Giving Blood

By the time I'd wandered down to the river my foolishness in leaving my gloves at home meant I couldn't feel my fingers. The breeze that was blowing really did drop the temperature a few degrees. After a bit of vigorous hand rubbing feeling was restored and both rods set up and in the water. Smelt next to over hanging branch and lamprey at the bottom of the shelf. The swim I'd chosen to start in was at least protecting me from the wind.

 








With a cup of tea part drunk the lamprey float shot away at a great rate of knots, before popping up again a few yards away. A strike contacted with nothing and I retrieved a slightly chew bait. This went back out to same spot. By ten, and with no more bites, I wound in and had a wander upstream to look at an alternative swim or two. Non of them looked particularly inviting, besides the sun was now out and my current swim was a bit of a sun trap and out of the wind.

 















It was after one when the next bite occurred, just as I was gnawing on a ham and cheese sandwich. Some thing very lively had taken the lamprey. Things got very lively as I got it over the shelf which was only six to eight inches deep. Netting large fish in shallow water is always fraught. I got it over the net, but before I could lift it the fish flipped and shot towards me, beaching it's self. This was all well and good, but the deep sticky mud prevented me from reaching it. I eventually managed to poke the landing net under it while it remained calm. A 95cm fish of 10lb 13oz.


 










It was another three hours before the next bite, this time to the smelt. A rather lethargic little fish that came in more like a sodden branch. As I gilled it it came to life. Jabbing the end of my thumb with the hook point and scrapping my fingers with it's gill rakers. A rather scared fish of 61cm. The blood in the picture is all mine, in fact half an hour later when I was packing in it still hadn't stopped. This is probably a good thing as it means any germs, or whatever, are washed out.

 















Should I have moved? Yes, No, Maybe. At least I was comfortable where I was, in the sun, and I believe you tend to catch more if you're warm and comfortable.