned three times so will have a fair few offspring. Following the processing of all fish and tagging of sea trout as part of the ongoing sea trout project all fish are released back into the water. Many thanks for the help of all our many volunteers including Andrew and the polaris, without whom the netting would not be possible. Sweep netting is a lot of fun and if you are interested in helping please see the website (http://www.wsft.co.uk/) for details of upcoming times, any help is very much appreciated.

June was a busy month with the Scourie Detectives and an electrofishing demonstration in Achmelvich. Despite a lower turnout of people than hoped, the Scourie Detectives was a well received event introducing people to the amazing wildlife and geology of Scourie, and the role of the Gaelic language within the area. The Friday was a day for local school children to learn more about their environment and included a rock pool ramble and seaweed safari. A series of talks were given on the Friday evening followed by various nature walks, craft stalls and quizzes on the Saturday, all rounded off with a ceilidh. Overall people seemed to enjoy themselves and it was a good opportunity for the Trust to promote themselves. The electrofishing demonstration turned out to be very successful with four native species (salmon, trout, eel and minnow) found as well as several wee beasties from the freshwater invertebrate kick sampling.

Shona has recently completed her training in Aberdeen and is ready to start plankton sampling to monitor juvenile sea lice movements in Eddrachilles Bay. This will be part of the sea lice project in conjunction with SAMS and the fish farm so hopefully the fieldwork will begin soon.

Currently preparations are well underway for the Moy Games on the 3rd and 4th August where the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust will be sharing a stall with the Ness and Beauly Fisheries Trust. It is hoped that this will be a good opportunity to further promote the work of the Trust and to raise awareness of the importance of fish conservation. This annual event is very popular with a wide range of stalls and activities. It is well worth a visit if you are in the area and there will also be the opportunity to buy one of our lovely new Tee shirts and hats.

Over the next few days (assuming it rains) we will be pulling Himalayan Balsam at Nedd and Clashnessie as part of the control of invasive non native species. Fortunately there is a lot less this year due to the hard work of our volunteers last year. Kate has been monitoring mink tunnels and rafts around Scourie once a week on behalf of the Scottish Mink Initiative. So far there have only been a couple of prints thought to be pine marten and small rodents, good news for us. These rafts will be monitored throughout the season.

Hopefully the weather will improve after next week so we can continue with the electrofishing programme, however we cannot complain too much as it has been pretty good so far with few midges!

Glorious May

Sweep netting is finally well and truly underway, with the first sweep on the Polla and Kyle of Durness completed. Both the Laxford and Polla were spectacular - particularly the Polla where we had the biggest ever sweep for the system with about 180 fish, all in excellent condition. Unfortunately we were let down by the Kyle, where a couple of hard pulls resulted in no trout, although there was a nice collection of flatfish and brown shrimps! I think that this one might cost us in chocolate for the volunteers who went home tired and sore. Without their help we couldn't do the work so its a price worth paying.

The smolt traps were also successful and gave excellent data. We had a good mix of species and some lovely fish - and a few minnows which wasn't so good. These are non-native and haven't been seen in that part of the system before so unfortunately we're showing a spread. Both the traps are out of the water now and being re-vamped for next year. Thanks have to go to Scott for manfully building one trap and for his advice with the reconstruction of the other - Kate and Shona will be testing their joinery skills over the next few weeks!

Scourie Detectives are progressing well, with most of the planning now completed and all systems go for the 8th and 9th June. It should be a good weekend and fingers crossed that this weather continues and we have a good turnout. The Ceilidh in the evening  will bring out the troops anyway, and will be a great round-up. That's being organised by the Scourie Village Hall Committee, who have vast experience, and on past record will be well worth attending. Kate and Shona will be taking the hardy souls out to collect invertebrates and look in rockpools and basically learn as much as possible about the rivers and sea and why we should be looking after them.

Mr Clive Halnan, angler and artist, has kindly donated the proceeds of a limited edition print of the Gorm Track to Ben Stack, painted in acrylic on canvas to the Trust. He has also produced a greetings card of the same scene, also with proceeds to the Trust. Visit http://www.clivehalnan.co.uk/ to see and purchase the picture or cards, which are also on sale in Scourie Hotel. It is a lovely picture of a Sutherland scene and we are extremely grateful for his support and this kind and generous donation.

In addition to Scourie Detectives, June will also see us undertaking a couple of electrofishing demonstrations - one near Kinlochbervie and the other near Achmelvich. Done in conjunction with the Highland Council Ranger Service as part of their walks programme, we will be giving the public a chance to catch fish and sample invertebrates. If you're coming along on the 26th (KLB) or 28th (Achmelvich) then be sure to wear wellies and get involved.

Other than this, there will be the usual sweep netting surveys, with additional sites at the Kyle of Durness and Kinloch. If you're feeling fit then check out the website for times and locations (http://www.wsft.co.uk/) and come along to help. We're always grateful for assistance and are happy to discuss the work.

July will see the start of the electrofishing. Kate has now undertaken her Introductory Electrofishing Training and we're ready to go. Hopefuly the weather will be kind to Biologists this year (less so to Anglers but...) and we'll get a good run through the sites. It's always tricky trying to complete surveys when they're so weather dependent and Sutherland is reknowned for its rain, but we can but hope for dry with few clegs and midges! Again, if you're in the area then look out for us or get in touch and come along to help.

