Diary of an average angler

I hadn't been fishing for a month. Christmas, followed by a flu bug, flooded rivers and challenging weather kept me away from the water. I decided to return to the Trout Stream as it fishes far better in the winter and I had a cracking day there back in November. Things started well when I hooked into a big fish but went downhill fairly rapidly. But having got over a minor crisis I had a good session in the end.

I repeated the strategy of my November trip, starting about midway along the stretch at a spot that has been very reliable in the past. I had hoped for a quick bite, which is often the way, but on this occasion it didn't happen. I tried a few casts, a couple a rod's length out and one close to the bank, which had worked on the previous visit. None produced anything so as a final effort I cast towards the far bank allowing the shot and bait to swing around under the trailing branches of the downstream tree. Once again there wasn't an immediate bite but after a short while the tip knocked and I hooked into something really big. The rod effectively locked out, giving the fish control of the situation, whereby it snagged me. That was disappointing enough but then I broke about 40mm of my rod tip while trying to handline out of the situation.

Not a good start but very eventful!

I moved downstream to an open glide where I had caught in the past. Casting to the edge of the faster water on the right, the bait was in somewhat slacker water. Once again there wasn't an immediate bite but after a fairly short while the tip knocked and I was into a chub. It wasn't massive at 2¼ lbs but it was gratefully received. At least it wouldn't be a blank.

The fact that the top eye was missing from the rod caused a bit of a problem in that the line kept looping around the bare end of the rod, inhibiting casting. But I was still getting bite indications on the fine tip.

I tried a couple of more casts in the swim but with no takes. I had passed a possible spot a few yards upstream and went back there for a try. It was a difficult swim with the bank having recently been submerged, making it very muddy. And downstream the swim was full of dying reeds. Deciding it was a bit too challenging I moved on but only after an encounter with a somewhat aggressive swan.

Next I went to the spot where I caught my PB chub for the stream last time. The recent floods had changed the character of the swim. Whereas previously there had been a raft extending from the near bank about a third into the stream, on this occasion it had all been washed down and was across the full width of the stream under some overhanging trees. In some ways this made the swim easier to fish although it had removed the clear channel where I had cast to catch my chub. I tried casting to the edge of the raft for the bait to drift under it but this didn't result in any bites. After a couple of casts I moved on.

The next spot was one where I had never caught before, and that didn't change. Despite looking inviting I always blank there. It's just downstream of a bend and is very turbulent, perhaps too much so.

It was time to make my way back to the top of the stretch. On my last visit I had tried again in the spot where I started, and in fact was successful. But this time I gave it a miss, instead just resting there for a while for a cup of coffee.

I had expected to perhaps try a couple of spots on my way to the top end of the stream but on closer inspection decided against them. Instead I made my way to the swim where I caught last time, and where I had caught on earlier visits. On this occasion I missed a bite and unfortunately wasn't able to tempt another one, which was a shame. It would have been nice to get a second fish. But after all the excitement of the first swim, and the fact that I had managed to catch a chub, I packed up quite satisfied with the session. It didn't match the previous visit but was, to be fair, more in keeping with my usual expectations on this stream.

I'll definitely return and hope to again tempt the bigger fish but this time with a beefier rod so I can hopefully take charge of the situation.