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First blank for 4 weeks (well, apart from one chub of 4lb 4, which I personally don't count!) on The Abbey last night.

Still, the recent falling temps must have some detrimental effect now. Water temp was 51F at 5.00 pm with air temp at 52F. By 11.00 pm water was 49F and air a nippy 32F (When I fished the Trent at Fiskerton last Thurs., water was a constant 56F, and I had four barbs incl. my 4th double of the season!!)

There had, by the way, also been a small 10-peg match on the Abbey section yesterday, which was won with only 13lb (although it did include one barbel of 10lb!) . They were packing up as I arrived.
Maybe that was another contributing factor to my lack of a result! (well that's my excuse, anyway)

I'm off to the BS stretch of Beauchamp Court tomorrow. Here's hoping the Severn will be more kind to me!

Cheers
Roger

Well, I decided on a visit to The Osiers yesterday thinking that levels might have been reasonable, BUT it was crashing over the weir like some British version of The Colorado Rapids so I headed for The Cotes Mill area.

Despite virtually paddling across the field to access the swims I fancied, the river was actually within its banks (just!).
I baited up a couple of swims and settled down at about 4.00pm with the water temp. reading a passable 45F and air temp. of 41F.

I felt that after about 3 hours with no action (on two rods) that it was going to be a l...o..n...g night but I resolved to try yet another swim, again with no improvement

Finally, at around 8.15, the tip of my favourite Elips pellet rod whipped round and I netted....a 2lb chub but at least it was a start! I recast and settled back after enjoying a freshly-brewed cuppa, and decicded to change the bait on my second rod for the fifth time(!) to a couple of 8mm Halibut pellets with a feeder full of Halibut groundbait and 4mm pellets to match. Still no action on either rod!!

By 10.45pm I was beginning feel that my nice warm bed was calling..... and then I woke up at 11.20 with the resolve to have "one more cast", even though I'd originally planned to go at 11.00pm! By 11.45 I was wondering what on earth I was doing still here and that I should call it a night when I heard just one faint 'peep' on the alarm from my Elips rod in the next swim. Then it went again and just as I grabbed my net to go and investigate the peep turned into a full-blown screech and I arrived to slip my net under a hard fighting barbel of just 6lb 12 oz.
At least I hadn't blanked. But I started to pack everything away except the second rod, and just as I had finished the tip was yanked around and I was attached to something more solid than before. Once it was in the net I had to dig out scales, unhooking mat etc. again and, quite pleasingly I eventually returned a plump 9lb 8oz torpedo to a river that had actually managed to drop about 18 inches during the whole session, whilst I also noted that the air temp. had risen to an amazing 46F!

All-in-all a good final result , but why did they make me wait all night until coming on?!!!

I suggest you guys get out there a.s. a.p. while these mild spells are still being forecast for the next few days.

Cheers
Roger