December 13th Bristol Avon Lacock

Here I was again trying to catch the chub on the Bristol Avon at Lacock. It’s just a short 30min drive for me so I suppose it’s local. The weather had warmed up, I say that but the temps were about 5c during the day and just below zero at night.

The session was to be only for a few hours again. The choice of bait was to be bread flake with cheese paste as a backup. The river was still very low for the time of year, I’m really worried for the underground aquifers and the levels for the winter. We have had very little rain even for the southwest which normally doesn’t suffer drought during the winter.

The only positive point is that while the river is clear the chub will be feeding even in cold conditions. This will mean that the chub will be pristine condition. Give it coloured flood conditions they tend not to feed so much. I keep saying with the conditions as they are, get out there and fish for the good old rubber lips.

Arriving at 2.15pm I had a few hours to fish a few swims for 30 mins or so. I though that I would find the chub in one particular swim where the flow is constant with plenty of branches for them to hide under. It is a short straight of about 40 yds where it’s good to trot some maggots through. You need though to give them some stick at first as they try to get amongst a snag on the far bank and there is little leverage to pull them out. The snag consisted of a small shrub of a willow with trailing branches and roots.

I cast out and with 2 swan shot just holding bottom it was after a few minutes that the tip nodded a few times and then bent around. A quick strike met with the usual resistance from a good chub, and as per the normal routine it headed towards the snag, it made it just, but with the 4lb line grating on something I was pleased when it came free, a couple more clicks on the clutch mechanism and it took little more line. I could see it was a good chub as it came closer. Soon it was in the landing net and coming ashore. She looked good and in perfect condition with a fat gut.

As I unhooked her I saw some rose hips seeds come out from the vent, so they were feeding. I thought quick take a photo of this, then I weighed her and she went 5lbs 2oz. Most people will think it’s small but one this big is like a 6lber from the D.Stour or H. Avon.

The sun was pale and watery in the winter sky which I hoped would make a good photo with the scales glinting in it. While resting the fish in the landing net I setup the camera and the self timer. Sometimes on the Stour I find it difficult to find time to photo 6lbers. So to photo a mere 5lber from the B.Avon shows how pleased I was from landing this chub.

The photo’s were quickly completed and as I was about to return the fish I saw a mate Richard coming across the field with his young black labrador. I’d thought I would keep it and show him. He even offered to take a couple of shots which he quickly did. However the young labrador had licked the lens of the camera and you can see the results in the photo’s. We couldn’t get over how it was short chub with such a big gut.

This was the highlight of the afternoon, I caught a couple of other smaller chub and had some plucks from a few roach, so even these must be stirring into life.

As I packed up at 5pm the frost had arrived and all was white and stiff, including the landing net.

Harsh arctic weather is coming back again later in the week…….oh dear!