On 25 March the Carp Management Team conducted the annual downstream survey of the Clyde River. The object of this exercise is to check that the river system below lakes' Crescent and Sorell remains carp-free.

Sites were sampled using backpack electro-fishing gear around Hamilton and upstream and downstream of Bothwell. The river had a good flow due to recent rains.

As well as the usual redfin perch and tench, the sampling revealed a healthy population of brown trout with one 100 metre stretch near Bothwell yielding 31 trout up to 400 grams in weight. No doubt there were larger fish in the deep pools, however, with the strong water flow these spots were inaccessible to our equipment. No carp were found.