You can run, but you can't hide

What can I say? This is probably one of my personal best 'monster' perch. The fish went airborne due to the hook-set. But, he lived to fight another day.


And so, it looks like the end to winter flood isn't within sight just yet. On my recent road trip, I went from north to south, then back up north again to find floods everywhere in the west country. In a way, you can run all you want, but you can't hide from the floods. In fact, the riverside hotel that I was staying was in fact partly flooded.

For the fish, I bet most of them are probably having a time of their life. For once in many months, they are actually free from the constant harassment of anglers, except for one little guy. Not pinning much hopes in catching anything, I was pitching a 3/16 oz jika-rig next to a submerged branch by the bank. I'd initially thought that the bait had brushed against a twig or something. As I tried to shake it off, it moved and the hook-set that followed had the little guy airborne and landed on a soft spot. I wish it was a keeper, but at the time, it actually felt like a winning fish.



This is where I caught the little guy, in the well flooded river in winter.



Flood everywhere. You need waders just to walk pass this closed section.


As for the city, most of it is actually on flood alert and there were flood defenses everywhere along the river. As for me, I've never actually seen anything like that before. Over those past few days, the rain came with full force and it didn't feel like stopping. Sad to say, I had no choice but to cut short the fishing plans for that occasion. Thinking that I could actually escape the flood at a restaurant, I was wrong... my plans to do lunch at a nearby restaurant hit a snag. And guess what, the restaurant was well flooded and had to close.



The water must have been up for more than a meter here, no thanks to the flood.



The flood defense barriers by the river bank by the UK Environmental Agency. For the sake of the residents by the bank, I hope it works for them.