Spring into action

Daffodils around the office (S. Marshall)

As the days get longer and the daffodils brighten the area, we're wrapping up the winter work. We've finished the reports from the 2015 season, and have the Annual Review almost ready to go to the printers. Electrofishing results highlighted the good spawning season witnessed at the end of 2014, with good numbers of fry seen at many of the sites. Reports on the 2015 Electrofishing Surveys and Monitoring of sea trout post-smolts, 2015 are available on the website, while the Annual review will be added in the next couple of weeks. http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/page32.html

The Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 have now been published and can be viewed here http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2016/115/contents/made. This sets out requirements for the catch and release of salmon within Scotland, based on an assessment of the conservation status of each district, and calculated from reported rod catch. Within this area the North & West District Salmon Fisheries Board have produced a map showing the catchments, and their conservation status. This can be viewed here http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/Poster%20Version%203b.pdf, but in summary - it is mandatory catch and release on all catchments between Cape Wrath and the Point of Stoer, business as usual between Cape Wrath and Smoo Cave , while all other areas must see an increase in the number of fish returned. A Conservation Plan must also be produced for each district.

The Wild Fisheries Reform continues to be developed by Scottish Government, with the publication of the Draft provisions for a Wild Fisheries (Scotland) Bill/Draft Wild Fisheries Strategy: a consultation. The closing date for this consultation is 2nd May, and it is important that as many as possible have their say in this major restructuring of the wild fisheries sector within Scotland. The Trust is developing a response at the present moment aiming to set out our vision for the future, within the proposed framework.

Processing the fish (M. Rose)

On a more enjoyable subject, spring saw the start of the netting season, with 2 completed for the Laxford already this year. It was great to blow away the cobwebs, get together with old friends and see some lovely fish - and not a single sea louse to be found. Unfortunately we've both managed to get wet already - leaky waders and deep water respectively - which is perhaps the less enjoyable aspect of the work! Still, rough with the smooth and all that.... Hopefully we'll get out on the Polla and Kyle of Durness before too long, and see some more old friends. If you would like to help with the netting then please come along. You can contact us (wsft@btconnect.com) for further details or to confirm that we've not been rained off. We also advertise the dates and times on the Website if that's easier (http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/index.html).

Sorting the fish (M. Rose)

With the help of our many volunteers, we continue to monitor mink within the area. Unfortunately the funding for this project has ended, so we're being particularly careful with equipment. However our volunteers are fabulous and the network continues to be covered. Thankfully, there have once again been no mink found, although prints were seen and traps installed. The area remains relatively mink free and we hope to keep it that way.

There was a hope that the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI) would have started by now, or at least be in the final preparation stage. This project is being developed by RAFTS, across a large swathe of Scotland, to manage invasive species within the area through a mix of citizen science and biologist input. Unfortunately the submission date for the project has been delayed as a result of problems with match funding, with submission for funding likely to be in November.

Saturday 16 April will see us attend the Highland Environment Fair at the New Campus, Inverness College. We have a stall - along with a few other Trusts - and will be in the 'fishy' corner. Adam is also giving a talk in the morning, all about the sweep netting. It looks like being a really good day, so if you're in Inverness and looking for something to do why not come along and join us?

As with most charities, the Trust continues to struggle for funding. We have registered with Easyfundraising as a way of raising some additional money. However, this requires your help. If you shop online and would like to raise FREE money for the Trust then its a simply process. There are 1000's of companies taking part in the scheme, which sees a proportion of any purchase you make going to the Trust - it doesn't change what you pay, only costing you an extra 'click' as you go to the retailer through the easyfundraising site. We will then receive the donation from the retailer. This is a simple way to help and FREE to you- so please register and start shopping.  https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/westsutherlandfisheriestrust 

Winter has started

As reported last time, we're now busy in the office and the report writing is coming on well. Hopefully we'll get them finished and out at the start of the year - then it will just be the Annual Review to finish.

