River Thames first cast again for quite sometime.

I had been thinking of fishing the Thames for chub for a couple of years now. The upper river had been decimated by otters a good few years ago but now things were starting to improve again. I’m unsure of the reason why the river has rebounded. Perhaps the otter numbers has decreased, maybe the crayfish, and there are plenty of those, that the otters now feed on. Any way Andy (you should have been here yesterday ) Cowley and I decided to fish a stretch recommended by a friend. I had been looking on the internet at clubs and fishing rights. Plus just looking at google earth tracking the Thames as it weaves it’s way around the Cotswold.

We arrived on a cold frosty morning after getting the relevant ticket for the stretch from the local angling shop.

We arrived on the river bank and stared at a beautiful stretch of river. There were plenty of bends, rush beds and draping willows along the whole river. This was a big surprise to the both of us. I think we both instantly besotted with this particular stretch.

Our first action was to look at the river and swims baiting them with cheese paste. So walk bait and then fish the area’s as we moved down the stretch.

There were so many great swims to visit. The setup was a simple link ledger and main line running through to the hook. 6lbs line and in some swims 2 swan shoot and a couple more where the flow warranted it.

Andy was first off the mark with a 4lber so no blanking for him. Then he had another of 1.5lbs plus. I missed a couple of very tentative bites. They were in reasonable condition, although the club holds matches on a regular basis and there was some keep net damage.

The frost disappeared rapidly as the morning wore on. I missed a couple of other bites. I settled in a lovely looking swim with a willow on the far bank and brambles under the near bank with slacker water close in. Now chub being lazy fish I thought they would be laying up in the slacker water. I set up amongst the brambles and let the light lead and cheese paste rest in the slacker water. I had a tentative pull and I moved the rod towards the fish by a good 2 ft. However nothing happened. Normally the rod top keeps going around. That was a chub bite missed for sure.

I recast muttering away about the missed opportunity. I didn’t need to wait long before the rod top nodded and a moved the rod towards the fish, then sure enough it continued to move around and wack the chub was on. It headed downstream and towards the brambles however I moved the rod out over the near side snag and the chub pulled harder. However the flow was such that I soon had it out in open water. Andy was 20 yds upstream and saw me landing the chub. He thought it was a high 5 but I thought 5lbs 4oz. On the scales it went 5lbs 6oz so a nice start to fishing the Thames.

We still continued Andy moved just downstream of me and missed a bite. I recast out into the swim again but nothing comes along. I think you get one fish out then move on. I moved downstream of Andy again. I looked up to see him playing a fish. A nice chub of 4lbs 10oz lay in the net. So that was two 4lbers for Andy.

Time was passing by and we had one more swim to try. Andy fished the upper part of the bend and me the lower part. In no time at all Andy was playing another chub out from under a far bank tree swim. It turned out to be a lovely fish of 4lbs again.

I carried on fishing and missed a thunderous bite that I couldn’t understand how there wasn’t a fish on the end.

Darkness arrived and we needed to pack up.

On reflection it was a great start on a new stretch. 3 4lbers and a 5lber between us. I was planning to return the following week for a short 6 hr session.

Next week

I arrived at about 11am and went down to the far end of the fishery, one where Andy and I hadn’t fished. It still looked wonderful with plenty of features to fish to. I introduced some baits (cheese paste) into many swims with the aim of fishing each one for 10 mins or so. The first swim produced a bite first cast which I gave line to but the chub dropped the bait. The second cast did the trick and a spirited little pristine 3lber came to the net.

I moved upstream to a near bank snag swim and promptly had another one of about the same weight and condition. So that was 2 in two casts. I moved again to another prebaited swim and missed a bite. I never got a second chance.

I continued moving from swim to swim catching 2 more by 2.15pm. So feeling pleased with myself I though more would follow. Wrong it went very quiet as the wind got up and the drizzle continued to fall. The swims still looked the business but the fish were simply not feeding.

So I thought I would return to my original swim and spend the last hour there. I cast out and let the light ledger setup settle in under a willow branch dangling in the river. The wind made reading the tips movements difficult. However there was no missing the nod nod of a chub picking up the bait. I moved the rod top towards the fish and blow me it dropped the bait without feeling any resistance.

Well that was bite number 6 missed for the day!

I recast and didn’t have to wait long as the rod nodded again and once again I moved the rod towards the fish and the rod top continued to pull around. I struck hard as the hook needs to go through the cheese paste. Bingo the rod lurched over and I was playing a good chub. It tried for the willow branches however I guided out into mid river. Once here the pressure is off. It fought much harder than the others of the day and I knew it was a better fish. Sure enough it was as I guided it into the net. It looked enormous and possibly a 6lber.

However on the scales it was 5lbs 14oz. Nothing too shabby about that.

So 2 sessions on the river and stretch and on each occasion I’ve had a 5lber so very pleased with that.