Roving river

Today was to be the first roving session on the local river, the plan was to fish a stretch we hadn't fished before. Because we didn't know the area at all we decided to park up just before first light, unload the gear and then walk about half a mile to our starting point. The length of the stretch we fished was about three quarters of a mile with around 1.5 miles of walking in total so we needed to pack light. We each had 2 rods each, a few bank sticks, landing nets, a small bag with spare tackle and food for the day. Me and Mike fished 2 rods between us and took the first swim on the river with Bri about 150yds down stream. It was a beautiful morning, cool and still, small fish broke the surface of the water all around us and there was plenty small fry in the margins. We stuck it out for 40 mins or so with nothing to show so moved to the next few swims closer to Bri. When I say swims I mean places to fish, the motto of the day was if you can get a net to the water it was a swim and some of the best looking spots where the hardest to get to. We had the first run in the next swim up from Bri, the bobbin dropped and the fish started to take line, I waited a short while, wound into the fish and then struck, the fish was small, it came to the surface very quickly and then shed the hooks. Bonus, there were fish about regardless of the size so I hooked up another bait and cast it to the same spot. As time ticked by I tried a few other places around Bri, discovering good depths of water and future places to session fish, Bri had the next run, a scrappy little jack of around 6lb, this fish had clearly

been caught by an inexperienced angler before, its bottom jaw was broken and it had last quiet a few teeth on one side of its mouth, this is just another case of poor handling something the PAC are trying there hardest to promote with teaching sessions for those who care.
This area was now spent and with a lot of prospecting to do it was time to move on so we wrapped up and headed down stream. It was to be a good walk to the next fishable swims as most of the bank was unfishable due to the thick undergrowth. Mike and I dropped into the first available swims with Bri dropping in about 300yds down from us. As I was putting the banksticks in I noticed a swirl in the water under a overhanging tree where I was to put my left hand rod so this rod was first in followed by the right hand rod that we put by a very big overhanging willow tree. Mike and I sat back once the baits were in and had a coffee and a chin wag when the bite alarm on the left rod sounded, I hit the run and landed a small jack of around 5lb that was completely flawless, I put him back and re cast. We didn't stay here to long before moving further down stream passing Bri on the way, Bri was fishing a great looking swim opposite a swim I had caught a 17lber a month or so ago that looks so fishy from the opposite bank. We dropped in 150yds down from Bri in one of the widest available swims on the

 bank, we ha to fight to get to it through thick brambles and a barbed wire fence but once passed the fence it cleared up. Again we put the banksticks in first then baited up the rods. the left hand rod was to go in first again, has I was about to cast there was the usual Sunday rowers heading up stream followed by a petrol powered dingy that is the safety boat, The guy piloting the safety boat noticed that I was about to cast out and kindly stopped, I flicked the bait to an overhanging tree and thanked the guy for his patience. As I was putting the rod down I felt a slight tug but dismissed it as the live bait, as I was trying to clip the bait up the line went slack and Mike shouted its gone already, I tighten up to it and set the hooks, Mike soon got down to take over and after a brief scrap she was ours. Weighed, photo'd and returned to the water in a matter of minutes,  10lb 01oz  another double for Mike. Once the fish was safely returned I managed to get the rods back out and kick back for a brew and a bite to eat. We gave it 20 mins and decided to move on, with a fish already falling to the left hand rod I thought it best to bring in the rod on the right first and what a lucky decision that turned out to be, just as I unclipped the bobbin the other rod screamed off. I set the hooks and gave the rod to Mike, he played the fish hard and soon got her to the bank, While I was unhooking the fish Mike was getting the sling, scales and

camera ready, he's getting very efficient at this now, too efficient lol, Mike weighed her 10lb 01oz again so I took the scales for a second opinion and he was right. We took some photos and returned her to the water. Having caught another double from this swim it would have been foolish not to give it another 30 mins so while I casted the rod back out Mike checked the photos to make sure it wasn't the same fish, it wasn't to be.
After feeding our selves and the local robins with tracker bars we wrapped up and headed down stream calling in at a few more swims on the way to our final destination where we fished the rest of the day out in swims we usually session fish. No more fish were caught today but it was most enjoyable discovering new areas on what was to be the last pleasant day of 2013 and all of coarse in good company.