The prize winning poster (S. Marshall)

As well as the report writing, 'tis the season of meetings and consultations. On a positive note, Shona attended the 2nd Sea Trout Symposium in Dundalk, Ireland. This was an excellent meeting and a great chance to find out what has been happening in the world of trout research. And, it has to be said, there is a lot. Subjects ranged from anadromy, through populations and management to movement and migration. The ecology and behaviour of the trout were covered, as was monitoring and surveillance before ending with an assessment of some of the threats to the species. The speakers covered the globe and demonstrated how much - and how little! - we know about this enigmatic species.

While at the Symposium, we submitted a poster for consideration. Not only was this accepted, but won 3rd prize in the IFM poster competition for students and NGO's. The summary of the meeting can be found at http://www.atlanticsalmontrust.org/latest-news/report-from-the-2nd-international-sea-trout-symposium.html, while the full proceedings will be published in due course.

Other matters that have required attention over the past few weeks are perhaps less enjoyable, but more important in many ways. The Scottish Government introduced the concept of a 'Licence to Kill' legislation, where the need to tag fish taken was suggested. While the tagging of rod caught fish fell at the first consultation, it was still required from the coastal nets during the 2nd consultation period. At this time the Scottish rivers were classified into 3 categories - Category One rivers were sustainable and could continue as they were; Category 2 rivers needed to move towards greater levels of catch and release an produce a management plan, but some fish could be retained; Category 3 rivers were considered unsustainable and a mandatory catch and release policy would be imposed, with a management plan also required. Within this area, all rivers to the west were classified as Category 3, resulting in a mandatory catch and release policy. A further consultation had been carried out on these proposals, and we await the results. The measures will be implemented in time for the 2016 season.

In addition to this, we are still awaiting the details of the Wild Fisheries Reform, due to be proposed for legislation in 2016. The draft bill will be available for consultation, so please watch this space for more details in the future. This piece of legislation has the potential to dramatically alter the future of fisheries management throughout Scotland - and it has to be hoped that care will be taken to ensure that this is for the better. While it has to be agreed that there are aspects of the current management system that need updated or altered, there are also a lot of good points and it would be a shame if these were lost in the changes.

Sweep netting in action (S. Barnes)

During one of the sweep netting occasions, a member of the public was kind enough to film the action using a drone and gave us a copy of the video. While this has taken some time to edit - there were a few technical glitches - the resulting video was well worth the effort. Cut with other photos and underwater footage, this gives a good description of the work involved and highlights the enthusiasm and commitment of the volunteers, without whom this really wouldn't be possible. If you would like to get involved with this work, then please contact Shona (wsft@btconnect.com). The video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/D4zRuZIXDrQ

We, along with our many volunteers, continue to monitor the mink rafts looking for signs of this predator. At present West Sutherland would appear to be mink free - or at least have no or very few breeding females - and we would like to keep it that way. Thankfully there have been very few signs within the rafts, with volunteers deploying traps where potential signs have been spotted. Again thankfully, we have not managed to capture any mink and have to hope that our neighbours to the south continue to do their work well and stop them spreading to this area.

Proof of an alien invasion? (A. Beynon-Jones)

Mink are an invasive non-native species, capable of having a drastic effect on a range of species - not just fish. Our relatively healthy populations of water voles and ground nesting birds are testament to the lack of mink within the area. Of course the rafts don't only record mink prints, and there have been a range of other species noted - primarily small rodents, weasel and stoat, voles and occasionally birds, amongst others. There was also a small alien invasion recorded, so please report any signs of flying saucers. This should be kept on top off!!!

Japanese Knotweed (S. Marshall)

The Trust works closely with our umbrella organisation, the Rivers & Fisheries Trusts Scotland (RAFTS), with several projects and work schemes originating from this collaboration. RAFTS are currently working towards a new Invasive Species project, covering a number of Trust areas including West Sutherland. This will use volunteers to monitor and control non-invasive plants (and mink). While non-native species are present in this area, the numbers are low and it is hoped that with the help of this grant funding we might be able to start eradicating them. It would be nice to be able to say that there was an area of Scotland where these non-native plants do not exist. If you would like to help, you can do this simply by notifying us of any populations that you came across or know about. Please contact Shona - don't assume that we know about them.

