It Was Tough Fishing Over The Christmas Holiday

It was about 11 o’clock on Christmas morning when I left home in thick fog to travel south to fish the River Kennet for a few days, joining the M6 from the A59 the sign on the overhead gantry said “Fog” That’s all I needed, plus far too many motorists were driving on side lights when they should have dipped headlights, in fact some idiots were driving with no lights. I considered fifty miles an hour was a safe speed, two hours into the trip I stopped for a coffee and a sandwich. The fog had lifted making driving much safer which helped me make good time; I suppose it was about 3 o’clock when I stopped on the M40 for another coffee break. With only the occasional motorist I was able to average a comfortable 65 mph arriving on the banks of the Kennet about 4-30pm. Checking the water temperature I got a reading of 44 degrees F with a warm south-westerly wind I reckon conditions were going to be good over the coming days.

At Will Carters house in Burfield Common I got a very warm welcome from the Sonya, Will and young Harley, within minutes I was sitting down with a welcome mug of tea. After exchanging presents Harley showed me his robot, and thankfully I didn’t have to make my debut on the Karaoke. About half an hour later I sat down to a meal of beef salad including wholemeal bread, what thoughtful people the Carters are, as they know I can only eat wholemeal bread. Though I reckon Will would rather eat sawdust, they certainly look after me when I visit. I suppose it was about 9 o’clock when I went off to me accommodation. Will who had been given pass out for Boxing Day would join me on the Wasing fishery on the River Kennet around lunchtime.

A Lost Fish on Boxing Day

I got to the river about 8 o’clock on Boxing Day morning to find I had the river to myself, after putting the thermometer in the water I made up three outfits. Avon action rods two with centre pin reels, the other rod with a Mitchell 300, on the fixed spool and one of the centre pins I had 6lb Gamma, while the third more powerful Avon rod I had 12lb Gamma. Checking the thermometer it gave a reading of 45 degrees F up a degree from the previous day. For bait I had three loaves of thick sliced bread, a box of fifty lobworms, some cheese paste sausage meat paste and luncheon meat.

I chose to fish a swim where I have had some good barbel and chub in the past, upstream to my left I had a big alder tree and several willows, ten yards downstream was a small alder, then the river made a sweeping left hand turn. I baited two swims one with mashed bread the other with a dozen bait size pieces of sausage meat paste. Within ten minutes I had a barbel about 5lbs on legered crust, this was followed by a bream about 4lbs. After an hour without any bites I picked up the rod with the fixed spool reel and moved off downstream.

Baiting with a walnut size piece of sausage meat paste, I dropped the baited hook close to the bank where it would be swept under the undercut bank. As I sat holding the rod, watching a large group of long tailed tits I felt a slight pluck then a firm pull. The answering strike connected with something heavy. A powerful fish moved slowly out in the river hugging the bottom as it did so I said to myself “This is a bloody big one” For several minutes I just kept on the pressure suddenly the fish moved quickly upstream, as it did so I lowered the rod tip taking in line as I did so. The fish then seemed to stop on the bottom out in front of me I slowly lowered the rod tip a bit more taking in the excess line, with the rod bent double I gently lifted, the fish was coming up through the water, suddenly there was a swirl of water as a big bronze body appeared. It looked big, no it was huge, certainly my best ever I reckoned on 14lb plus.

As I tempted to pull the fish towards me it dived. The rod bent as it’s never done before I waited for the clutch to give line. For a split second nothing happened, suddenly I heard a crack like a pistol shot as the rod tip sprung back and the line hung limply in the air. The fish was gone. I chucked the rod on the ground in disgust at my stupid behaviour. After fifty years of fishing with my Mitchell reels I know I have to slacken off the clutch slightly when it’s very cold. With frost on the ground that should have been my warning. I fished on until well in the darkness with nothing more to show for my effort, I had three other good takes missed two and pricked the third. My mate Will had 4 barbel with the best at about seven and a half pounds. Will caught three fish on bread and one on sausage meat paste.

A Tough Day with No Fish

The next day I roamed about two miles of the river Kennet trying all my old swims and some new ones, not a single bite. Conditions couldn’t have been better with a water temperature of 48 degrees F a warm south westerly wind and over cast conditions. Three other anglers fishing the river had the same result as I did, not a single bite. About 5 o’clock I went back to my car for some food and a mug of tea, As I sat cooking my tea I looked back over the days fishing asking myself “Why no fish or bites” I couldn’t find the answer to that question. Half an hour later I am on the move, I decided to fish my way downstream, then after a brew I would fish my way back to my car. For all my effort I had just one bite, the rod tip moved, the reel gave an inch of line, I missed it. I can only remember one other day when I didn’t catch on the Kennet.

An Early Morning Session Didn’t Help

The next day despite suffering from a lot of pain in my hands and legs I decided on an early morning session, choosing to fish a new swim where I had seen a couple of good barbel a few weeks ago. Fishing crust on one rod, three lobworms on the other rod, I sat back watching the trees swaying in thirty plus mile an hour wind. Half an hour later I heard a crack like thunder as a large branch crashed to earth in the woods behind me. Knowing how Will had a narrow escape last year when a big tree crashed to the ground just upstream of where he was fishing and having seen several big trees crash to earth last winter I decided to change swims.

As I struggled back upstream to another swim, I decided to go back for breakfast perhaps porridge and toast would put me in a better frame of mind. Finishing my second mug of tea I decided to go back home, it was a bad decision and without doubt my worst ever journey home from the Kennet. On the M5 I got caught up in a bad accident thankfully I was able to get off on the Tewksbury turn off and head for Evesham. Following my Sat Nave I got back on the M5 at junction 6. A few miles further on another hold up, then on the M6 between junction 15 and 16 a major hold up. At junction 19 with rain and spray making driving conditions rather horrid I was down to driving at thirty miles an hour, sadly too many motorists were driving without lights and far too close to the vehicle in front. About 6 o’clock I pulled into my garage relieved to be home in one piece. This Christmas weeks fishing was probably the worse I have ever had, still that’s fishing.