Days that just dont go to plan...

This Sunday I really needed to get out on a river.  All my local ones were doing a fair imitation of liquid mud so were no hopers .  The Ure however which is 60 miles west of me appeared to me to be dropping nicely after the recent rain. So I bit the bullet and set of on Sunday morning , however what became apparent pretty quickly was that most of the nations caravan enthusiasts were out on the road as well.  Living in a touristy part of the world and having to drive a lot for work means I have to contend with them all to often.  Why they have to drive in mini convoys making you overtake them several at a time mystifies me. Anyway arrived at river after taking 15 minutes more than usual with blood pressure simmering nicely , A quick check on the river showed reasonable level and colour.. I was in business..

Before I go any further on the day I only took one picture , here it is I hope he had a better day than me and didnt get eaten...

Got into the chesties and boots and realised that my gravel guards were still hung on the washing line in the garden.  Oh well it is a nice rocky river small grit and stones shouldnt be a problem..  Waistcoat next , now recently I have been wearing a bra in my leisure time no not what you think not a nice little black lace job a mycket bra a snappy little waistcoat / rucsack  number  from vision , I really like it a very practical item.

However I now remembered that I had taken my magnetic release for the landing net  from my waistcoat and put it on the bra and it was still on it back at home .  So I had to permanently clip the net to a side ring on my waistcoat .   Lets hope I dont have to get at it in a hurry.

The Ure on a nice day....

Anyway eventually got set of and realised that the extra six inches of water in the river had really increased the flow.  I dont remember it been this strong last year .  After I had fished along a run I needed to change position in the river so reached down for my wading staff which I eventually located under the water.  Realisation was that this pillock who thought he had been clever and reattached the stag horn head on it with a stainless bolt and  epoxy after the old wooden peg had rotted through had now made the head of it so heavy instead of it sitting nicely above the surface next to me it now sunk without trace tethered by its lanyard.. Crap.....

I struggled for the next couple of hours no rising fish were to be seen and I couldnt locate any. Walking was a pain as I had to stop and empty the grit and small stones form my waders several times so the neoprene foot didnt puncture.  Eventually around two some sunshine started the LDOs hatching they were floating down the river like a little flotilla of yachts,  and on cue the odd trout started rising , trouble is they were all tucked right in under the bank in places that were damn near impossible to reach.  However there was one rising just upstream of me and just above a smaller river that enters the main river .  I would have to wade back across that small river again then work up tight to the bank depth of water allowing but it looked possible, Wading back across that stream It is shallow then deepens of close to the upstream bank but wadeable, at least it is 30 ft further up that stream.  Keeping a wary eye on my rising fish I waded across the stream and my leading foot went forward and down, and down......You all now that feeling which for me was now compounded by clutching for my wading staff which had now sunk out of reach of my frantically reaching hand and actually was tangled up in my landing net .  I must have made an  amusing sight arms flailing legs frantically working to keep balance.  Which I did however Some water did get over the top of my chesties introducing that nice creeping chill of seeping water... but I had stayed largely upright. I must have put half the fish in the river down and as I stood shivering regaining my composure smiling to myself and saying inwardly you big daft sod as I watched the waves spread across the river . I realised it just wasnt my day.  So I went back to the car slowly with the knowledge that it couldnt get any worse.  As I drove away from the river an aged volvo with a caravan pulled out in front of me. Maybe fishing isnt for me.......