Exploring Old Haunts

We all have days when we wonder why we bother, Thursday was one of those days.  I'd decided to go to a stretch I'd not been for years and years. A wander up and down the overgrown section showed there to be three possibly four swims. I decided to start at the top swim. A quick hack with the machete and a flat clear patch emerged about four five foot above the river. I had a cast about with a lead. Even quite close in it was about nine ten foot deep, but snag free. Having sorted the tackle out I proceeded to poke a couple of bank sticks in. As I stepped off the small flat area there was a bit of a splash near the bank. Turning round a bank stick was about to dive headlong into the river. As I went to grab it another bit of bank gave way. Time for swim two I think.

Another hack round with the machete produced a nice comfortable looking platform, again well above the river. Again I had a cast around with a lead, but not before poking a couple of banks sticks in. This time the bank appeared to be a lot more solid. There was an obvious snag to the right close in, but the enticing looking crease appeared to be snag free. A pellet was dropped in down stream on a light lead which rolled under a tree.  A feeder went in to the crease upstream. After five mins I retrieved it with the intention of laying down a bit of feed. It snagged. After a bit of pulling the snag gave way only to land in another snag. Again after a bit of pulling it came adrift only to go flying up into the tree above me. The hook and feeder fell through the branches with in reach. After cutting them off I wound the line in. After reconnecting everything I cast out a bit shorter. Four more feeder full went out with out incident.

On the next cast, however, the feeder didn't seem to reach bottom. Winding in showed it to be snagged, again. A long slow pull and I could see the hook on a branch just below the surface. The snag, though, was now solid and refused to move further. I reckoned I could reach the hook with the landing net if the little shelf at the bottom of the bank was solid. A poke about with a bank stick showed there to be about four inches of mud then something solid. Sliding down the bank I hooked the landing net over the end of the branch and pulled. Almost immediately the sold ground disappeared and I was up to my knees in the water. It transpired I was stood on the other end of the sunken branch. The branch had snapped though, so I wouldn't be leaving a baited hook behind. The next problem was getting out. I could no long reach the top of the sheer bank. I was left with no choice, but to shuffle along and scramble out through the nettles. Not a pleasant experience.

I gave it another half hour with just the one rod before moving to swim three. This swim was a bit closer to the water than the others. After casting a lea about. A feeder was placed upstream of a over hanging tree on the far bank and the light lea was rolled under a tree on the near bank. There they sat for the next couple of hours with out incident, until just before dark when the tip whacked round in usual barbel form. Only it wasn't a barbel, but a jack pike which had hold of the feeder. It was good enough to let go as I brought it to the net..

Not the most productive day fish wise, but I'm now familiar with the swims and snags on this stretch. I did spend some time staring up into and old sycamore looking for the Tawny Owl that was making a racket, but couldn't for the life of me see it.