Patience rewarded

After the success of my Avon visit a few weeks ago where I managed two doubles in a short evening session, conditions were back to normal summer levels. That night I had been able to take advantage of extra, coloured water. Now we were back to a clear river. I managed a super 9 pound barbel on the following session along with a smaller barbel of average size. The fish picking up a pellet baits presented with a pva bag of offerings. The next visit saw me in the same area. These few swims had yet to give me a double figure fish despite a few 9 pounders over the last few years. I kept returning sure that one day my luck might change but I was still waiting.

11lb exactly 

On this occasion, I fed more heavily laying down a bed of hemp and pellet concentrating on the head of the swim with a lighter effort downstream. I fished boilie on the upstream rod with pellet downstream. A chub of about 3lb fell to the boilie rod quite quickly. All was quiet thereafter. However, I was content. The baits were presented and there was food available. Some people might have been tempted to recast but in my view this is a mistake. Leaving everything alone allows the better fish to build confidence that the area is just as normal. Casting now would just arouse suspicion so I waited. Finally, there was a twitch on the downstream rod. Was it a chub? Another twitch then nothing. I was now thinking barbel as this is often the precursor. Seconds later the rod twitched again and kept on going and the battle was on. The fish was netted and my patience had finally paid off with an 11lb barbel, my third Avon double this summer.