A glorious autumn

November has been a relatively bright, dry month with the odd wet spell to get the fish moving. So, in between the many meetings that inevitably occur at this time of the year, and the associated paperwork, we've taken the opportunity to get out where we can.

A Christmassy view within Stack Wood

We were asked to re-survey Stack Wood for evidence of deer grazing. The wood was opened to deer

last winter and the Trust undertook a preliminary vegetation survey of he wood. The plan was to repeat the survey the following year and assess the impact. This would then be used to determine the future management of the wood. A bit out of our comfort zone, but an interesting project and one that, given the call for more riparian planting throughout the country, is very relevant to the work of the Trust.

Finding the original sites was interesting to say the least, and involved stumbling around in the wood looking for wooden posts. Much to our surprise, if we're honest, we found 7 out of the 10 - which was great. There was, of course, a fair bit of hilarity as we fell down slopes and rolled in the mud! The results have now been sent to the client and will hopefully provide help with the forestry management throughout the Estate.

An amazing location for a mink raft

The mink rafts also had to be checked so that was another trip around the area. While a couple had been washed away, the rest were fine and thankfully no mink traces seen. There were a decent number of rodent tracks though! As well as checking our own rafts we have a number of volunteers helping to monitor rafts and tunnels throughout the area and we help where we can by supplying materials and advice as asked. Without these individuals it would be impossible to cover the area and we are extremely grateful to each and every one of them. We have to be thankful that we seldom find anything (no mink is good news!) but that can make it harder to keep checking. We think they are all stars.

A redd in situ

Other trips out have been to look for fish and redds. It's really encouraging, given the poor year for
anglers, to see a number of redds in the river and a good number of fish fighting for and holding territories. We haven't been out often, so to see that level of activity each time is great. Reports have also been coming from others of spawning fish - both trout and salmon - being seen in good numbers. Here's hoping for good juvenile densities next year!

We've posted a new video on YouTube showing the salmon moving about in the river. Why not have a look and enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_JvKrWpPjs

A taste of Sutherland

The Trust auction is going well, although there are still a few bargains available so if you haven't already registered, click here and pick up that unexpected or unique offer. With hind stalking in 3 different areas, and a range of different budget fishing packages on offer, this is your chance to explore this exceptionally beautiful area and help the Trust at the same time. Don't shoot or fish? - never fear, you can buy the venison or smoked salmon instead - and some whisky or wine to go with it. Click on the link to get your very own taste of Sutherland  http://www.melandphil.com/geo/index.php

The trout season has come to an end and we're looking for progress reports on the 'Alphabet of Scottish Loch' Challenge. How did you get on? We're looking at this a bit like 'Munro bagging' for the fishing world, so you don't have to complete it in one year but we'd love to hear what you managed in 2014.

Before....

The field season is definitely behind us now, and with high flows experienced likely to remain that way - far to high even to look for spawning trout! These before and after pictures give some idea of the amount of water going down the rivers.... Still hopeful that we'll get something of the salmon if not the tail end trout.

...and after

October saw the first signs of mink recorded by our volunteers on their rafts and tunnels. Definitely

Mink prints on the [ad

not a call for celebration but they were fantastic and quickly had a trap out to see if they could catch him or her. Unfortunately no joy there, so we have to hope that it was a roaming animal that has now moved on, preferably southwards. Thanks to all our volunteers for their work monitoring the rafts and their never ending support of the work in the face of bad weather and few signs.

We are now into the paperwork season and the report writing is under way. The Achriesgill Management Plan is now complete and, with some very simple recommendations (and a few more complex ones), it will hopefully be picked up and go a long way to helping the fish in this lovely wee river.

The next couple of weeks are going to be taken up with meetings - yep, it's that time of year again - and hopefully getting some of the work for next year confirmed. More on that as things get finalised, We'll also be

Moving into Autumn

Salmon and trout from Strath Shinary

It's been an interesting couple of weeks, although things are starting to quieten down as we move out of the field season. The electrofishing surveys are now finished for the year. We didn't go into the Hope as the changes to the burns were just too extreme for continuity but that was our only failure so not bad for the season really. Must be one of the few where conditions were good for such a long time. However there has definitely been a change in the last couple of days with a real nip in the air now.

A net full of fish at the Polla

Sweep netting is also finished for the year. Rain has resulted in high river flows and, not really wanting to see the Minch first hand, we took the decision to cancel the final nettings. It has been a good year with few cancellations, good numbers of well conditioned fish and few lice. We've also had a lot of recaptures which always adds to the excitement. A massive 'Thank you' to our volunteers for all their help over the year and for making it such an enjoyable job.

