We had plenty of glorious water falling during the winter months, the river was flooding into the fields, but now we have been some six or seven weeks without any significant rainfall. The ground is hard and surface cracks are visable. The river is running clear and the forecast is due to hit twenty four degrees centigrade over the next few days. What happened to the seasonal April showers. Let hope we do get the rain the river needs to thrive and support the aquatic ecology soon.
The season is now underway, so a welcome to members both old and new, we hope you all enjoy the River Whitewater this coming season.
Our work this year was spent on the stretch above the roadbridge copising a few trees there to ensure they live longer and provide low level cover. We also did some significant work along the stretch upstream from the farmbridge to the roadbridge. We had a good turn out from members on all working parties which assisted greatly. Once again we had the help from farmer, Charles, his two young boys, Thomas and Robert with mother Rosie assisting from mission control. We carefully selected certain trees that were dieing or in dense proximity to each other. This process we plan to continue on a three / four year cycle on this stretch. Ensure strong healthy trees and water cover.
The exceptionally bright sunny period from early March to mid April has probably assisted the photosynthesis process to provide large and healthy beds of ranunculus. During the March working party the stretch from the roadbridge to the River Hart received a thorough bankside clear up. Our stock brown trout were sourced from the same supplier as the previous season, we hope they are as fiesty as those stocked last year, of which many are likely to remain in our stretch. To our delight the wild trout continue to spawn and make an increasing presence. This we want to encourage and have to make sure that the stock fish do not dominate to take the natural food supply from the authentic article of salmo trutta.
You will have all noted we have added another river to our permit portfolio, The River Loddon at Sindlesham Mill. As stated in the permit it is on the condition that members feedback end of season reports to establish the future viability of this stretch of river. A few members have asked me what they can expect to catch when making a visit. The river is a unchartered trout fly fishing opportunity, we do not know what to expect. Personally if I knew what was going to happen each time I went fishing, I probably would not go, it is the unexpected, the events unfolding, the discoveries that make it such a magical experience. Please venture to explore this mystical watery opportunity.
We still have membership available for this season, a few pass members we thought would have joined have not as yet submitted their application forms. So this a little reminder to them, and any others that may wish to fly fish the River Whitewater this season.
Should members wish to sell,swap,want fly fishing related equipment, they are welcome to do so via this Newletters if they wish. This is on the understanding that all terms and conditions are solely between buyer and seller and not FDAS. Just thought there might be a useful service need between ebay and pinning a note on a envelope at the local village hall.