a love-hate relationship

It would be fair to say that my local river isn't my favourite place to fish, there are a lot of things about it which i hate.

The bank sides become an  unnavigable jumble of wader wrecking brambles especially as the season advances

not to mention all the rubbish washed down from the town upstream, everything from shopping trolleys to old bikes and  kitchen sinks.

the water quality isn't the best either with a lot of treated effluent giving the river a certain odour,not the most appealing place to fish really is it?

Having said all that i was reminded again yesterday why i still have a soft spot for this river, it's not all bad!
A Five Minute walk from my back door and i was fishing on this lovely big flat pool, and with a good  hatch  in full swing the trout were only to happy to play ball, Col's cdc shuck was deadly!

the trout fight hard

The bank sides are also colourful just now, nothing fancy but its not all brambles and hog weed.

mother Mallard and her young

I went home from the river contented , it's never going to match  the streams we fish further afield in terms of beauty but  it's has a certain something all of it's own.