Irwell Kick Sample and Nuttall Park 1 July 17

Did my monthly sample at Ewood Bridge on the Irwell, number of insects going up as expected as the river warms.
 Went down to Nuttall Park on my way home.

Looks perfect, this bit used to be an eyesore, see below, until the Christmas 2015 flood damage caused the Environment  Agency to order the repairs.

Hard to believe that it is the same place but it is. 

Not all good though. The Times on Saturday listed the Irwell at Nuttall Park as a good free spot for trout fishing. I am not saying that there are no trout still, but the poison that got into the river below
Ewood Bridge killed most of  the insect life in the river all the way down to Manchester.

My reason for the visit was to get into the river and check for insects. After a half hour of lifting stones in the river all that I found I could count on one hand. As for fish I saw nothing at all, a chap I chatted with told me he had seen minnows and that the Heron still came to fish in the river. We live in hope.