It was late October and the weather had started its decline into autumn, with the temperatures dropping overnight especially.  Even the warmth of the day at this stage cannot stop the river temperature dropping on average, but a low was on its way promising warm rain and overnight air temperatures to stay up!

“I must get out for this” I thought to myself. As the rain poured and mild westerly’s blew, I was on my way to the bank.  The river had coloured and warmed from the past days, where ‘touch of frost’ nights had taken their toll.

I hoped – as the rain blew at me stepping out of the car – that my timing was right. There is nothing worse than starting your session in the muddy slipperiness of rain at the river’s edge, with everything getting wet from the start. Though the slipping about would soon be worth it!

Casting in anticipation gets us anglers, every time; it’s the joy of fishing. My bait had not been in for long and the bite was unmistakable, as the rod – once laid low in the reeds – was dragged river bound, with no likelihood of stopping. The fight full of power and surge, the fish was strong and well-proportioned and at 8lb 14oz a specimen to wonder at.

Under my brolly, with warm rain blowing in, my smile was as broad as the river. And the rod was to be in action again, and again, with the rain easing off the big one pulled hard; at 11lb 2oz she would do any of us very nicely!

The evening blew in like the rain, and I think every fish in the river was hungry. The chub came and bream came and even an eel put in an appearance, all of these between 9 barbel of sizes between 5lb and the big one. On the way back to the car I tried a couple of spots and had 4 more barbel, what an evening!

This I will always consider to be lucky timing – when things were just right, but if we look out for them, these opportunities will come….

Tight Lines.