A Phenomenon

Another very hot day. Nipped down the road to see if I could catch a bass or two on some new lures.

Lovely evening,  spoiled somewhat by a huge invasion of hoverflies that filled the sky and covered my body.

Third cast on the "Hunthouse" top water lure ( superior Chinese copy ) and an extremely hard fighting bass eventually succumbed to the pressure of the old Lamiglass nine footer.

A change to a slow sinker immediately resulted in another of the same size.

It was then I noticed the whole river was full of rising fish. I was initially flummoxed, but with a bit of observation came to the conclusion they were taking hoverflies off the top. They being small bass. Thousands of them

The hoverflies were replaced with millions of ladybirds and the rises became even more vociferous and widespread.

An incredible spectacle that I've never seen before and may never see again.

Us anglers are lucky aren't we ?

Summer Days

Well, the bass and mullet on my metaphorical doorstep have disappeared.  Where there were hundreds of flashing, rolling, jumping fish, now there is nothing. Another mystery.

I've been poking about, watching, cycling and baiting. Ive been pre baiting two interesting areas, one in a section where I've never, ever had a decent fish. I've seen nothing either, but the bait had disappeared on a couple of occasions.  Whether it's wildfowl, small chub or something decent who knows. I'll find out.

I've also been farting around doodling. Sitting in the garden in the shade, coffee on, listening to the back catalogue of the mighty Fall, is a damn fine way to spend a morning. 

I reckon in the last few months almost all my fishing has been done on, or more accurately, accessed, by bike. Obviously that means it's all pretty close to home, but it ensures that the gear is kept to a minimum and cycling tiny lanes and riverside footpaths in summer is a lovely thing.

I had a look along a tiny feeder stream yesterday, heaving with life. Small fish, dragon and damselflies, a kingfisher. The water was crystal clear, as you'd expect after months without significant rainfall.

A beautiful place to spend a bit of time.

You can never be unhappy catching a gudgeon.

I've finally got round to (very, very loosely) planning the camper trip for late July and August, just over four weeks of fishing, cycling and generally poking about somewhere in Europe.

As Eisenhower said, "Its a bad plan that can't be altered", so we'll see where we end up.