A Splash of Colour.

 Just a brief one, after my short Chub session my plans were to head off into the Surrey Downs and target some Golden Orfe, these fish aren't known for their fighting qualities but they are a fantastic looking fish. Even when they're bright orange in murky water they are still very good at hiding right under the radar, I decided to stay very mobile and try to locate them in the sunshine. This wasn't easy, more than two hours were spent wandering before I finally struck it lucky with the capture of a 4.02 G.Orfe but I knew larger ones existed so I continued to search them out.

Second best at 4.02

 My next two fish were small Tench around the pound mark but out of the blue I set into a small Orfe and the smallest I've ever caught, then shortly after that the float buried itself sharply which could only mean one thing, it was the appearance of a much better fish, again the fight wasn't much good and a very light hook hold I mugged it into the net, job done but I thought it would miss out on being a five pound plus specimen and I was right as the scales settled on 4.08, brilliant condition.

Nice! I do like these fish.

 The rest of the day was spent hauling Tench out one after another, with nothing over 3lb it wasn't about size but a handful of them were around the 8oz mark and they were simply stunning little creatures, every one was given the once over and marvelled at the olive green flanks and teddy bear eyes, this spring I will give their much larger bretherin a real good go.

In Search of Monster Chub: Sausage Sizzle Strike's Again.

 After two long days after Chub in testing conditions I decided to try a little closer to home and try to put some faith back into my bait and wait work, the river was coloured and pushing pretty hard but it didn't stop the fish from feeding well as I opted to fish only for a couple of hours.

Some of the components used to snare my target species.

 I planned on dumping some bait in a couple of swims just to get some fish moving out of the trees just downstream of each run, more often than not they seem to seek refuge in any conditions but move out with the sound of small 6mm pellets hitting the surface, akin to a dinner bell! having only a short trip planned I hoped that the Chub would hone in quickly and my prayer was answered within just twenty minutes, a small tap on the rod let me know something was home and as I poised over the top of the rod it double taps violently, fish on and it felt like my target straight away.

All set, wait and see.

 First blood, 3,13 and not the biggest Chub of the season but a welcome fish and knew that others were down there. I didn't waste time in getting some more bait down as if one was feeding they often feed as a shoal, I winched my bait into position, waited and for a few minutes I trickled a 6mm pellet in 5 second intervals, this in the summer is a deadly trick that I use and works so efficiently. Minutes later my tip slowly moved towards the river, like something coming downstream had caught on the line, I lifted the rod to expect to wind in rubbish but instead the rod slammed over as I took up the slack, this was a much better fish.

 When it cruised into the net I was startled by it's rather ugly appearance, but very thick and noticeably short. I was intrigued to see what it weighed and I was surprised when the digi's registered 5lb 1oz, something I didn't really expect but I'd certainly take it. Once I had taken a photo and released the Chub downstream I got myself back in position with more enquiries almost a given......

U G L Y he ain't got no alibi ! And no not me :)

 So with that my confidence was rewarded with a motionless rod for the remainder of the trip, but two Chub wasn't a terrible return and my last bit of Chub fishing for the season.

Blank Sessions....

..............

 That could have been my post as angling wise it was pretty tough, in fact I failed to register a substantial bite over a day on a heavily coloured River Itchen and two days on a flooded River Stour. I like to think I know a thing or two about floodwater fishing but I come unstuck in the testing conditions that both trips threw at me.

 The trip to the Itchen was a visit to the lower itchen fishery with the lads from the team, conditions were so bad that had it been just a trip on my own then I'd have left straight away and gone elsewhere, with less than ½ft of visibility the Grayling fishing was going to be poor and I knew that but used the opportunity to get to know the boys better and have a laugh, so that's what we all did. A few Grayling to a pound or so, a few Trout and a solitary Barbel of nearly 12lbs which was great to see but my trip angling wise was atrocious, my stubborn approach to fishing probably cost me a few fish as I refuse to static fish for Grayling, this is for two reasons, firstly on a chalk stream it isn't cricket "not for the purist" if I could be called that and secondly Grayling are notoriously greedy and the thought of deep hooking them isn't my idea of fishing and could do without casualties.

