March 14th Malcolm and his day out and a 6lb 2oz chub.
Malcolm and I had been trying to get out fishing for chub for about two years now. Him with various ailments and me being busy. Not only that the river conditions needed to be good.
Bearing in mind Malcolm is very much a traditional angler, Our paths had crossed before while perch fishing in Somerset. Not only that, we have some mutual friends. So to say we were trying our best to fish was an understatement.
Eventually after some dialogue we decide to fish the last day of the season in 2016.
So we met and drove down the H.Avon valley not covered in frost as the wicked northerly wind kept it from forming. Malcolm is very enthusiastic like myself about fishing. I was to be maggot catapulter for the day and he was to be fishing. Malcolm wanted to catch using the float method.
The river looked perfect in colour and flow as it had been a disaster the previous week with floods and brown water.
We started in one swim where it’s normally easy to catch a chub or two however the downstream (north) wind just pulled the float off line more often than not. It was not too easy.
I should say our float gear was 4.4lb main line, 15ft Hardy Marksman wonderful CLEARWATER Avon float 6g. I kept saying to Malcolm it was my favorite float.
Hooklink was Preston’s Reflo 3.6 with a size 20 hook.
So being the catapult man I fed for 15 minutes before Malcolm cast out. The north wind made life difficult for me with the catapult and him for float control.
However we got it right a few times and Malcolm hooked a fish and it stayed in midstream for a couple of seconds. Then he played a fish for a 15 second spell ending with a hook pull.
Finally another bite came along and Malcolm played the fish. What I didn’t know was that he plays his fish backwinding. All too quickly the line came from the reel. I didn’t hear the clutch going so I thought all was good. Then the bream was behind the two willow trees and my beloved float was in danger. Then 40yds downstream I saw this 6lb bream floundering on the shallows. I tried to net the thing however the strong flow swept the net away. The bream moved into the slower flow where the willow branches hung in the river. Disaster was looking my square in the face. However the bream god’s were smiling on us as the bream came onto the shallows again.
This time no mistake in the net it came, covered in spawning tubercles. Float saved “result”
I made a mess of the photo’s which I think Malcolm was fairly happy about. The camera was on manual focus rather than auto.
I had lost the appetite for the bream together with Malcolm.
We fished another swim where Malcolm’s energy levels were struggling. To be more accurate it’s always the back hurts when trotting. I had a couple of minutes trotting and lost two chub through hook pulls, which is life.
We wandered and fished a few other swims however the wind was torture to the float. I was hoping and Malcolm was thinking it wouldn’t happen. People were in the swims we wanted to fish, after all it was the last day of the season.
Finally we returned to the swim where I hooked two chub and lost them. Malcolm was fishing well and the casting was brilliant too.
He was running the float through close to the branches well and sure enough hooked a chub that tried it’s best to gain the sanctuary of the far bankside snags.
Malcolm was excellent in playing the fish I think or hoped he was not backwinding!
Soon we were walking downstream keeping the chub our side of the snags and river. It was over very quickly I think mainly due the netting skills of the catapult man.
It looked massive and a 6lber for sure.
On the scales it went 6lbs 2oz. Brilliant for him and me.
Malcolm and his 6lbs 2oz
We continued and I lost my second best float. Probably won’t talk about my best float Malcolm! I cried all night when I returned home.
We walked and chose to cheese paste a little.
I lost my car keys on the bank at one stage and a few other senior moments which kept the day alive.
We ended in a swim where huge chub were rolling and we didn’t have a touch. Will keep this swim in the back of my mind for next year.
Malcolm though I hope had some fun. I had a swollen wrist from catapulting all day, only joking!
Really enjoyed the pint in the pub after and Malcolm we need to do it all again soon.
Happy days!