We had a productive meeting with the Highland Council Roads Department and SEPA to discuss the repairs needed to the road along the banks of Loch Hope. This valley took a real pounding from Bertha in August and the road has been pretty badly damaged. There are 3 bridges that need repaired or protected and really there's no argument about the need for any of the work. We discussed the timing of the works and the preferred methods used so that the fish suffer the least possible interference.

You could walk under this bridge before!

In one instance over a metre of material will have to be dug out from under the bridge in order to protect it during the next spate. This will also have to involve the restructuring of the burn to re-instate a natural gradient when this material is removed. These works were scheduled to be the first undertaken, in order to reduce the potential of another spate and also to minimise disturbance to spawning fish, both within and below the burn.

Another bridge needs the foundations replaced - probably the lowest priority piece of work on this stretch. The bypass channel will remain in  place and the bridge sorted next summer. It will be a good opportunity to tweak the apron at the same time and make it even more fish friendly!

The bridge top sits at a jaunty angle!

The most interesting from a 'how on earth?' perspective is going to be the replacement of the most northerly bridge. Here one pillar was washed out and the bridge top is at an angle in the water. The plan to retrieve the bridge top, rebuild the support and then replace the existing bridge top is going to be worthy of 'Monster Moves'!

Debris has been deposited aver a large area

This is going to be an interesting challenge for the guys on the ground, but it will be good to see the bridge back in its place. Although there was a large amount of debris brought down, and the footprint is massive, the river itself is still relatively narrow and will fit nicely through the old structure. This has middle priority, although the bridge top should be out of the water by now - or very soon if not. It's removal will stop it being damaged further, and allow the river to flow freely and stop scouring in the pool below the bridge.

Last week we also attended the Moray Firth Trout Initiative 'All about trout' day in Inverness. This was a really enjoyable day with some excellent speakers. It covered all things trouty, from sea trout to brown trout and ferox trout, together with river management and fish research. A good opportunity to learn a lot, but also the chance to undertake a fair amount of networking and brain storming. We're definitely looking forward to next year.

One of the many falls on the Achriesgill

Kate has spent the summer looking at rivers and is producing 2 catchment management plans - Loch na Thull and Achriesgill. She had a really productive time this year, again helped by the weather, and is another step closer in our Fisheries Management Plan. The catchment management plans provide advice to the managers on the issues of importance to the fish populations and suggests ways to improve the habitat if required. When these are completed they will be sent to the proprietors.

The 2014 quiz 'Fishy business around Sutherland' has finished.

Part of the WSFT pack

Available from numerous locations throughout the area, this was a challenge to the mind. Completed sheets sent to the office were marked and the winner identified. Congratulations to Mrs MacKay on her win of a WSFT pack. Despite not getting all the answers it was definitely worth sending it in and we hope she finds the pack useful. Another quiz will be developed for the 2015 fishing season.

Moving into the winter season, it will be a chance to catch up on all the little things, as well as getting the reports written. While that's the first job, we'll also be out looking at spawning fish and hopefully getting some more filming completed as well as. The cameraman will not be as competent as last year, but we'll try!!

A bronze sculpture within the Auction

The auction will also be finishing on the 27th November and the winning bidders notified and their purchases sent. There's still time to get that Christmas present with a difference - from limited edition sculptures, through a range of unique fishing and shooting experiences, to fishing equipment and bottles of whisky or wine. Just visit the site, register and place your bid. http://www.melandphil.com/geo/index.php

The Trust AGM is to be held on the 10th November 2014 in Scourie Village Hall. Starting at 12.00 it will feature a short presentation on the work of the Trust. If you're free and in the area then please come along.

The office could also do with a going over and the sorting out of papers and reports is long over due. This will take a good overhaul and get us ship shape for any changes resulting from the Wild Fisheries Review. Will we have the time?

Field work and fundraising

The field work is progressing well and we're nearing the end of the electrofishing. Hopefully next week will see it done - as long as he weather stays kind. It seems a bit weird being nearly finished in the middle of September, but we really did have a god start to the season. We've also lost one system as access was removed by Bertha - might get it done this month, but no guarantees, as it depends on the road and track being opened.

An electrofishing site on the River Kirkaig

No problems with sweep netting though. The big tides we're having just now gave us a very shallow net - nice to be dry! We always net on the incoming tide, so can spend a short time waiting on the turn.This time the water was boiling, with fish moving all over the place. Everyone watching was convinced we'd bring in a net full of mackerel but none of that. When the net came in there was a good number of lovely, fat finnock feeding on the wee sprat. The sea trout just now are in excellent condition, which is lovely to see and bodes well for the spawning season. Very few sea lice as well...

