Early January 2018

Well the festive season was now and truly over other than the New Year. I had been staying in the Avon valley from 28th to 6th Jan. The weather was far from being kind to me strong winds rain and cold. No problem I thought there is plenty of time. Mrs P and me had a great New Year eve on our own which was the first time since I could remember. Not that I can’t remember New Years eve just we were alone.

New Years day came and the weather was getting warmer and the river was coloured. So the following day saw me set up in a swim fishing for barbel it was that warm.

I fished some boilies that had been kind to me before. However nothing took a fancy to them and I had a blank. Still 4 more days of fishing would sort the fish out. Mrs P and I went to Ringwood and visited the White Heart pub in the high street. Here they were offering 2 steak dinners and a bottle of wine for £20. A bargin!

We had a lovely evening and ventured back to where we were staying. As the evening progressed I started to feel quite ill with flu. Suddenly it was fully developed flu. I had a tough night with little sleep I ached from tip of my toes to the top of my head. I had never felt so ill couldn’t get up and just laid down. Couldn’t be arsed to do anything even eat.

Mrs.P was a real gem and looked after me. I slept more than staying awake and was not the best of company. Well that was the fishing gone for the next 4 days. We returned home 4 days later where upon Mrs P went down with the same flu.

We were a right old state between us. Even the village Vicar asked if wanted shopping done. Now I felt offended as we are far from being the elder statesmen here. But a great gesture. I managed to get out and get some food supplies. The whole thing lasted for 3 weeks.

Got to say I was going stir crazy staying in. So plans were made for a short session on the H.Avon. The river had been high from banks of rain that flew across the country west to east. However the river had some colour and it was just within it’s banks when I arrived. Now the swim that I wanted to fish is a challenge in high water however by upstream swim feeder I was able to hold the bottom with 70g of lead.

I was feeling rough as the walk from the car park had taken me ages as I was weak as a kitten. First job was to bait drop 6 droppers of red maggots into the swim and then tackle up. The set up is 6lb main line and Korum 12ft river quiver rod. These rods are fantastic for perch fishing and for these huge chub in the Avon.

I cast out after about an hour and was pleasantly surprised by the lack of debris coming down and fouling the line. I suppose about 30 mins went by and the rod jerked forward then the line fell slack and I struck into a fish that was only on for a second or so and the hooklink parted. Was I too strong with setting the hook or was it a weak spot in the 4lbs 12oz hooklink. I cursed though at loosing that fish.

Retackling again and casting out I wasn’t expecting anything for a while. However 15 mins later the same thin happened the rod nodded forward then the line went slack. This time I more or less lifted into the fish and sure enough it pulled back in the strong current. With the flow almost at it’s max the chub kept trying to reach the sanctuary of the willows opposite. I managed to stop that and had it in mid river safe for a while. It was all about following it downstream for about 50m where with any luck it would be near the surface and ready for netting. As it came up it looked a good chub of about 6lbs.

I soon had her safely secure in a slack while I sorted out the scales and camera stuff. On the scales she went 6lbs 10oz. I was over the moon.

6lbs 10oz

That was my 6th chub over 6lbs for the season so well please.

I baited with 4 more droppers of maggots. I didn’t have long to wait as another bite developed and I was playing a much smaller chub of 4lbs 12oz.

Then I had another bite from one of 5lbs 9oz. This was going well as I only started at 11am and it was still only about 2pm.

More droppers of bait went in to get the chub competing for maggots.

The next fish was another great chub, it tried to get me into the willows a few times and fought really hard in the fast current. I couldn’t net it in my normal spot but had to follow it even further downstream. Eventually it came into the net and again it looked a 6lber as I lifted it out. A very short but fat chub of 6lbs 6oz. A beautiful fish.

6lbs 6oz

I didn’t bait this time as the bite came early on from initial droppers. The next fish was another 4lber and in marvelous condition.

So 5 fish was super fishing and it was just about to get better. The rod nodded and the line went slack and I lifted into another very hard fighting chub. This one kept low in the river which normally signifies a big chub. They really pull back in the strong flow.

It looked like another good fish as I walked back upstream with the chub in the net. On the scales it went 5lbs 13oz and a fatty chub for sure.

5lbs 13oz

So 6 chub was a cracking days fishing, it was soured a little as I lost a possible another 6lber at the net. I played it for several minutes and it felt big in the strong flow. I walked down to net the thing it came to the surface and dived back and did this a few times. I was just about to draw the fish over the net and ping the hook came out. You do lose one or two to hook pulls with size 20’s. I was disappointed for a while.

Having said that 6 chub with 2x6lbers 2x 5lbers and 2x4lbers was an excellent days fishing.