Some of you may have noticed the first stirrings of a monster down by the river.
No, not the huge rainbow I think I hooked but it got away, but this year's crop of Giant Hogweed plants
The plants are appearing now and are mostly no bigger than a rhubarb plant, but you probably know that they will grow gigantic if they're not stopped. We're not asking members to do anything about them, except to avoid them. Special herbicides are used to control them and they need to be applied by qualified professionals using the appropriate PPE. They should be treating stretches of the river in the next few weeks.
You are advised not to touch the plants or get so close that you might accidentally brush against them. As you may know, they can affect skin so that it blisters badly when exposed to sunlight.
Hopefully they will all be treated before they get too big, but if not, please just avoid them.
Meanwhile this first stocking is still providing plenty of catches for many, but the good weather is rewarding for those of us not quite so lucky. I did notice that one member, who has a prodigious catch record, was leaving as I was arriving this morning, so maybe there's a clue there?
Enjoy the river, whether you catch or not, and hopefully we will soon see the restoration of more sensible river levels, and some decent flow to wash away the brown algae that's appearing again. It all makes for an interesting challenge anyway.
Cheers
PeterB