The River Laxford (S. Barnes)

The Trust are, as always, trying to raise funds towards the protection and conservation of this wonderful area. As part of this, we have registered with Easyfundraising. If you shop online and would like to raise FREE money for the Trust then its a simply process. There are 1000's of companies taking part in the scheme, which sees a proportion of any purchase you make going to the Trust - it doesn't change what you pay, only costing you an extra 'click' as you have to go to the retailer through the easyfundraising site. We will then receive the donation from the retailer. This is a simple way to help and FREE to you- so please register and start shopping  https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/westsutherlandfisheriestrust 

It's that time of year again and the Trust AGM will take place in Scourie Village Hall at 12.00 on Monday 7 December. Hope to see you there.

Salmon in their spawning colours (S. Barnes)

The salmon are now starting to spawn, and it's always nice to get out and see some action. While this isn't easy to film, we can occasionally get a bit of underwater action. It's always nice to see fish doing their thing, so here's something to put a smile on your face. The parr is definitely not camera shy!!  https://youtu.be/3lTmFqFWuXw

The start of autumn

'This way lads' 

As another field season draws to an end, it's one of mixed blessings for us all. Relatively wet and cold, the reported catches have been up but not phenomenally so, while there have been enough dry days to allow us to get the field work more or less completed.

A salmon and a trout

The electrofishing surveys were finally completed on the 21 September, with 8 catchments surveyed - a total of 62 sites. Poor weather meant that we were restricted in our ability to get out, and that some sites were dropped for being too high (or sampled at a marginal height) but good that we finally managed to complete them all before the October cut off. The reports will be produced over the next few months, and we'll see then how good - or not - things are looking.

A nice fish from the netting

Netting was more successful, with only 4 out of the 21 nettings washed out, and those at the start of the season. We decided to add the Kyle of Durness to our monthly netting - increasing the number undertaken each year. We did have one blank and our attempt at a 4th site was abandoned when we failed in our attempt to get the net down to the shore, but otherwise a very successful year. Lots of fish, big as well as small, and in fantastic condition. There were a few dookings it has to be said, none of them warm!, but great enthusiasm shown by all. A massive 'thanks' to all our volunteers, it really wouldn't have been possible without them. If you would like to become a volunteer next year then please get in touch, we'd love to see you.

Stem injecting Japanese knotweed

Our projects on invasive non-native species are still continuing. The Himalayan balsam at Nedd and Clashnessie was duly pulled, and our attempts at eradication moved another step closer. Japanese knotweed may be more of an issue for us, although we have started to survey some areas and have been involved in stem injection. Many thanks to Lochaber Fisheries Trust for a loan of a stem injector,which has allowed us to treat a number of populations in peoples gardens. The main issue there is very small plants within lawns - not able to inject but can't really spray either. If we get some dry weather over the next week we'll try painting the leaves to reduce the area damaged hopefully to the plant!

Thanks to all those that have reported the plant and allowed us to start the work. If you know the location of any invasive species within the area then please let us know. Alternatively, you can report INNS anywhere in Scotland at http://isweb.esdm.co.uk/ISWeb_RAFTS/MyPublic.aspx?OrgID=RAFTS Please help us to eradicate these species and improve Scotland's wildlife.

Installing a new mink tunnel

Our mink works also continues a pace, with our regular group of volunteers working hard to ensure that the area remains free from the little critters. There have been a number of sightings reported, and some tracks on the rafts, but to date there have been no animals caught. One potential sighting, where an egg cache was found, turned out to be a young fox - as recorded on camera - while print identification can also be problematic. They don't walk nicely over the clay!! Fingers crossed therefore, that we've had mis-identification and/or a few roaming males, and that we remain relatively mink free.

Ready to go at the Scottish Salmon Festival

We've also been out and about over the past couple of months, attending the Scourie Gala, Highland Field Sports Fair, Clachtoll Seashore Day and Scotland Salmon Festival. It's been great to meet everyone at these events and talk fishes, plants, education and all things environment. We managed to finally meet some Facebook followers and even extended our network to America!! Thanks to all those that came to see us for a chat, and those that supported us with donations.

