Time to test the water

With river conditions around the west and south of the country looking pretty poor I've been keeping an eye on my local rivers, in particular the Witham and the Trent   River level
No real flooding although there has been a good deal of water in the systems.
So hearing reports that the access to the middle Trent fishery is pretty poor for the non 4x4, I decided to have a look at the Upper Witham at Long Bennington.

Having sorted myself out and decided to only fish for chub with the ledger, I minimised my tackle and took along a tin of Garlic Spam and a chunk of Stilton.
My attempt at making some bread for flake failed,we have a problem with our bread maker.
So just the two baits for about 3 hours fishing should be enough.
I took my Fox barbel special and my Purist ll along, with the usual tools and bits and bobs.No chair just a weigh sling,landing net and a unhooking mat to double up as a chair. The lightest I've fished for many a year.

My journey to the river took the hour as usual and I was set up at around 12:30.
The footpath to the fishery had my boots fully clogged with mud before I got to the footbridge over the river,so I knew the banks could be a bit slippery.
Indeed they were, but having set my self up just below the footbridge and opposite a willow I set about trying to catch a fish.

Conditions looked pretty good, the river was up and had obviously been on the banks judging by the amount of debris along them.
The water was coloured but it appeared to be dropping out.







I stayed for an hour testing the water from the bridge down to just below the willow, before moving below the willow and testing that area for another half an hour.
Not a touch in an area usually having it's resident chub as the ducks are fed off the bridge.

So I dropped down river, skipping from swim to swim without result and finally settled with around 45 minutes of light left in a swim which had produced a my best chub from the stretch about this time last year.

Last knockings under the tree

No movement of the tip again although, I did manage to snap the avon tip with a wrap round of line when pulling from a snag. Perhaps now my decision on what to sell when my R&C auction rods arrive will be easier. Anybody want a 12' Fox Barbel Special with just the quiver section?
A quick switch to the quiver section left me with half an hour and it wasn't until my, put a big chunk of Stilton on, "last cast", that I got an excellent take but connected with air and a hook loss in the waterside vegetation. Sod it, I thought I'm going home, I couldn't see to knot the hook anyway and I should have been off the fishery anyway.

All in all an enjoyable first trip out for my start to 2014, a few dog walkers  about and just the birds to keep me company.
I must do this more often this year, but should remember to get my boots and their half hundred weight of mud cleaned up before my next trip!