New beginnings

The past months since our last post have been busy. Sweep netting has started, although only one netting managed as a result of very high rivers, and the Annual Review is reaching completion. We have also been involved in checking a couple of rivers for potential small scale hydro-electric developments. Both schemes are small and unlikely to affect migratory salmonids, although brown trout and eels will have to be taken into consideration. While these schemes are still at an early stage of development, and are yet get planning permission, we'll keep you posted. It was great to get out of the office and see some rivers though!

The start of March saw Shona in the Kinlochbervie Fish Market eating fish and judging the adverts and displays produced by the local school children as part of 'Fish2Dish'. This project was undertaken over several months and involved the P6 - S2 pupils learning about the fishing industry, techniques used to catch them and how to cook different fish dishes. Working in teams they then had to devise a product, package it and market it to the judges. The standard was very high and the dishes imaginative and well prepared and packaged. As for the marketing - we have a new range of advertisement producers in the offing, with excellent, witty adverts tempting us to buy their product. Well done to all involved and we can look forward to next year when the emphasis will be salmon.

March also saw a trip down to Battleby for the RAFTS Conference. This was a joint venture with the Association of District Salmon Fishery Boards and involved a number of expert speakers on a range of topics - Policy and context; Genetics; Practical management and mitigation; Promoting access and use of fisheries. The day was well organised and the speakers excellent and informative. Full details are available on the RAFTS website (http://www.raft.org.uk/).

Organisation of 'The Scourie Detectives' is also underway. Working in conjunction with the Geopark and Community Council, this will be a 2 day event on the 8th and 9th June promoting the wildlife and landscape of the area. It will involve the schools before opening to the public for a series of talks and walks, ending with a Ceilidh on the Saturday night. Scourie is a unique area with a fasinating natural history and well worth a visit. If you're here, or planning a trip, make it for that weekend and learn about the fish, plants and geology of a lovely area.

April saw preparations for the Ghillies Seminar, held on Friday the 13th. A bad omen for the superstitious, this was a well attended event with some great speakers. The general theme was 'Fish Farm Interactions' and 'Stocking' and the speakers more than met the requirements. With 2 talks on genetics there was some concern that it would be over many peoples head but there was no need to worry and both speakers explained the subject clearly and well. As those talks were on work that was carried out in Sutherland, with one being the first airing of the results, it was perfect. The notes from the Seminar will be available on the website shortly.

The 13th also saw Kate Batchelor starting work with the Trust. Initially on a 7 month contract, it is hoped that this can be extended. Kate replaces Chris as assistant and will be heavily involved in field work around the area. Here's hoping for a good sampling summer.

In the coming weeks we will be starting smolt trapping in Badna Bay and Bhadaidh Daraich. Hopefully with greater success than last year, when the traps were washed out, this should give good information on the smolt runs within the area. In the case of Bhadaidh Daraich, this is monitoring the natural regeneration of the sea trout population within the system following the removal of blockages several years ago.

Sweep netting will also continue, as will the Himalayan Balsam pulling, probably in July. Here's hoping that we're successful with the eradication of this lovely, but highly invasive, plant. We're also building up to the electroofishing season - as syou can see a busy year in store.

The Annual Review will also be finished and posted, hopefully by mid May, and will give an indication of the results from the 2011 sampling season. As normal, it will be available as a PDF on the website when completed.

We can also be followed on Twitter (@WSFTrust) for more up to date postings, and will continue to Blog over the season.

Launch into 2012

2012 has started, and things are beginning to get hectic. The electofishing and sweep netting reports are now available on the Website (http://www.wsft.co.uk/) and the Annual Review progressing well. Now is the time to start preparing the coming work programme, and that is looking ever fuller.

Thanks to the hard work of SAMS, we will be involved in a 2 year project to look at juvenile sea lice and their movements within the bays. This will involve taking a series of plankton tows and counting the juvenile lice found. We'll also be comparing these results to the counts on the neighbouring farm. Ultimately the results will be used to help in the better development of a lice dispersal model and provide information to help in the placement of fish farm cages. An exciting opportunity for the Trust and some very useful work.

We're also starting to develop our educational work for the coming year. There will be the Ghillies Seminar on the 13th April - hopefully as there are no speakers confirmed yet! - followed by 'The Scourie Detectives' on the 8th & 9th June. If you can get to Scourie for that I would recommend it - a day for the schools followed by talks over a glass of wine on the Friday evening. Saturday is the family fun day, with guided walks and a range of stalls. You can get your lunch there as well, before heading to the Ceilidh in the evening for a bit of a knees up. Funding is still be sought but we're hopeful.

The Assynt Rangers have asked the Trust to do an electrofishing demonstration at Achmelvich on the 28th June. Come along and follow the 'ghost busters' as we catch the fish and kick up the invertebrates. Learn what's present in the rivers and talk to the Biologist. The Assynt Festival in October will also have a Trust presence, although the details are a bit sketchy just now. Its a week long festival, so lots to do.

Other than that, we'll still be electrofishing, sweep netting, trapping and pulling Himalayan Balsam if you're here and want to join us. Contact Shona to find out what's happening while you're in Sutherland as she's always happy to meet people and would love some vounteers.