3rd and 4th of July a big barbel and 2x6lb chub
July the 3rd and here we were again Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley starting another two day session on the H.Avon. The weather had been very hot now since the start of the season. The temperatures started to reach toward the 30’s. On the positive side the the visibility in the river improved vastly. Chub and barbel spotting was made much easier. I was walking about 15000 step each day looking for barbel and this was to pay off.
I had spotted some barbel on a previous visit which Andy was to have a go at catching so he set off for the long walk upstream. I settled in a swim much closer and one where I had previously seen a few barbel. I scattered a few pellets into the swim to see if anyone was at home and sure enough a few chub began to appear. A couple looked to be good fish. Then a barbel glided into the swim all majestic like picked up a few pellets and disappeared again. So feeling reasonably confident I tackled up with a short braid hooklink weighted down with some sinkers. A 3 oz lead was used with a 2oz back lead. The reason for the heavy back lead is that often there is a fair amount of weed coming down that can dislodge the weights.
Got to say that I thought it was going to be difficult and sure enough it was. However luck was on my side as I caught a beautiful 6lbs 3oz chub.
6lbs 3oz
The barbel made an appearance a few times however I failed to hook any. I did move a good few times during the day and covered another 15000 steps looking for fish. One swim has a big chub in residence. It’s a typical swim where they hang out in the willow branches on the far side of the river. The problem is that casting and presentation is ok however the cattle in the fields a couple of fields up can get into the river. They stomp around causing all sorts of weed and other debris to move down river and snagging the lines. Swans are normally the problems but this is much worst. I managed to catch one of 5lbs and a couple more from another swim so a difficult situation with the cows. Mind you with temps of 30c and if I were a cow I would be in the river too.
So with it being the 4th of July somewhere in the world there was going to be fireworks. Little did I know what was happening next. The process of feeding the fish and then waiting is the normal game on the H.Avon
I had to wait until all the fish had left the swim before lowering the rig into place. As I said before my hearing is shot so I need to use alarms to indicate a take.
First cast landed just where I had the chub feeding and the drop in was very delicate with hardly a sound. The rod was now in the rest as I moved 6ft downstream to see what would come up onto the bait. I introduced a few more pellets that supplemented the PVA bag full that I attached to the hook.
Luckily there are tall reeds that obscure me from the fishes view however I able to see all the antics of the fish in the swim.
In no time at all the chub were back up on the feed again and moving over the baited area. The largest one came up right over the bait tipped up and started to gobble the pellets up. I then saw it rise in the water together with the 3oz lead it shock it’s head and bolted off downstream. With the alarm sounding simultaneously. This fish had power in the shallow river and used the pace of the river to full advantage, trying desperately to weed me. The 10lb line and 1.75t/c rod was more than a match for the chub, having said that it was a spectacular fight. As I drew it over the net I could see it was another 6lb chub. I unhooked the chub and rested it in the net and went off to find Andy. He hadn’t yet gone too far upstream so it was just a few minutes’ walk to find him. One the scales it went 6lbs 7oz. We did recognise the fish as the 6lbs 15oz chub I had had the first day of the season. So obviously it hadn’t completely spawned out.
6lbs 7oz
Andy took some wonderful photo’s. I joked about the fight I had from the chub and suggested landing a barbel from the swim would be no mean feat. I recast again and in no time at all the chub were all over the bait again and this time another made a mistake. It looked another good fish as it picked the bait and lead up before dashing off downstream. It looked like another 6lber, however I had to settle for 5lbs 13oz. What a start to the day.
The barbel continued to play cat and mouse with me for most of the day. There was one good double that looked about 12lbs. This one rejected the hook a couple of times, so it was spooky.
Andy was not having much joy with the other barbel further upstream either.
Then the large barbel came out and started to feed a little more aggressively. This time I saw it’s mouth close to the baited hook. It gave a slight cough like action to remove something from it’s mouth then came up in the water as did the 3oz lead and bingo it shot downstream with the alarm doing a one toner. I grabbed the rod and somehow stopped it going much further than about 3o yds. It sat in midstream thinking what to do next lucky for me it headed back upstream trying to get into some weed further over the river. I just managed to stop it going too far into the weed and slowly coaxed it out. The fight was then played out mostly under the rod tip in some very fast pacey river. Line being taken by the fish and then me retrieving some. It looked a very good barbel quite long and deep. As I drew it over the net I realised it was larger than the 12lb mark.
On the scale she went 13lbs 8oz and what a beautiful fish. Again I let her recover in the net before Andy came down to photograph it for me. I have not seen a better Hampshire Avon barbel (well I would say that) it’s belly that beautiful cream colour and the golden flanks, stunning is all Andy and I could say.
13lbs 8oz
I retold to Andy the fight I had off the fish and the Korum size 12 hook holding firm. I was on cloud nine.
The day didn’t finish there I had two more chub from the swim one of about 4lbs and another of 5lbs 10oz.
So what a 4th of July a 6lbs 7oz chub and a 13lbs 8oz barbel.
3 chub for 2oz under 18lbs is no mean feat either.
Got to thank Andy for all the help with the photographs. In the heat the fishes welfare always comes out top of the list too.
