Oh , how appropriate I thought as I turned off the overnight burglar alarm and unlocked the front door. There it was. Crisp and glassy shard white, glistening. The first Jack Frost of the year. 4.30am . Wednesday 20th October. Autumn, or rather an early Winter day had arrived. And it was appropriate for I was Test bound for my first grayling trot of the season.
Bag packed, flask loaded, a day’s grub of cheese and onion sarnies made and already in my rucksack.. The adrenalin was already rising. And I was off, day dreaming of another big two pounder. Well it was always possible because I caught one last season. Though it was closer to three pounds, short by only one and a half ounces. A veritable giant.
And I had packed the same lucky rod. For those readers interested in the ramblings of an old cane user – that’s a user of old cane rather than an old cane user, it was an 11 ft John Brough Roach Superior. Two pieces of wonderfully flamed and finished cane, so lovely on the eye and even lovelier to hold. It has the feel, as Mr Yates would say. But for those not interested – it was just a modern tonkin cane rod. Within two hours it would be paired with a modern four inch Aerial style centrepin, and an exquisite Paul Cook cork and balsa Avon style float. Add some 3-06 Powerflo line and a grain of the Jolly Green Giant…and it was time for that first trot.
I had been given the opportunity to fish a private beat of the River Test by a business colleague. I couldn’t say no. Conditions looked perfect as I walked from the car along the chalkiest of southern streams., clear water though a little shallow in many of the ‘main’ swims due to a surprising lack of autumn rain.
As the day wore on the autumn debris picked up and the sun was a little too bright – a most splendid autumn day with relatively warm temperatures and perhaps not ideal for lady chasing. But what a glorious day for weather. Wonderful to be out there. I saw a pair of kingfishers several times darting along the stream like the reprieved Blue Arrows, some Fieldfare and a largish hawk with a pale coloured under belly ( any ideas?) working the neighbouring fields.
It was a far cry from the bad start to the day when I had set the alarm on some O2 loan Samsung cheapy phone ( Blackberry worn out and in for roller ball repair) for 5am .. And woke at 6.02. That would have been a good weight for a chub!
First cast was at about 8.20 am after throwing a few grains of corn in several good looking swims, one a long smooth glide, one a fast moving near bank undercut and one in the marginal slack.
The first hour brought me 17 fish, including six over the pound, and almost the day’s best at 1lb 14oz (weighed on two sets of scales).
By four pm I had fished seven swims and plundered 48 fish.. All ladies, and, surprisingly for the venue, a summer dry fly beat, not one troot… A very rare occurrence. But no chub, dace nor roach either. It was obviously Ladies Day at the Mill Races.
The 48 included fish of 1-09, 1-10, 1-12, 1-13 and the 1-14. I was just giving thought to what swim(s) to concentrate on at dusk’s last knockings when my wife called to say her father-in law had been taken to hospital and would I mind calling it a day to come home and assist. Knowing there were fish still in the swim I had a a quick few ‘last’ casts..to see if I could round the tally up to 50.. Greedy or what? I picked up number 49 on the second trot. And the fourth trot was my last, for it produced number 50… My biggest of the day at just under 1lb 15ozs. It wasn’t the hoped for two pounder, nor was it a 1-15. And it wasn’t a 1-14 either. But in the spirit of angling.. .. It was the second 1-14 of the day. A fitting end to a glorious day.
Gary Cullum
