Seasons end

The last day of the traditional coarse fishing season is just as enjoyable as the opening day. A day to meet up with friends for a social day of fishing, chatter, tea and cake. Just after my last freezing trip to the river it poured with rain and the Stour duly came up and over onto the fields - it was totally unfishable for a few days and the colour of chocolate soup. It came down seven feet in one night just leaving it at the perfect height but still slightly too coloured for the last day. You can't have everything and we hoped our floats would dib at least once or twice.

Of course we still went fishing and had the most splendid day. I fished some glorious glides and had the most enjoyable time with plenty of fin perfect roach and dace for company. The landing net remained dry as they were all roachlings and dacelings but you just never know what is going to come next. Everyone caught - Kev had a few chub on his bread only diet, Merv some roach that did require the landing net and a solitary pike that had a taste for worm, Ferney and Max finally had their perch at last knockings and Demus, Steve and Hedge battled up river, out of the wind, with a good spread of species.

No swallows this year, but for me what really makes this day special is the company - the brotherhood of the angle was alive and kicking on the banks of the Stour..........along with copious amounts of tea and cake of course.