Now that the 2024 season has ended it’s time to take stock and plan for next year. The beginning of the season was very difficult, with extensive flooding rendering much of the river unfishable, right up into May, and even in June the banks were too soft for weed cutting, which made life difficult for anglers.

Eventually the floods receded and things slowly got back to normal, whatever that is these days. In general, it has not been a good season, with wild trout catch returns continuing to decline, but not by the same precipitous levels as last year. Catch returns overall were helped by some late stockings which have significantly improved results on Yarrow and County School beats. The Bintry beat continues to show lack lustre results, producing an average of 10 wild trout and 5 stocked trout per month over the season, but we are optimistic that with some better weather next season and much of the disastrous silt pollution being slowly moved downstream, things may improve next year.

Our river has taken some big hits over the last few seasons, ranging from lengthy droughts, some of the hottest summers for many decades, one of the wettest winters and and spring most of us can remember, and, of course the massive influx of sand and silt into the upper reaches by the mill resulting from the bank breach of two years ago. Catches have predictably suffered, but strangely, because of the drop in member visits, the fish per visit statistics have held up remarkably well.

The new gravel riffle at County School has begun producing some good fish, both wild and stocked and is a good example of how simple habitat improvement can transform a river. We are planning some similar work for next year.