We have had the builders in, so dust and chaos at home have been the order for us. A new bathroom and boy`s bedroom shall be the reward very soon…..We hope!
So last Thursday amid the noise and fuss I beat a hasty retreat to the river, there by late afternoon I planned to spend a few hours looking and trying, and then moving rivers for the evening spell. Having found very little to spot – standing on a high bank watching the gravel below – the orange of fins could just be seen, and the pale (well disguised fish) were happy to feed! The bite took 5 to 10 minutes and the small (well proportioned) barbel was taking me all around the swim.
Two hours later with the light fading fast and scurrying animals making their presence known, the rod tip plunged well beyond a twitch, and a second larger fish was on board. Buoyed with optimism, I went to the next river and fished well into the night without one positive bite! Nevermind there’s always next time for this river and it was as low and clear as it had been since the Spring, (excuses always in hand).
So this Tuesday with some very novel plans in hand for this weekend, (which i shall post about afterwards) the decision was made to head to rivers with the best chance of a big one. The rain had been pouring and the rivers rising rapidly, I would try the Kennet this afternoon for a few hours and then move off to another river that might be higher??
The Kennet (plenty of crays) had hardly any colour in it and was only an inch or so up, surprised, I set some traps (not cray fish ones) and roved a few swims in turn. Choosing one swim to fish into dark, a result way beyond my expectations followed shortly, this fish of 13lb 5oz!!
Time then to move on and once I arrived the river was 6 foot up and well coloured too, the fish were willing to feed if you could lay the bait down, and first cast a fish was on, a few more followed and the night was completed with this 10lb 2oz fish which fought like it had been hooked in the tail!! After a short sleep in the car – rudely interupted by heavy deluges of water – a quick cast before heading home and this little beauty took the biscuit!!
And my next instalment will be detailing a trip this Saturday with a man “on a mission”!!