A sea trout, tagged and recovering, from the sweep netting

We had a walk up the Polla earlier this week, to look at the changes caused by the floods in August. One burn has completely changed direction and is now joining the main river several hundred metres downstream. Access to the new burn is less simple than the old one, but there appears to be reasonable habitat along the length. Hopefully the fish will find it this autumn.... There is something awe inspiring about the force of water and looking at the amount of material moved around the valley brings home the insignificance of man-kind. It would have been something to see, but preferably from the opposite hill. Sitting in the house downstream would have been interesting to say the least!

Erosion on the Polla - the channel has moved

The Trust is venturing into a new fundraising direction this year, and has launched the first WSFT on-line auction. With lots ranging from whisky to sculptures, fishing to shooting and various others besides there really is something for everyone. Running until the 27th November it's a great opportunity to pick up that unusual Christmas present, while supporting the work of the Trust. Why not visit http://www.melandphil.com/geo/index.php to have a look and make a bid or two!

2014 well underway

Oh dear, just realised that I've really neglected the blog. Not good, and apologies to anyone that follows us in this way. New resolution - do better in future!

A lot has happened since January, as you would expect. The reports have been produced and published from the 2013 season and can be viewed on the website (http://home.btconnect.com/wsft), along with the 2014 Annual review.

Taking the net round

Sweep netting started in March and, thanks to a relatively dry year, has progressed well. The sea trout have been in excellent condition and with few sea lice present it's been a joy to see them. No sign of J77 yet, but we live in hope hat she will reappear. Saying that, she's a good age now and might well have died after the last spawning. Hopefully not as it would be nice to see her and see how big she's grown. Four catchments have been monitored this year, with good condition throughout and decent numbers present.

Electrofishing in action 

The same dry year has given us a good head start with the juvenile surveys. Here we've seen yet more good growth - with the July fry larger than some of the fry found last October. This good growth is probably the result of the mild winter and bodes well for our salmonid populations in the coming years. Still a fair way to go with the surveys but we're getting there!

 Mink continue to be monitored throughout the area, thanks to our many volunteers. It would be an impossible task to keep this network going without their help but it is a vital resource. We have mink present to the south and east of us and there have been several sightings within the area. However, with the exception of one carcass there have been no signs on the many rafts or tunnels. As such we are still considered 'mink free' but if we want to stay that way then we need the help of everyone. A big 'Thank you' to you all.

Mussel in trouble - act like a frog!

Pearl in the Classroom was aired this year, involving 5 of our 6 primary schools. Funded in collaboration with SNH, this is part of a Scotland-wide project aimed at protecting the Freshwater Pearl Mussel. Split into 2 groups, about 60 pupils learnt about the mussel and its role in the freshwater environment. Both groups undertook the same activities, which included a workshop followed by field visit. Thanks to the local Rangers and the school teachers for all of their help.

After a talk about the mussels, the children were split into 5 groups before taking part in a number of things from making a mussel, through scientific experiments to acting like a frog! They certainly seem to have learnt a lot and were all able to answer questions about the species.

A duck race? Measuring flow!

Out in the field we looked at the fish and invertebrate populations, as well as measuring the water flow and quality. We were able to tie this in to what was good for the mussel, using the things learnt at the workshop, while having a lot of fun and, in some cases, getting very wet!

A busy day at the Assynt Fishing Feis

We have had a good range of 'outreach' events over the summer, from the Ghillies Seminar, through a stall at the Highland Field Sports Fair at Moy to the Assynt Fishing Feis. In each case we were able to help with the dissemination of information on the area, fishing, fisheries management and the Trust to the wider population. These events are always fun to do - although hard work! - and its great to be able to meet so many interested and interesting individuals. Scourie Detectives will be the last event to be completed this year, and will take place on the 23rd August in Scourie Village Hall.

Notes from the Ghillies Seminar can be found on the website (http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/The%20Ghillies%20Seminar%202014.pdf).

River Laxford after 'Bertha'

The evening of August 10th brought a bit of a change to the weather and the rivers. The tail end of Hurricane Bertha hit and we had a lot of rain in a very short space of time. Sutherland is normally very good at coping with large quantities of water - more than we had this time - but not normally in that timescale. By the Monday morning (11th) roads were flooded, tracks washed away and new rivers/lochs dotted the landscape. The power of water is truly phenomenal and we were left in awe at the sights that met us. When the waters drop we'll be back out to assess the damage and see how our fish (and mussel) populations have survived. On a positive note, however, hopefully this will have brought the grilse in and helped our salmon population.

