MUD AND WOODSMOKE

     January can be a miserable month when the weather is like this. It wasn't as cold as it might have been but, my God, it was gloomy, overcast and wet; wet enough to make me think twice about venturing out anyway. It was raining when I arrived and slopped my way along the towpath but as I passed the moorings I was enveloped by the dusky smell of burning wood from an early riser's woodburner. I find it a most comforting scent, wringing a feeling of resilience and comfort from a dismal morning and I stumbled forward with renewed determination.

     Brolly up then, straightaway; throw everything underneath it and get out of the weather. Now I could relax a bit. Put my cap, which had been slowly but surely, covering my eyes, back up and mix a little groundbait. I tipped in the remains of Tuesday's casters, loaded a 10gm cage feeder and put a broken worm on the hook; flicked it halfway across, sat back to relax. After half an hour relaxing, the wind swung just enough to come under the brolly but rather than move everything, because frankly I couldn't be bothered, I pulled my coat round a bit tighter and retreated deeper into my shelter.

     I wasn't expecting much to be honest but after an hour or so the tip began to indicate minute signs of life. It is surprising how often my first bites on canals and stillwaters come around the hour mark. Eventually the tip pulled sharply and fell slack. A classic slackliner that quickly found me attached to a sluggish fish that plodded its way to the net. I guess it was a Bream but equally it could have been a Breamy hybrid; whichever, I was glad to see it.

     Another hour meandered away as the towpath got soggier and the mudline crept higher up my waterproofs. I had another couple of knocks that never developed before eventually the tip pulled slowly round and I was fast into something with a bit more vigour. I guessed Perch and was happy to see a decent example sliding over the rim of the net. It was one of the better ones that I've caught here at one pound ten and a positive way to end a damp couple of hours.