The swallows, busy fattening for their imminent flight to Africa, were excited by the emerging Blue-winged Olive mayflies (Baetis sp), many of which were clinging to the underside of my wetsuit when I emerged from the water at Borough Fen. #RiverWissey #Foulden #Norfolk 3/4

After an inspiring tour of Joe Martin's wetland creations, a cooling (well, quite cooling, water 21.2°C, air 26.9), evening swim across the Great Ouse up the Wissey, my most beloved river.
#MySwim #chalkstreams #Denver #Norfolk #RiverWissey #RiverGreatOuse #GreatOuse 1/10

The huge numbers of Silver Bream in the River Wissey were mainly hanging out in shoals of the even more numerous Roach, several of which seemed to be injured or diseased. Also a few Chub and Perch.
#Freshwaterfish #freshwaterfishes #Norfolk #RiverWissey #Wissey #SilverBream
2/17

Yesterday, not many of the Minnows in the River Wissey at Borough Fen were, like these ones, mature and all flashy in breeding condition.
#Wissey #RiverWissey #Foulden #Norfolk #Minnows #Breckland #MondayMood
7/14

At Borough Fen, among the shoals of hundreds of small Dace fringing the River Wissey - often rather curious of snorkelers if you stay still, there were quite a few little Roach and the occasional Perch.
#RiverWissey #Wissey #Roach #Perch #Dace #Breckland #Foulden #Norfolk 5/14

On their upstream journey, there was a certain amount of cygnet competition for a ride on mum's back - victors looking rather smug.
Passing us again, on their way back downstream everyone swam for themselves.
#BirdsSeenIn2023 #MuteSwans #RiverWissey #birding #Norfolk 2/14

Hardly saw any fish in the 500 m of #Wissey Little River past Northwold Lodge; visibility v. poor, vegetation swathed in algae, gross silt on riverbed where the only sign of animal life was marauding Signal Crayfish. #RiverWissey #chalkstreams #Breckland #Northwold #Norfolk
3/5

Here's another picture of a breach from the River Wissey into Little River - untended to by @EnvAgency for about a decade.
Lovely pool into which another small stream flows thro' a culvert, up which I swam.
#Wissey #RiverWissey #Cranwhich #Breckland #Norfolk #Chalkstreams
7/12

I love the leaves of Yellow Water Lilies though they provide good hiding places for the fish - such as this Roach. Shame they are so silt covered in the Wissey at Whittington.

#chalkstreams #waterlilies #Breckland #Norfolk #Wildflowerhour #wissey #riverwissey #roach
2/6

Exhilarating yesterday being in the midst of a mayfly hatch on the River Wissey at Oxborough Ferry - mostly Drake Mackerels (Ephemera vulgata), I think - quite hapless beasts.

#MySwim #Chalkstreams #RiverWissey #Wissey #Norfolk #Breckland #Mayflies #Mayfly #Riverflies
1/13

At its confluence with the River Wissey, the narrow little chalk stream the River Gadder, projects a lovely tongue of clean sand out into the sadly murky waters of the River Wissey.
#RiverWissey #Wissey #chalkstreams #Norfolk #Breckland #Oxborough #EarthDay #EarthDay2022
4/5

Good exercise swimming 1km up River Wissey from Oxborough Ferry to Oxborough Drain, with little freshwater life to distract us, just pair of Mute Swans who didn't seem pleased to see us, and the willows greening up nicely. #RiverWissey #Norfolk #BirdsSeenIn2022 #chalkstreams 6/7

Masses of #caddisfly larvae up Oxborough Drain: guessing top are Limnephilus? with cute snails embedded, Athripsodes lower left, not sure about lower right?
#Caddisflylarvae #RiverWissey #chalkstreams #browntrout
3/7

Fast going down #RiverWissey; v aerobic exercise in some places when going back up. Gloriously beautiful above & below water, but not 1 fish (only fishermen & Kingfisher).
Banks carpeted with Great Scented Liverwort/Snakewort (Conocephalum conicum)? #Bryophyte #Liverwort
2/3

There's some obstacles to swimming in the River Wissey - we could go under most of the fallen trunks & over the rest.
Only place we saw fish (apart from Bullheads) was the gentler northern branch which joined the main channel by a patch of Club-rush.
#Wissey #RiverWissey
5/6

Hares abound around Hilborough.
Countryside already looking a bit tired & late summery.
Mute Swan guarded ford over River Wissey.
A tributary crossed by Home Lane also looking lovely.
#RiverWissey #BirdsSeenIn2021 #hare #Hares #sundayvibes #TwitterNatureCommunity #thebrecks
4/4

Look! My best #chalkstream find yet - a River God!

