Water levels in the River Ayr have been falling now for the last week but we are still catching smolts in the trap. The salmon smolts are now showing signs of advanced smolting and many have complete coverage of silvery scales, black edges to the fins and slim condition factor.
We are catching fewer sea trout smolts recently but a stocked brown trout turned up in the trap at the weekend. That it was a recent stocked trout was immediately obvious from the worn fins, small rounded tail in proportion to the size of the fish and the high condition factor. This fish may have migrated downstream a considerable distance before being caught in the trap.
At the weekend we also caught minnows, stone loach and a toad!
The water temperature was 9.8oC on Sunday morning so things are starting to warm up.
BS