We're now heading into the office season and will be catching up on data analysis, report writing and meetings. It will be good to have some time to catch up on things, but we'll also be trying to get out and about occasionally - surveying and checking mink rafts, etc., - so the best of both worlds. Especially when its wet and you can sit in the office!!!

What happened to summer?

View from the electrofishing 'office' (S. Marshall)

A fair bit of time has passed since the last blog - and a lot of water has fallen from the sky! Much to the delight of the anglers we've had a pretty wet summer so farm and the catches appear to reflect this. Certainly, they're up on this time last year, when we had a prolonged drought. Unfortunately, what's good for the angler isn't necessarily good for the Biologist, and we are behind on the electrofishing with only 2 catchments completed.

A good recapture from the Laxford (A. Beynon-Jones)

Netting has been more successful, and we managed to get 3 done in both June and July. Adam made a good wee video from the June nettings as well, using his own music, which can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baE4WgVWk5w. We also had a good number of very nice looking fish, which was another bonus. Lice were present, but not in massive numbers or on a majority of fish, over both the months. I haven't sorted out the data yet, so the full report will follow in time. We did have a try at a fourth estuary - the Polly - but abandoned as too difficult to get the net down and back. Mutiny from all volunteers, and Biologists!! A shame, as it would have been fun to do a different site, but you have to think about the welfare of the individuals involved and that was likely to result in a twisted ankle or broken leg. A good drive out however, and great craic. We truly have some of the best volunteers imaginable and the stories flowed. Thank you all.

As well as netting, and trying to electrofish, we have been getting involved with the Invasive Non-Native Species project. Once again Nedd and Clashnessie have been cleared of Himalayan Balsam, with another trip planned for next week. It is working, and we have hopes that we will be free of the plant eventually.

Japanese Knotweed (S. Barnes)

Japanese Knotweed is our other issue, and we have been identifying stands of the plants and talking to owners in an effort to eradicate this plat from the area. We have found a number of stands, but are always keen to hear of more. It is encouraging to hear that the owners also want rid of it, although we would council against attempting to strim it or dig it out on your own. Knotweed spreads from very small fragments of the plant and you have to be very careful about disposal. Thankfully it still appears to spread slowly in most of this area, so there is hope for us.

As well as the plants, we are still monitoring mink within the area. This project is reliant on a willing band of volunteers to check the rafts. We have had a couple of potential sightings and signs but despite trapping there have been no mink taken. Hopefully they were either mis-identifications or a roaming male, and not a territory setting female. However, thanks to the members of the public for their vigilance and to the volunteers for their rapid response with traps and additional effort.

Highland Field Sports Fair preparations (S. Marshall)

We have also undertaken a number of public events, with stalls at the recent Assynt Fishing Feis and Scourie Gala. We will also be off to the Highland Field Sports Fair shortly - the van is packed - and then the Clachtoll Seashore Day. These give a great opportunity to talk to people about the Trust, hear their concerns and, in many cases, pick their brains! With display boards, leaflets, games and competitions there is much to see and do. Congratulations to the organisers of the Feis and the Gala for 2 excellent days. I'm sure the others will be just as successful!

A new blog from a new member of WSFT staff!

        Juvenile salmonid processing with
GFT; Jackie speedily measuring 
while I try to keep up with the tally! 
Photo: Jamie Ribbens - GFT

Hello to all, I'm Adam Beynon-Jones, and am currently on my third day of my new post as Assistant Biologist, having taken over the role from Kate Bachelor. So before the exciting info about what we've been up to since I started, I'll begin with a boring bit about myself and my background. Feel free to yawn!