(Can't wait for @anicolson's article on #chalkstreams in @NatGeo next year!)

#MySwim #Wissey #RiverWissey #Ickburgh #Norfolk

1/2

I wonder if there is a way to get my new Olympus Tough TG-6 to focus on the Water Crowfoot in one shot that comes straight up from Brown Trout under water?
#Ickburgh #Wissey #RiverWissey #Chalkstreams #Chalkstream #Norfolk #browntrout #trout
8/11

The Brown Trout parr have to work quite hard to stay in the same spot in the brisk River Wissey. Some individuals at least are in the same spot week after week. #Ickburgh #Wissey #RiverWissey #Chalkstreams #Chalkstream #Norfolk #browntrout #trout #troutparr
@WildTroutTrust 7/11

The Chalk-stream Water Crowfoot tresses on the River Wissey at Ickburgh almost too breath-takingly beautiful to process. (Can't get my camera to do them justice.)
#Watercrowfoot #Wildflowerhour #Wissey #RiverWissey #Chalkstreams #Chalkstream #Norfolk #30DaysWild #Breckland 6/11

Brown trout seem to be the most abundant fish in the River Wissey at Ickburgh, but also several Perch & a few Bullheads. Sad to see a dead Stone Loach - hope not the same one I saw very alive a week earlier. #RiverWissey #Wissey #Chalkstreams #Norfolk #freshwaterfishes
4/11

Brown Trout parr in the River Wissey at Ickburgh such enchanting little fish. Not sure which plant this is top right #WildflowerID? Guess the Caddis Fly larvae below are Agapetus fuscipes (left) & Micropterna sequax (right)? #RiverWissey #Chalkstreams #Chalkstream #Norfolk
2/11

The wonderful Wissey (19.7°C), deep and smooth, idyllic on a still evening under a cloudless blue sky, the epitome of tranquility.
#RiverWissey #Chalkstreams #Chalkstream #Norfolk
4/4

Along the River Wissey, beds of Water Cress, stands of Water Dock entwined with Bittersweet & rafts of Chalk-stream Water Crowfoot bejewelled with abundant Banded Demoiselles, damselflies & dragonflies.
#RiverWissey #Chalkstreams #Chalkstream #Norfolk
2/4

With thanks to Arthur Gilmour & Joe Martin, idyllic swim along 1 km of the River Wissey between Whittington & Oxborough.
Masses of Chub, Roach, Perch & some Gudgeon & Pike.
#MySwim #RiverWissey #Chalkstreams #Chalkstream #Norfolk
1/4

Here's a little Brown Trout parr hanging in the brisk current of the River Wissey.
#Browntrout #trout #Ickburgh #Wissey #RiverWissey #ChalkStreams #Chalkstream #Breckland #TheBrecks #Norfolk #30DaysWild @WildTroutTrust @SalmonTroutCons @Britnatureguide

3/8

On the Wissey riverbed found a laptop (HP) and horse bones - as in all good #chalkstreams!

On drive home, realised my wetsuit was covered in these squirming larvae - mosquitoes? No wonder lots of fish in the river.
Ickburgh #Wissey #RiverWissey
7/8

A breath-takingly glorious, display of Chalk Stream Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus penicillatus) on the River Wissey.

#Ickburgh #Wissey #RiverWissey #ChalkStreams #Chalkstream #Breckland #TheBrecks #Norfolk #30DaysWild #wildflowerhour #crowfoot

6/8

River Wissey absolutely teeming in Brown Trout. Amazing range of individual variation in patterning.

#Browntrout #trout #Ickburgh #Wissey #RiverWissey #ChalkStreams #Chalkstream #Breckland #TheBrecks #Norfolk #30DaysWild

3/8

Among the abundant and confiding Brown Trout parr in the River Wissey, a beautiful black one with gold barring.

#Browntrout #trout #troutparr #Ickburgh #Wissey #RiverWissey #ChalkStreams #Chalkstream #Breckland #TheBrecks #Norfolk #30DaysWild

2/8