 Then the Stour.........just as tough but for the species I intended to fish for the conditions were a little better, Brian and I had two days down to have one last push for a big Chub, both days were spent ledgering as the lack of clarity meant trotting was almost out of the question although it could have been done, I spent many hours watching the rod tips for any sort of enquiry but no matter what I did I simply could not manage a meaningful take, many taps on the bread flake but I suspected that the culprit was small Dace and Roach, around midday on the second day though I witnessed the second largest Chub I've seen on the bank, Brian had done it! but I shall leave him to elaborate and rake in the plaudits as he should, a big fish and a pleasure to see.

My new landing mat, very well made and with built in shoulder
strap it's ideal for the roving angler.

 I don't catch fish every time I head out, these trips have been testament to how difficult fishing can be at times.

Red Letter Morning.

 Barbel are firmly on the radar of late due to the favourable conditions, the milder nights has kept temperatures up slightly higher than late-February would usually experience and with the warmer weather I had a tasty 48 trip planned for the Trent, a river I've really fancied getting on for a few years now for reasons that are pretty obvious, I want a shot at a ludicrously big Barbel.

 Let's just say that trip will have to wait, a couple of issues had arisen which prompted me to change my plans, the main issue was the sudden change of weather, the arrival of storm "Doris" brought with it winds over 90mph in the North and over 50 mph across the mainland, these sorts of conditions made me think differently and decided to stay closer to home and on Sunday morning I ventured out on my bike for the first in many years, I felt like I was 13 again!

 I fancied a really good go as well seeing as I had the entire day at my disposal which doesn't happen often, with my Barbel head on I hoped that I'd find some feeding fish and down south the conditions were slightly better with the winds in the morning only forecasted to reach 17mph which I can deal with but by the afternoon it was predicted to gust at 35-40mph. I walked to a nice spot I haven't fished in years, unfortunately it looked a little pressured with plenty of foot traffic so I didn't stay long, plus with plenty of little hideaways that I have I felt my time would be spent wiser elsewhere.

 Once I arrived at the first fishy looking area I ran a float along a far bank crease that ran along a fallen tree, no free-bees were thrown out and just the second trot through the float buried itself in a flash, I struck immediately into a heavy fish, the beginning of the fight was punctuated by a powerful run upstream past me and for a few seconds I was winding furiously to gain line on the fish, I was in no doubt that a Barbel was the culprit. The end of the fight resulted in me sliding a big Barbel into the net, I was pleased as punch and it looked awesome too.

My first double for a couple of months. 10lb 3oz.

 A fish that looked almost as if it was a summer Barbel as was the stunning colour. It was going to be tough to back that stunner up, so it was a case of trying. I'd already had a great start in that area so I decided on a journey downstream as I felt the fish were holding up in slightly deeper water. Within thirty minutes of moving I was in again, another good quality Barbel weighing 8lb 7oz lay in the net awaiting it's picture taken, then the quality fish continued to come to the net as I then had three more fish weighing 9lb 5oz, 4lb+ and an 8lb 2oz fish. It was a spell of no more than an hour but it was so prolific that I think it all happened in the space of maybe nine or ten trots! Most of the time was spent reviving, photographing and weighing the fish then moving up and down to locate more feeding fish, something I wasn't having much trouble with.

8.07

7.02

 I wanted to get a photo of the 9.05 but it wasn't having any of it and to not cause any issues I slipped it straight back, a lovely fish though and at that size I will always be chuffed, a double though is the sort of fish that we leave home early for, I was one very happy angler indeed! and the sport didn't die there either with the capture of one last Barbel ( around 6lb ) before the conditions worsened and made me decide that with the trees starting to creek under the force of the wind it was time to go, it was however a great morning's fishing and topped off with the capture of six mint conditioned Barbel.

Past Pleasures. Barbel.

 Over the years I have accumulated a scrapbook of specimen Barbel, plenty of fantastic memories I been experienced on various rivers across the country, double figure Barbel are a big fish on any river and I have been lucky enough to catch to just shy of 14½lb, many doubles have found my net over the years and this season has been no exception, this collection is just some of the images I've accrued over the years.

10.03

9.00

11.00

13.12

10.15

10.10

11.13

11.12

12.00

10.06

10.08

10.12

11.06

10.04

10.07

10.15

10.05

9.11

9.15

11.02

9.14

14.06 Personal Best.

12.06

Chasing Chub in the Jaws of the Wind.

