Head and tail.

First time out for  a while and despite the hoolie blowing no rain was forecast (unlike tomorrow) so made the most of the afternoon. Far too windy to trot and probaly for the tip as well so out with the pike rods. Spring is springing, blackthorn is out, a skylark was up and these harbingers of warmth and their fiery nettle companions coming through for an unwary palm.

On to the long straight to leap frog down the near margin, too windy for tips up today.

A sardine head was first to go on the left hand (upstream) rod. An angry  tailwalker, leeched as you'ld expect with the recent rains and big water. Unmarked, with a pot belly (roe?) and a primrose mark on its right flank. Decent fish but not one to break the scales out for.

Out with with the remaining tail of the sardine in the same spot  and I'd barely set the baitrunner before a fish was taking line. No acrobatics but a game battler all the same and a little smaller than the first. A bit of  a pod on this one too along with the attendant leeches.  Love the long snouts on the fish on this part of the river.

No more from that spot so edged down to the willow at he end of this straight. Thinking about a last hour on the cheesepaste despite the wind when the sardine tail tucked into the cover was away, with the float heading away to the far bank at speed. A much more stubborn, powerful fish but not one making dashes for the cover, content to slug it out in the healthy pace. Different gravy as they say but in the outstretched net with no last minute drama. Heavy to get up the bank and with a decemnt depth to the flanks but no real length, 16ish I thought and the zeroed Korum's eventually settled at 16.09. Defintely carrying roe this one. Didn't think the self takes would be that sharp given how much the cameras was moving on the bank stick in the wind.

The flow was increasing, no doubt due to sluices being opened with the day of rain to come and I had done what I set out for so made for home, rather than the next set of chubby bushes. Plenty of VAR calamities to look out for on MOTD  tonight.

Bish bash bosh

A very quick raid on roach straight before Cira came to call, nowt on trotted flake and  a few pulls on the tip. One connected with.

Making the most of it.

Back on it late doors, even though curfew beckoned. A lot more colour after last night's rain and not much of an up streamer to help holding back. Was just thinking about the last half an hour on the tip when the first one came, a long way down the trot. I made the most of the remaining light and the meagre contents of my maggot box and though it wasn't as prolific as yesterday caught enough to send me home happy.

Had three dace, and it looks and feels as if they might be starting to plump up. Whilst a ponded stretch above a mill it's always been said to be a good area for backend dace.

The last fish again the best, and even plumper than the dace. That's where it's got it's weight coming in at suprising pound on the nose. Certainly more solid and bluer across the back

The scales fell from my eyes.

Bright with a fierce wind wind but in shelter feeling all of the 12C on the car temperature gauge. Left  it quite late to get on roach straight seeing as it was so bright. 25 minutes of feed and trot before the  5AAA avon hesitated then buried. A  bright young thing that deserved the proffered net. That flick of the switch  as the light values drop and into last knockings that we all hope for

Bites came regularly but not necessarily from the same spot even with quite accurate feeding of the red maggots. I think the strong up streamer was helping the bait run through just right. This one  felt a lot heavier, there is nothing like that thump on the rod tip, and nothing as excruciating as the knowledge of precarious a hook hold can be in a bigger roach, especially a small hook (#16 wide gape spade end) . I guessed about 13oz and I decided to weigh the next decent on to see if my eye was in.

A few netters later and I had my chance with this one. About 14 oz I thought and indeed it was. These  new Korum scales (why do we still refer to them in the plural?) have a handy zero setting for the sling.  I'd selected the lbs and oz function so no drams though there is a pounds in decimals for super accuracy option..

A few missed, one bumped and a stream of slightly smaller netters and a much better fish was on, taking line and kiting bank to bank. Deffo a pound plusser and so it turned out. 1lb 2oz and it turned out to be the last as the dreaded centrepin tangle had happened. Not enough time to tackle up again or tidy up and get the tip rod out. Always next time. Certainly is a good time for roach locally, even with the otters and cormorants.

The scales came with a neoprene pouch. Shame it was too small.