First few weeks of January

The new year came with temperatures fluctuating between mild and severe frosts. With just over 3 weeks gone in January the last week has seen water temperatures fall significantly.

Monday the 16th saw Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley and myself head towards the H.Avon again. The previous couple of weeks had been difficult for sure. However a little rain (not enough) over the weekend saw the river rise a little but slowly receding again. A few chub had been caught over the weekend so it was worth a look.

Meeting up in Ringwood we started on the low end of the stretch. I had found a few chub in a great looking slack with a snag at the end of the trott.  Andy started of fishing for pike.

I started off catapulting maggots into the head of the swim ensuring that they would temp the chub from their lair. The catapult was used every 30 seconds or so adding just about 20 maggots at a time.

Soon the float rod was put together using 6lb main and a 4g float with 4.12lb hooklink and a size 20 hook. The slack was just at my feet so I didn’t need to cast far. I wanted to trot the crease as the river speed was slightly faster which ensured the chub needed to make a quick decision on whether to take the bait or not as it passed by. The swim is not deep probably about 4 ft but clear of weed.

I didn’t need to wait long as the second trot down the float disappeared and the strike was met with the thump on the rod top indicating a chub was on the other end of the line. The fight was over quickly producing a small chub of about 1.5lbs.

I kept on feeding the swim. Downstream I could see Andy was into a pike so I rushed down to assist with this fish. When I got there it was in the net.

I taught him everything I know about making fish look big.

But then again it doesn’t always work. !!!!!!!!

Returning to my swim the maggots were continuously introduced at the same rate as before. The next fish was slightly larger at about 3.5lbs and took me out into the main flow and had my heart thumping for a while.

With the swim being relatively short and shallow the fish would retreat into the snag for a while before coming out to feed again. They just can’t resist the red maggots. I then bumped a fish off having only felt it for the briefest of moments. Then I hooked another which felt a much better fish and after 20 seconds or so the hook popped out in the strong flow. Bugger it happens every now and again. I then lost another one in a snag at my feet where the hook popped out again this fish was only about 4lbs so not a huge calamity.

Feeling that the fish would be spooked I walked back with Andy to the car park for a bite to eat and to rest the swim. So after 20 mins Andy headed off to try for barbel and I returned to the swim. A few more catapults of maggots went out and first trot down bingo the float disappeared and I struck into a chub, thump thump on the end indicated it was quite angry. This one again was no monster at about 3lbs or so.

So having caught 3 chub and lost 3 I thought it was time to move on. I’m disappointed with the swim and the small fish as in the summer there were some real lumps in there. I had chub to 6lbs 8oz and thought they might still be there. Perhaps not.

I moved back to the car and picked up my light ledger rod to fish a couple of swims I fancied on the opposite bank about 400 yds upstream. I arrived to find the ground had been worn by other anglers fishing the spot. I had fished it in October and the ground looked pristine however since then it had been fished a fair amount. I had high hopes for this swim as the water level had been low enabling a feeder to hold in the strong flow. At normal winter height it’s impossible and I think the chub move downstream to a slacker area.

Anyhow out went 4 droppers of maggots and two of hemp. The day had been overcast but a warm 9c so conditions looked great. It was now about lunch time and the river had a slight tinge to it from the mornings light rain. A few bits and pieces of debris were coming down however not too bad.

I took my time tackling up as I wouldn’t cast out for about 1 hour. This should allow the chub to feed confidently. The rig was my normal blackcap  feeder and a short hooklink of about 3 inches of 4.12lb break strain and a size 20 hook. Main line was 6lbs.

After about 1 hour I cast out close to the willow branches where the chub should reside and be feeding on the free food I had put in. I had a few good tentative pulls from the chub picking up the maggots and feeling resistance letting go. This is great news as you know full well that chub are present and feeding plus they will soon make a mistake. Sure enough after a few casts the rod tip bounced and buckled under the bite of a chub. I lifted the rod and played the chub out away from the willow branches and into mid river. Once here it can do little other than fight the current and the rod. It’s no good bringing the fish upstream as it’s likely that the tiny size 20 hooks will pull out in the strong flow. Better to retreat downstream keeping a tight line on the chub. Normally I identify a nice slack downstream where I can land the chub providing it’s not full of snags. This fish was not pulling back too hard and was swiftly in the landing net. Not a monster but at 4lbs 12oz a nice start in the swim.

So after releasing the fish downstream I wandered back up and recast. It must have been about 2pm. So that’s  4 chub for the day so far. It wasn’t long before the tip bounced again and this time the fish did pull back a bit however I was surprised they didn’t go for the willow branches. After saying this the water is deep and perhaps there is little cover under the branches. This fish fought slightly better and towed me around. It stayed deep in the river and so I had to beat it and the strong flow. I have so much confidence in the rigs and clutch on the reel (I always set the clutch before fishing) that I’m not too concerned. The rod and river flow soon had the chub near the surface and sure enough it looked a good fish. This chub I just lead downstream to the slacker water and netted it without any worries.

It looked a good size however empty inside. On the scales it went 5lbs 5oz. Getting bigger!

This was now about 3pm and I still had sufficient time for a few more. However the river was colouring up even more from the rain so the last light feeding spell might not materialise as the chub rely very much on sight. Still 5 chub was not a bad return for the day.

After a few more casts the rod bounced for the 3rd time and this time I lifted the rod into a decent chub that fought well and stayed deep. This one too didn’t try for the willow branches so it was very much under my control once it was midstream. I moved with the fish downstream and didn’t get a glimpse of it until it reached the slacker water where it surfaced and immediately thought it might be a 6lber. Again no last second hitches as it went into the landing net.

On inspection it looked thin and not carrying that pigeon chest that they sometimes have. On the scales it went 5lbs 11oz so not the 6lber but still a beauty. Take a look at the tail it looks stunning with the light coloured edging.

That was very much it for the day. So 6 chub to 5lbs 11oz was a good result.

I’m not going to write too much about our next session on Friday. We arrived to find the air temp at -4c and bright conditions. I fished the same swim again and drew a blank all morning. Take a look at the water temps from the Knapp mill thermometer. Monday 16th temps and Friday 20th. The river temp had plummeted for the last 4 days with hard frosts.

We both caught but I only had 1 chub from banker swims too. My fingers were so painful as I packed up on Friday I questioned my sanity for fishing that day.

One last thing is that the chub have lost weight since November and really since the cold weather had set in. We are finding as a rule the fish are 8oz down on the October weights. Very interesting.

Looking at the forecast for the coming week it’s going to be cold again. I was going to spend a week fishing however I’ve put those plans on hold.