Friday saw a day trip to a windy River Severn, the river was a good level and was a touch clearer than last time but still had that brown tinge and there looks like being no weed growing again this year.
Naturally by the time I was fishing it was blowing a hoolie, right up the river.
All the canoes that went by were quiet, friendly and polite as I caught mainly dace and a few small chub out in the middle.
The sheep weren't daft in the meadow downstream, finding shelter from the wind and the sun which was now blazing.
As if to remind you what the wind can do. I hope no one was going over the stile when this tree went down.
When the missus returned from taking photos of sheep, stiles, steam trains and the silly so and so standing in the Severn we moved spots to get out of the wind a little. Naturally I got back in the water catching more dace until...
I was into something bigger, getting rid of the last of the maggots. It was almost the last run through of the day so I didn't wan't to lose it, I knew exactly what it was so played it gently to start with.
I landed the fish just before it deepens having waded down river playing it, it was a fun way to finish the day.
I love pike, such beautiful, exciting fish and I'll never moan when they gatecrash the party no matter what size they are.
Once again the river was hard, trotting pellets didn't work again and dace were hammering everything, even big bunches of maggots. The roach were not around for me in spots that used to be prolific so I hope the weed returns at some point in the next few years. As we got back to the car in the evening sun the landing net had already dried out in the relentless wind but at least it got wet in the end courtesy of the pike, which turned up almost as if to show the dace they can't have all their own way.
Off we went to Bewdley to get fish and chips before the long drive home.
