Weather: 4.2° Mainly fine. Areas of frost and fog at night. Light winds.
River Flow: 22.7 Cumecs (m³/s)
We woke to another thick frost this morning, with the temperature dropping to -3.6°C. It's definitely a day for warm gloves and beanies.
The sun did make an appearance, but it offered little relief from the bitter cold.
The river remains very low and clear, sitting at a summer-like level of 22.7 cumecs. These conditions have once again made things challenging for anglers. Fish have been moving through the system quickly, in smaller numbers than expected and are proving to be very spooky.
I headed out on Tuesday morning for a birthday fish and was lucky enough to land a nice, fat fresh hen. My partner also landed a slightly leaner hen, and Sombra the cat even caught his first mouse on the riverbank. All in all, it was a very successful morning.
AB and Rosie braved the frosty conditions this morning and were rewarded with a successful session. They reported just how low and crystal clear the river system is at the moment, meaning stealth was key. Natural patterns such as Hare & Coppers proved to be the most effective, making for a great morning on the water.
It's been great to have AB back down here, and this time he's been able to spend more time fishing rather than working. Hopefully he gets the chance to sneak in another session before heading back to the big city.
There have definitely been more reports of fish in mixed condition, with the fresh-run fish generally being a little smaller than we'd normally expect.
We're expecting some rain over the weekend and into Monday, which should really help get things moving. It seems the rest of the country has been getting its fair share of rain, while the Central Plateau has largely missed out. Hopefully, this next system delivers what we've been waiting for.
Looking ahead, overnight temperatures will remain very cold, but with cloud cover expected to increase as the rain moves in over the weekend, we're less likely to see the temperatures dropping as far below zero as they have over the past few days. If the rain holds off, I still expect to see some frosts, but overall, it looks like we'll have a fairly calm few days ahead.
Stay warm, everyone, and tight lines!
~ Niamh (Bluey)