Benmore dam spillway

Before this weekend I'd never seen the spillway for the Benmore dam in action. It truly is a sight to behold. Here the sun has just risen over a snowy peak behind the dam and is catching the water from the spillway.

There has been so much nor'west rain for so long the hydro lakes are much higher than usual.

Fishing continued cold and lean for most of us. I did net well for one of my mates. We had a lot of laughs and I have a couple of fat rainbow hens to smoke sometime.

For the record, to stay warm I've worn long thermal socks, merino long johns, fleece pants, thermal gumboots, 2 merino t-shirts, a fleece hoodie, synthetic down jacket, long windproof fleece jacket, 2 hats, and sometimes the hood up on the synthetic down jacket. Oh, and gloves and a merino muff I sometimes pulled up over my nose.

It works reasonably well.

For the first time I saw a live wallaby hoping off into scrub across the road from Lake Aviemore. I usually see dead ones on the side of the road.

Today's gratitude: For incredible scenery and the opportunity to be somewhere with few people and a raw quality. I smile when I think that I've fished here over a number of years and now I've cycled past too.