2013 field season begins



We cannot believe it is April already, time definitely flies when you are having fun! The Trust calendar is filling up fast as the field season gets underway and less and less time is spent in the office. It is great to be out and about although we might not be saying that when the midges come out to play. There is just one more day to go until the annual Ghillies Seminar, an opportunity for ghillies, keepers, scientists and other river workers to come together to exchange information and raise any concerns they might have.  This year the focus is on predators and their impacts on salmonid populations.  In addition Tony Andrews of the Atlantic Salmon Trust will be giving two public talks on the Salmon at Sea (SALSEA) project on Thursday 11^th April (Lochinver village Hall at 7:45pm) and Friday 12^th April (Scourie Village Hall at 6:30) All welcome, hope to see you there.

Smolt trap at Badnabay

Last week smolt traps were successfully installed at Bhadaidh Daraich and Badnabay. Water levels are still very low due to the extended dry spell so although they are not running yet we hope to catch the first fish movements.  The main smolt run in west Sutherland tends to be in May and all smolts will be measured and identified to species before continuing their seaward migration. A small tail clip will be taken from the smolts for genetic research, and we are also hoping to tag any kelts as part of the on-going studies into population dynamics and habitat usage.



The last week of March saw the first netting of the year.  Despite the cold water temperatures reducing fish movements it was beautiful weather, and although only two sea trout were caught at both the Polla and the Laxford it was good to see everyone again and the Trust was very happy to welcome two new volunteers so many thanks to all! Unfortunately the fish from the Polla had quite a lot of damage and a high number of sea lice. If you want to find out more about netting or are interested in becoming a volunteer please visit our website at http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/Netting.html

 

Ben Stack as viewed from the sea

As well as the monitoring of the mink rafts (still no signs of mink thankfully) the Trust has been busy with the plankton sampling as part of the sea lice dispersal project in conjunction with the Scottish Association for marine Science and Loch Duart Ltd. As it is spring we are back to sampling every month instead of every two months and it looks like our work will be cut out for us this summer as the plankton blooms! So far the lice counts are down in the March sample compared to the January sample but it will be interesting to see the changes over the coming year. It is always great to be out on the boat even if the weather is less than ideal and there was at least one day when our Michelin man layers and oilskins were a bit of an overkill.  Once again many thanks to Sonja and the boat crews for all their help.

The sea trout tracking project is moving forwards and it is still hoped that funding can be secured to determine the movements of sea trout and their marine habitat usage for conservation purposes. Other upcoming projects include ‘Mayfly in the classroom’ set to start in 2014 as part of the Trust’s educational remit. In preparation it will be mayfly in the office this year as we test the methods and try to raise the mayflies ourselves.  Electrofishing and kick sampling for freshwater invertebrates will form the main part of this year’s educational projects for P1 to P4s in May.

Small Rhododendron bush at Laxford

Looking forward to the summer work programme we hope for nice dry weather for electrofishing between July and September, although given all the good weather we have had so far we must be due for a downturn! Rhododendron mapping on the Reay Forest Estate is set to go ahead and this will involve a few weeks of fieldwork to determine the exact locations and density of bushes.  This information can then be presented as GIS maps for use in eradication programmes as Rhododendron ponticum is one of the main invasive non-native species in Sutherland. Mink rafts will also continue to be monitored around Scourie and Himalayan Balsam removed as part of the biosecurity plan.

 

There was further excitement in the office recently following the arrival of the new Trust tape measures. These are perfect for catch and release and are available in our online shop at http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/Merchandise.html

 

Trust tape measure

For further updates on the Trust’s work please visit our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/westsutherlandfisheriestrust?ref=hl#!/westsutherlandfisheriestrust or follow us on twitter!  https://www.twitter.com/WSFTrust       

 

 

Into 2013

Report writing has progressed well and we hope to get the final reports onto the Website in the next few days - just a bit more checking of grammar, spelling and basic geography! Keep an eye on the Website (www.wsft.co.uk) for final production. The Annual Review is also going well - with just one section to be completed when the report is finally received fron the contractors - but won't be available until April. This is to let us update the accounts for the year. Again, it will be available on the Website or as a hard copy from the Biologists (wsft@btconnect.com), although there will be a charge of £5 for the hard copy.

Mink raft at Tarbet

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. The Trust, as part of the RAFTS network, is hoping to receive an EU grant to further maintain and extend the volunteer network and tackle non-native species within the area. Watch this space towards the autumn to see if we were successful or not.



Spawning salmon

November saw us out on the riverbanks trying to see spawning salmon - with spectacularly successful results! The dipper activity as we walked up the river was a real giveaway, and spawning was still happening when we reached the site. A first for Kate, the fish were not even remotely interested in us and we were there for about 30 minutes as they finished that redd and moved out into the middle to dig another one before heading back to our bank. Unfortunately our attempts to film the action were a bit of a disaster - too far out for the underwater camera - but exciting all the same. There's always a thrill when watching fish in the wild.


Predated during spawning time

This is obviously a popular spot with the fish, with 2 dead cock salmon found on the bank within 20 metres of each other. While sad to see, the animals had obviously been too busy to see the predator - or were just wiped out by the efforts of it all! A large number of salmon will die during and after spawning and the carcasses provide important nutrients to the system - as well as supporting our larger predators at this lean (and cold) time.

Sampling for the sea lice dispersal project (in conjunction with SAMS and Loch Duart Ltd) continues, with the latest samples collected in January. Thankfully there was a bit of a break in the weather and the second day was relatively pleasant - unfortunately the other 2 days were rough courtesy of the winds with one site having to be abandonned while another was sampled in conditions that were definitely not the best!


Sea louse nauplii - the dark spot
is an easy id feature

Analysis proved a bit better this time - very quick thanks to the lack of plankton! We still found a fair few sea lice however, and also recorded our first Nauplii. 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!

 
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.

The Sutherland Fly -
a killer for all species

Unfortunately the excitement in October of our first internet sale was short-lived. While people appear to be looking at the shop there has been little activity in the way of new sales. Hopefully the start of the fishing season will trigger interest in fishing merchandise. Our polo shirts, t-shirts, baseball caps and Sutherland Trust flies can be found at www.wsft.co.uk/merchandise.html.

Looking forward into 2013, we're starting to plan the new work programme and looking forward to the start of the field work. Sweep netting will be starting in March - hopefully the week of the 25th - then that's us monthly until October. Any volunteers out there get in touch, we'd be delighted for the help and the craig is usually good with the chance of seeing some cracking fish.

 

Other than that, the electrofishing season is planned - weather permitting - and the education programme being sorted. Over the next few years we'll be visiting the schools in order to deliver 'Pearls in the Classroom' - an SNH/RAFTS initiative, and are also keen to get 'Mayfly in the Classroom' underway. The Ghillies Seminar is also in preparation - together with 2 public talks by Tony Andrews on the AST SALSEA project and salmon at sea for April (talks will be the evening of 11th (Lochinver) and 12th (Scourie)). It is also hoped that Scourie Detectives will run this June and we'll hopefully be back to the Highland Game Fair in August, so things are looking good on that front.

 

We are also hoping to find funding for a sea trout tracking project. This will run in conjunction with a number of partners and hopefully address the issues of marine planning in connection with sea trout and sea trout conservation. While it is unlikely that this will start in 2013, there is always a chance that things may move more quickly.

We can be ‘liked’ at www.facebook.com/westsutherlandfisheriestrust or followed at @WSFTrust. We are 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).

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.