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.