I half expected the river to be heading up to levels beyond ideal, but a quick check of the EA site when I woke up gave a promising report - it was about 6 inches up and quite constant. It wasn't raining either and more importantly the updated BBC forecast was suggesting it would stay that way. It didn't take long to make the decision to wet a line, but having done no preparation I needed the simplest option. I knew my Pike gear was still ready to go, so all I had to do was dig out a few deadbaits from the freezer and be on my way.
The Avon looked in decent nick and despite arriving over a couple of hours later than normal, I still had the place to myself.
I moved between three pegs during the 4 hour session but only had success in one of them. I caught 3 fish in total, 2 of which have been on the bank in previous weeks.
All fish fell to Lamprey and the first one weighed 8lb 6oz. It was the same fish I caught 2 weeks earlier from the next peg upstream and it weighed in identically.
The second fish came later in the day after I'd returned to the swim. Although I didn't weigh it this time, it's a fish I caught a week earlier at 6lb 6oz from the same part of the same swim using the same bait. Maybe it doesn't like change!
I was within 20 minutes of my finish time now and didn't really expect any more action. I packed down the rod that caught the previous fish due to the trace being damaged and I had no spares tied up. While putting the rod in its case, I noticed the line move on the other rod. I initially thought it was slack line blowing in the wind, but it looked odd. I tightened the line gently and saw it move a little, so I struck and a fish was on. It stayed on for a second or so and I was left to reel in the Lamprey section.
I didn't think I'd get another shot in the time I had left, but I took a punt and plopped the bait back into the exact same spot for a last fling. Within 2 minutes the line was twitching again and I was into a fish - more than likely the same one having another go. I managed to keep attached to it this time, but only just. The hooks slipped out in the net and I was left with a different fish for once, which went 8lb 14oz.
A pleasant end to a season that I'm not going to look back on with too much fondness. It started out with the rivers being swollen on the opening weekend and we suffered that same fate on many more occasions in the following months. Hopefully next season we'll get to see better conditions on more occasions.
Attention now turns to the stillwaters for 3 months and I look forward to getting amongst the Tench. Things look decidedly cold though for the immediate future, so we might have to wait patiently for the Tench to really get on the feed.
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