Pike, Warks Avon

The fall in temperature put me off having another Barbel session so I dug out some old dead baits and went predator fishing. The low light levels made me hopeful of a Zander but at the end of a quiet session I was grateful not to endure a blank. This 10lb 14oz Pike put up a cracking battle mostly on the surface, angry head shaking and aggressive runs. No other bites all day so I headed back to my ridiculous fishing vehicle and managed to get a treble snagged in the passenger seat. Need to get a new motor out soon, anyone want to buy a hairdresser's car?

Barbel and Chub, Warks Avon

No whinging about the weather this week, or the state of the river or the fishing. The Land Rover has died so had to squeeze my gear into my work car which is not easy in an MX5! but managed it. I fished a spot last summer one evening and had a few Dace so decided to try and get them on the challenge board. Caster was the successful bait back then so tried it again. I failed in my Dace mission but had a couple of bonus fish. 

My tackle was a light avon road, four pound main line, open feeder and three pound hook link to a size 16 hook. Imagine how careful I had to be when my first bite was a Barbel. All I could do was keep steady pressure on the line, using the clutch and my finger and hope the hook held. Thankfully it did and I was soon weighing in a 9lb 10oz specimen. 

It's surges up and down killed the swim so after a couple of hours of inactivity I moved down to the next peg.

The odd tip-tap but nothing again for a couple of hours and then the quiver hooped over and I was in again. The difference in the fight had me thinking Chub, plus the fact it went for the nearside rushes but again steady pressure and I was looking at a Chub. A deep bodied fish weighing 5lb 3oz. More scores on the doors and I was well pleased. 

I had one more Chub about half an hour later probably about three pound but I let it off the weighing and photographing. 

No Barbel, Solitary Chub, Backache, Warks Avon

A difficult session in more ways than one. This winter is beginning to grind me down a bit. If it is not three foot deep snow it is minus 20 degrees and when it does warm up the wind blows at 80mph. The fish seem to have all but disappeared and it is making for hard work. The plan was for Barbel, warmer water and bites that are easy to spot in the wind all made sense but old Barbus did not agree. They seem to have vanished from all the usual swims where I have caught them in the past.
However the blank was avoided by catching this 3lb 1oz Chub on flavoured meat hair rigged.
The other difficult part to the session was a painful back that has been aggravating me for over a week now. I had to take regular breaks to lie flat on the bank! If anyone has any miracle cures that work before my next session I will pay good money. I am off to lie on the lounge floor now!