Our very good neighbour for many years Peter Fowler has sold up. All good things come to
an end but he and the family expect to be coming to Glencalvie at times next year. Hopefully,
we shall still see something of Peter and enjoy his humour and outlook on life.

We have to find new tenants to fill the weeks previously let to Glencalvie. Who do you know
who would like an opportunity, which doesn’t come up very often, to fish the beautiful Amat
water? We offer both 3 and 4 rod beats. The only difference between the two being that the
estate will now reserve to itself a rod in the former instance. Both teams will fish all the water
which, as before, will be divided into two beats that change every evening.

Regulars will notice a few changes. I have always been against grooming the banks on this
R. Carron. A great attraction is that the natural current flow does lots of work for the angler.
But when in spate the flow speeds up dramatically threatening or causing erosion for soft
banks in a number of places. In other countries l’ve fished with similar conditions, erosion is
countered by minimum bankside mowing and grooming. Bankside trees and vegetation bind
the ground, their roots afford hiding places for spawners, canopy gives partial shade to
moderate excessive water temperature in mid summer while the falling bugs feed juvenile fish.

Traditionally highland rivers like this are long on spawning gravels and short on juvenile feed.
They just do not enjoy the nutrient levels of a lowland river like Tweed. But, tree leaves in the
water break down, are devoured by river invertebrates who are then eaten by the fish.
Bankside vegetation is thus extremely valuable in maximising fish for piscators.

There has to be a balance and in this last season l fell into a gorse bush while playing a fish.
I decided, instantly, that gorse had absolutely no nutritional value. So, l’ve had a gorse war
which is still going on. Part of my ire stems from the fact that l have been forced to accept that
l’m no spring chick and thus paths and ways over fences are all under review.

As the only proprietor living full time on the river bank, Sara and l hope you’ll look in for a
drink, introduce us to new faces and keep telling me how to improve the fishings.

Jonny, Amat 26 Oct 09