River Avon
Salisbury & District Angling Club
This was the last chance to fish this year. Work demanded my attendance for the next 2 days, so today was counted as a blessing even before I set off. Even the bitter cold, as I loaded the car, didn't detract from the anticipation of spending time on a river.
The River Avon is justly famous for its wonderful fishing, particularly during May and June when there are prodigious hatches of Mayfly. But the river can provide sport throughout the year, with the lovely grayling being the target in the winter.
Grayling can be elusive, especially when the temperature drops and the fish shoal up. This is true of rain-fed rivers, but I suspect not so firm a fact on chalkstreams. For a start the grayling seem to be in groups all year round and secondly because their density is higher, they are easier to encounter. Or so I hoped as I drove east.
The water was a chilly 41F and the air an even chillier 35F. Things didn't improve when I dropped one of my neoprene gloves in the drink and failed to recover it. Now I had to pretend to be rugged. But it proved worthwhile. Despite the icy conditions, the occasional fish rose and others were actively feeding on the bottom. Fish were caught. Now what will 2009 bring?