October rain

After a September with little rainfall October 6th finally brought a decent spell of wet. The rivers responded rapidly swelling up and turing peaty auburn for the first time in weeks. By the time it cleared the Wharfe and Ure where racing and gathering pace. After a dry night they began to drop back and it seemed a good time to look for fish jumping. I headed down to Redmire falls armed with camera and a little hope. A Dipper was sat on a rock beneath Apedale beck and a Heron stood in the shallow edges at the far bank. It reluctantly took to the air, slow wingbeats just managing to get it out the water and away. I headed over the limestone 'steps' and down to the first set of falls. Getting my feet wet I found a good place to sit and I waited there, legs dangling against a mossy boulder, for a couple of hours till dusk set in but nothing stirred, not even a noticeable rise in the pool beneath the falls.

On the way home I stopped at Ballowfields to see if any big trout had moved into the stream there. Too high and fast to see anything. It cant be long now before the fish head up this way so I plan to maintain the vigil in the spare time I get. In the meantime plenty of mapping and writing to be getting on with.