08/12/2022 - Another Cold Session

I was a bit wary of riding my E-moped to the river today as there had been a heavy frost overnight, as I done some tidying up in my garage, a neighbour said “Are you going fishing” when I said I’m a bit worried about the roads, he answered “I will be passing your water on the way to a job, I can drop you off and when I return I will call you and pick you up”. I jumped at the chance, grabbed some gentles from the bait fridge, also my top coat, half an hour later I’m on the river. Where I would be trotting, slowly working downstream from one pool to another. Hoping to catch some dace and grayling,

I used my Wizard matched with a centre pin reel with 3 lb bs line, a cork on quill Avon taking 4 bb shot with a size 14 hook to nylon. I dumped the gentles into a cloth bag, I could hang around my neck. I also used my trout landing net, it has a magnet with holds it in place on my back.

On the river bank I got a temperature reading of 39 degrees F, it would be a case of trickling in just two or three gentles each cast, I didn’t think the fish would be interested in chasing a bait, I would need to trot slowly through my chosen spots, with the bait an inch or two off the bottom. I would also hold the float back quite often, allowing the bait to lift in an attractive manner. I was certainly thankful for my Simms mittens purchased in Oregon some 15 plus years ago and still in excellent condition under the icy cold conditions.

I’d been fishing around twenty minutes or more before I connected with the first fish, a hard fighting trout, it did pull the string and bend the stick, this was followed by two small perch, then a grayling about “Goer” size. On the next two pools, I blanked Moving downstream to another long shallow pool were the flow was stronger, I got my first dace, followed by several more, also two grayling. I had now caught a dozen or more fish, nothing big but most enjoyable, despite the cold finger tips, my main problem was the sun at a low angle which caused me a lot of trouble with my eyes.

I have had shingles now for some years which is in my right eye brow, when the sun hits my eyes they feel very sore and full of grit, known as dry eye. When this happens I tend to start having problems in walking as my eyesight is very blurred causing me to stumble as I have trouble in focusing, until the eyes clear. I fished for about three hours, then went off to the cabin for a cheese toasty with a mug of Oxo, which I find a good warming drink especially with some pepper. As I was thinking of going back to the river I got a call from Brian to say he will be with me in half an hour, so ended my enjoyable session. Hopefully Steve "Lucky Strike" can also get an enjoyable day when he joins me just before Xmas.

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