I have a problem!

I have a problem !


I had to force myself to go fishing today, literally I've been going since June 16th but just couldn't be arsed.
Not certain why this should be happening.
THE BOSS hasn't a problem with me going, it's just me summoning up the inclination to be out there on the river.
So off I headed for the hour journey, determined to fish the middle Trent, not knowing the conditions, but expecting high water.
Indeed it was high, the highest I've seen it down the fishery, but according to Steve the resident baliff it was three feet down from the weekend.
The high bank swims were pretty much inaccessible  and very muddy . I did take my dog spike and rope with me but decided that I didn't fancy the scramble back up to the top after a days fishing.
Especially if those dark black clouds dropped their lot on me during the day.
So I headed up stream, and for the first time found that the weir pool was lacking anglers!
Now, I had decided before I left home that I would take the the opportunity to fish the slower inside runs, so left my heavy gear at home and went along with my centre pins, that included a  Ray Walton Rolling Pin and my Purist ll.
The weir called!
Full use was made of the RP for  upstream casts into the weir pool, but my inadequate gear soon proved to be a problem.  Too many snags and too many losses of gear, and with one big drop back missed whilst setting up rod two for the slack area.
Anyway, whilst sitting there a guy who a later discovered to be an ex-matchman turned barbelfisher turned up and we chatted for sometime.
He'd bought his gear but left it in the car. So we chatted and chatted and then Steve the baliff turned up and we chatted and they both went off.
Shortly after I said to myself , "I've had enough of this" and moved to a less hostile spot. Still not quite in the right mood, I half heartedly set about fishing.
Nothing happened, I knew the fish were feeding because on my way upstream I passed one old boy as he tackled a 5 pounder in the fast current.He had caught two and lost three.
No I didn't ask him how he had lost them, but it does puzzle me, because I find it very rare to loose a barbel once hooked unless snagged, his swim wasn't snaggy.
There was one other angler at the extreme boundary of the fishery, I saw his landing net but couldn't see him. I may add that I thought afterwards I should have checked if he was in the swim and had not fallen in!!
Anyway he hadn't, because he came upstream later with the first guy I had chatted with, and sat down and all three of us chatted.
He had caught a number of barbel and chub and this was his first visit to the fishery so he said he would be back.What he also told me and it was confirmed by, Paul, the first guy I chatted to, was  that his last fish a 4lb barbel was grabbed by a pike!
He was able to land both fish, the pike was about 20lb!! The barbel although grabbed midships was unmarked!!
So we chatted and chatted, and Jason, he was the second lad decided he had better make his way back down to Peterborough.
He left me and Paul..chatting. By the way Paul still hadn't got his gear out of his car, he had decided he was just happy to be by the river .......chatting.
Sometime later I decided to pack up, this fishing lark was taking second place, and I didn't mind a bit.
Paul helped me take a few bits the few hundred yards back to the car, we passed the guy I mentioned earlier who had lost fish, he now said he landed 5 and lost 6!!
Paul and I said our goodbyes and he followed me out of the fishery.
So, I still haven't been fishing really, it's going to be pissing down over the next few days apparently, and I don't fish weekends .
Maybe next week the urge will return