Life Goes On, Eden Nymphs

guest3 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-02-2009, 08:25 PM

On my weekly visits to check the River Eden at Langwathby Bridge, on the A686 road from Penrith to Alston, I record water height and temperature, and pass on the info to the staff in John Norrris of Penrith. This winter, in addition to the odd Baetis (olive ) nymph or Heptagenid (stone-clinger ), I have found the odd large stonefly creeper, in just a few inches of water, in the margins. I mention this because we don't expect to see them so exposed at this time of year. The pics are not brilliant, as the shots were hand-held and I was using the standard lens, but they show what we can expect in a month or two.
The heptagenid, judging by its size is probably a large brook dun nymph, while the stonefly is our common large.

Buzz · #2 (**permalink**) 09-02-2009, 08:29 PM

Good post TC.
So many people forget the menu is written out for us fly fishers.
Stoneflies give me the hebegebees

Mies · #3 (**permalink**) 09-02-2009, 08:45 PM

Nice shots, Terry. Obviously a labour of love.

On a side note, do you think Buzz's avatar looks like a rhinoceros?

North Country Angler · #4 (**permalink**) 09-02-2009, 09:03 PM

Nice to see a stonefly or two Terry!
I had a kickabout in the Ribble a couple of weeks ago and was surprised by an apparent lack of baetids at three seperate sample sites. Lots of heptagenids and caddis though. Someone once told me that heptas are the best invetebrate indicator of water quality in that they won't tolerate much impurity - do you subscribe to this theory?

M

guest3 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-02-2009, 09:33 PM

Hi' All. Thanks for the comments. First, i don't know about Buzz's avatar, Miesi.
It looks like a cross between a barbel and a small warthog. What in Hades is it, Buzz? Put us out of our misery!!
Regarding water quality indicators. The farm effluent pollution, which affects the River Petteril site that I have been monitoring since June, 2005 has completely knocked out the freshwater shrimps. Paul Gaskell worked with Sheffield Uni study group at Kettleside Farm, where I've been, but we didn't meet. They used captive shrimps as indicators.
Stoneflies don't like farm effluent, either, heptagenids a bit more tolerant, while caddis and baetids lap it up by comparison, as long as it doesn't rob the water of too much oxygen.
Half a mile downstream, I find shrimps and heptas in fair quantity.
The daft thing about stoneflies is that they will thrive in the water running out of lead mines!! I found some massive nymphs at my old home town of Alston in Nov. 2007, while kick-sampling the River Nent, the South Tyne's main tributary in the upper reaches. Not a lot besides them tho, a few caseless caddis. Went twenty yards down stream to junction pool, up the Tyne a few yards, no comparison in numbers or diversity. The Nent drains a vast area of old lead mines in the fells around Nenthead vilage, where I was born. They say lead can drive you mad.

Hope that helps. Terry

PS You won't believe this. I was at Alston to give an address to the Alston Moor Historical Society --on, The Effects of Upland Drainage on the Rivers Eden and South Tyne. It was renamed ,The Alston Moor Hysterical Society after I left!!