Roving the rivers

Having got back from my last roach session last Friday I spent the weekend at home, a bit of diy and furniture shopping on Saturday to hopefully get the long running saga of the living room revamp close to its conclusion thankfully went well and on Sunday we spent a lovely sunny day in the garden giving it a good spring tidy. I've been a gardener to some degree since I was a kid, six years ago I took it up as a proffesion for two reasons, firstly because I enjoy it, I had spent the previous fourteen years of my life working in laboratories, quality control and research and development, simply because science was something I did well in at school, a means to an end, I didn't gain a thing from the experience other than financially. When I had the opportunity to arrange my finances in such a way so that I could become self employed I jumped at the chance, mainly because of the second reason, it allows me great flexibility in my fishing. They say that to be self employed you must be self disciplined, I'm not! I can't deny that sometimes work suffers at the expense of fishing but I mange and at the end of the day I've very much of the opinion that life is for living and you never know whats around the corner.

So what is that lot doing in my fishing blog? Well to be honest I really felt the need to take my mind off angling, over the course of the last two weeks I've caught fish beyond my wildest dreams, don't get me wrong here those fish were caught simply because I fished where they live and not by any great feat of angling on my part. The fact is it was all a bit too much, I feel very much overwhelmed and can't quite get a grasp on whats happened.

Monday the 12th to Wednesday the 14th of March

So with my confused state of mind still present and the end of the traditional season fast approaching I was being pulled in two directions. I was working on Monday morning and was thinking that I really should make the effort and get out on the river. I called into the supermarket on my way home and picked up a lump of Stilton and some pastry and combined with a good dollop from my ridiculously large stock of garlic powder soon had a big ball of honking chub grub ready to go. I got to the Derwent for about 4pm, starting at the top of the stretch I dropped into my banker swim but got restless after half an hour and moved on, I didn't give the swim the attention due at all.

I passed a two man bivvy on my way down to my next favoured area and stopped for a few moments to listen to one of the occupants woes, apparently their generator had flooded the previous day and disaster was only averted when they managed to borrow a spanner from another angler. Apparently it would have been terrible had they not got it up and running as they had a great collection of films to watch, in fact I could hear occupant number two watching one deep in the depths of the nylon cave as we spoke, on a glorious spring afternoon, I can't comprehend that.

Another half an hour's angling saw me feeling the need to move again for no logical reason and so I did, only to find myself shifting again not long after and when I found myself thinking similiar thoughts yet again I told myself to stop being so bloody daft and just go home. Under normal circumstances I would have been fuming at myself by now but I packed up quite happily and took a gentle stroll back to the van enjoying a cracking sunset in the process and stopping to chat to a couple of dog walkers on the way.

On Tuesday I had arranged to travel up to the Derwent with Leo for a last go at those perch. We arrived at dawn and carried out the standard routine, the fishing was very slow, Leo had a small perch early on and I followed up with yet another tench a while later. By 8am we knew something wasn't right, Leo moved a good way downstream and I gave it another half an hour before following. I dropped bait into my new swim, sat there for fifteen minutes and decided that I was an idiot and should have stayed where I was so moved straight back! Believe it or not Leo did the same shortly after, what a pair eh! No more action came our way and we were on the road and going our seperate ways by ten am.

Wednesday afternoon and I was still working at 3.30 but I had a last gasp attempt at a reservoir perch in mind. By 4.30 I was perched on the rocky bank, flinging a spoon out into the depths time after time as I worked my way towards the valve tower. It was as peaceful as ever down there and a lovely place to see the season off which is just as well as I didn't get a rap, truth is thats just what I expected anyway going on previous results. At dark I clambered over the gate and walked the full length of the dam back to the van, loaded the tackle into the back and leant on the wall gazing over the glassy surface for five minutes before pointing the motor in the direction of the chippy!

So as I write this I'm still not really what I would call revved up about my fishing, its a strange feeling, somehow it just doesn't matter to me at the moment if I catch or not, I'm just completely contented with my lot which I suppose is nothing to complain about. Next week I will hopefully get back down to Linch at some stage and give the roach another go, if I'm absolutely honest I don't feel like I need to catch anything bigger than I've already had but I know that I will enjoy myself, besides, this work game aint 'arf wearing me out!