The Snowdrops have blossomed and the Daffodils are poking through, Spring is on its way and I for one can't wait. The river still looked distinctly Winterish when I landed on its banks this morning.
The smattering of overnight snow had all but disappeared replaced by a freezing cold Northerly wind. As per last week the target was Chub and I wandered the banks armed with a fresh lump of stinky home-made cheese paste. Travelling light I baited up half a dozen swims and meandered back upstream to the first one. I fished a free running paternoster rig with a 'rotten bottom', six pound mainline and four pound hook length.
For a couple of years now I have used Owner paste hooks for my chubbing, usually a size eight, and they have never let me down. They have never been easy to get hold of but I have always found a supply apart from this week when I searched and scoured the internet and came up dry, any suggestions gratefully welcome!
The first hour passed with very little action and I was just contemplating a move when the rod tip finally twitched. It twitched again and I decided to hit it and thankfully I did because I landed what turned out to be the best Chub of the day, 4lb 5oz.
Three of its brethren quickly followed before the swim seemed to die, still a decent bag for a couple of hours work.
Tazzy seemed impressed!
My roving approach to the downstream baited areas ended up fruitless. A Barbel angler had dropped in to one of the swims (the one I really wanted to fish!) and he borrowed my scales for the one specimen he landed, a nine pounder taken on maggots.
By now the wind was really cutting through me and the dog was tired and had started shivering so we made our way home. Can't wait 'til the weather warms up.
Well in Joe, well conditioned Chub and I bet Tazzy wished for one of them to be lunch. Shame about the Barbel though, could well have been yours.
ReplyDeleteFair play to the lad for targeting them, personally I think there are better species to fish for in the Winter.
DeleteHave you weighed Tazzy yet, Joe? I weighed Molly and Oscar once. Or tried to! Hilarious stuff. Molly was forty plus. Oscar I reckon fifty or more but the scales bottomed out well before I got him off the ground. I reckon Tazzy will be a twenty soon enough...
ReplyDeleteOscar as a pup put on weight at an astonishing rate. Born at 14 ounces he was a two pounder in a week, a four in a fortnight, eight pounds by a month of age. One day he put on three pounds in weight! That was my lovingly prepared game pie that he stole off the kitchen counter in the blink of an eye and ate wholesale before I knew a thing.
He also ate a bag of flour one morning. Dog pie!
Not yet Jeff but I will weigh her soon I reckon she's over twenty already. Funny story about Oscar, these Spaniels think they are always hungry don't they!
DeleteYep, they'll eat as much as they can as soon as they can and they ain't fussy. They'll eat an empty aluminium roasting carton if it smells of chicken. But it never seems to harm them. They just get long and lanky. I saw another of the brood recently. Big paws, long legs, scrawny neck, bouncing all over the place. When they reach 18 months they fill out and become very powerful. Oscar had hind legs that would drag me down the road at two years. Like fighting a big barbel. In control, but only just!
DeleteGood result Joe and great to see the dog out. I'd love to take mine but the local clubs don't allow it...
ReplyDelete