Friday, the day the UK was supposed to turn in to Australia. Temperatures were supposed to get up into the really rather ludicrous range. As it turned out it wasn't quite as bad as predicted. Assisted by a nice breeze it didn't feel too bad. I'm not a hot weather person, anything over 25 C is a heatwave to me. Stood in the middle of he river with the breeze blowing upstream and the water heading towards chilly thanks to the rain earlier in the week was rather pleasant.
I'd gone to one of my favourite barbel spots, but not really for barbel. I did intend to to have a go as dusk set in. My intention was to have a paddle about and remap the area as the winter floods had completely re-profiled the area. The swim I normally fished with a 4-6' run along the far bank now had an island in front of it, which with its gentle slope was providing shelter to a lot of fry . The nearside 6-12" deep last year was now a knee-deep channel. Downstream the deep channel had disappeared and was now about 30" deep with the rest around knee-deep. The magic hole under the willow had reappeared though.
While I waited for dusk I had a go for the dace I'd been told about by an acquaintance. As the water where they'd been seen was only a foot or so deep I'd brought my fly rod with me. I spent the best part of an hour trying to hit a take. I could see what was happening. The larger fish were rising to the fly, only to be beaten to it by a little 3-4" one. Despite dropping down to a size 24 IOBO I just couldn't hook one.
With the sun disappearing behind clouds I added some more feed to the two barbel swims and readied the rods. As I sat and had a cuppa a family of Merganser came down the river along the far bank diving occasionally. Not long after they'd passed through fish started to rise in one of the barbel swims. A couple of casts and a grayling took the fly, followed by a few more. Hitting one in three takes produced half a dozen of them all the same size. A nice way to waste half an hour.
By now it was beginning to get really dark and dusk was over an hour away. Then the distant sound of thunder. I got one barbel rod out as another long roll of thunder sounded. As I picked up the second rod lightening could be seen. Then a few spots of rain. I took the hint a quickly packed up. Half way to the car the heavens opened. I took the risk of walking through the woods and stayed reasonably dry. I then got soaked as I fumbled about trying to find the car key.
Although brief the rain had been heavy as there were some big
puddles on the road. A careful drive home was called for as aquaplaning
was rather too easy as the idiot behind me discovered as he zoomed up
before been thrown across to the wrong side of the road. He seemed to
calm down then. As I neared home it as getting dryer. The neighbour
informed me they'd only had a shower.
Despite the curtailed barbel session the paddle about had thrown up a couple of new barbel spots where there are now some deeper holes that weren't there before and the half hour catching grayling was fun. Not sure how I'm going to sort the better dace out though, may have to wait until autumn.
Music while typing provided by: La Confiserie Sonore
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