Favourites

Date fished 14/12/2024

8am until 12pm

Favourites are difficult. Favourite child, football team or food. Rupe as a boy, Martha as a girl, Liverpool, curry, pizza, I mean burgers! See, its difficult. 

Fishing, well that must be the ultimate difficult favourite decision. I think the answer is "whatever the fishing I am doing at the time". 

The annual grayling fishing at Piercebridge trip was a solo affair today. I have to admit, it's usually one of my favourite trips.

I got my soup ready and set off just before 7am. Arriving as the sun rose, I took minimal gear down to the river. It looked in fair nick. Clear and actually lower than I thought. Perfect for the ladies. 

The rod was already set up, so within minutes I was wading in the shallows and trotting. Third trot down and I was in. Top left above. Four of the next five fish in about 40 minutes were approximately a pound. It was a great stamp of fish. 

Conditions seemed perfect so I fished on. Soon, I had caught eight grayling and two dickhead trout that splashed around like idiots! Barbless hooks meant everyone was released none the worse for wear and I lost a few fish also, which was fine. 

I heard someone behind me. A chap had come to investigate the island swim and had not seen me in it. He apologised, I said nonsense and offered him a trot. He just wanted to see it, as he had seen it on one of Ellis's ' very informative ' YouTube videos and it looked so good!! 

I didn't do the usual and move swims, which also acts as warming up the cold feet. Instead I trudged out the cold river, drank hot chicken soup and started writing the blog. Am actually sat on the bank typing this now. I can feel the soup warming my cold little toes. 

The downstream wind picked up and with the sun so low, the trotting was difficult and cold. Hat, gloves and snood were all applied, the dork hat in my bag just in case!

After a short session, I headed home happy, a successful day if only in a short burst. Off to put my dancing shoes on, strictly final tonight, don't think I am dancing in that! Cold toes to now twinkle toes!!

Just if you wanted to see,  the original fish pics that made the collage.