What a way to start




      The first session of the new year and what a way to start. When I arrive the fen is the lonely place that I have got used to and love not a walker in sight, nobody to be seen anywhere. That's absolutely perfect. It is freezing cold however and an icy wind is blowing from the east chilling you to the marrow, never mind the water. Two rods are made-up and the rigs prepared, street-pegging upstream with a smelt and float ledger with a dead roach downstream, not that there is much stream, just surface drift from that icy, lazy wind.



      Out goes the upstream smelt into position and everything is tightened up, bait runner set and before I can pick up the other rod the float bobs, slides across the surface and disappears travelling fast across the drain. I wind down for the strike and the float pops up on the opposite side of the drain, bugger, I wait a few minutes to see if there is a return but nothing happens. The mangled smelt is retrieved and a new bait is cast out along with the other as yet unused downstream rod.



      Two hours pass, nothing. Three hours pass, nothing. The only excitement is changing the bait, desperate or what? I wobble a dead roach, nothing. My phone pings, Middlesbrough have scored against Sunderland. I try the rubber black Minnow my nephew left me, nothing. The phone pings again, Middlesbrough have scored a second. That cheers me up. The cormorants are getting cockier and closer to me until I wave my arms at them then they are away flying off into the gloom sticking up a metaphorical two fingers at me.
      It's getting dark now and it's getting colder in the icy wind, even the cygnet looks pissed off because I haven't thrown any bait into the drain. It's a hard life, see you during the week.
      I'll just let the optimism build for Wednesday's session.





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