Tough Fishing Conditions On The River Ribble - Martin James

BBC Children in Need last November were better off to the tune of £475-00 through angling. That's the sum John Cullen paid the BBC charity for his son John Jnr to have a days fishing with me as his son's Christmas present. John from Sale Cheshire had chosen what was probably the worst conditions on the River Ribble this winter. The water temperature was a low 36 degrees F. The water level was probably as low as its been all winter and summer. To make matters worse it was a grey colour caused by melting snow. In fact the condition were what I would call Horrid. The 34 year old match angler John used a 12 foot Avon action rod, fixed spool reel, 6lb line and a size 4 barbless hook. Depending on the swim, the weight varied between 1 and 2 LG shot pinched on the line about three inches from the hook. Bait was crust, though later in the day I did show John how to roll meat baits through the swim without any weight. John ended up with 6 chub missed 4 bites and bumped off 2 fish. Picture John with 4 chub all caught within a hectic twenty minute spell around 2 o'clock in the afternoon.