 For this weekend I had solid plans to finally after many years get myself on the mighty tidal Trent, all week I had been getting little bits and bobs organised with one eye firmly on the weekend......then came that storm we were warned about. Having not factored the aftermath in my plans I was facing a dilemma, shall I go or not? considering the preparation already put in the decision was tough but my gut told me to bail out, which it has to be said isn't me as I'd fish through a hurricane if I knew there was a good chance of big fish, which there would have been too, but to go on a near 400 mile round trip for it to be a disaster was too greater risk to take.

An aggressive Crow harassing a Buzzard.

 Instead I planned to go on more familiar territory.......Chub it was, but never going to threaten any PB's. However sometimes it's just good to catch, the conditions faced with today it seemed as if just getting the float to run in a straight line would be a challenge in itself.

 Challenge accepted, half an hour of flicking maggots out in the main run I decided to get fishing and the sport was fairly instant as a number of small Chub slipped safely into the net but not before a thick set chevin of exactly 5lb, I somehow neglected to pack the keepnet which is very unalike me, so all of my catch was going to head straight back into the shoal, knowing this I had to keep the feed going in to maintain their attention and ignoring the fact their mates were getting a good tug. I have recently found some very interesting results in my Chub fishing seeing as I've targeted them a lot more than I usually would.

 The interesting results are that I found some of the Chub have been approx 22-24 inches in length which should put them at an average weight of 5.4 to 6.4 and on various rivers I have noticed differences of more than a pound! whether this is down to genetics, feeding, available food, shoal density (competition) and/or angling pressure. Exactly what the reasons are it's clear some Chub are in a much better condition than others, this was bought to my attention today more so than previous. I landed a Chub which weighed 4.14 and was exactly 23.5 inches in length but it's stomach sank in rather than the typical portly appearance of a winter Chub, yet others that were caught today were in a good condition, one of the other Chub that I managed weighed a very pleasing 5lb 5oz which measured 22.4 inch, I never usually measure fish as I personally think it's extremely anal' but for this instance it's really got me thinking what the reasons are for the poor condition of some fish.

I'm happier than I look!

 The "5.5" I landed which turned out to be the best of the day was very wide across the chest/back and was fairly solid but again I felt there was plenty more space to fill into, I "think" I inclusively fish this area so the premise of being pressured is out of the window, so it's making me think in a bit of detail as to what is going on down under the surface of the rivers I fish and indeed all across the country. Chub across the country seem to be on the whole down in weight, whether these factors are different from that I'm experiencing closer to home is hard to tell but there may be a connection. One for the experts possibly as I'm certainly not one!, just at catching them :)

Below is a not so accurate gauge for size to weight ratio as this doesn't take into condition of girth and depth as I know this can vary massively from fish to fish. But my 5.5 today measured 22.4 inches which falls almost perfectly into that line of thinking, where as the 4.14 measured 23.5 inches which would put that around the 6 - 6.4 mark, by looking at the frame of the Chub (length wise) in good condition that Chub could reach that milestone.

25 ins - 6lb 8 oz
24 ins - 6lb 4oz
23 ins - 6lb
22 ins - 5lb 5oz
21 ins - 4lb 10 oz
20 ins - 4lb 4oz
19 ins - 3lb 8oz
18 ins - 3lb 4oz
17 ins - 2lb 12 oz
16 ins - 2lb 5oz

 As the day progressed the wind got increasing stronger and even managed to blow a 400g block of my finest cheesepaste into the river, never did see it again and that's been growing mould for months, when you have to cover your nose when opening the bag you know it's good, so to lose it having only pinching off one piece was bit of a bummer, serves me right for leaving a near half a kilo slab of cheese out for the wind to blow away.......that twisted my melon somewhat.

2 Toads in a hole.

 Two o'clock came and I'd had my fun, hometime and dry out all the gear. twelve Chub including two "fives" is a good trip and had that been the offer at the beginning I would have taken it. 

Barbel Sessions.

 Recently I have embarked on a few trips albeit short in search of a monster Barbel, with only one blank in five a monster Barbel is still out there. A mix of short day and evening visits have seen Barbel to 7.6 landed and a few Chub to low 4's.

Absolute perfection.

Best of the last couple of trips. 7.6.

Short fat fish.

6.4

Poised to spring into action.

A nice little selection for those hungry Chub and Barbel.