2021 brings hope or does it?

Well, 2020 has finally passed. For many, it will go down in history as one of the worst years in living memory. I realised I haven't posted on here since the end of June. To be honest, having worked throughout the epidemic and facing some tough challenges along the way it was obvious some sacrifices would have to take place. For me, it meant fishing ended up a way down the list and to be honest, the lack of focus yielded pretty mediocre results when I did manage to get out. That said, many have found rivers a tough gig during the past year so maybe I didn't miss out too much. 

2021 commenced. A dawn of new hope maybe? I did manage a trip on the Avon with the end of the Christmas break looming on the horizon. The river had fallen. It was certainly cold but the water had taken on that tinge that always screams chub. Out came the cheese paste. This particular batch must be over a decade old now and has been in and out of the freezer more times than I care to remember. A light quivertip rod, size 8 hook and 6lb line together with just enough gear to allow me to stay mobile was all I needed. The first swim produced some indications but a few strikes met with thin air. My second swim saw me miss a really positive bite that I was way too late reacting too. Off to what turned out to be my final swim. I had seen some chub topping here so I had reason to feel optimistic. Two chub resulted pretty quickly plus another bite that I hopelessly missed. Neither fish was huge at 2-3lb but they brought some welcome cheer on a cold afternoon. The light soon faded and it had also started to rain so that signalled the end of the session. 

Within 48 hours, Lockdown 3 had been announced. It looks like fishing will be down the list once again for a while.  In the meantime, stay safe in whatever you're up to and let us all hope that better times are around the corner. 

Chub - A winter warmer

Having spent the best part of a week wiped out by a nasty bug, I was itching to get back outside again. I didn't really care about the conditions as getting out the house and breathing some fresh air would be enough after a severe bout of cabin fever.

The first fish of the day

That said, conditions weren't bad. The river had dropped so that it was only several inches above normal and the colour had started to drop out to give it that look that spells chub. With that in mind my batch of cheese paste was defrosted and a few lumps deposited into several likely looking swims. The idea was to stay mobile and hopefully pick up a few fish along the way. Although the air temperature on Sunday was pretty chilly the river itself was hovering around 6°C so I was confident a few fish would bite. I set up a simple running ledger rig employing an 1/2 oz bomb to hold bottom with a size 8 hook. My bait was flicked into position. Within 10 minutes the rod arched round and the centrepin screamed into life. A lively chub was on and heading for the downstream tree. Chub put up a great fight when tackled with suitable gear. A fact often lost when they frequently turn up whilst fishing for barbel and offer little resistance. With their determination to find the nearest snag, my tackle was tested but the fish was successfully landed. A decent fish of over 3lb lay in the net and signaled a great start to the session. Next cast threw up another, albeit smaller, chub before it became apparent this swim needed resting.

The next swim saw immediate interest although the bites were finicky. Eventually, a fish was hooked

Winter and chub go hand in hand

but then lost. With a few missed bites and a lost fish I decided that this swim should also be given a break. My next location again saw me miss a couple of bites so I decided to return to swim number two where I had lost a chub. I didn't have to wait long and I was soon into a hard fighting chub which I gleefully landed despite some powerful runs towards an old reed bed. It was another fish of over 3lb but bigger than the first. It also proved to be the last of my action. It was almost dark now. I did cast in a lump of meat in the hope I might find a hungry barbel but that wasn't to be. However, it has been an enjoyable couple of hours on the Avon and something I have vowed to do with more regularity.