Fish species sampling at Barony.
Yes, I am rowing the boat back-to-front, 
but the net deploys more easily from 
the bow! 
Photo: Donald Patterson

Shortly before a fish rescue operation
with Annan Fishery Board. It was 
VERY cold!
Photo: Adam Beynon-Jones

I have entered into the world of freshwater fisheries conservation and management at a later life stage than some, with music and sound production being my initial pathway in life after leaving High School. However, as a lifelong countryside and nature loving fly angler, my priority of interests took a natural shift as I discovered that I preferred to be out and about in the countryside pursuing voluntary fieldwork with fisheries organisations; as opposed to operating sound and lighting equipment in busy nightclubs surrounded by........ What's a polite expression for drunken idiots?

A remote electro-fishing site in the
Naver catchment, with good numbers 
of juvenile salmonids and positively 
prolific numbers of midges! 
Photo: Adam Beynon-Jones

Having volunteered with Forth Fisheries Trust, I went on to study Aquaculture and Fisheries Management at the Barony College, whilst undertaking continuing voluntary work with Galloway Fisheries Trust and the River Annan Fishery Board/Trust; many thanks to all concerned for putting up with me and my constant questions!

Here's one to show that I don't always cheat
with my fish capture methods! A lovely 
grilse from the Naver, safely returned. 
Photo: Duncan Paul

A lovely bucket full of eels,
fry and parr - Naver catchment.
Photo: Adam Beynon-Jones

I have since been employed as a seasonal staff member by the River Naver Fisheries, Annan Fishery Board/Trust, and again with the Naver last summer - I must have done something right the first time around!

It seems I am following in Kate's footsteps somewhat, as both her and I have worked as seasonal staff for the River Naver Fisheries shortly before joining WSFT; a rather nice coincidence! While I have not met Kate I have heard great things, and having started to look into some of the excellent work she has done for WSFT (with Fred the fish - a fun fairground game designed and modelled by Kate being a firm favourite so far), I am clearly just scratching the surface whilst feeling very excited about my days to come with WSFT.


The last few of these days have been busy to say the least what with mink raft checking, smolt trapping, and a VERY large haul of sea trout in the Laxford estuary!

Spot the rodent prints to the right of 
the truck key... 
Photo: Shona Marshall

Rodent prints were found in two tunnels during Monday's mink raft/tunnel checks, with no mink prints present; great to see, or rather not to see. We will be checking other raft locations in the near future to help assess their necessity due to the long sustained lack of mink evidence. However, whilst the rafts and tunnels remain clear of prints, it is vital to maintain this monitoring in order to ensure that mink are kept out of the area, and eventually eradicated from any neighbouring areas. If anybody would like to volunteer to monitor a mink raft (or three!), it is a very simple process that only needs carried out once every two weeks. Simply pop down to the raft/tunnel, lift the lid and check for mink footprints in the clay, and report back! For further details and simple training please get in touch via email (wsft@btconnect.com)                                                                      

Always good to see the fish swim off!
Photo: Shona Marshall

The smolt trap will be winding to a close soon, although while the numbers are decreasing, sea trout and salmon smolts continue to be caught, with sea trout predominating. The trap contained 7 sea trout with 5 salmon and 3 brown trout on Monday, 6 sea trout with 1 salmon and 1 brown trout yesterday, down to just 2 sea trout today (Wednesday 20th). The fish have been in excellent condition, and are looking stunning; it's fantastic to see them off to a good start as they venture towards the salt water.

Gorgeous sea trout smolts from the trap today.
Photo: Adam Beynon-Jones

Our hardy volunteers keeping a
close eye on the many baskets of fish!
Photo: Adam Beynon-Jones

Yesterday, the sweep netting sample in the Laxford estuary came very close to breaking the record of 1000 fish, with 924 sea trout, and two salmon smolts caught in a single sweep! A range of sea trout specimens of differing sizes were quickly placed into buckets with care being taken to retain tagged fish, whilst the large remainder of fish were counted out of the net and released back into the water with a flurry of hands and fins. It was hectic to say the least, with count numbers still being shouted across from those of us at the net bag towards Shona and the volunteers who were well into the sample processing. Although the target sample of fish to be processed is fifty, this figure crept up to 80, undoubtedly a result of the excitement of such a large haul. 22 recaptures were processed, although more may have been released despite our efforts to retain the tagged specimens. In any case, this will help provide useful information of fish growth rates which, going by the amount of rag worm and sprats the fish had been gorging themselves on, one would expect to be rather healthy!

