An entertaining session on my local stream...

[Tigger]

I had a walk down to my local small river / sewer today to see if there was any sign of life. First spot produced some small dace. As I trotted the float down the swim I noticed a flash go past me and go into a hole in the bank, several seconds later a kingfisher flew out on another mission to get food for it's chicks. I know kingfishers have nested in this hole for at least 7yrs. Second spot I tried I hooked into a snag on about my 6th trott through, maybe an old motorbike or summat! I had to get hold of the line and pull it but it broke above me float! I suppose that's one of the joys of fishing straight through. The float was at the other half of a wierpool and well out of reach. To get to the other side of the river would have been an epic task and even then it might be out of reach so as much as I hate to loose any tackle I moved off down stream. As I walked out of a wood onto a field the farmer was cutting the grass for haylage and had nearly finished so there were a few pheasants feeding round the edges including a hen with a brood of half grown poults. As I got to my next glide I had a struggle to get down the steep overgrown banking to get down to the river. First trott and moby dick was hooked !...or at least it felt like it was after only having caught micro fish...a pic of moby dick....



While I was stood out of sight at the bottom of the banking I heard a wooshing sound and as I turned my head and looked up I saw a hen pheasant appear on a fallen tree trunk and a buzzard with it legs extended and talons spread about to seize the pheasant, but at that very moment a kestrel hit the buzzard on the back of it's head, the pheasant fell flapping into the river by my feet and the buzzard rose sharply with the kestrel still dive bombing it. The pheasant had another shock when it saw me and flapped accross the river into cover on the other bank. I looked back up just in time to see the buzzard disappear over the tree line with the kestrel in hot pursuit. ...it's a mad, mad, mad world in'it !

Here's one of the micro fish I kept catching...

[Steve Walker]

Looks like it's doing ok!

 

[Tigger]

Looks like it's doing ok!

 

 

 

I think they enter the river via trib's from other waters rather than breed and grow in it.

[Steve Walker]

We have a small river nearby which is mostly treated sewage effluent in summer (and has that horrible detergent smell) which is always packed with bits. I think the water quality is good enough not to kill them, and the water is full of fertiliser from the treated effluent so there is plenty to eat. Whether they spawn well in there or enter from the main river, don't know.