Blank on the lower Severn

Yesterday saw my latest fishing trip take me to a quiet stretch of the lower Severn. A change of scenery and a change of tactics, my aim a Pike (or Zander). I settled into a likely looking area with some slacker water and tree cover. The main river actually had a good pace about it so I also cast out a PVA bag with pellets and a boilie on the hook to increase my chances of fish of any description.

After about one hour and nothing to report I decided I should try some other spots for a predator. Before upping sticks though I decided to use a bait dropper and deposit three loads of pellets as something deep inside was telling me that a Barbel might just feed.

Off I went for another hour dropping my deadbait into likely looking spots such as slacker water near cover, deeper holes, at the bottom of the nearside shelf and anywhere else that might house a hungry fish. However, nothing! I decided to return to my original spot. I recast my boilie hookbait with some of my own paste wrapped around it and around the weight to the spot I'd baited earlier. After about 10 minutes the rod went round, at last a fish hooked. It didn't feel big but it was a fish, then it all went slack. I reeled in, the bait had gone but everything else remained meaning the hook had simply pulled out.

Sunset on the lower Severn

It was frustrating having trusted my instinct, baiting up the spot and leaving the area for 60 minutes or more so fish could gain confidence only to see my chance disappear. I fished on in vein with a few knocks and taps but nothing of note materialised nor did my deadbait get picked up by a Pike or Zander as we approached dusk, witnessing a beautiful sunset in the process and making friends with an unaccompanied puppy that appeared from nowhere but kept me company through the biteless last hour.

This puppy kept me company

Upon returning to my car, I'd managed my second consecutive blank. In football, they say a goalscorer going through a drought will be ok so long as the chances keep coming so I guess I'm in that same pigeon hole at the moment. It's sometimes a thin line between success and failure and on another day I could have had a photo of a November Barbel to show you. At least there's always next time.