A happy and slightly exhausted Shona 
counting sea lice. 
Photo: Adam Beynon-Jones

Despite the dreary weather and overflowing water into some waders (namely mine and Sandy's), it was a brilliant afternoon, none of which could have been achieved without our volunteers, so a big thank you to you all!

A beautiful silvery speckled sea trout
with a belly full!
Photo: Adam Beynon-Jones

While such prolific numbers of fish cannot always be guaranteed to be caught, the sweep netting is a great event to be a part of, and anybody who would like to come along to lend a pair of hands is more than welcome - you needn't necessarily get wet, there are other useful jobs to be done besides trying to avoid filling up your waders, such as helping pull the net from the bank, and assisting with fish processing. If interested, please get in touch via (wsft@btconnect.com)                

A quick nip, and the tag is in.
Photo: Adam Beynon-Jones

So, a busy few days and a great start to my new ventures with WSFT. I would like to say a big thank you to Shona and everybody we have met for being so helpful and welcoming to me and my girlfriend Helen. We are still unpacking, but settling in nicely. We love the wood burning stove in our cottage, it's just a shame the weather is still requiring us to use it!

That's all for now, we will be back soon with more updates as we head into the busy season of fieldwork. Expect to see pictures of me fully sealed in my midge jacket with matching rubber gloves. If the summer ever comes that is!

Is it spring yet?

Oops, just realised that I've done it again and forgotten the blog. Sorry, technology is a new science for me!

There's snow in them thar hills! (S. Marshall)

Things are starting to get busier in the world - and field - of the fisheries trust, as we move ever nearer to summer. Not that you can believe that with the weather. There have been a lot of cold northerlies recently, which hasn't helped with either the fishing or the sampling. Snow melt has a negative effect on both fish movement and biologist enthusiasm! Fingers crossed for an improvement soon though.

Trap in situ (S. Marshall)

In March I attended an excellent RAFTS Conference in Battleby. The perfect chance to network and listen to some very enlightening talks. The themes covered marine issues and building resilience - very apt at the current time and in light of the poor catch returns for 2014. While much of last years poor catch is likely to have been related to the exceptional - for non-anglers! - summer, it is still important to consider all aspects of the fishes life cycle and what we can do to help them thrive.

Salmon heading downstream (S. Marshall)

April was a month of mixed blessing, as the field work started but the snow returned. The trap was installed in Badna Bay, and has proved very successful to date with a good number of salmon smolts captured. There have been less sea trout than salmon this time, but we may well have missed them. The trap was breached for a period, with water going over and round the lead net, which would have allowed the fish to bypass the trap and head to sea. Saying that, there were still a few that went in, so not all fish are sensible!

The net heads out (M. Dawkins)

April also saw the start of the sweep netting, although the rain meant that it was only possible to do the Laxford. The estuary was extremely shallow and we could see the sediment for a long way out. A bit of a waste of time we thought but we had a good number of volunteers present so decided to give it a go anyway. What do we know? We moved a little further down the estuary to find slightly deeper water (mid thigh instead of knee!) and what a sweep it was - 166 sea trout and one wee salmon smolt. Most of the sea trout were smolts, which lends yet more evidence to the feeling that we may have missed the sea trout running out of Badna Bay, although there were a couple of recaptures (one from the trap a few days before).

The net coming in (M. Kinghorn)

If you would like to help with any of the fieldwork then get in touch (wsft@btconnect.com) we're always happy to have people along and an extra pair of hands is well appreciated. Netting dates are posted on the website (www.wsft.co.uk), but worth checking with us to make sure that the weather has been kind.

The Ghillies Seminar was held on 24 April and. while the audience was small, everyone seemed to have a good time. The external speakers kicked off with Billy MacBain from Marine Scotland Compliance, talking about the marine fishery and its regulation. Catherine Collins, Marine Scotland Science, then came in and introduced us to sea lice and sea lice dispersal modelling. It was very interesting to see how far we have come in understanding this issue - and scary at how much we still need to know!

