Weather change winter.

The wind today was the kind that could cut you in two. Despite not feeling too cold when I left from home today, at the waters edge I needed all my winter wear. After maybe two hours trotting without a touch I set up a ledger rod, weighted by plasticine around a float stop 24" from a large size 6 long shank hook. Still the wind persisted and finally, I called it a day.

A sudden cold snap with wind like this, puts most fish off feeding for a few days. If it stays cold by next week, the fish should be more acclimatised to it, and I'll have a decent chance. What we really need is rain and high pressure, lots of it too. Rain has been in short supply this year, the river is very low, and clear. Rain does a lot of good for the fisher at this time of year. Not only does it flush the rubbish like old leaves, bits of remaining weed and such away, but the river rises and long exposed dry banks containing worms and insects get washed into the flow for fish food.

I'm in my later years now and really feel the cold, so this winter I'll pick the days I think will offer the best chance of a fish or two. Also I prefer settled weather, and currently it's all over the place, with now two days being the same. I fancy a trip back to the little carp lake at Portland, just to see if the fish are active at all in the winter. I'm sure they will be as the place is so well stocked, but we will have to see?