Making the most of it

Standing on the noddy train bridge looking down I could see a river bed littered with fallen poplar leaves. Just the odd hint of a fish here and there enough for me to have half an hour trotting down past the bush on the point but not a nibble. Perhaps the hints were just that. Half an hour left so dropped down below the bridge to try the crease along a slow eddy Once I'd worked out where the float could be inched along that crease the bites came, mostly dace and all with gobfulls of the loose fed red maggots. 

One stood out from the rest

Sunday and after a drive down to hear Stokes win us the World T20 and to see the Olds as the mist burned off I had a quick pint of Southwold and some decent scratchings in the din of  a pub bursting at the seams with late diners. Scratchings 8/10, a 70grm bag too

It had turned into a glorious autumn afternoon with fantastic light and a mackerel sky along the Suffolk Stour floodplain. Loads of walkers, dogs and SUP's all enjoying it too. I walked down to the first bit of cover and  found the slightly better flow and I'd just started to get bites trotting reds when the Loafer arrived to have a chat and have a go on the rod mister

My first fish hooked was this lovely roach that pulled enough for us to think chublet at first

The Loafer not mastering the centre pin..missing 3 out of every 4 bites but they were "fast biting dace". 

There was definitely a sweet spot that produced bites for us both

Just after the Loafer left I had a flurry of perch, small but fantastically coloured before heading back along the meadow to just beat the ticket inspector's eagle eyes.

The river was alive with topping fish as I trudged back, they're not confined to their winter quarters just yet.