Following last weeks attempt to catch a few fish to health check at Caaf reservoir, I headed back there today with Rita to check a few things. George Leslie Ltd have completed the works to improve sediment management during the drawdown and ongoing contract to remove the dam wall and restore the site.

With all the rain in the last week and draw down suspended until the settlement ponds were completed, water levels have risen by about 3m in the last week. The reservoir was near full again. Just compare the photo from last week to the one I took today. We were fishing near the red cross with dry feet.

Caaf reservoir today after a week of rain. The red cross is approximately where Gordon was standing in the next photo.

Caaf reservoir today after a week of rain. The red cross is approximately where Gordon was standing in the next photo.

Gordon trying to catch samples at the inlet burn

Gordon trying to catch samples at the inlet burn

 

We will be back on Friday to net to a sample and hopefully get the all clear to move the trout to two new locations that we have identified and are willing to take trout. At the same time, I’ll try to assess the fish population using a fish finder with down scanning imaging. Our plan is to net the reservoir around the 23rd March and relocate the fish under licence. We are still waiting on some equipment arriving so we had no option but to delay the rescue for a week or two. Hopefully by the 23rd, temperatures will have warmed up a few degrees.

On the way back I spotted this weir on the Braidland Burn. I will check to see that it is in our database of barriers. I’m not sure whether there are any impassible falls or weirs downstream and will have to check the 2005 Habitat survey that ART produce to see how this burn was recorded. It is clear to me that we still have much lo learn about this area.

A formidable barrier on the Braidland Burn that joins the Garnock in Dalry.

A formidable barrier on the Braidland Burn that joins the Garnock in Dalry. I’m not sure how much of this is natural or artificial.