It's not funny anymore

I left for work this morning to be met with the all too familiar sight of the Warks Avon spread across the outskirts of my village and flood signs being erected. It really has been a hopeless winter as far as river fishing has been concerned. With the river carrying extra water for the last three months it takes very little to burst the banks so a weekend of constant rain, topped off with a blanket of snow and the subsequent thaw means the river has risen about 2 metres since Saturday.

I've never been overly concerned with extra water, after all if coupled with the right temperature it can provide some pretty good fishing, especially for Barbel. However, apart from a mild influx around New Year all the extra water has been cold rain and snow melt resulting in the Avon's contents resembling a cup of cold coffee. With the conditions being so unsettled it's been almost impossible to plan a session with any degree of success since the river has been neither one thing or the other. I mean, mild and coloured can be perfect for Barbel, cold and clear can produce Chub, Pike and maybe Roach but cold, coloured and seemingly getting worse is a recipe for disaster.

With only a month left of the season it would be nice to be able to put a few decent fish in the net to rival what was a decent winter, probably my best, last year. But I'm a long way off from matching those achievements so instead I find my mind wandering away to lily fringed lakes, with mist rising as the sunrise brings in a new day. Perhaps this spring can make up for the missed opportunities of winter.