Long range weather forecasts

In the hope that the rain might be coming to an end soon, I was looking at the local 10-day weather forecast and basically there is a 70% chance of rain every day for the next week and a half.  It rained quite a lot here yesterday and it is doing so again today.  This is all rather disheartening.  It might be ok if barbel were a serious local target, but chub fishing is just constantly hit by the river rising and colouring up, just as you expect it to be getting better.

As I left on Saturday, I left a marker at the top of the stretch and popping back today, the river is up an inch or two.  It reminds me so much of the start of the season in 2007 where the rivers remained in flood till August.  Earlier in the year, when I was planning my season, I had been expecting good catches of chub from the local stretches, maybe some fun fishing on clear rivers for chub with floating crust or natural baits.  Certainly not this. 

If there is a break in the rain tomorrow afternoon, I might go and have a few hours in a single swim, rather than moving about lots.  But that's only to be able to get out by the river, not due to a view I will catch much.

I have just been reading the new Angling Times and Angler's Mail for the start of the new river season and they have no chub captures of any note at all.  Maybe my 5-05 was actually pretty good!  If I had said I caught it on the Windrush, I might have got my picture in the fishing papers again!

Or maybe I sould have a trip after trout again - maybe Bushyleaze?

Addendum - Tuesday

No large chub reported in this week's Angler's Mail.  Also, I have been catching up with my favourite fishing blog - Phil Smith's http://www.barbelblogger.blogspot.co.uk/

He has just turned his attention to barbel, fishing from early pm to around 11:00pm on three afternoons last week, managing one really nice barbel.  This does suggest that the afternoon into evening might be the best focus for longer sessions.  But that is one fish for 24 hours fishing with two rods.

I had a quick trip down to the river this lunchtime and it is up about 2 inches from the weekend.  Rain showers are occuring every couple of hours, so the earliest I am planning an evening session is perhaps Thursday.  I may go and bait some swims on Wednesday afternoon.