Old New Year

River Dove 31st Dec 2019.

On New Years Eve 2019 I made a final trip to a stretch of the River Dove... 

Run!

It's on a club card which I've hardly used in the past few seasons so it's become a rather expensive day ticket, therefore, sadly it has to go. Although I hadn’t fished this particular venue for a good few years it was my favourite venue on the club portfolio and was quite a trip down memory lane. The stretch had given me some great memories, some good chub, a PB grayling, barbel, colourful perch and both rainbow and brown trout. Yet it probably gave me more in terms of time spent with friends than actual fish caught.

Dove crease

On this day I rocked up at 13 bells and made my way through the entire stretch, if nothing else just to  have one last look.

Dove

I link legered crust and cheesepaste under bushes, I trotted flake and worm along glides and creases, and as usual the day passed in a flash, as it always does when fishing. 

Despite dropping into all my usual haunts I never had so much as a bite, but then it never was a venue that could be described as easy. Blanks were more the norm rather than the exception and every fish I'd ever caught here had been earned. There was no reward today however, no sentimental last gasp chub, just another entry in a long list of memories.