Start The Year Like You Mean To Go On, Or Maybe Not

My plan for today was to fish the opposite bank to last time. This was based on the water been a bit higher and knowing where a couple of large eddies form when it get to that height. Arriving at the car park I was surprised at the number of vehicles. A quick walk down to the river with out the tackle was called for as I suspected they may be a match on. I had checked the calender and assumed I must have read it wrong. Talking to the first angler I found confirmed the match, which apparently had been rescheduled. I also noticed that the river seemed somewhat higher than the 1.5m the gauge was showing. I decided to head down to the tidal stretch. It had been a long time since I'd pike fished the his stretch some of which good be very very good.

I arrived around high tide, and was it high the weir had nearly disappeared. The usual tactics were to be employed. One float ledgered bait, one paternostered bait, and a variety of baits. In the first swim I got to watch a kestrel hovering then stoop. It wasn't until the fourth swim that the float did anything interesting when it started to move along the eddy. I contacted with nothing. There was a little bit of damage on the bait, but it didn't look like pike damage. There was, however, a lot of debris wrapped round the lead. I suspect it was that which caused the float to move. By now the river had dropped a good three foot so I had to be careful which swims I fished as getting near the water was a bit tricky with the mud covered banks.

Several times a large raptor flow along the far bank. I don't know if it was the same bird or not. Nor do I know if it was a buzzard or kite as I can't really tell them apart at distance. I fished several more swims with out success giving each thirty minutes. Despite the wind it had been quite a pleasant day out and certainly not January like. I decided to pack up early so as to get down the track in daylight. There are some big potholes in it, real sump-guard territory which I didn't fancy negotiating in the dark.

I could have gone somewhere more sensible I suppose, but if you don't try places in different conditions then you'll just never know their potential.