Floods and tales of woe!!! Big time!!!

Well having just returned from a holiday in Aruba where we met Hurricane Matthew, well in a tropical state as it brushed our island. It was scary stuff but heaven knows what it was like when it ripped through Haiti.

Anyhow it was to be a week on the H.Avon fishing for a few hours each day, taking Mrs.P out and about during the day. Well the first day it started to rain, then it poured the second and the river started to rise and colour. I ventured out on the Sunday pm to find huge rafts of week floating down and plenty of little pieces to snare the line. It was so bad I fished a slack area however I just couldn’t hold bottom for longer then 5 mins.

It’s very strange the river above Fordingbridge runs clearer than the stretch I fish. The reason is that the river comes up fast from the streams that flow in from the New Forest, that said it also drops quickly when the flooding on the stream subsides.

Anyhow it was a terrible session and nothing caught.

The very next day saw me on the river again with Andy. I got there a little late. Walking across the field I was sick then when I reached a swim I fancied was sick again.

I settled into a deep run thinking that the barbel might be in there. The river was not clear however it was dropping in height and clarity improving during the day.  I had one chub rattle. I baited another swim which was much shallower and when going to check on it after about 1 hour there was a good double feeding on the pellets. After a short while I was settled into the new swim.

Still being sick throughout the day it was clear that I had eaten something and it was food poisoning. I persevered through to dark 6.15pm and suggested to Andy he sits in the swim to see if the barbel would return. It didn’t.

On arriving back to where Mrs.P and I were staying I told her about the day being unwell and she said why didn’t you come back. My simple answer was that there was a double figure barbel in the swim and I could easily sat there as sit at home feeling sorry for myself. Mrs.P. and I were supposed to be going out for dinner that night. Got changed went 40 yds down the road  and then returned.

The remainder of the night I was being sick and in the morning felt terrible. No sleep or food left me weak. The next few days nothing much changed and I didn’t feel like fishing. Mates were fishing and catching however I just could make the effort.

By weds I thought I stood a chance of fishing the Thursday afternoon having eaten some food and feeling stronger.

Seldom ill but this had me good and proper.