Optimism over experience

Describes most fishing, but particularly anything to do with the Exeter Ship Canal.

There are some monsters lurking in the (significant - 5m+ ) depths of the canal. But 9 years living next to it and the tally stands at a couple of decent pike, lots of perch, roach and rudd, but nothing much more than 10oz and rather a lot of eels...even on bread I can't get away from the slimy beasts.

Fly fishing at night in early March is right up there on the optimism scale. Unsurprisingly nothing caught.