Last river session of the season......

I decided to have one final river session this year, i'm certainly going to miss them for a few months. Woke up at 5.30am and drove straight to the River, only to find it in flood...

This wasn't the best news, but i had a feeling the rain water might not have affected the other local yet, so jumped in the car and half an hour later i was by the river. I walked to my favourite little swim, feeding in liquidised bread while i sorted my pike gear out. After half an hour or so, i made my first cast with bread flake expecting a quick bite, which came. I struck into something big, and played it carefully for 30 seconds or so - it may have been a barbel or a big chub. Unfortunately it got snagged and got away, which indicated it was time to move to the next swim.

Same technique again, pike rig went in whilst i fed bread into the swim. Just as i was about to cast some breadflake out, my ledgered smelt tore off from a deep hole on the near bank. I hit into it and shortly after landed an underfed pike of 6lb or so....

Eventually, my breadflake was cast out and, same as before i had an immediate take. This ended up being a small chub of 1lb or so., but still a welcome fish...

Time to move on! By this time, the river had started rising rapidly, the rainwater had caught up with me. I wandered downstream for a mile or so, until i found a nice bit where the river came back on itself and underneath a tree.

I fed liquidised bread, and felt this was my last chance of a fish as the river was visibly rising fast. A flicked cast landed perfectly under the tree, and minutes later i had a savage take. I had to hold on tight to stop this fish making for the tree, but it was soon landed. At just under 4lb, I was a happy man!

Walking back to the car, i noticed the river had risen a good 4 feet and the odd tree was starting to come downstream!

Until next time rivers........