Mixed Bag

After a few days on the djkes and canals, it was back on the ( different) river.

Fishing was tough. The stretch by our park up was very deep, very snaggy and very fast.

I didn't like it and unsurprisingly blanked on the first evening.

The next day out cycling with S, I had a good recce about a mile downstream. It was much more to my liking. Shallower,snag free and a nice flow. And most importantly,  I could fish off the beach and paddle at the same time.

I started fishing too early really, it was boiling hot and bites were nonexistent. After maybe an hour, the tip dropped back as something unseen took the sweetcorn. It turned out to be a clonking roach just over 2lb. That'll do nicely. 

Next cast I lost an even bigger one, but that was it. I cycled back to the van along the floodbank, the air still warm and close, then crashed out on the chair and watched the last of the sun go down, as the big ships passed by, rumbling on into the night.

We got up early the following day and headed north, in a futile attempt to beat the heat.

The first day on yet another river and it was roasting hot.

Out on the bikes for a long ride, ferries across two rivers, ice creams and then a welcome beer.

Time to prep the barbel gear. The flow here normally means very heavy feeders, but at the moment you can hold easily with 3 or 4 oz . 15lb Big Game main line, same for the hook links and a size 8 Guru MWG hook. There's your technical bit.

I started early. Nothing for at least an hour, then the bites started. First fish a clonking silver bream of around 2lb, followed by a small barbel.

Then it was ide all the way. One particularly chunky, immaculately conditioned specimen stood out, a veritable pig of a fish, which took a liking to cheese.

After breakfast, it was anther big bike ride, then lazing in the shade in an attempt to keep cool. It was so bloody hot I didn't fish in the evening.

At the moment it's just gone 06.00 and I'm sitting outside drinking tea in the drizzly rain, having been out asp hunting at dawn.

As usual, the action was all over in half hour, but I managed a cracker of around 6lb, which hit the lure with fury in the half light of a murky dawn.

Crappy photo-on-the-mat-with-flash, but a record of some kind anyway.

Today will, yet again, involve cycling, ice cream, coffee, a big dirty omelette and a few drinks.

Oh, I might have a fish too.