Chub and Barbel from the Kennet

Living in Lancashire with all my rivers being iced over meant that during the Christmas 2010 holiday I wouldn't have any river fishing. What was an angler going to do? I'm not a Christmas person; I had always fished on Christmas Day, and then gone shooting of fishing on Boxing Day. I discussed the problem with Kate who said what about the Kennet and Loddon, I will be down at Helen's with all the family and you can go fishing. Excellent I thought. During the next couple of days Kate cooked several dinners, packed a bag of warm cloths then made sure I had a large box of food to keep me going. Christmas Day Brendan Ince of Leyland and I made the 240 mile journey south with little traffic on roads. By late afternoon we had arrived at our accommodation, after getting everything sorted out. We had a brew then sat around until dinner chatting about fishing.

Sunday 26th December it didn't happen we didn't get a bit from about ten in the morning until seven in the evening. The water temperature was 36 degrees F the river low and gin clear.

Monday on checking the W/T it gave a reading of 37.5 degrees F, after walking downstream for about a mile and dropping some cheese flavoured mashed bread in a dozen spots, I headed back to the car park for brew. Half an hour later about 12 noon I picked up my shoulder bag containing some Pallatrax cheese paste, a box of lobs and a loaf of bread then headed off downstream fishing all the baited spots in rotation. While Brendan fished an upstream swim. From my second spot I caught three chub averaging 4lbs, all on cheese. The next two spots didn't produce a bite. Arriving at 'Bearings' I thought this looks good for barbel, I was right taking a nice fish about 7lbs again cheese paste was the bait. Half an hour later I moved into 'Slack Alice', in a good three hour session I had eight nice chub best at 5-1-0 again cheese paste was the winning bait. My tackle was 4lb Gamma line size 6 Pallatrax barbless hook with a soft Avon action rod with small fixed spool reel. With no more bites I had a brew. Then sat fishing into the darkness without a bite. I chose to fish Bosworth's. In thirty minutes I had four good bites missing them all. Half an hour later with no more takes I called it a day. 11 chub and a barbel in my book is a good days angling. I was a happy boy. Sadly Brendan didn’t get a bite.

Tuesday the snow had gone the water had that horrid colour of snow broth and crap off the roads, checking the W/T I got a reading of 40 degrees F it didn't help the fishing. I didn't have a single movement on the rod tip or float. I wasn't surprised.

Wednesday was a perfect looking day with heavy mist and no wind, it was quite warm. I got a W/T of 42 degrees the river looked in good nick with just a tinge of colour. It was about eleven in the morning when I arrived on the river, after checking permits and chatting with Ron Tanner who was seeking the perch, I then went down to Ray Thorpe who told me he had lost a barbel, I was in a good mood knowing the chances of barbel were good. In these conditions the fish should be feeding sometime during the day.

Having baited a few swim with cheese flavoured mashed bread; I had a brew then started off at the bottom of the beat. I quickly had two chub about 3lbs and a barbel estimated at 8lbs all on cheese paste. In the next three hours fishing several spots I had six more chub between 3lbs and 4-10-0 and another barbel about 6lbs. Again cheese paste was the bait. Moving well upstream I fished the shallow 'Watering Can' swim. Catching a cracking fish of 5-8-0 on cheese paste (see under pictures). A couple of hundred yards downstream Will Carter was fishing who kindly agreed to take some photographs. After chatting with Will for awhile I moved into 'Slack Alice' I fished on in the thick fog until late in the evening, for just one savage pull the strike connecting with that felt like a good fish but within seconds it was off. Again a bantam egg size piece of cheese paste was the bait.

Britford on the Avon

The next day I am on the LAA water at Britford on the Hampshire Avon where I had a guest for the day, Pete Steadman who had made a very good donation to Help for Heroes. With all the still waters frozen over the only option to get him out fishing were the rivers. Arriving in the LAA car park we were greeted by Stuart Wilson the river keeper and what an excellent job he does, certainly a credit to his profession and the LAA.

It was a hard days pike and even harder as I moved Pete's mountain gear up and down stream, he usually uses a barrow, but this water isn't suitable so I was by human mule. In fact I felt like a SAS guy without the Brecon Beacons as I lugged the gear about. I even served tea and biscuits in his chosen fishing spots, at lunchtime he had a hot meal. In my book anyone who is willing to support our forces deserves all the attention I can offer.

I did manage a short session after chub, having baited a swim at the start of the day with mashed bread I fished from three until nearly 4 o'clock catching three chub two about 3lbs but a good fish of 4-15-0 where did I lose that extra ounce that would have given me another five pounder? I suppose it pooped an ounce as I was bringing it to the net. Still I wasn't going to complain.
At the end of the day I lugged most of Pete’s gear back to the car park. I can say now, it was a relief to sit in the car while Pete done the driving.

Next day it was back to Lancashire via Ross-on Wye where we found the river not suitable for fishing, we stopped off at the Wye Angling Centre for a chat and some bits and pieces, if you’re having trouble in finding a decent plummet this shop has them in stock and as usual we were made most welcome. After collecting some loafs of bread from the ‘Crusty Cob’ bakery we popped into Morrison’s for a well earned breakfast. By1 o’clock I am back home. It had been a good trip, I’d had caught 23 chub and three barbel.