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WYE TODAY (27/2/06) IN DIRE CONDITIONS WATER TEMP JUST UNDER 5OC (AND DROPPING) AND CLEAR.

9LB 10OZ AT 11.42 AND 10LB 120Z AT 13.44, ONE SMALLER SAMPLE AT 14.29.

TOTAL BAIT USED 2 DROPPERS OF HEMP AND 3QTR PINT OF MAGGOTS (TWO MAGGOT FEEDER RODS).

NEXT DAY CONDITIONS WERE WORSE IT ALSO SNOWED MOST OF DAY STILL TOOK 4 BARBEL TO 8LB 80Z

After last nights damp squib thought the afternoon would be better, got by river around 15.15 it was scorching and didn't feel like sitting in the heat so brewed up a cuppa.....16.10 I noticed it had got pretty breezy. So though it would be worth a go could be end of transit period though wernt exactly sure where that would be. So set up and cast out...16.37 it was off but only a 5lb'er.

Canoes started coming up my inside and felt like jacking it in but it was still breezy, so decided to cast in again and put a backlead on (this I like to avoid as often I get screamers that suddenly stop because the hook has not gone home properly). It was cast out and backleaded by about 16.55.

Two good pulls which did not connect properly, but I decided to leave it out there...17.36 off it went and I pulled fairly hard to make sure the hook was set, seem to worked as several minutes later my 1st "double" of the season, 10 exactly was in the net. Where I kept it for a good 10 mins to recover BEFORE bringing it up the bank for a self timer photo..then I jacked in

Hadn't wet a line for over a month and was itching to get out, the river was carrying 6ft of floodwater (not a lot for the Wye). High point was about 11.15, hadn't consulted my logs to see other peaks but the end of transit was always going to be around 14.00 NM-1 nov esp start of November. Couldn't get to river until midday and decided on half a can of bacon grill for a hookbait, thinking that they would more than likely have seen enough of tiny baits and pellets during Sunday's Wye Champs! The meat was baited on the s/u MKv1 and cast into a slack and a critically balanced bobbing attached from the 3rd ring. Second rod I fished feeder and maggots upstream....dace, dace and more dace.....

Around 13.35 the wind swung around and then died, then it picked up again at 13.45 and there was a "twitch" on the bobbing I was immediately on the ready and in high anticipation. That state was short lived as 3 mins later at 13.48 the bobbing steadily rose toward the rod, I knew by past experience that the fish had taken the tender morsal properly at that point, put the thumb on the pin and struck firmly into what I knew to be a pretty decent fish.....10mins later the net went under a pristine 10lb 140z Wye barbel....I was happy as Larry as the picture shows! Packed up at 16.00