News

  Thanks to funding from SEPA and the Doon Fishery Board we have been able to make a start on controlling invasive weeds on the Doon. Himalayan balsam is was well established on the Chapleton Burn (the one that flows in at Cassillis) but with the enthusiastic help of...

  It was good to get out electrofishing today, our first proper day surveying, although the Salmon in the Classroom project had involved a few mini surveys.   Gillian and myself, with the assistance of Galston Angling Club members surveyed a few tributary sites in the...

  June and July are the months when the rare sea lampreys can be seen spawning in Ayrshire. We saw a lamprey spawning nest today (known as a redd) in the lower River Irvine. The redds can be easily spotted and identified by the trained eye, especially at this time of...

  We are working our way slowly through the massive pile of scale samples taken during the smolt trap project on the River Ayr. The majority of the salmon (and sea trout) smolts have been two year olds but some of the scales have highlighted the different growth...

  I had a wee walk along the banks of the River Ayr last evening to see how effective the Giant hogweed spraying had been. The spraying had made a huge difference although it was annoying to see the odd plant that had been missed. A follow up visit will be required to...

  The river is getting so low now that the smolt trap is barely turning, although we are still catching fish. I timed the speed of revolution yesterday and it was taking 31 seconds to do one revolution whereas at the start of the project it was taking only 9 seconds....

  By the end of the week it was looking as if the smolt run was starting to tail off.  However the heavy showers on Friday resulted in a two inch river in the river level leading to our biggest daily catch so far on Saturday (why on the weekend, it took us all morning...

  It has been another week of high catches in the River Ayr smolt trap, with almost 2000 fish, despite the low water which is now just 2" above summer level. However, there was a small rise of 2" during the week which had an impact on water quality. The daily catch...