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Martin James award-winning fisherman consultant,broadcaster,writer





  

10/01/2017 - Brace of Chub from Fast Flowing Ribble

Best of the brace 5 lb 7 ounce Chub

 

Having been up half the night with pain in my head and side of face through shingles, the pain probably the worst it’s been in the past 9 months, as I sat in my study having some tea and toast, I thought the only the only thing to take my mind off the pain was go fishing. The weather was horrid strong cold wind, heavy rain showers, chucking some bits and pieces in a bag I put on all my warm cloths then headed off to the river, it was up 3 feet with a water temperature of 40 degrees F I couldn’t find any shelter from the wind which was straight in my face, still I’ve faced far worse, having pinched on 4 LG shot spaced 4 inches apart, the first 1 18 inches from the hook. I baited with a pigeon egg size piece of paste on a size 4 hook, then cast out into the fast water allowing a big bow in the line so the bait would roll downstream coming to rest in a crease. Thirty minutes later I got a tap then another tap followed by a good pull, the hook connected with a hard fighting fish, which at first I thought might be a good sea trout, after several minutes I got my first glimpse of the fish, shortly afterwards I netted a lovely silver bodied fish. “That will do me” I thought. After weighing the fish I walked twenty yards upstream to release the chub. With no more interest after some thirty minutes I moved off downstream to a copse hoping to find some shelter, I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable my second choice swim was. Using the same tactics but adding an extra LG shot I cast out a lump of cheese paste, I suppose 20 minutes had gone by when one of the largest flocks of field fare flew overhead seeking shelter in the copse, I reckon there must have been 500 plus birds an amazing and wonderful sight, soon followed by a kestrel landing some 20 feet from me to grab what I thought was a small mouse. You can’t buy these sights you have to be out there and face the weather. About half an hour later I got a small tap then the rod slowly pulled round, “That’s not rubbish” I thought to myself as I set the hook into what felt a good fish, after some heart stopping moments when on two occasions I felt the line go across some rock, but all held firm, as the fish was being netted I knew immediately it was my first 5lb chub of 2017. After weighing the fish at 5lb 7 ounces I done a quick pic then returned the fish to the water. Five minutes later I’m heading for the car as the wind suddenly increased, as the rain sheeted down. It had certainly been a couple of exciting hours, even though the pain didn’t subside, still that’s life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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