John Bailey – The Kingfisher Diaries
February 10th 2010
Two Days in February
I personally have never known the Avon fish so dismally. Okay, the answer was probably in the direly cold river after such a freezingly cold winter. Just because the air temperature had crept to five or seven degrees Celsius, didn't mean the water had followed suit. Obviously.
The result, RS (aka Richard Sanderson, MD of Hardy and Greys) and I caught next to nothing. A handful of chub, a lost barbel that had equally lost its senses and that was about it. On our second day on the river, neither of us registered a single bite. Unbelievable. But true. Between us we fished some twelve or thirteen prime swims, places I've seen scores and scores of fish in the past. We didn't dawdle. It was all action. All baiting up, cleverly and cautiously I like to think. We tried every approach possible...maggots, corn, pellets, mini-boilies (dare I say it?!) hemp, casters and even minnows in the hope of a perch or two. Hair rigs. Side hooking. Bolt rigs. Confidence rigs. Quiver tips. Touch legering.
But not a pull. Not a line bite. Not a fish seen bubbling, smoke screening, topping or jumping. Not another fish did we see or did we touch...
And it rained, almost constantly for both our days. Driving rain, chilling rain, miserable rain. Only occasional did the cloud thin and then the air temperatures, once again, would plummet. We had news that it was snowing in Norfolk, even drifting in the North East.
Sessions like this can still be hugely enjoyable however. I adored watching the wrens completely exposed in the barren, marginal vegetation. The willows, too, showed remarkable shades of red and deepening gold. A green woodpecker. A heron grey and ghostly in the mist. A barn owl as the darkness encroached.
And we did learn a lot about the new generation of Hardy and Greys clothing. The Hardy EWS 2 jacket I wore nearly throughout was a revelation. Warm. Dry. Hardwearing I guess. Uniquely comfortable. RS sported the GRXi Extreme and was equally protected from the storms.
I've said it before, but I'll say it again. With the EWS 2 wading jacket and EWS 2 waders, what need had I of a seat. In fact, I could simply lie in the reed bed, watching my motionless quiver tip, as snug as a bug. It's strange that so many anglers will spend a fortune on permits, tackle and bait and yet scrimp and save on the clothing that can make days like this a pleasure rather than a pain.
So it's back to Norfolk. Next time I'll tell you why on Saturday 6th February I actually stood rod in hand feeling the tears prickle in my eyes.