Chances missed

Date fished 1/8/2019
11.30am until 20.15

Before I start with the blog, I must apologise for the current river levels and flooding. I can only assume that my decision to have 3 days off this week and potentially do 4 days fishing on 3 different rivers has prompted the deluge!!

Having written a Swale trip off from Wednesday due to the heavy floods, the planned Wharfe trip on Thursday was going ahead. Literally spending the day before glued to the river levels website, the level had dropped and looked fishable.

Packing the kit included some large 5.5oz weights, strong tackle and of course Doritos, Lucozade and pasties!! Yes, I was fishing with Aidan!

Picking him up after work at 10 (ish) it was a chatty 100miles to the river. Aidan has fished this stretch on many occassions and knows it well. He always gives me great advice and puts us on the fish.

The river looked good. High but dropping off and a good colour. We baited up our rods and cast out. I started with cheese paste and garlic meat, Aidan was on pellet and boilies.

After little interest, I swapped to double pellet on one and meat close in on the other. It was now after 1pm and we were getting to grips with the flow, rig position and hoping for some fish. I just thought I would have a drink of coffee. Flask out and pouring, it happened.
My rod arched over and line started peeling off the baitrunner. Dropping my cup, I was on the rod. I was in. The double pellet doing the trick. I felt the strong pull of the fish, definitely a barbel. And snap. My hook link snapped. Gutted.

The river was dropping quite fast, an area in front of us full of fry was quickly receding. A pike keeping the fry trapped until she was ready to lunge at them all making a splash. The kingfisher whizzing back and forth along the tree line.

Aidan was casting about, as we were holding bottom easily now. He must have had extra Lucozade today as every cast was dropping perfectly inches from the trees on the far side.  I nearly called the blog " The Cast Master".

A few biteless hours passed (6) and then Aidans rod bounced in true chub bite style. He was in. Quickly bringing the fish to our side of the river. When it got close, it woke up. Suddenly lunging down and diving deep. Unfortunately this was enough and the hook pulled out. We were both on a downer, like the river!!

As the evening drew on, conditions looked perfect. The hatch came alive, the wind dropped and the river looked calm. We fished on but sadly no more bites.

As we packed up, we remarked on the day. Aidan sure that the Barbel would have fed heavy as the river rose, and would be holed up somewhere now.
Me?, well I was just glad to be out. We agreed that although we " were happy just to be on the bank" a fish certainly makes the drive home more palatable. After all....

"A  week day blanking is always better than a day at work not fishing"