Monday 11th March and another 6lb chub
After returning to the river after going home for the weekend saw it dropping in height and colour. I was going to fish a swim that has been kind to me over the years. I had been fishing an area at the top of the swim where there was some slack water. I was using the feeder and short hooklink →
Another H.Avon double the very next day
Well after that huge barbel the previous day you could forgive me for fishing the same swim. I arrived at opening hour and moved straight to the swim. Using the same boilie and pva bag approach in the slightly deeper part of the swim. The river hadn't moved much in height and the colour had not improved. I cast out →
14lbs 13oz barbel 6th March
I had planned to fish 6th to 8th March with Andy ( you should have been here yesterday) Cowley. Andy couldn't make it early neither did I in the end. I had a few chores to resolve before I could set off on the 1hr 40 min journey time. Much rain had fallen over the previous day and the river →
David has been given the green light to join the Somerley Estate syndicate
I had guided David last summer on the Dorset Stour where he so much enjoyed the day. David phoned me to say that he was being given the chance to join Somerley fishing syndicate. I was so delighted for him as he is a true gent and loves and cherishes the days he gets a chance to fish. With this →
Anglers mail feature
Some time ago now I was asked by Duncan Charman to help him with a feature on grayling fishing on the river Itchen. I don't normally like these things as you expose venues and swims to others. It's the other anglers who fish the venues I feel for. Lots of publicity which is not welcome from their perspective. Anyhow this →
On the Thames with Andrea
Well where has the year gone. I have just returned from a couple of weeks in Mexico. The weather was super with plenty of sun and a great breeze. The only negative was that the wind dislodged plenty of weed from the off shore reef. It was unpleasant to swim in the sea and impossible to wet a line. So →
Another session on the Thames again.
So after a couple of days not fishing it was time to get on the Thames again. To be frank I'm disappointed with the size of the chub that I'm catching. On the H.Avon you would expect to land a 6lber amongst a few others. It's just me having the 5lbers and Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley →
Perch and chub fishing and trouble with an otter
Well after a difficult time on the H.Avon on my last visit mainly through minnows decimating all the maggots that I could throw at them. Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley and I decided on a perch trip to a commercial. We would ask mutual friend Ross along too. We arrived at first light to find a crisp frost on →
Hampshire Avon for a couple of days
I hadn't fished the Avon for a while and it was time to try again. Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley would be fishing with me. The weather had been dry with little rain and the river level had been dropping. I had it in the back of my mind about fishing a swim where I had 2 →
River Thames first cast again for quite sometime.
I had been thinking of fishing the Thames for chub for a couple of years now. The upper river had been decimated by otters a good few years ago but now things were starting to improve again. I'm unsure of the reason why the river has rebounded. Perhaps the otter numbers has decreased, maybe the crayfish, and there are plenty →
End of 2018 and the beginning 2019 and 2 6lb chub
Well that was Christmas over for another year. I’m not complaining as there is so much effort going into the preparation and executing all the fun and food. We had a great one with family. We decided to head to Fordingbridge for about one week. My aim was to complete lots of work on the house and find a few hrs →
Early Dec and two 6lb chub again
It was time to travel down to the H.Avon once more to fish for chub. The river had risen over the previous week and plenty of rain had fallen. Some good chub were caught during that period plus a few 7lbers. Unfortunately I was unable to get onto the river during this period. I was to have 2 days on the river →
Another 6lb plus chub from the H.Avon
Well the two weeks holiday was over in a flash. We left Boavista with the temperature at 28c and returned to Birmingham at a rather chilly 2c. We had one day at home then Mrs. P and I headed down to Hampshire for the weekend. I had a couple of small windows of opportunity to try my luck for the chub. →
Cape Verde Nov 2018
Our annual trip to Boavista one of the islands of Cape Verde for a holiday came along so fast. Mrs P and I had arranged to meet Viktoria and Marko from Sweden there for some fishing and R&R. We had met them a few years ago and kept in touch since. We were also met with Jo and Wilf whom →
Another 6lb chub and no. 11 for the season
I was down for a few days staying in Fordingbridge. Family were staying for a while and fishing time was limited. I had one short session after a few frosts hoping the minnows were now not too active. Sure enough the minnows were not feeding together with the chub too. I blanked after a few hours. I was using a feeder with →
October madness 3 6lb chub in two days
Autumn was in full swing as I drove down to Hampshire for a couple days fishing. Also I needed to attend the naughty boys speeding school event in Southampton. The colours were spectacular as the leaves on the trees were reaching the end of their lives and were just weeks or days away from detaching themselves from the parent tree. After →
Michael on the river Wye
Michael had wanted a day on the Wye trying to catch a barbel. I had fished a couple of days previously and had struggled. We started in the swim where I had finished previously. There was supposed to be rain for most of the day however we had a couple of showers and it wasn't too bad. There was a strong →
Trevor and Ashley On the Wye
Ashley and Trevor wanted a guiding day on the Wye trying for the barbel and chub. They were there for the week. The river had been low and clear for a while and conditions were far from good. We fish one area to begin and had a barbel of about 8lbs. The conditions though were against us. We moved swims and here →
A day on the H.Avon with Ross
I've known Ross for a long time now having guided him for barbel chub and perch. He is a good fly fisherman too having seen him fish Dever Springs earlier in the year for trout. I had asked him to fish the H.Avon with me for a day to see if we could catch him one of the enormous chub or →
A short evening session on the H.Avon
I had a short window of opportunity to fish for a couple of hrs the evening before I take Ross fishing the next day on the H.Avon. I put out some pellets in the same swim I had the 6lb 2oz and 5lbs 14oz the previous week. Sure enough after 20 mins or so the chub and a couple of barbel →
Another 6lb plus chub including some others
September had been unusually warm and so was the start of October. Having said that we had a few frosts in the mornings which cooled a day or so down. Little or no rain fell during the period. The weed was dying back and so there was little of it to hold the flow back and so the river continued →
On the river Wye with Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley
Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley and I decided a trip to the river Wye should give us a great chance of a barbel or two. So we decided that a Tuesday just prior to me going way on the Thursday would suit just fine. I suggested that we meet at my place and travel together. The session was →
September river low and clear
September has been very quite fishing on the Hampshire Avon. There has been insufficient rain and temperatures continued to be hit high for the most of the month. However the club and barbel continued to feed. The weed growth had been static and if anything the swans were keeping it in check. I also managed to sneak in a 2 week →
Bristol Avon magic (Turn on the volume)
Its 1982 and I join one of the best syndicates on the Bristol Avon. My heart has stayed here and I've been loyal. I've caught huge barbel to over 12lbs many roach to well over 2lbs. plus the 27lb+ pike. The reason I've stayed is that the guy's have been working hard on river habitat improvement although the river is →