Small fry

Just up stream of the River Wye from us, there are some breeding beds – gravel areas where the females lay eggs and the males then fertilise them.  Which means that there are lots of Salmon and Trout fry in the water.  The Salmon return to the Wye in November or early winter.  Regular readers will remember the flood surges that we have experienced and the large quantities, volumes, of water that breezed past our back gate at speed.  So what happens to the fry?  They nestle into the gravel and stones of the river bed and sit tight.  Not all of the river runs at the same speed.  Something to do with science means that the upper levels of the river move more quickly than the lower levels, so whilst a good deal of scouring takes place, the fry have the chance to survive.

So what happens to the fry once the flood has gone?  The river reduces it’s level gradually, and of course rock pools remain.  Choose the wrong pool, and it might dry completely, meaning – bum choice, you dry and die.  OK for the dogs though as they rootle through the stones to find dried anchovies!