Elusive Grayling 'Test' Us

It was time for our annual pilgrimage to the famous river Test so we battled our way through the Cotswold snow and ice down country to beautiful Hampshire. The sun had just risen as we arrived and the beautiful wisps of mist were swirling above the river as we chose swims. Martin headed straight for a well-known deep hole that he hoped harboured Pike. Andy passed by him to a rumoured big Roach swim and having bid them 'tight lines' I ambled upstream to a lovely fast glide between fallen trees. I travelled light as mobility is important when trying to find Grayling.
The freezing overnight temperatures meant sport was sporadic but eventually the float sank and the centre pin sang to the tune of a stunning hard fighting Brown Trout. Several more out of season Salmonids followed and although they weren't the target species they were good fun on light tackle.

Several swims were tackled but sadly the Grayling remained elusive, plenty of Trout were up for a maggot or two mind.

Martin fared slightly better on the Grayling front. Using corn he landed three of the target species but was still plagued by the inevitable Trout or two. A couple of times he got exited by movement in his Pike float but sadly they were Trout too!

We will no doubt return next year but hopefully next time the lady of the stream will be more obliging.
Happy New Year to one and all.

Surprises on the Itchen

Our successful sortie on the river Test gave us a hankering for some more chalkstream action so we booked a day on the Test's shorter cousin the river Itchen. Like the Test the Itchen is a predominantly Hampshire river rising from the chalk aquifer at the Hampshire Downs then flowing some 28 miles through Winchester before joining the Solent in Southmpton. Most of the river has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the presence of seven species which are Brook Lamprey, Salmon, Otters, Bullheads, White-claw Crayfish, Souther Damselfly and Water Crowfoot. The water quality is superb and must be to support these species. 

Dave arrived first having stayed locally overnight and was just finishing off setting up when we landed. He was doing things the right way, split cane rod and centre pin reel. His target was the same as mine, Grayling but Martin also had a hankering for some oversized Chub which inhabit this stretch alongside the ubiquitous game fish.

We would all begin by trotting floats although some would fall by the wayside and end up chucking out feeders later in the day, sacrilege!

My own set up was simple, 13 foot float rod, fixed spool reel, 5lb line straight through (possibly a little overgunned but you never know what might turn up!) to a strong size 18 hook plus a bucketful of red and white maggots. The approach would be a roving one searching as much water as possible before picking the best swim possible for the last couple of hours of light. This river was new to me and I wanted to fish as much of it as I could in the little time we had available.

The first swim I tried drew a blank but the next one produced a Grayling first trot and the another straight after, both around the pound mark. My Grayling photos are always net shots even if someone is close by to help. They fight as well on the bank as they do in the water and are so wiry that holding them is nearly impossible. It just causes them too much stress and then they end up belly up in the water, pointless trying, they are too delicate!

The fishing continued along that vain taking fish from each swim including some cracking but out of season Brownies. I was really hoping for big Grayling but they were all around the pound mark, the Trout tending to be bigger going to about two pounds in weight.

An interesting aside for me was the Sea Trout. I have never caught any Sea Trout before so an instant personal best was achieved with my first one, weighing twelve ounces. They are impressive battlers going mental when they are hooked but they can quickly ruin a swim for any subsequent fish!

Several more Grayling and Brownies were landed before my mobile rang, well it rang three times before I answered it, I hate my phone with a passion when I am fishing! Turned out to be Martin who had a Salmon in the net that needed photos and weighing. 5lb of stunningly coloured male Silver tourist had fallen for double red maggot.

With the Salmon returned lunchtime was upon us and classy Dave continued his 'doing it the right way' theme as he helped himself to a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon with his sandwiches and bathed in some welcome Winter sunshine,

and a cheeky Robin helped itself to Martin's maggots while his back was turned.

The other boys had dropped down to the lower end of the fishery by the mill race but it turned out not too successful meanwhile I went back upstream to Grayling country. I steadily fed a lovely looking run and after about ten minutes I hooked into an absolute nutter of a Sea Trout that gave me the scrap of the day. Twice it leapt clean out of the water and I ended up walking 30 yards downstream to net it. The flow in the swim was powerful enough to rip the hook out if I had tried to pull it upstream.

