A Good End to 2007

On Sunday 30th December I fished a short session on the River Ribble with Brendan Ince it was tough going; I had one chub of 4-6-0 missed three bites and eventually hit the last bite a brown trout that was unhooked in the water. Brendan had one savage take which was missed. Though we didn’t catch much we both enjoyed the experience. Mick Holgate fishing further downstream had one chub of about three pounds; the other six anglers didn’t register a bite. I found it strange, conditions were excellent for chub fishing with a water temperature of 44 degrees F the river was a carrying a couple of extra feet of water and fining down.

On Monday the last day of 2007 despite the tough fishing the day before I decided to have another session on the River Ribble, checking the water temperature I got a reading of 45 degrees F up one degree from Sunday, overnight the river had dropped about two feet. I chose to fish with a pair of 11 foot Avon action rods, Mitchell 300 reels, 6lb Gamma line and a size 4 barbless hooks. On one rod I lightly pinched on three LG shots about six inches from the hook, this would be used for fishing crust. My other outfit on which I would fish sausage meat paste I lightly pinched on two LG shots fifteen inches from the hook.

I chose to fish a swim where I had a nice crease on the edge of a pool over hung by a big alder tree, having put in several slices of crumb bread, I threw in half a dozen bait size pieces of sausage meat paste. Baiting with a big chunk of crust I cast out then bounced the bait downstream a few feet coming to rest in the crease. Picking up the second rod I had just started to mould some sausage meat paste around the hook, when I spotted a knock on the bread rod. Dropping the rod in the rest I picked up the bread rod, as I did so I noticed the slight bow in the line tightened. Pushing the rod forward I waited for the line to tighten again, as it did so I set the hook into a good fish. After a good fight I netted a chub which I thought would go five pounds. On the scales it went 4-14-0. Though not a five pounder it was a great fish. In the next couple of hours I had three bites; I missed two and pricked a chub.

After putting in some mashed bread I moved upstream to another swim, fishing it for about thirty minutes without a bite. I then went back downstream to the first swim. In an hour I had one bite which pricking what felt a good fish.
After a cup of tea I walked upstream to another swim arriving just before dusk. Baiting with sausage meat on one rod, crust on the other I sat back to watch two motionless rod tips. Then Will Carter called as I sat chatting to Will, the sausage meat rod was pulled over savagely. The answering strike connected with a good fish; a few minutes later I pulled it over the net. In the beam of my headlight I could see a big chub which I thought might be a five pounder. Unhooking the fish I placed the net in the water, while I zeroed the scales. Having put the chub in a large plastic bag it was hooked on the scales. The needle gave a reading of 5-3-0 I was more than happy. In the next hour I had five more fish and probably missed as many bites. I suppose it was about six thirty when I called it a day. To put the icing on the cake, as I walked back to my car I watched a barn owl quartering the meadow, what a great way to end the last fishing session of 2007. A Happy New Year to everyone and hopefully you will get plenty of pulled strings and bent sticks in 2008.