Good Sport On The Kennet With Chub and Barbel

With a few days of mild weather forecast Mike Osborne of Carlisle and me travelled south for a three day session on Berkshires River Kennet. Our target fish were the rivers chub and barbel. It was a good drive south on the motorway system M6 M5 even around Birmingham we didn't get held up. we come off the M5 at junction 11A onto the A 417 then the A 419 to the M4 off at junction 13 onto the A34 then the Bath road into Woolhampton. We averaged some 65 mile per hour.

From my home in Lancashire to the Wasing fishery syndicate water it took us just 4 hours. Having sorted out our accommodation for the next three days we went off to the river. Conditions looked quite good, though I would like to have seen another foot of water on the river. We desperately need several weeks of rain.

My first job was to check the water temperature, while Mike made a brew of Yorkshire Gold. It was pleasing to see the thermometer give a reading of 44 degrees F. With a good weather forecast of rain tonight, and a low cloud base I expected the temperature to go even higher.

We both chose to fish with two rods, Mike using fixed spool reels while I chose to fish with centre pins. We both tied on size 4 barbless hooks to 6lb line on the chub outfit, and the same size hook on ten pound line on the barbel outfits. My bait choices were cheese paste, sausage meat, bread, luncheon meat and lobworms. while Mike had bread, sausage meat, corn, hemp and pellets. Finishing our welcome mugs of tea, it was time to move off in the darkness for our chosen swims.

It was around 6-30 in the evening, when we walked off downstream. Mike to fish 'Badgers' where the river sweeps alongside an inside bend, where over the years it has created a big undercut on the nearside bank. A perfect chub swim, which has proved good in previous sessions. In fact it was from 'Badgers' that I had a chub of 6-4-0.

I continued on down river stopping off at 'The Point' swim to drop in some free samples of cheese paste. Then it was down to the 'Big Oak' where I introduced a couple of handfuls of mashed bread, finally arriving at my third choice swim 'The Beeches'.

This swim over the past few years has been one of my banker swims for chub and barbel, where I have often caught several fish of both species in a session, including double figure barbel and 6lb chub. Last season after helping another member to catch his first double figure barbel I moved into this swim where I quickly caught another river Kennet chub of 6-4-0.

'The Beeches' is a near bank swim, where a large tree has crashed into the river. It had an average depth of about three and a half feet, but towards the centre of the river there is a gully with about five feet of fast swirling water over clean pea size gravel.

To make the area even more attractive to barbel, there is quite a lot of ranunculus or water crowfoot. Home to nymphs, shrimps and other underwater life, which is the basic food for most of our fish species. The presence of this delightful water plant usually indicates a healthy river or stream. In summer it has an important roll to play in the oxygenation of the water.

Over the next three hours I fished all three swims using all my bait choices, covering all the fishable areas. Not a single touch. Conditions looking good, thick cloud base, a good water temperature with no wind. I couldn't work out why I couldn't get a bite. I moved back upstream to Badgers where Mike said "Have you caught"? I said "No not a touch" to which he replied "I've had two chub 5lbs and 5-2-0" and with that his rod tip pulled round but the bite was missed. Mike said "I've had several missed bites" We decided to call it a day. Back at our accommodation it was tea and toast followed by a slice of fruit cake then it was off to bed.

The Fish Wanted To Bite

The next day conditions looked great, overnight there had been heavy rain, puddles of water were everywhere. After breakfast it was off to the river which we had to ourselves. The water temperature was 46 degrees F an increase over night of 2 degrees F. The river had some colour, a bit more flow with a rise in the water level over night of about four inches. We decided to rove from swim to swim until about 2-30pm when we would go off for lunch returning to the river and fish through until perhaps eleven pm or even midnight.

Mike went off downstream on the left hand bank, while I headed off to the swims of the previous night, this time I was quickly into a barbel about 7lbs from 'The Point' swim on sausage meat. I then pricked a fish and after dropping in four bits of sausage meat I moved on downstream to 'The Oak' swim I fished two rods this time, my barbel rod was baited with two big lobworms, the chub outfit with sausage meat. Within ten minutes the tip of the chub rod pulled round. I quickly had a chub of 4lbs plus in the net.

