The weather early on Monday was very cold, overcast
& grey with heavy rain and not at all pleasant. Eight Burrator Fly
Fishers members plus Sam Le Bailly from the South West Lakes Trust arrived at
Longstone around 10am. The plan was to make fly casting easier in a few
areas by removing some of the undergrowth and the invasive, fast growing
willows. The willows had been cut down previously and had since put out
long new shoots from the stumps ensuring that a less than accurate back
cast would be easily snagged.
Sam told me that he only recently joined SWLT but he soon had us organised and
under his expert guidance we made a successful start on the clearance. I think
he will be an asset to the Trust and we look forward to working with him in the
future.
The water level is currently high and when fishing in these conditions, even
wading a little way out, it is difficult to avoid overhanging branches and
bushes on the shore. If this plan is to be successful in the long term we
will need to ensure regular visits to keep the growth in check. I
understand that in the long term SWLT intend to clear more of the bank around
Longstone where willow and rhododendron have invaded the shoreline. They
would like to encourage wild flowers to re-establish themselves on the
peninsula where there is currently a mass of brambles.
The rain eased away after a couple of hours and Linda drove to the Burrator Inn
to collect a tray of excellent pasties for lunch. Two Kelly Kettles were
soon bringing water to the boil for very welcome mugs of tea. Lunch was
rounded off with slices of Linda's delicious home-made Dundee cake. It
was a bit of a struggle to resume work after all that!
We did manage another couple of hours before packing up in the afternoon as the
grey skies threatened more rain.
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