Adding clay to the raft (A. Barnes)

After lunch we had a talk on the American mink and the Scottish Mink Initiative. A very interesting and entertaining talk, the volunteers present were able to find out more about the project and the importance of the work they do. We then finished with a lively, but considered, discussion of the Wild Fisheries Review and the proposed legislation relating to the licencing of the killing of salmon. There was a lot of agreement within the room and it was helpful to get the views of the people on the ground.

In the main, an interesting meeting, well received by all within the room. This meeting also gives the ghillies - many of whom are lone workers - to network amongst themselves and the lunchtime discussions were many. A massive 'thank you' to all of our speakers for their extremely interesting talks and the audience for attending and participating. The notes from the Seminar are available on the website (www.wsft.co.uk).

The Annual Review has also been completed now, and can be downloaded from the website (http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/review%202014.pdf). If you run a holiday home or fishing lodge and would like a hard copy to display then please let me know.

Happy volunteer (M. Kinghorn)

For the last month we have been delighted to have Michael helping with our fieldwork. Michael is a teacher from Switzerland and has been volunteering as part of his sabbatical from work. The extra hand has been gratefully received and we have been able to introduce him to a range of issues and work programmes within the Trust. Not all work though - and he has been able to explore the hills and lochs of the area, usually fishing rod in hand!

As Michael leaves, we will be welcoming Kate's replacement in the form of Adam Beynon-Jones. Adam will be joining the Trust as our new biologist in the middle of May. He comes in good time for the start of the sampling season proper and hopefully will have enough time to settle in before the midges start for real! However, Adam will introduce himself in the next Blog.

We wish everyone tight lines for the season. Remember the 'Alphabet of Scottish Lochs' Challenge - where you try to catch a brown trout from a variety of lochs - and let us know how you get on. Why not buy the Sutherland Trust fly to help you? Available from http://home.btconnect.com/wsft/page17.html

Change is in the wind!

Spring is coming! (S. Marshall)

Spring is starting to arrive - with a good few daffodils and crocus appearing in the garden. Hopefully the next lot of snow forecast doesn't kill them all! It's also a new season for the Trust, with the advert now out for Kate's replacement. The closing date is the 13th March and is a good opportunity for someone to come and live and work in this wonderful part of the world. Details can be found on the Website (www.wsft.co.uk), and applications are by CV to Shona (wsft@btconnect.com).

Stunning location for a mink raft (S. Marshall)

I was at a very interesting meeting on mink recently, organised by RAFTS. It was fascinating to here about the work of the University and how SMI fits in. The importance of keeping our wee area clear of mink was clearly demonstrated as, although we have quite poor habitat, there is very good mink habitat to the east. We therefore need to stay on our guard and stop them reaching the north east. This is an important time for monitoring mink as the females are starting to set up their dens so if you have rafts (or tunnels) then please make sure that they're working well - or if you can volunteer to check a raft then please let us know. Whatever you can do is gratefully received.

On the pull  (S. Barnes)

The Trust reports detailing the juvenile surveys and post-smolt netting from 2014 are now finished and can be accessed on the website (www.wsft.co.uk). The Annual Review is also finished, in draft, and has been sent round the Trustees for grammar, spelling and general stupidity checks! Since we include the cash accounts for the year as well, this will be published in April so watch this space. We'd appreciate comments on the website as we're always trying to improve it so please have a look and give us constructive criticism.

The diary is starting to fill up for the coming year, with lots of field work in the planning stage. If you would like to help with the field work - sweep netting, electrofishing, barrier assessment, balsam pulling, mink monitoring, etc. - then please get in touch. It can be a day, a week, a month or a whatever, we're just happy to accept the help and have fun. I'll try to keep the Blog up to date with the dates of activities as they are finalised, or you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/westsutherlandfisheriestrust), Twitter (@WSFTrust) or the Website (www.wsft.co.uk).