As I released this fish, the other rod tip whacked round savagely, the reel screeched I didn't need to strike I just lifted the rod and felt the power of a barbel trying to reach the sanctuary of some alder tree roots. This fish had no chance against my powerful Avon rod and 10lb line. After a brief struggle I netted a barbel of about 6lbs.

Half an hour later the chub rod whacked round and I was into a barbel which really did give me some anxious moments before I netted a barbel about the same weight as the previous fish. I fished the same area for another half an hour without a bite then moved on to 'The Beeches'. I spent fifteen minutes bouncing chunks of crust and flake through the swim without success.

It was time for a bait change, I used two lobworms on the barbel rod, within a minute, I had a good pull connecting with another chub. It probably weighed about four and a half pounds. The day was turning into a good one. Again I baited with two lobs and anchored the bait in the channel. Fifteen minutes later I felt the line tension on my index finger, then a savage pull on the rod tip. After a brief struggle I netted a barbel about 5lbs. Baiting again with lobworms I fished on for about half an hour without a bite, it was time to move on.

I chose a swim where a tree had crashed across the river, a few feet down from the tree was a quiet bit of water about three feet square. It looked a good spot for chub, I lightly pinched on 2 LG shot three inches from the hook then baited with crust. Dropping the bait into the desired spot I held the rod feeling for a bite. A minute later I decided to recast as I did so Mike turned up "Any good" he asked. I answered "Yes" As I did so I felt a little tap then another, the pressure on the line built up I struck and hooked what felt a good fish.

"Chub" I said to Mike. I had visions of a big seven perhaps an eight pound fish. It managed to take a few feet from the reel, as I was gained a few inches of line, I was convinced it was a very big chub. Mike stood ready with the landing net. As I got the fish up near the surface it decided to dive. I was forced to give line as the fish tried to reach the sanctuary of some tree branches, I pulled it of course. I was forced to give line as the fish moved off downstream, saying to Mike "Its probably a barbel". After another couple of minutes I had the fish coming towards the net, where we could clearly see it was a barbel then it was in the net.

It was a fat fish which had certainly been feeding. It weighed in at 8lb 6 ounces. Mike then said "Lets go and have some dinner". We dined regally on beef stew with lots of vegetable followed by a mug of tea and some home made fruit cake.

Back on the river I was soon into another chub caught on crust, meanwhile from The House swim Mike had a chub, he also lost what he thought was a big barbel from from "Ivies" so named because of all the ivy on an oak tree. I decided to bait the shallows with pigeon egg size pieces of sausage meat paste.

Its an area where last season I had a lot of barbel including two double in two chucks, on a night when I didn't expect a bite. It was a full moon, with a thick layer of frost, mist hung in the tree tops. Yet the barbel wanted to eat. My best fish was 12-7-0 still my best barbel to date.

With darkness and a clear sky the temperature plummeted, within an hour of darkness everything was white, even our rods and tackle bags had a covering of frost. It was something we didn't think would happen. I walked well downstream to the 'Hawthorns' a swim close to the bank where the water averages about 4 feet deep over clean pea size gravel. Its a swim that often produces a chub or two. Sitting well upstream of the area I spent ten perhaps fifteen minutes feeding in crumbed bread. I then walked further downstream to a swim where a big alder tree over hangs the river. It was a good chub spot, within seconds of casting in a chunk of crust, I had an immediate take from a good chub which weighed 5-2-0.

Knowing this swim was a one fish spot I moved back to the Hawthorns. In three chucks with crust I had three fish, two chub and a barbel, the latter was a surprise fish from this swim. I then moved back up river, deciding to fish a swim in the car park. After chucking out a chunk of meat I sat back watching my illuminated rod tip. Mike arrived suggesting we had a fresh brew, as I sat talking to Mike I had three bites in about ten minutes.

All the bites happened when I turned to look at something. Mike would shout "Martin Bite" I would hear the reel give a few inches of line but of course I was to slow. I then set about the task of tea making which was soon accomplished. As we sat talking and drinking tea I caught a barbel. In the last couple of hours in the finger numbing cold conditions I caught four more barbel and a chub.

I probably missed another four or five good pulls. The clear sky, near full moon and frosty conditions didn't deter the fish from biting. At about eleven o'clock we called it a night and headed off to our accommodation. It had certainly been a good days fishing on the beautiful river Kennet.

