Frappers day on the H.Avon

Had a fan bloody tas tic day with Frappers on the H.Avon. It’s a very long story but will try to tell it here. Steve won the Mk 4 cane Avon rod donated by Les Probert for the best regional organiser of the year and was presented at the AGM. We decided to get a bend in the old rod and a day on the H.Avon would do nicely. So last year we tried to get a day together however Mum was unwell from March to September when she died. So the trip was put on the back burner. Unfortunately Steve had to return the rod too. However this year we made a date. The day was perfect and the river was clear. First swim Steve saw plenty of chub and a barbel. He cast out and soon enough he watched the chub scatter as one was hooked. It’s a fantastic sight. It was only a small fellow of 3lbs 12oz. No blanking!

It’s a start

With the fish returned there were still some big chub showing to over 6lbs for sure. A perfect cast (you wouldn’t expect anything else) by Frappers saw the chub scatter. 10 mins later Steve was sat down by the rod. it nodded a couple of times and I could see the chub shaking it’s head to remove the hook. Too late, I said to Steve it’s on. Steve lifted into the fish and it belted across to the other side of the river and almost made the far bank trees. Then we had to guide it through thick weed to the waiting net. What a lovely chub of exactly 5lbs. For me if you can catch a 5lb chub then it’s mission accomplished. We had 2 casts and 2 fish. Great.

5lbs

We moved to another part of the river as 2 fish from the same swim in low water conditions is about your lot.
We arrived at the swim and disturbed a double figure barbel. Then once there we fired out some pellets. Loads of chub came out to feed plus 2 double figure barbel. We watch these feed for about 30 mins before they left the swim. Out went the bait again, after about 20 mins or so the rod hooped over as an angry chub tired to go for the snags. Frappers did an excellent job steering it downstream to the net. This time it was a good fish and it went 5lbs 11oz. What a result. 3 fish in 3 casts however it was possibly after 4 hrs or more on the bank. My style of fishing is sight fishing, finding the fish first then working out how to catch them.

5lbs 11oz chub

Soon after returning the fish we noticed the barbel feeding and moving through the swim. 2 doubles the largest at about 12lbs or so. They were playful little darlings. They would be near the baited hook and then move up under a big bush upstream. We stayed for 40 mins or so. I had a cunning plan to visit another swim so we moved again. We found a couple of other barbel on a bend, one of about 5 lbs and another double figure fish. It looked like someone had fished in the morning. thought we would leave them for later.
We headed upstream and found another swim. I put in some pellets and out shot 4 barbel to about 10lbs and many chub to over 6lbs. We had them churning up the bottom. We left them to it for a while and I showed Frappers the Deepening Pool of Chris Yates book fame.

Beautiful day

Returning to the swim I put more pellets in and then cast out.
After one hour and hardly any barbel or chub coming out to feed. We could watch them come so far out but not feed. When we reeled in there was a minnow on the hook. Oh bugger. It was getting late and we decided to move once more where we found 6 chub feeding on our pellets next to some over hanging willows. I asked Frappers whether he was confident to find the spot. He said yes.
GOOD BYE my lead ( I called her Lydia) and hooklink.
Bloody hell he is human, after that point we called it a day.
17000 steps for the day. Thanks for a great day Frappers.

Barbel weed.