Practicing what we preach - disinfecting after netting

Biosecurity is important to the Trust and we would ask all visiting water users to take some simple measures to ensure that west Sutherland remains free of non-native species. Please practice 'Check, Clean & Dry' after every day on the river or lochs, and before you move on to a different catchment. This simple measure, coupled with care from garden and pond owners as to the species they use and their disposal methods, will help to protect our rivers and lochs for years to come. (http://www.nonnativespecies.org/checkcleandry/index.cfm)

If you would like to support or help the Trust please get in touch. We are always looking for volunteers or help with the field work - long or short term - and we'll publish our plans on the website (http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/) or contact the Biologist. If you feel able to support us financially, you can become a member or make a donation at http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/page10.html.

Bouncing into 2014

A salmon being returned from the net

Happy New Year to everyone, and tight lines for the coming season. As I type this the Helmsdale has already opened - with 2 springers caught on the first day - and other rivers to follow over the coming few weeks. Hopefully 2014 will have a better salmon and sea trout season than 2013. This is a good time to remind everyone of the importance of restraint when fishing, and the use of catch and release to help protect our endangered stocks. The ASFB are calling for zero exploitation of salmon before mid May, replacing the currently voluntary guidelines, in order to protect the spring fish so we'll have to wait and see if this is successful. In the meantime the summer and autumn populations are also declining in some rivers and in need of our help. Remember, the fish in the freezer (or smokehouse) can't breed!


Report writing is going well, and we hope to get the main ones out soon. Then it will just be a case of waiting for the end of the financial year before getting the Annual Review printed and posted. It has to be said that the Review is causing the most headache - or at least trying to convert it into Microsoft Publisher. If anyone has suggestions for sorting this so that photo's and graphs will print as 'black and white' at the printers rather than colours I'd be grateful to hear them. It's much cheaper to use only black ink, but pictures need to be in greyscale to look right. The printer suggested Publisher but I'm losing the will to live!

The light marks showing a few redds

As a break from report writing we headed out looking for redds last week. We weren't sure how we would do, as there was no real sign of spawning activity just before Christmas, but we were in luck and managed to spot a bit of activity. Unfortunately there was less than we would have liked to see, with no tell tale disturbance being seen in a number of areas where spawning would have occurred in previous years. In addition, there were very few dead kelts to be seen, either in the river or on the banks. Hopefully there will still be some activity, but there was a distinct lack of fish as we walked about, which would suggest that this is less likely.

Sorted gravels

Redds can be identified by a number of clues, the greatest of which is a patch of light coloured gravels within the river. This occurs where the fish has disturbed the gravels and removed the algae stained stones on the top, burying them or moving them downstream. Beyond this, you are looking for a hollowing within the river and the sorting of the gravels in a pear shaped pattern below this. If they're fresh you'll also see the mound over the eggs, but this will be flattened in a spate.

The 2nd Fisheries Management Plan is now finished and published on the website (http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/RMP_2014.pdf). It covers the period from 2014 - 2018 and lists the issues that the Trust considers a priority. While it is understood that not all of the actions listed will be completed, these are the priority for the Trust and as such efforts will be made over the coming years to source funding and allow these projects to be completed. It is also recognised that new challenges may arise over the period and we are certainly not restricted by this in the work we undertake. The Trust has to remain flexible and respond to the numerous requests that we receive.

Mink continue to be monitored throughout the area, thanks to our many volunteers. It would be an impossible task to keep this network going without their help but it is a vital resource. We have mink present to the south and east of us, and if we want to stay 'mink free' then we need their help. 'Thank you' to you all.


We are now in planning for our Annual General Meeting on the 17th February 2014 in Scourie Village Hall at 12.00. Hopefully we'll see a number of you there, where we will be presenting the accounts, etc., as well as giving a short display on the work of the Trust. This is the main opportunity for members of the public to question the Trust staff, although we are happy to give help or answer questions at any time if you want to get in touch.


Other than that, we are planning the work programme for the coming year. Sweep netting will be starting in March, weather permitting, and education programmes and meetings will also be underway. We're also coming up with potential new projects - although the funding of those may be slightly trickier! - and looking forward to the challenges to come.


If you would like to support or help the Trust please get in touch. We are always looking for volunteers or help with the field work - long or short term - and we'll publish our plans on the website (http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/) or contact the Biologist. If you feel able to support us financially, you can become a member or make a donation at http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/page10.html.