THUNDER AND RAIN DIDN'T STOP ME FISHING" 19/12/2012
Headed to the Meander River this morning with a forecast for thundery showers on and off during the day. It wasn't too bad when I left Sheffield just a light spit of rain now and then but nothing to put my plans for a spin on hold at all. Arrived at my spot on the river and found the river was low and very clear, which I didn't mind because there was very heavy cloud cover and it seemed like it was 8.30pm and not 8.30am. Boy it was dark! As I started to spin my way upstream I could here the rumble of thunder in the distance and then was hit with some light drizzle. Not sure what spinner to use for starters I decided to stick with the black bladed # 00 Aglia Mouche as this has worked really well for me in the last few trips to the rivers. Had a follow and a light nudge with the first few casts but no hook up until I had moved on 30 mtrs further and then hooked and landed a nice solid medium size (320gms) brown trout.
Then a heavy rain shower came through and I never had a touch over the next 150 mtrs of river until it stopped and then I picked up one more brown. The thunder was now getting much closer and it was getting darker which wasn't a good sign of things to come. So picked the pace up a little and started selecting certain sections of river that I knew should be holding fish in them. Hooked four more browns and landed two of them with the biggest going 365gms and was full of fight too as he had made several leaps to escape. A quick photo and he was back in the river, and it was on to the next spot that I hoped was holding fish as another downpour hit. Got in under a big willow tree and stayed there until this shower passed over and then it was back into the river. Over the next 500 mtrs I did hook another five browns (485gms) but could only keep two of them on the spinner as the others threw the lure when leaping for freedom. Now the rain had come along once more and it was again heavy and I was drenched so it was time to head back to the Trout Stalker 2 which was around one and a half kms away. Half way back the rain had eased off and it was a much better walk back from there on. So it wasn't too bad of a day on the Meander given the conditions that I had put up with plus the wind had stayed away during that time as well.
Around a quarter of the way home I felt something on my neck near my shirt collar and found it to be a leech!! Pulled over and yanked him off and then stomped on him and boy was he fat and full of my blood. He must have been on my neck for at least three quarters of an hour as I reckon I picked him up when I walked through a boggy area with low overhanging bushes on the way back to the car. Stuck a small round band- aid on it and headed for home.
Cheers Adrian Webb