Opening Day 2011

It had been a pleasant enough day, though sunshine and showers had been forcast, and as I loaded the car the sky darkened.
Beeston weir was the destination, and my hopes were high that I get the A-Z underway with an opening day barbel. It was gone seven as a walked beside and over the canal. I noted the water was crystal clear, I could actually see the bottom, but more ominously there were no fish topping. The weirpool was busy, with perhaps a dozen anglers lining the bank. I dropped down to chat to a pair of guys fishing the head of the pool, no fish and no bites either - so its going to be like that then is it, thought I.

Someone had already fished my chosen peg, this morning presumably but this didn't worry me, hopefully they chucked some leftover bait in at the end of the session and the swim was full of barbs queueing up for their next snack. They weren't, or at least they didnt fany the tutti frutti or prawn boilies I offered them, i even tried a big bunch of maggots as the sun set but without even seeing a tremor on the rod top.

To while away the wait I had tackled up a rod with a light leger and a size 18 to 3lb hooklength, spent an hour touch legering in various spots for just one little chublet, still the little fella made me smile, worthy of a photo, my first river fish of the 2011 season.