Exploration

River Blythe - 2hrs.

Another short excursion this week. I very nearly opted for a stab at a local pond for convenience, but my brain kicked in and reminded me there's only one more weekend left. It had to be a river.

The Blythe was the best bet time wise, but with a match using part of the water, I opted for a stretch I hadn't fished before. 

Largely open and lacking in features, it's not as obviously alluring as some waters, but I found myself quite captivated by it. It was just nice to be strolling through pastures new, looking for something that screamed "fish me".

I found a handful of likely swims, but chose to ignore the one I liked most. I'd actually already selected another swim to start from, but I couldn't help wandering further on for a brief look. I'll revisit it when I have more time.

Any concerns of blanking were dispatched first cast. A couple of tentative plucks were met with a hopeful strike and a small meat loving chub was soon on the bank. 

No follow up though, until I decided to start tracing my path back. Reeling in to move on, my chunk of meat was snaffled by something on the retrieve.  The usual suspect revealed itself and was actually my first Blythe pike. A real tiny one this - very similar in size to the chub.

It's food for thought for the future though and maybe there's a decent one lurking somewhere. I'll sleep on that for now.

I tried 3 more swims without a sniff. I remained conscious throughout - which is good form for me.

A pleasant couple of hours in tranquil surroundings, with the place to myself. Lots more to learn and uncover. As Arnie said, I'll be back...

These closed seasons creep up far too quickly for my liking. Hopefully one more brief adventure next week