Hampshire Avon with Andy and two 6lb plus chub

I hadn’t fished with Andy for a couple of weeks due to other commitments on my part. Andy though had been catching some stunning chub to just short of 7lbs, well 6lbs 15oz is quite close.

For a change I was sorted out for the weekend as Mrs.P was off to the Lake District with Mum and others so it was a boys weekend for me.

I arrived on Saturday morning to find the weather warm with some cloud and sun. The H Avon looked to be much lower since my last visit and not much colour. Difficult conditions for sure.

I first went to the place where I had seen the big 7lber a few weeks ago. When I got there there was a car in the car park and on arriving in the field where the swim is I was so disappointed to see someone sat there. Unperturbed I walked back to the car needing to find another spot.

I finally settled on a swim which had produced many chub for others during the last few weeks. Although nothing huge I wanted to see how they would react to different methods and tactics.

I started by float fishing maggots. This got me two fish quickly however I needed to trot very close to the trailing branches in the river and using so light line was asking for trouble. I’ve never been that impressed by people fishing close and leaving hooks in fish. So after catching 2 small 3-4lb chub I decided to put some hemp and maggots upstream and pull the fish up from the branches into an area where I would have a good chance of landing them.

With the bait and wait routine it doesn’t take long before 10 or so chub have the bottom churning up looking for food. The big mistake is not to fish too soon. Confident feeding fish is what is required.

So after a while out went a feeder with a short hooklink of 4lbs b/s. Inside the feeder were red maggots with two on a size 18 hook. Sure the fish scare when the feeder goes in, however they soon reappear and start feeding once more.

It’s great watching them feed, it’s so surprising how many times they pick the bait up in their lips and just pull the rod tip around a little before bolting off and scaring the rest. But it doesn’t take them long to return and try again.

I use a Korum 2 Piece Feeder rod and a 2oz tip for this work. It’s a wonderful forgiving rod when the chub belt off when hooked. Little chance of being broken on the bite. Yet these rods have sufficient backbone to control the chub in mid stream in a fast flowing H.Avon. Can’t say enough about these rods all for under £50.

I tend to use 6lb main  line which is enough to control the chub.

Watching chub take the bait and hooking themselves is extremely exciting to say the least. One minute the place is serine with chub nosing around for maggots next thing the place erupts with fleeing chub. This happened a couple of times with a couple of good chub of about 51/2 lbs.

It reached a stage where even the feeder entering the swim didn’t disturb them too much. I had a couple of smaller chub too.

Then a sea trout of about 2 lbs took the bait and spent more time out of the water than it it. The acrobatics from this fish was incredible.

No sooner did I return this fish and cast out again before a 4lb sea trout came along and repeated the whole process. It was beautiful fish and I couldn’t resist just one very quick photo.

Soon enough the sun began to move down to the horizon and the chub were suspicious of the main line and seldom passed it.

So out came the trotting rod. After catapulting maggots in for 10 minutes or so out went the float and first trot down the float buried and the heavy thump of a hook chub could be felt on the end. A bit of heaving and tugging on both our parts soon had it in mid river. Once here the fight is over and they are normally netted downstream.

One more came my way before it was time to pack things away.

So a good few chub, however no huge fish but a couple of mid 5’s never goes a miss.

I spent the night in the car all tucked up inside the wide boy bed and sleeping bag in Ringwood.

Up and about early in the morning I went along to Avon Angling in Ringwood to top the maggots up. It’s aways great to talk to Andy Browne who always offers great advice. It’s always difficult for me to leave as he is a great guy and full of interest.

Today I was fishing with Andy who was traveling down for the day. He was there before me as the clocks changed and it was quite light in the mornings. I moved down to the swim I had fished previously the day before as I had seen a couple of very big fish in among the shoal. I started on the float and soon caught one and lost another to a hook pull.

So now it was time for the feeder routine again. Out went the dropper with hemp and red maggots. Soon enough the chub were feeding again. I’m so surprised how many chub live under this small tree canopy.

Andy is just upstream of me and has caught a few trout and a chub. However the water is much lower then when he fished the swim last time and the numbers of chub are just not there.

I caught a couple more chub however the largest 5lbs and a sea trout again.

The morning moved on and the sun came out a few times making it quite warm. There was a strong breeze from the south which made float fishing a challenge.

I went to check a place out where I had seen some good chub during the summer months however they had moved upstream to a difficult place to fish. I started to fire out some maggots and sure enough in the clear river I can see them coming up and taking the free baits. I do this for a while and see enough chub to make me think it’s a chance. I return to Andy and he follows me to see the chub feeding and a few are quite large certainly over 6lbs.

We have a quick chat and discuss what it the best way to fish the swim. There are two places to fish for these chub however unfortunately there is a hedge between. Another difficulty is that the wind was making it difficult to catapult free maggots to the chub.

I make the move and Andy stays put for a while.

I begin by trotting a float where I’ve been catapulting the maggots. Great news I hook a chub that takes me into some snags before a blink of an eye. It looked huge!

Casting out again and this time I get a beautiful chub 6lbs 2oz which fights so well on the float tackle. I quickly phoned Andy who came along to do the honors.

Then another just short of 5lbs comes along. However from where I was fishing every time I cast it was directly on the heads of the chub and this spelled the end for me and float fishing.

So Andy came along for a chat as things had quite in his swim. We thought about swim feeder fishing together in my swim however he has the float fishing bug more than me and wanted to try another spot. The chub where feeding where I had put the hemp and maggots. There looked to be some great fish and I only hoped that I could hook one of these.

Andy disappeared into the distance and I cast the feeder out. It wasn’t long before the tip plundged over and I was playing and landing another chub of about 4lbs. So feeling rather pleased with this I recast and caught another of 5lbs or so. I just couldn’t wait to recast when i got a call from Andy saying he had a 6lb 4oz chub. Of course off i set with the camera gear and took a few photo’s for him. Congratulated him for yet another 6lb chub, I think thats 5 or 6 this season. Great fishing no wonder he like to float fish!

There wasn’t enough light for me to recast once I returned so it was off home for me. Another great couple of days on the Hampshire Avon though.