Another new pb at 1lb 8oz and another Trout destroyed swim so I decided on one final move. A cracking swim I had dropped in earlier where the main flow was pushed under some trees on the far bank. I landed several more fish including Grayling, Trout, Sea Trout and a bonus Chub of about 2 1/2 lb. I trotted until I could not see the float any more.
A stunning sunset provided a fitting finale to another great day of chalk stream angling, cheers.

Hampshire's Magnificent River Test

The early morning sun begins to burn off the overnight mist as we take our first look at the river Test, one of England's finest chalk streams world famous for it's superb fishing. It is also the longest (40 miles) of Hampshire's chalk streams and the crystal-clear waters are so clean they are used to wash the paper for making bank notes!

Rivers of this quality are normally the reserve of noblemen and gentry where they practice the art of fly fishing in it's inaugural home so why were three numpties from the Midlands stepping out on this hallowed ground?

Nowadays certain sections are open for day ticket, and at this time of year even for coarse anglers allowing them to fish for big Grayling, large Roach and Dace and massive Pike. An opportunity Martin, Baz and myself wanted to take full advantage of.

Really I should have brought the fly gear, it would have been the right thing to do but I fancied trotting for her ladyship the Grayling. I also had the feeder rod in the bag but that is where it stayed, it would have been a step too far, chucking out a 'plastic pig' into this hallowed water, I couldn't bring myself to do it! My rig consisted of 5lb line straight through to a size 18 Drennan specimen hook. A strong set up that could deal with any monsters that I may hook during the session.

We all caught steadily throughout the day, loads of Grayling, sadly none over 2lb but hard fighting quality fish up to about 1 1/2 lb. 

Interspersed with the Grayling were the inevitable Brown Trout. They can be a real nuisance when Grayling are the target but I relish them when they came along. These stunning creatures were great fun, huge and fought like stink on the light float rod I was using.

3lb 7oz

They are out of season at the moment and the beat has a strict policy on no photos of Brownies but I am sorry I could not resist, magnificent specimen and a new pb to boot. I only took very quick net shots and then released the fish quickly, no harm done!
I roamed around the beat even fishing the carrier streams too.....

I landed lots and lots of these............

Too many of these............

and a few of these.......

Plus I added another pb with this fish, 3lb 11oz.

The scenery was stunning..............

and the sun sets on a fantastic day.

Wonderful Wye

Another fitful nights sleep caused by the usual pre-fishing session excitement was interrupted by the 5am alarm call, to be honest it was a bit of a relief. Today Martin, Dave and I were heading down to the middle Wye just the other side of Hereford. It was a section I was unfamiliar with so I packed virtually everything, trotting gear, Barbel rods and Pike rods plus a selection of baits to match. It only just fitted into Martin's estate as he had packed the same amount if not more!
We met Dave at the car park down by the river and wandered across the field to discover a typical stretch of this beautiful river, shallow riffles interspersed by slower runs with deeper holes all bounded by Willows, Ash and Elm. Dave suggested also having a gander at a section beyond the woods but I had seen enough and persuaded him that wetting a line straight away would be a much better option.
Dave and Martin chose a pellet attack targeting the Chub and Barbel in the deeper section while I ventured upstream to an enticing trotting peg. A Cattle drink stretched into the river and from this point I could wade out to the middle and enjoy a 90 yard long trot with maggots. I attack a new stretch of water like a batsman builds a cricket innings, get off the mark as soon as possible ie avoid a duck/blank and then build an innings/netful as the day wears on. Trotting maggots is not selective but it would get me off the mark.
It took slightly longer than expected but eventually I hooked into a good fish a long way down the run. It used the powerful flow to it's advantage and kited into the near bank straight in to a snag. I released the bale arm and wandered down the bank. From a higher vantage point it was possible to see a Chub tethered to a fallen branch. It was only shallow so I waded into net it and as I did it managed to slip the hook.
I carried on trotting and within minutes struck into another fish but this time I knew where the snag was. The fish made a beeline for the branch but I was able to steer it safely past to the waiting net. An immaculate Chub of about two pounds that spewed up a bellyful of maggots.

