The Lady of the South has not been at her best in recent years. Over-extraction, boat traffic on the adjacent K&A canal and the march of signal crayfish are all potential causes, but ultimately the Kennet is a poorly river. Gone are the beds of ranunculus, clouds of insects and shoals of silver fish.
Yes, there are still pockets of loveliness, and some very big fish, but we must cherish them while we can and cross our fingers for the future.