I looked at my new college timetable, as I had just finished my AS levels and was therefore unfamiliar as to what lessons to expect on the next stage of the college journey. After having had the day off on the 16th, I noticed my Thursday timetable (on the same week) had both my 2 lessons cancelled and all I was required to attend was a single lecture on whether to do a degree or not.
After sitting through the interesting lecture feeling mixed about possible future choices, I headed for home to prepare some gear. I decided to fish roving tactics for both chub and river carp thus I prepared a pretty substantial feeder rod with 8lb mainline in case I was to hook a big carp. I hopped on the bus and after a good hour or so, I arrived at a river. As expected, it looked even painfully lower and clear. Venturing a few yards downstream, I noticed a few chub in a back eddy skulking around, some even with their heads slightly out of the water. I quickly tied on a size 8 hook and my choice of hookbait to try for these fish was a nice fluffy chunk of breadflake. As the piece of bread flake kissed the water's surface I had an instant take which resulted in this stunning brassy chub.
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| A nice start, a pretty brassy warrior |
I casually strolled on downstream admiring the beautiful countryside and birdlife as I made my way downstream. I eventually arrived at a likely looking area and with the aid of my polaroids, spotted a solitary chub on the gravels. I crawled down the bank and let my bread work downstream towards it, and it wasn't long until it snatched the bait. Unfortunately though, I struck at a poor angle and pulled the bait out of the fish's mouth. I took a good walk a few yards downstream and came to a deeper area which was nice and slack and to me screamed chub or even one of those elusive carp. Pinching a single swan shot on, I flicked the bread into the main flow and let the it settle in the slack. After a minute or so had passed, my rod knocked with an aggressive tap, which was followed by a slow, but positive pull round and I struck into something. To start with it was a decent feeling dead weight shaking its head slighltly, followed by a sudden burst of energy and diving in its desperation for freedom into the nastiest looking snag in the swim and succeeding to do so. All I could do was keep calm and hold the fish and with a bit of steady pressure I tried to use the 8lb line outfit to my advantage giving the fish a bit more strain and thankfully it came through, it was a good chub, well over 4lbs was my first assumption. I saw the dark outline of the fish start to come up but instantly I could tell by the way its dorsal was tensed that it was not finished yet and with pure agility it went thrusted down deeper and all I could do was cup the spool and hope I could stop this powerful fish. With some more steady, but firm pressure I got the fish's head up and could see the hook was merely nicked in the bottom lip hence I jumped down the awkward bank and hurriedly scooped into the net. Filled with adrenalin knowing this was my fish of the season so far, I looked at it's huge flank and frame and knew it could well go 5lbs. This I was absolutely over the moon about, as I broke my venue PB from there on the last day of the season, with it going just drams over 5lbs. Whilst I revived this small stream giant in the net I wet my sling and zeroed the scales and prepared my camera gear for a self take or two. I gently lifted the fish onto the mat and gently placed it into the zeroed sling. I lifted and watched the dial go round to 5 - I looked at the all river in front of me with a huge smile on my face, thinking I had my second 5. I then looked back at the scales and saw the fish had gone an ounce over 6lbs - I could not believe it! This was a huge fish for the venue and one I had only dreamed of catching from there from the first times I started on this small waterway. I held the fish to the camera looking at it in my hands with pure disbelief, it was an absolute chunk and in the heights of winter could smash my current personal best of 6-3lb.
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| The prize! |
After taking a few shots, I returned the fish in the sling, with its head upstream, letting everything get back into order, and after a few seconds of revival the fish started to kick and I watched the huge framed fish disappear slowly back into the depths.
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| Certainly a crayfish muncher! |
A 6lb chub has always been one of those impossibles in the eyes of my early angling days and felt that this result was an end of a journey, as I love my small waterways, and even though I did smash my personal best back in December from 4-4lb to a cracking 6-3lb from the Avon, I felt this was more of an achievement due to the fact that it was on a small, almost forgotten waterway, as well as conveying and emphasising to me and possibly to other anglers that big fish can be found in small rivers and you just have to look at some surprises coming out of carriers of your typical larger river which tells us they are not there to be ignored.
I was so happy at this point I felt the wise thing to do was to go and get some lunch and be home in time for some dinner with the family - this trip in particular has shown me that whenever an opportunity opens for some fishing it is always worth making use of the time, trying to be resourceful with what you have and get out and have a breather!
Tight Lines,
Tom Aldous
