With a day off I decided that I would try a stretch on another club book, which although it looks the part I am yet to see any chub. I arrived mid-morning and took my time walking the top half of the stretch baiting a few swims ready for the return journey. As before, most swims looked great and should in my opinion hold chub! I settled in the first spot, but after 20 minutes without a bite and an otter making an appearance, I moved to the next swim. I have caught on the ‘float ‘n’ maggot’ early in the season in this spot and really felt that it should hold a chub or two. I had no interest on the usual bait, so I switched to lobworm and started to get indications. After several missed strikes I hit one and soon my first chub from the stretch was in the net… all 12 ozs of it! As I made my way back to the car I dropped in at the other baited swims without a sign of any chub!
Not quite a chub yet! August 2017
As it was mid-afternoon, I decided to drive to a stretch where I ‘ve been catching a few over the last month to finish off the day. On arrival, I was surprised to see two other anglers on the stretch with float gear, although I wasn’t too fussed as I doubted they would stick around long since there was a strong southwesterly wind which being in the downstream direction would not make the float fishing easy! As they were also roving I just kept an eye on where they were before dropping into my pre-baited spots. The first swim has been productive over the last few weeks, but I had no bites this time round. The second swim I managed to bump a chub on the strike. I moved again, this time to a swim that I hadn’t baited with the thought of just sitting it out with a few baits over the top. I was talking to one of the other anglers on the stretch as he was making his way up past me when the tip flew around. I connected, but unfortunately, the fish piled upstream through a weed bed and all went slack and I came back without a hook. After another 20 minutes without a bite and both other anglers heading back toward the car park, I decided to pre-bait the swim where I’d caught the day before. I left it for 30 minutes before moving in. I cast across the swim into the far bank current with another four baits over the top, then set the rod in the rest and sat back. I waited to see if anything was home, sure enough, the tip showed signs of life; I picked up the rod moved it toward the fish before sweeping it back and connecting to an angry chub. The swim has a nasty snag down to the right and I had to do everything in my power to stop it reaching the sanctuary of the roots. Everything held and soon a low 4lber was slid over the waiting landing net.
4lb 4oz August 2017
It was back to work for a few days before my next outing. I arrived on my usual stretch for an evening stint, having missed a bite and lost a fish as well as landing the low 4lber, my confidence was high. Even though I’d baited and left the spots for an hour or more before casting into them, I was yet to get a bite! With only one swim left to try on the beat, my confidence dwindled and I was ready for a blank. I cast down and across and within 5 minutes the tip flew round, but I missed it. Would I get another chance? Luckily yes, on the second cast a little further down the run I hit the bite and it wasn’t long before a mint condition 3lber was on the mat.
A blank saver 3lb 7oz August 2017
My next free day for fishing the river started at first light; clearing some branches to help make a trotting swim ready for the autumn with a friend of mine. The rain was forecast on and off all day, so after the swim clearance was complete I had a couple of hours chubbing off a weir. Sadly they played hard to get and I missed my only proper bite.
That evening I decided to visit a stretch that I’d not fished for a few weeks. The weather was perfect we’d had rain on and off through the day and it was set to continue through the evening. I was all set to rove in the waterproofs after chub proper. I walked the entire stretch deciding to bait only four swims ready for the walk back to the car. It was clear that there hadn’t been too much footfall in my absence, bar one or two local anglers who keep a very low profile! I settled into my first swim around an hour after setting foot on the fishery. I cast across and down toward a raft of debris. It was 30 minutes before I had any signs of life on the tip. As usual, I struck too soon. I had also been having problems with debris hitting the line, but as there were fish in residence I was reluctant to move on. Eventually, my stubbornness paid off and a mid-4lber was on the mat.
4lb 7oz August 2017
After the 4lber I moved onto the next swim. I cast out the rig into a deep hole a few rod lengths from the bank. I had a few taps and bangs before a positive bite as I struck I bumped the chub! With nothing to lose, I recast a new bait while dropping a few more freebies in the area. It wasn’t long before I was playing my second fish of the evening. However, I was a little disappointed when I recognized the 4lber on the mat as a chub I’d had early in the season at the top end of the stretch. With darkness looming and rain beginning to fall, I added the isotope to the rod tip and got the head torch ready for next swim which was a fair way up the stretch. My next swim was in an area I’ve been baiting on and off since June 16th, whenever I’ve been on the beat because I’d spotted a decent chub a few times occupying the swim. I made the short cast into a gravel bottomed and deeper gully that leads down to a shallow weedy section of the river. The bats were playing havoc with the line giving false bangs on the rod tip for the first 20 minutes, but as soon as darkness fell they were less of a problem. Although I missed the first bite as I thought it was another bat! Recasting in the darkness I was hoping for a second chance. Luck was on my side as after letting the next bite develop I struck into what felt like a decent fish. Switching the headtorch on I bullied the chub out of the reeds to my right. Then as big chub do, it just splashed around under my bank trying its best to find every snag available. I tightened up, won the battle and soon I had a chub on the mat. After unhooking the fish I rested it in the net in the margins, while setting up the scales and the camera for some trophy shots.
Pleased with this capture August 2017
I was over the moon when the dial on the scales went past 6lb and settled on 6lb 6oz. I had no need to fish my final swim so after releasing my prize back to her home I packed up a happy angler in the pouring rain.
Fish Tales From The Riverbank 