Winter cheer

It's been a busy few months, and while a fair of the time was spent in the office getting reports written - or at least started! - we've also managed to get out and about occasionally.
 

Salmon spawning?

November and December saw us, and our honorary (and unpaid!) employee out on the rivers and lochs armed with cameras and looking for fish. While there's not been much in the way of spawning yet, Scott did manage to get a couple of videos and some photo's of fish in the water. They're well worth checking out. The trout were spawning (http://youtu.be/yVx31_EzCbs) and very close, but unfortunately the rock got in the way (the camera is on a pole so you have to put it in and hope), while the salmon were fighting and hassling but not really in the spawning mood (http://youtu.be/TkBsk3npZbw). The other photo's are in as an album on Facebook.

Copper beech amongst the trees

The Rhododendron survey was finally completed and sent off, with no plants found in Stack Woods.
Kate did a sterling job with it, so hopefully it will help with the removal of this beautiful but invasive non-native. There were few patches found, with the majority around the lodges at Achfary and Stack, as would be expected. Of particular interest, however, was the fact that it hadn't crossed Loch More, despite the almost blanket coverage around Achfary and Loch More Lodge. A few Copper Beech, on the other hand, have seeded on the north shore.



Analysing the plankton catch

We'll hopefully get the last of the plankton samples taken this week, and then it's just the analysis. If they are anything like the ones we got a couple of weeks ago that won't take long and then that will be that for plankton work. We've both had fun doing the project - although it has had it's moments! - and we're dab hands at louse recognition now. We'll get a poster produced to show the work, and the different beasties, and put it on the website, together with a wee summary report for the Annual Review. After that, it's the wait for the dispersal model and hopefully an improved understanding of the management requirements for the area. Thanks to Loch Duart Ltd, and more importantly their staff, for taking us out in the boats and helping with the handling of the net. Some tows were more interesting than others - in many different ways! - but all were completed with humour and good grace.


Thankfully not from here!

 Mink continue to play a reasonably large role in our lives - particularly Kate's' - with the checking of the rafts and the filling in of all the little details relating to volunteers, rafts, etc. As with all handovers, there's been a period of transition where we have to re-learn the things in Gunnar's head, but Kate is there now! If you see a mink in the area, or would like to help monitor a tunnel or raft, then please let Kate know. The more eyes on the ground the better. The same really has to be said of any non-native species, and we would welcome any reports that help us to keep the Sutherland area 'native'.

On that front - remember to 'Check, clean and dry' your equipment before coming into the area fishing, canoeing or even just walking. West Sutherland has very few non-native species - please help us to keep it that way.

On another departure from all things fishy, November saw us trekking through Stack Wood looking for specific grid references in order to put out some quadrats. We had been asked to monitor the effects of deer grazing and trampling on the vegetation, and this was us gathering the baseline data before the fence was removed (or, in reality, a few days after the fence was removed!). This was a complete novelty for both of us and an incredibly steep learning curve - although possibly not as steep as the ground! - but good fun to do. Saying that, we did get out during the only break in the weather which helped. The rain and gales before and after might have been less fun!

Loch Stack and Arkle through the trees

The 'Fishery Management Plan' review is now completed and out for consultation. There's still time to take part in this consultation if you want - just contact the Biologist on wsft@btconnect.com for a copy. The final version should be out by the end of January, and sets out the priorities and wishes for work over the next 5 years. We'll be trying to get as much as possible completed, but have to be realistic and accept that time, economics or the will of the proprietors may mean that some will not be completed.


The Sutherland Trust

 As time passes and we head into the start of the 2014 sampling season, the mink rafts will continue to be monitored and it is hoped to get some habitat surveying completed, but in the main we need to get the data analysed from this year and the reports produced. Watch this space - and probably more relevant the Website (www.wsft.co.uk) - for the reports as they become available.

 It's also not too late to get your WSFT gifts for Christmas. For that quirky gift for the fisherman in your life - a sea trout sponsor, t-shirt, cap, exclusive flies (not available anywhere else!) or tape measure and length conversion chart - visit our shop at http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/page11.html. Get something different and solve the Christmas problems!