Back To Basics On The Bristol Avon

 First of all I just need to say that I will be writing about some actual fishing action today, as after 72 days I have finally got out there and done some fishing, yay!!!

I have made some small progress in my search for a used van, putting a small deposit down to hold a van that popped up a couple of days ago that was what I was looking for. Need to wait for the van to go through the workshop checks and get a view of it, so am really hoping everything will be fine.

I was thinking this weekend I would finally get out and fish, I hatched a plan to go on Sunday and the weather forecast was really promising, I was looking forward to going.

Trying to think what to type now, as I am not quite clear in thought tonight, tired and a little achy but nothing nasty. I had the covid vaccine yesterday, and was aware that I could get a few issues, just depends I guess? Mike Nicholls suggested I take paracetamol or Natch to keep the effects at bay lol, I went down the red wine route. I did wake up feeling a sore arm, and a slight swelling there, but that was it. Speaking to a couple of other anglers Dave Stiff and Ben Rendall they felt really bad after their jabs, shame. Of course this could have put a spanner in my plan to fish had I felt really ill, but luckily for me it didn't. Anyway, my plan, how to get myself and my gear to Swineford in a tiny Toyota Aygo lol!!!  I had to go back to basics, right back. I took one heavy feeder rod, landing net pole, and  bankstick which I would carry by hand. Had a backpack with a reel, feeders, hooks, line, disgorger, scissors, bread, and food and drink. A Sainsbury's carrier bag with my landing net, gbait, 1 pint of maggots and a bowl. I probably blended in well with the other anglers lol.

Where to fish, that was my dilemma, I walked up the river thinking that I would find a peg in the second field at Swineford. I walked past a few anglers, piking and general pleasure, all had caught but not a lot. I walked up to peg 15, it is a fairly easy peg to fish as it has a lovely flat bank just above the water, but there are tree branches overhead so an underhand cast is required. It didn't take long to knock up a mix of brown and white crumb (no additives) and set the feeder rod up with a 40g open ender. Hooklength was 2 feet of 0.17 powerline, and I used a size 12 Preston XSH barbless hook for gaffing a piece of bread. Now the XSH is designed for bagging carp on commercials, but I fancied it for using it for chub on the river, and today was the day for experimenting, not a match. I began fishing a couple of minutes before midday, and cast the feeder out to just past middle in the fast flow. On the second cast I had a hell of bite, the rod dropping back, pulling forward, dropping back violently! I just could not believe there was no fish attached when I picked the rod up. I had one more little rattle on the bread and I was a little disappointed I had not had a chub. I tried 5 maggots on the hook and this resulted in a couple of bites but again I did not connect.

On about the hour mark I tried a big piece of bread again, and if this didn't work I was going to change to a maggot feeder. Well I had another whacking bite, and this time I was attached to a decent fish, I played it hard and kept it under a lot of pressure to keep it away from any snags that could be around. I was really happy to land this chub, I had no scales, but I would have said it was a 4lber. Managed to take a photo of it in the landing net.

No more bites on bread and I was itching to switch to the maggot feeder, I changed my hook to a size 16 of the same XSH pattern. After only 3 or 4 casts I had another chub of about 3 1/2lb, and as I was netting it I noticed someone stood up the bank behind me, it was an angler called Rich Britton who hasn't been so much in the last couple of years. Rich had arrived at the right time as the switch to the maggot feeder brought fairly regular bites from chub from 12oz to 3lb. Rich was great company and he told me some great stories of fishing past. I was sat on the bank with the sun on my face, a few fish caught and great company, it was just perfect really, I was really enjoying myself.

Inevitably the sport slowed, I imagine primarily as I had no keepnet and I had now caught a dozen chub all returned straight away. Having travelled light the plan was to fish the next peg, so I was quickly out of the peg and looking to get in 17. Bugger another angler had got in the peg just 10 minutes before, so on to 19, damn another angler was just setting up! I walked up to what is now 20, a wide peg but with a willow tree downstream. As I was wanting to catch lumps I went up on the hook size and began with bread again. First chuck, casting downstream to the end of the willow, and a lovely bite which I bloody missed again lol. Next cast similar bite but chub on, about 2lb, and a couple of casts later another chub landed. I then had a couple of casts with nothing, and then had a little rattle but nothing, as I began to wind in the rod suddenly buckled over. I realised what had happened, a pike had grabbed the bread as I wound back, and soon enough it bit me off.

I put some maggots through the feeder with gbait, as I hoped I met get a bream out of this peg, but I didn't connect with any bream, but had two more chub just over the pound mark. I decided at 4:30pm to call it a day, I was feeling a bit tired now. Ended the day with 16 chub, and never lost one, so as far as the hooks go I am really happy with them for this type of chub fishing and glad I tried them.

For anyone looking to get out on the river I would suggest you do so this week, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, as a load of rain is coming which will cock it up. No roach were caught at Swineford today, so it's chub or bream, but I do know that roach are coming out up at Saltford and Newbridge. Get out while you can, before the damn close season arrives. I'm glad I got out when I could, I have not caught chub for what seems a long time, I love days like this now and again.