2nd August Bristol Avon and a fine chub and barbel

The heat has been increasing over the last few days. The temperatures are said to reach 27c today and the same tomorrow.
So with this in mind I set off early to try and beat the heat of the day. I also wanted to try and find the pike that snaffled the 3lb chub last week.

So I had a few dead baits ready should I encounter the toothy critter today.
The sun was obscured by a few clouds at first light as it was low in the sky. There was sufficient light though to see that the toothy critter was not at home in the swim however there was a few barbel and chub.
I threw some hemp in the swim, it was that shallow and the flow was that slow it just sank.
This was for a couple of reasons one was to try and see if the fish activity around the hemp would draw in the pike. Sure enough the chub and barbel started to gather. The chub were straight on the hemp, however the barbel would not stray too far from cover.
I put a small amount of hemp near to their cover and sure enough even they came out to have breakfast after a while.
Soon out went a pellet on a hair with a pva bag with assorted sized pellets inside.
I could make out the pellet and bag, I even saw the barbel come along pick the pellet up and shake it’s head and out it popped.

After a few moments the barbel was on it’s final approach to the bait again and this time the bait was hovered up and the line sprang tight and there was a very short tussle around the tight swim. I thought when looking at it the fish would go 6lbs however when it was in the net it looked larger.

Well I never I wouldn’t have thought it would have gone that big. I think any barbel over 8lbs is a good fish. So all of this was within 5 minutes of casting out.
Soon the photo’s were taken and the barbel gently released after holding her in what little current there was.

So I peered back into the swim and saw no pike or barbel, however there were two chub one was slightly lighter in colour than the other. I put this fish at about 5lbs and the darker one slightly less. They were still feeding on the hemp. Out went the rig again with another bag of pellets. Soon the two of them came back into the swim and the darker one gulped down the pellet and again after a short tussle it was in the net.
The chub looked quite long but lean.

I was surprised on the scales it went 5lbs 3oz my first Bristol Avon 5lber of the year.

So that was it in 10 minutes of having my rods in the water I’d had a couple of good fish.

The light coloured chub must be a good 5lber I think
I decided to look further downstream but found nothing much interesting to fish for.
So I packed up and drove 10 miles upstream to the gravel pits close to the river to say hello to a few friends who were catching some good tench. I stayed for about 3 hours in the shade of a few trees.
I met my mate Ivor and we went to a spot I know and eventually found 2 or 3 barbel to about 9lbs in amongst some cabbages. I put in a few pellets and they would feed, but very cautiously. I cast out twice but didn’t get a touch.
It was now 7pm and time to leave.
I’m out again tomorrow to see whether that toothy critter it in the swim, if not then those barbel and chub had better watch out. I think Ivor may join me.