Almost there!

One of the small carp tempted by dog biscuits

It's been a quiet close season for me. My quest for tench never materialised and I barely wet a line. A couple of evening trips for some surface feeding carp threw up a few small fish but much of the last few weeks has seen me with one eye on the 16th. Whatever people say about the close season, there's no doubt that the 16th is evocative. For the river angler, optimism is high. With the tackle box refreshed, I'll be kicking off on the Avon before spending the first part of the weekend on the lower Severn. Hopefully, a barbel will find it's way to my net. After a dry few weeks, the last few days have seen biblical weather. The Avon has just started to rise so it'll be interesting to see what happens in the next day or so as this will dictate tactics for the season's start. Good luck if you're out on the banks.