Another month flies by! Had a pleasant week in France at half-term to help the in-laws do some jobs on the house before they shut it up for the winter but still managed to get out for some decent walks, unlike in the summer when it had been too damn hot!
Saw lots of wildlife, including deer, coypu, red squirrels, great white egrets, hen harriers, black-winged kites and even a v-formation of European cranes passing over the house on their migration. Had some great food as well, including some fresh, wild boar steaks courtesy of the neighbour - simply cooked in the pan with oil, salt, pepper and a bit of butter they were dark and melt-in-the-mouth tender, not porky or gamey at all, and they went down extremely well with a glass of home-made pineau.
Unfortunately, our trip back to the UK co-incided with the first two named storms of the year, Austen and Boelo, resulting in two cancelled ferries and a detour from Dieppe up to Calais. Eventually pulled outside the house after 19 hours in the car and on the boat and about ten minutes before I had to start work on the Monday morning! Needless to say not a lot got done. Having recovered and caught up with things by Friday and with the best part of a pint of maggots in the fridge I nipped off in the late afternoon to the Derwent near Draycott. Was pretty grey and gloomy when I got there and I reckoned on having a couple of hours at most before it got dark, but even that turned out to be an over-estimate.
There was another chap already there running a float under the footbridge, so stopped and had a quick chat, more out of curiosity as I very rarely see anybody else on the section. He was specifically after the roach and happily told me that the deeper swims either side of the bridge are where they hole up in the winter. Filed that information away for later then headed to the run downstream of the island, as the intention was just to stick in one swim given my limited time. Waded out up to my knees and started running the float off the end of the Acolyte. The river was still fining down after the recent rain and had a bit of a tinge to it but I felt pretty confident of picking up a fish or two. However, it took a while before the float eventually buried resulting in a scrappy little dace.
Tried changing the line a few times but it was hard work, made even harder by the rapidly deteriorating light. Lasted about an hour before I gave up trying to follow the float down the river, by which time I'd managed just another seven dace and a couple of small grayling. Still, better than nothing. Fast forward a week and I had taken the day off for a couple of hospital appointments, fully expecting to be sat around for hours waiting to be seen. However, I was whizzed through and back at home for 1330 hrs. A quick lunch and I was off down to Draycott again, determined to use up those maggots. Again, it was grey and gloomy and it started to spot with rain as I pulled on the chesties in the empty car park. With a bit more time on my hands I walked up to the run in the woods, usually another reliable spot.
Following the lack of any further rain and in contrast to last session the river was right back down at "summer" level and gin clear, the bottom visibly littered with willow leaves and autumnal debris. Had to wade well out into the channel to get about three and a half feet off the end of the rod tip. Therefore didn't really know how the session was going to pan out, but third run down with the float resulted in a feisty, little grayling that flashed and gyrated like crazy under the surface when I set the hook. Must have been a few in the swim as I quickly added ten more, all like peas in a pod and hopefully a sign of a decent year class coming through for future seasons. However, as I carried on the dace moved in to test my reflexes with their fast, jabbing bites that, more often than not, just resulted in an empty maggot skin and a few swear words.
Eventually got my eye in and started hooking the little beggars with a bit more regularity, interspersed with a few better grayling. Did hook a much bigger fish late on that stayed deep just using it's weight in the current, only for the hook to pull out as I was reaching behind me for the landing net. Sod's Law it chose that time to happen! After about two hours, the gloom again beating me and having finally emptied the bait pouch of maggots, I'd had 18 dace, 16 grayling and a solitary chublet. Not a bad little session, although I was glad to get out of the river, the cold having seeped through my breathable waders. Will have to break out the neoprenes next time as it looks like winter's properly on its way.
Eventually got my eye in and started hooking the little beggars with a bit more regularity, interspersed with a few better grayling. Did hook a much bigger fish late on that stayed deep just using it's weight in the current, only for the hook to pull out as I was reaching behind me for the landing net. Sod's Law it chose that time to happen! After about two hours, the gloom again beating me and having finally emptied the bait pouch of maggots, I'd had 18 dace, 16 grayling and a solitary chublet. Not a bad little session, although I was glad to get out of the river, the cold having seeped through my breathable waders. Will have to break out the neoprenes next time as it looks like winter's properly on its way.
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