Migration

Feeling under the weather today, not helped by a broken night's sleep - plagued by disturbing dreams (that I now can't remember) and woken twice by torrential rain battering down on to the roof light in the hall. It was one of those dark, damp days with no hint of sun to boot. MrM and I were both feeling rather sluggish, but he started working on the surround to the hearth, and I sorted some paperwork.

By mid-afternoon we both felt that we should make an effort and get out for a short walk. But, on the way to Weetwood, MrM suggested that we should first go to Haugh Head to see if any salmon were jumping. We did, and watched dozens of fish - sea trout, but no salmon - attempt to negotiate the ford to migrate upstream to spawn. After the heavy overnight rain there was a raging torrent of peaty water going over the ford, and there's only a tiny fish pass in the centre. All the fish we saw jumping, with no exception, failed to get atop the ford, but crashed in to the concrete and metal structure head on, before falling back in to the water. The fish in the Blip misjudged the distance and jumped far too soon, but at least didn't hit its head in the process! Such an effort to no avail. There are plans for changes to the ford to make fish migration much easier, hopefully before next autumn.

Too late for a walk by the time we left the ford, so we stopped at Wooler Bridge to watch the fish jumping there before heading for home. MrM made one of his famous curries for our evening meal, after which we enjoyed the first episode of His Dark Materials on TV, and indulged in a wee dram.