A Tough Day On The River

The next morning the countryside was frost covered, driving to the river we could see the lakes partially ice covered. Back on the river I checked the water temperature it was 43 degrees F a drop of three degrees F over night. I didn't give much hope for our prospects of many fish, though I did expect some chub on crust. As I rate this bait for cold water conditions. As Mike and I tackled up Tris and Steve turned up along with three other syndicate members. We stood around chatting for about half an hour then I spent another hour showing all the guys how to bait with bread, how to fish the bait, and how to use a centre pin, and generally trying to help everyone catch a fish.

It was certainly a hard days fishing, at dusk non of us had seen a bite. I had tried a dozen or more swims without success. Mike and me went off for diner returning an hour later. I moved off downstream to 'The Beeches' while Mike fished 'The House' swim.

After an hour in 'The Beeches' fishing with crust I had a good pull and hooking a powerful fish. For five minutes I struggled to bring it to the net. I switched on my head lamp and soon I could see within six feet of the net a big chub, no a huge chub. No doubt about it this fish was a seven. Suddenly the line went slack, as the hook pulled out. I was gutted and sat down with my head in my hands, swearing at no one but myself. I was gutted. I called Mike to give him the bad news saying, 'Its probably my only chance of the day". I put in a handful of crumbed bread, then sat back for fifteen minutes listening to the sounds of the night including a deer barking close by.

After checking the hook, which was needle sharp. I baited with another chunk of crust then bounced the bait down stream close to the fallen tree. three or four casts later the rod pulled over. I missed the fish.

This again happened on the next cast. What was wrong with me today I though. I fished for about fifteen minutes then suddenly the rod tip was pulled savagely round. On striking I felt a good fish, suddenly it was gone. More cursing. Picking up the rod, landing net and loaf I went off downstream, trying another couple of spots without success. It was back to the previous swim.

Success At Last

Baiting with a chunk of crust I cast out then bounced the bait down downstream. It had travelled forty feet, perhaps a bit more, then I felt a strong pull. The strike connected with a good fish which powered away downstream Barbel I thought, within seconds I changed my mind realising I had hooked a big chub. As I played this fish, the lost fish previously was still fresh in my mind. My heart was in my mouth. Slowly I worked the fish upstream. At the same time pushed my way through some river side reeds and branches dragging my net as I did so. I slowly worked my way downstream towards the fish.

Having got the fish into some quieter water I slowly worked the fish towards the net. Switching on my head lamp I could see I had a big chub. That's a six I thought. The fish glistened like a bar of silver in the beam of light. Slowly I drew the fish over the rim of the net, then lifted saying "Yes". Then with the use of my rod rest I pegged the net in the water while I zeroed my scales.

I then released the rod rest and hoisted the net up on the bank, I then gently moved the fish from net into the weigh bag. I hoisted the bag onto the scales. They gave a reading of 6-8-0 a personal best Kennet chub. I punched the air saying "Yes, Yes, Yes, this is for you Ivan".
Ivan, being Ivan Duxbury the river keeper on the Edisford Hall fishery on River Ribble who passed away three day ago. He will be sadly missed. Without a doubt he was one of the best in the business. Rest in Peace Ivan.

Pegging the net in the water, I walked off upstream to Mike to ask him to come and shoot some pictures. Having collected my camera and big flash gun from the car, we walked back down river to my swim. Seeing the chub in the net Mike said "That's a fat chub look at the size of those shoulders" Having shot some pictures we watched the fish swim off then collecting my gear I moved off upstream to the car park swim.

After a fresh brew, I started fishing with lobworms. In the next hour I caught three barbel, a chub and a good over wintered brown trout which must have weighed at least two pounds. I then walked downstream to Mike and suggested he take over my swim, I would go off downstream to a swim I had baited over the previous two days but I had not fished. I spent an hour in this new spot without a sign of a fish. I decided as it was now ten o'clock it was time we called it a day. I made my way upstream to Mike suggesting we call it a day and go off for some supper. He agreed and within half an hour, I was sitting down to beans on toast. They had never tasted so good. Mike had tea toast and fruit cake. It had been a great three days with good company.See picture