With temperatures pushing 30c on the cards today and even hotter weather to come I figured a morning in the shade would do, somewhere I could stay for in a spot with not much walking. Cue Father Thames.
Like a few days ago I'm disappointed by the flow, or rather lack of it. Who pulled out the plug? I expected a little more water in a larger river. We need rain badly if the Thames is this low and clear so early in the season.
I set up a waggler to fish on the drop, not my favourite method but needs must. I then watch my feed fall through the clear water next to it without a bite for an hour.
I move swims, rinse and repeat. This is dire, not helped by seeing my third cormorant and a pair of rowers telling me I'll get a seal where I was. Oh the famous Thames seals, they have got further upriver than this stretch feasting as they go.
Then a shoal of small perch attack the tiny fry in the shallows at my feet almost hitting my toes. I was glad to be sitting in the water and happier still to finaly see some fish. I still couldn't get a bite though.
Moving once more I cast under a bush on the near side dead shallow, thinking a small perch is better than a blank when the waggler goes under and a decent roach of all things glides to me in the clear water, all silver and red shining vividly in the sunlit shallows.
I release the welcome roach and naturally setlle in this spot, keeping an eye on a massive bumble bee the size of a Chinook, I exaggerate of course as you dont get helicopters this big. I usher the behemoth to flowers new, buzzing away and cast mt float again, this time with optimism.
However no more bites followed, it was evident how intrusive the retrive of my waggler was in the clear water, it stood out like a sore thumb, one stung by a bee no doubt.
On goes a 2xno4 stick despite the minimal flow and chop from the boats, an upstream wind helped and I was grateful for the that as the breeze blowing up the river tempered the heat very well.
Then some dace showed and they were all a good size, suddenly my despondent morning was full of joy.
It was hard work but rewarding, I was managing to get a steady flow of bites now, with some too quick to hit and the odd fish twisting off due to the lack of current. The sun had now come round the large trees like a solar eclipse but I was now getting the odd decent perch and roach as it's rays hit my neck.
The fishing was enjoyable and it was time to soak up the scenery, watching boats go by and ushering away the odd swan. The shoals of fry that had sought the sanctuary from maurauding perch at my feet, had stayed there all day, these were too small to identify but it looked like a fair mix of species, if you can make them out, who knew they would go camera shy when you lean over them like a heron.
Bites stop when a boat moored alongside but it was a good time to go with the heat rising. The second dog of the day entered the water scattering my little fish, ushered in by it's owner without a care, although I did get an apology. The old hairy thing looked knackered in the heat and so did the dog.
I packed up after lunch timing it well as 'mad bird lady' deposited two loaves in for the birds, she had been feeding them further up for a good hour, whilst wearing a face mask. She was followed closely by 'rotund swimming lady' who was about to enter my swim without a care. I was wondering why almost all open water river swimmers are fat women and knew there was a seal based joke in there somewhere, but I was now too hot to bother.
Knowing that it would fish much better with more colour and flow I was bouyed by what I caught. It is a shame about all those blubbery intruders. The seals aren't great either.
I didn't catch a lot but knew it could have been much worse. I went from thinking the place was gone to the dogs to giving it the seal of approval.
