Last month was more about my dear mum than the fishing but I did get out a couple of times which certainly helped manage the stress and upset, I simply love being outside whatever the weather, it just makes you feel so alive and long may that continue.

My mum’s funeral was arranged for 4 March, but I had planned some fishing and taken leave for the last few days of the river season and was looking forward to that.

Last month was all about one huge fish, a Kings Weir monster Barbel at 19-14, a PB I’ll struggle to beat but with three fish in the section bigger than that I’ve got a chance if I fish it regularly enough in the right conditions.

With the weather changing constantly with warm wet periods with lots of flooding, and then cold snaps with temps into the minus I had to get out when I could around work and family life and then life took another twist and turn in early Feb….

Christmas and New Year has come and gone and we’re into another new fishing year with much to look forward too, but it seems as I get older the years slip by very quickly and I can’t believe as I sit writing this piece, we are into February already…crazy!!

December was a lean month with a good fish early on and then not much else to report due to cold weather and not getting out as much as I’d have liked. Christmas week was a lot warmer and with a cold snap due I knew I had to get out on New Years Day.