God speed you little silver darts.

Struggled up on Roach Reach yesterday, a 25mph southerly bombing up the straight. It helped with holding back the float but 15 foot of carbon hard to hold. 3 seen bites and a couple of sucked maggots for my troubles. 

Wind dropped a tad and more south south west but bright after lunch today so dropped below the mill to see what I could winkle out. I'd bought along the tip road and some worms but as ever reached for the Greys 15 footer and pin, with a pint of maize pimped reds.

In hindsight the Shimano Hyperloop rear drag might have been a better choice, with the swirling currents and wind it was hardly running  a shirt button strung out shotted 6 no 4  stick down off the rod tip but you work with what you got. Didn't feed much as the (mainly) dace were in a hungry mood and chasing the maggots down as the 3 and a bit AAA sunk through the water. Wiry buggers, twisting and turning in the flow, and in the hand.

I'll have to take some time to document the many variations in body and fin colouration as well as shapes but today it took some effort just to keep safely perched on the sloping concrete tank trap 4 feet above the swirling foam flecked current below me.

The recent floods had bought down some large woody debris, and I had to resort to the Matchman Hook Tier a few times. A bit rusty this one, I lost and then found it  again 364 days apart. Right were I had left it..

Found a few roach today, mostly small but this showed up and the darker red of the fins pointed to some dalliances in the gene pool.

Saved the best to last with this lovely pigeon chested little beauty. Either  a worm infestation or getting ready to spawn, early as dace are this would be astonishing. A few sand paper rough males would confirm the latter.