Just a quick report of gloom.
Got to the river around eight thirty to find just one car parked up. Great. Didn't fancy a long walk and was going to fish near the car in a less than popular swim. Got to the swim and there's a salmon angler stood in the river. Strike one.
Had a look round and found a path through the balsam. That peg would do well enough. The river was about a foot on and peaty. Not bad conditions. Two rods chucked out and pour a brew. Two rod tips slowly pull over, the upstream one starting a slow bounce. Weed. That horrible dark green wire-wool weed. I could hold baits in position for ten minutes if I was lucky. Strike two.
Brew finished. Recast made. Wind in for another weed clearing exercise. Clearing weed from upstream rig. Pull some weed off the line and drive a size four Owner C-4 past the barb, up to the bend, in the side of my left little finger. Strike three.
It's still light so I can see what I'm doing. Quick decision is A&E to be last resort. First option push point out and cut off at home. Second option (which I know works as it did - painfully - for a 4/0 treble) is to rip the hook out the way it went in. Forceps clamped on shank, twist. No way that point's pushing through. Brace myself and yank. Hook free, a few drops of blood then nothing. Find a plaster and tape the wound. Recast. Pour another brew.
After two and a half hours of weed clearing (I gave up putting pellet bags on the hooks as I was recasting so frequently) the light has gone and there's a mist rolling over the water. Two possible chub raps in the dark. The weed was abating a little as the level dropped but that mist knocked my confidence and the clear sky wouldn't help the mist situation. So ended the first river session of the season. I think I'll go camping for mythical bream next time out.
