It was refreshing, as always, to have a break between sessions. When I arrived on Throop, for my first planned morning session of the new week, I was looking forward to hopefully a few fish in the net as conditions had improved weather wise: a few degrees cooler with cloud cover for most of the morning. I’d spotted quite a few chub on my last outing and the plan was to spend my time in just three swims, where I had seen chub of all sizes on my last visit.
After some failed attempts in my first swim I moved to my second spot of the morning. A few chub were gliding across the gravel mid-river, but with a lot of weed beds it was hard to present the bait where I wanted to. While fishing the faster water down the centre, I simultaneously baited a calmer gravel area under my feet to see if I could draw some fish onto the patch. With half an hour gone I’d seen a few shadows drifting over to the nearside area and with nothing to lose I dropped my baited size 10 into the spot along with a few more free baits. The disturbance initially emptied the swim, but it wasn’t long before a couple of chub were on the bait and the tip pulled round as a chub made a mistake. The fight was short and before long a chub was in the net.
Caught a rod length away from the bank – July 2018
After the capture, I moved to another swim where although there were a few better fish two smaller chub in the 2- 3 lb bracket were the first to the bait. After the commotion of hooking and landing those two chub in the small swim, I decided to head back to my first swim to see if I could catch another before heading home for lunch.
When I peered into the swim from my high bank vantage point there were a few chub milling about the peg, but they were very spooky and after several missed opportunities a chub finally slipped up and was soon in the mesh of the landing net.
4 lb 10 oz – July 2018
I was back two days later to fish the same three swims using the same method: a light link ledger of 2 SSGs down to a baited size 10 with the usual boilie approach over a few freebies and mixed pellet. The morning started well with two chub from the first swim on the mat in three casts, one for the future the other an upper four.
4 lb 10 oz on the third cast – July 2018
With a couple of fish caught, the others from the swim dispersed so it was time to try my next swim. I went through the usual routine of baiting the faster run, as I was going to try and catch from this area because they had done some weed cutting since my last visit.. The gravel area was bigger and it was easier to present my bait. An hour or so after entering the swim a brace of chub were caught, but they were not the bigger members of the shoal that I had seen in the swim.
It was time to a move to my final swim of the morning and after the usual missed chances, from the bigger fish of the shoal, another smaller chub took the bait and was soon in the back of the net. The other chub disappearing after the disturbance so I decided to call it a day.
Shoal ‘stamp’ – July 2018
It was Sunday evening before I was back on the river, this time on a stretch close to home for a dusk till dark session. On arrival I was not alone on the stretch, which always makes it that little bit harder as there is a lower stock of chub that inhabit this part of the Dorset Stour. I baited a couple of swims on the way up the stretch, ready for the walk back to the car. The first swim I dropped in is usually good for a fish, but I missed my chance and then a group of canoeists came through the shallow pacy run. The water traffic along with me missing a bite ruined my chances of another opportunity. I had been keeping an eye on the other two anglers, who turned out to be a father and son. I was hoping, as it was getting late, that they may leave before prime time. Unfortunately, they were now fishing my planned final swim that I’d baited on the way up the stretch. I decided I’d better move to my next baited swim in case they dropped in on that as well. Whilst I settled in at my next swim the father and son packed up and when they headed past me they stopped for a chat which was nice. Sadly, I missed several cagey bites, as I was distracted talking to the fellow anglers. With the fishery now to myself and darkness looming, I was going to pack up as I’d missed my chances and they’d fished my pre-baited spot. Although I had a change of heart and with nothing to lose I decided to give it twenty minutes since it was on the way back to the car. It was dark by the time I made my cast and as usual in this swim I missed the first tentative bite. Knowing there was a chub knocking about I made another cast this time holding the rod. When the bite came, it was as tentative as the first, but this time I moved the rod toward the fish giving it that little longer to make its mistake. I played the fish under the light of my head torch before it was safely in the net. After returning the chub I headed home happy that I’d stayed that little bit longer.
Last cast 4 lb 12 oz July 2018
Nearly bite time – July 2018
The following evening I was back for more on the same stretch, although I didn’t bother with the pacy run and decided just to fish two swims as I’d started that little bit later. The weather was perfect: overcast with a nice breeze. Despite sitting it out for two hours in my first spot nothing was showing, so with the sun setting I headed to my final spot. Again the first pull was missed, so I went through the same routine as the previous evening holding the rod and when the second bite came I connected. This felt a better fish and after a short fight a short stocky chub was resting on the wet mat. I packed up after that, as I was heading out again in the morning.
5 lb 9 oz – July 2018
Fish Tales From The Riverbank 