Groundhog day

Like Bill Murray in Groundhog day I am stuck on repeat.

A good size Chub continues to elude me but the Mr Trout keeps popping in to visit.

Everything was identical, I waited five hours for a bite using exactly the same bait. I then lost a good size fish after a frantic battle. Slumping defeated into my chair I struggled to suppress the rising urge to jump up and down on my rod.

After a while I decided against this course of action and flicked my bait lazily out a few feet in front of me. The float trotted down the swim and dipped under. I struck and everything went mental.

I now understand why people like Trout fishing. I have always felt that that Trout and game fishing was an elitist pursuit. The domain of people with double barrelled names and country estates. But I now understand how people can become hooked on catching one type of fish repeatedly. In a shallow run with a light hook length a Brown Trout puts up an amazing fight. The Trout ploughed up stream, shaking it's head from left to right before leaping clean out of the water, it's tail wagging as it swam in mid air.

After the battle was finally over and I returned the Trout to the river, I reflected on how identical the day has been to my previous fishing trip. Maybe I am going to have to try a different bait to lure a Chub if I am to escape from Groundhog day...