There is only one slight problem with fishing a cattle drink, cattle! Initially just the one came down for some morning refreshment,

but then all his mates followed as well.

Thankfully they were obviously used to seeing people down the river as they just ignored me, some cows can be a nuisance trampling over fishing gear and getting too close but these ones just left me alone.
I was also grateful that the fish were used to them and a succession of Brown Trout were carefully captured and released back into the swim.

With Brownies being out of season I decided that a change of both tactics and swim was required so I headed downstream to a more sedate swim with increased depth and some good cover from Willows, there had to be Chub in residence and I was not wrong.

First cast and the rod hooped round and the fish headed straight into tree roots and escaped, transferring the hook in the process. I pulled for a break and managed to snap the rod's tip ring clean off! In order to be able to continue fishing this swim I was going to have to use 'hit and hold' tactics, bullying any fish hooked so I upped my hooklength to eight pound breaking strain and increased hook size from an 18 to a 16. The larger diameter line did not affect bites and the very next cast the rod wrenched round again but this time I gave it some serious welly. At first I thought it was a Barbel such is the power of these fish but it soon became apparent it was a decent Chub when a pair of big rubber lips breached the surface. Not a monster but a hard fighting 4lb 6oz immaculate specimen.

Several more Trout and Chub followed and each time the fight was brutal. I could not believe I was getting beaten up by average Chub and small Trout! I felt knackered! They were all in excellent condition too.
Time was marching on and come late afternoon I struck into yet another fish but instead of heading for the snag this one set off past it and downstream and there was nothing I could do about it. A right ding dong followed, I was hoping it was a monster Chub but I was not disappointed when I eventually saw I was attached to my first ever Wye Barbel. I kept on with the heavy pressure until it was beaten into submission.
I have never caught a Wye Barbel before so I guess it is a kind of pb, all 4lb 14oz of it!

By now Martin and Dave had changed from pellets to maggots and they were also catching well now.
More Chub (and a solitary Dace) followed for me before I landed my second ever Wye Barbel, again only a small one, 4lb 10oz.

The silly expression is me telling Martin that it was worth photographing and to just get on with it. That was the end of the action.
A superb day spent in stunning surroundings on a magical river.

Chub pb

As the sun set on the Warwickshire Avon I spent the evening once again trotting a float down my favourite swim. My target was Barbel but I don't mind catching Chub, they are not seen as nuisance fish in my book rather an added bonus, especially when they are the size of my first of this particular session.
My Loafer float had only just landed beneath the far bank Willows (not an easy cast!) when it shot under and I knew I was connected to a decent fish. Even Chub fight hard in this fast water and when I saw it's big open mouth break through the surface I thought 'this is a five'. It was only in the net that I realised the depth of it and that it could be close to a pb. On the scales it went 5lb 15oz, of course I reweighed it and gave the scales a shake but I could not claim my first ever 'six'. I was and still am however really pleased with a new pb.

Avon Chub don't seem to be long fish but they do seem to be getting heavier and they are definitely deeper bodied than they were a few years back.

I fished on thinking it would be great to get a new pb Barbel on the same session but the chances were slim- I keep doing the lottery too!
I did however nail a brace of Barbel, the first being my biggest so far of this season weighing 9lb 10oz.

I followed this with a 6lb 5oz fish not long after.

I carried on but that was the last of the action.

Trotting for Barbel on the Avon

Just couldn't get to sleep last night, I must have been excited about my first river session of the new season. Surprisingly I didn't feel that tired when the alarm went off at 4am but I am certainly feeling it now. Choosing where to fish was not difficult, I headed straight for my favourite fast water swim to trot some luncheon meat down under the willows for the many Barbel that live there.

It took a little while to get into the swing of fishing in running water again and I lost the first fish probably because I was rusty but after about an hour I had a fish on the bank and it wasn't a bad start weighing 8lb 14oz. 

I helped her recover in the fast water (whilst messing about with the under water camera).
Having got that first fish under my belt a steady succession followed all falling for my moving meat approach.

7lb 11oz

Unweighed Chub about 3lb

7lb 4oz

5lb

4lb 14oz Pug-nosed Chub

6lb 1oz

At midday I called it a day finishing the session with seven Barbel and three Chub- not a bad mornings work!