March and another 6lb chub from the H. Avon
Travelling down to H.Avon is seldom a chore especially as the mornings are now getting much lighter. Sunrise is at 7am and the glow in the eastern sky starts a good 45 mins before. Again I was to be fishing an area which not many people fish. Although saying this a couple of the swims were brown where all the grass →
Mike and a 3lb perch
Mike wanted to catch a few perch for a day. I had guided him several times before and we normally have a great time. Arrangements were made to visit a fishery renown for it’s good perch. Previously on a guided session he caught a 2lbs 13oz perch first cast. So the target this session was for a 3lber. We arrived to →
February and the cold continues. However some big 6lb chub.
Well the cold spell continued for longer then I wanted it to. I had made numerous visits to the H. Avon with some success and some quite miserable days. I have been trying to open my mind further to the mystery of the river by fishing swims that I've not fished before. Not knowing of what lives there is what drives →
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 →
Hampshire Avon Chub
So once back in the UK it was time to visit the H.Avon again to see what was happening. The weather had changed to a cold Artic blast which had temperature plunging to -11c around the country, however it had changed again. This time back to a very respectable 13c. I met Andy a couple of times fishing. It had been →
Cape verde fishing
Cape Verde Nov to Dec 2016 I had been looking forward to fishing on these wonderful islands again since last visiting one year previously. This time I would be fishing for the normal small fish that can be caught from the shore and the sharks that swim close by. I took the normal light spinning rod with 25lb braid. With this thin →
6 chub from the Avon however no monsters
On the Saturday after my great chub result on the Friday of two 6lb plus chub I was the guest speaker at the Tench Fishers AGM at Milton Keynes. I gave a short talk about my last year of angling. I did mess up a few of the dates which caused a few laughs. Well the years really pass by →
Two more H. Avon 6lb plus chub
After resting my broken toe for about 10 days I was ready to go again. I arranged to meet Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley on the H.Avon. We each had a plan to fish different stretches of the river. I was going to fish an area that I've not fished before well I should clarify that I've not →
Still tales of woe and a 12lbs 12oz barbel
For a week I had been limping around with a problem with my toe. Not my big toe but my next one. It all started when on holiday in Aruba 3 weeks ago. I was lining up a fantastic photo when shuffling forward to get the perfect shot I stubbed my big toe and next one to it on a →
That’s better 2 x 6lb plus chub
So here I was on the Thursday afternoon heading towards the river with 4 pints of maggots I had bought on Saturday. I didn't think I was going to use these after the bout of sickness. I arrived to find the river very clear and low again. I looked at several swim some contained a few chub but one had about 20 →
Chew Valley lake and a new pb brown trout
After returning from holiday in Aruba it was time to fish on the famous Chew Valley lake. Normally Andy and I fish for pike or perch on this awesome venue. In the past we have had great catches of perch to be fair the pike fishing has been disappointing for me. I think in all the years I have fished →
Floods and tales of woe!!! Big time!!!
Well having just returned from a holiday in Aruba where we met Hurricane Matthew, well in a tropical state as it brushed our island. It was scary stuff but heaven knows what it was like when it ripped through Haiti. Anyhow it was to be a week on the H.Avon fishing for a few hours each day, taking Mrs.P out and →
H.Avon and a barbel at last.
Guiding on the river Wye had been particularly busy again this year. I did manage a few visits to the H.Avon trying to find the elusive barbel. I went down one day with Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley to a stretch at the far end of the fishery. Well he didn't venture down I did. The weather had →
H. Avon and more 6lb chub
Well that's the guiding on the river Wye completed for the year and although the blogs are short of real information regarding rigs etc the photo's tell that the fishing has been difficult. The low flow and clear water just doesn't suit the barbel. Between the guiding I have made the odd visit to the H.Avon and had mixed results with →
Steve and Mick on the river Wye
Steve is a member of the Tench Fishers and asked me if it was possible to guide on the river Wye. He was going to bring along his fishing pal Mick. Both had fished the Wye before with mixed results. Of course I said yes and duly we meet to fish a good stretch where there are plenty of barbel. However I →
Wilf and his first barbel
I first met Wilf whilst on holiday in Cape Verde. I had been fishing each morning for a couple of hrs and again in the late afternoon until sunset. I was fishing and catching plenty of fish not large ones but about 1 to 2lb. Wilf came along with his rod and asked what rig I was using and bait. So →
Dave and Dad Steve on the river Wye with a rare double figured barbel
Dave and Dad Steve wanted a day on the river Wye fishing for barbel. They were down for a weeks holiday fishing some local lakes. We met early in the morning fishing a swim where we caught a couple of barbel. However for most of the summer and autumn the river was low and clear. Steve's first barbel was 5lbs 10oz and →
Colin and Roger fishing the river Wye
I had guided Colin now a few times. He lives in Madrid and so fishing time is limited. He fishes with a friend Brian however he couldn't make it for the two days. Colin though invited his Uni Professor Roger to join us. Now Roger had never caught a barbel before so he was really excited. We met early in the →
Fishing with Malcolm on the H.Avon and a huge barbel
I have fished with Malcolm a few times now perching, and chub. The last day of the coarse season in March this year Malcolm had a 6lb plus chub. So he asked me whether it was possible to have a days fishing with me on the H.Avon for barbel. Now the stretch I fish has some good barbel in it however →
Chris and Tom barbel fish the river Wye
Chris and Tom had not caught any barbel before and asked me to guide them on the river Wye. Both were very competent anglers. Both fished together when younger and met up occasionally to catch up on life. Chris and I met early in the morning, as Tom was travelling down the M4 he arrived a little later. The river was low and →
The Cat fish Team take a day out on the river Wye
Paul Fagan was our cat fishing guide in Spain for Dan's 21st birthday. A date was arranged to take advantage of him fishing for barbel whilst in the UK to have a social fishing session. Most of the team Dan, Vince, Mark, Rob and Clive wanted to fish so I booked a beat on the river Wye. It was great to →
August Carl Prosser and a couple of days fishing on the river Wye.
These next 10 blogs are reasonably short as I've had little time to write them up and here I am mid Oct. I'm just happy that I keep a good record of the catches on my phone. So here goes. Carl is in the tench fishers and is a very confident angler. I guided him and his mate Daffers last year →
Two more visits to the Hampshire Avon and two big chub.
The month of July was slowly turning to August and the guiding on the river Wye was not so frantic as last year so I'm managing to fish the H.Avon a little more. The first session was after I cancelled a guided session on the Wye as we had lots of rain and I was unsure about how things would look. →
James and Luke fishing the Wye
I had guided Luke a couple of times for tench and barbel on the river Wye and this time he wanted his mate James to come along. The day before Bill and Dan who caught a few good barbel. Again we arrived early and the only difference of the river was that it was up about 6" and pushing through more. →