Mission Accomplished?

One of the problems with arriving between three and four for an evening session is that you arrive at the hottest part of the day. Not that it was a long walk, but you're soon dripping with sweat once you've walked up and down looking for a suitable swim. With the Ure still well up, albeit falling very slowly, choice was limited. Also the fact that this stretch is not heavily fished in summer meant that the lush vegetation was hiding the swims and the edge of the river. Some poking around with a bank-stick was needed. I found a nice looking swim with over hanging trees above and below. A few casts showed there to be quit a depth of water close in and no apparent snags.

 








As I wasn't specifically targeting barbel as they're not abundant here I had brought some lobs as well as pellets. A groundbait feeder was cast half a dozen times into each spot with either pellets of chopped worm added. An 8mm pellet was dropped downstream and a lob upstream. Nothing much happened for the first hour apart from a couple of rattles on the worm rod then the pellet rod whacked over. I struck into something solid, very solid. I was snagged, where the hell did that come from. As I couldn't feel a fish on the end I gave it a steady pull and retrieved a small bit of twig. After checking everything was OK, nor frays or nicks in the line I chucked it out again. A few minutes later the tip lurched over and this time I was in. A couple of lunges and everything went slack. Everything seemed OK with the end rig, the hook was sharp enough so out it went again.

 








Not long after a barge passed by the worm rod sprung into life, line been taken from the baitfeeder I struck into a lump of weed. Not long after the same rod bounced about violently, the strike was into nothing even the worm was intact. Not long after the recast the tip rattled about and this time  a little gudgeon surfaced, not hooked though, attached to the end of the worm. Obviously it fell off as I swung it in. That was it until about half an hour before dark when I made my first bad cast of the day straight into the upstream tree. Despite my best efforts it broke off just above the feeder. I ummed and ahhed about re-rigging, but after last nights last minute fish I decided it was best to get a bait back in the water. I needn't have bothered. Apart from a couple of rattles on the worm rod nothing else happened. I'd pushed it in dark as I'd remembered my head-torch this time, I'd probably overstayed my welcome as night fishing is not really allowed here. Also I'd left my fleece in the car and was beginning to feel the op in temperature.

 








It had been an interesting session. I'd got bites at least. I'd not really expected much, it was just a bit of an exploratory session on a stretch I'd not fished for years. The quest continues.