Bugger it!
The Roach Club arranged their annual winter gathering on 14th Feb - Valentine's
Day! On the basis that you can only be divorced once I arranged a little trip
starting on the Frome with my friend Trevor for Grayling, then the Roach Club
on the Hants Avon on Saturday, then the Bristol Avon on Monday finishing on the
Kennet with Chris Yates on Tuesday. Sunday was my day with Sandy, who was
travelling with me, and th family.
It started so well on The Frome. Trevor (an excellent guide) indicated the best spots and even lent me his
tackle as I had dropped my centre pin and broken the foot. I tried trotting
with a fixed spool, but what a fiasco, the pin is so much better. I started off
with maggot but switched to corn as there was a tint in the water and corn is a
high visibility bait. I then caught a beautiful trout just over 
a pound, then a grayling of the same size
before bagging this beauty of 2-11, a new PB.
Then the gales
and wind came and the river changed colour, a whitish tint showed in the water.
Trevor said this is salt run off as we were having the first heavy rain
following the hard frosts when the roads would have been heavily salted.
Anyway, we never had a bit all the rest of the day.
The next day, I arrived on the Hampshire Avon at Britford and headed down the
bank and the came a cropper. I fell over turning my ankle. I made it to the
river and thought two or three hours rest would make it better - but it didn't.
I managed a few minnows and dace before the pain got too great. I had to walk
back to the car trying to hide my internal screams every time I put my foot
down and spent the afternoon in Salisbury
Hospital.
The reel isn't the only thing with a busted foot. I have severely damaged
ligaments which I am told will be fine in 6-8weeks, so am on crutches now and
couldn't finish the rest of the trip, and may even miss the rest of the season.
Sandy says the
pain isn't as bad as childbirth and I shouldn’t have been fishing on Valentine’s
Day, but she is looking after me so well now I can’t walk for a few days. But I’m determined to get out before the
season ends so watch this space.