09/03/2026 - It's has been tough on the river over the past few days
Martin with 4 lb 10 ounce chub
As river had fallen from its peak over the past three days, Robin Smith called me to see if I wanted to go fishing, we decided to have a couple of hours chub fishing, In the first swim, I had a couple of sharp knocks, that didn't develop, then I must have "nodded off" as when I come to, my rod was laying on the bank, no doubt through having been pulled off the rod rest by a fish. After an hour or so, Robin suggested we move to another swim.
It was about three hundred yards further upstream, Robin fished downstream of the Oak, I fished just upstream. Today I'd done away with plasticine as a weight, I'd noticed over the past few weeks, the bites were becoming more careful. Where in the past, I would get a good knock, followed by a determined pull on the rod tip. I was now getting lots of knocks, that were often unhittable. I felt that they were becoming suspicious, associating the ball of coloured plasticine with danger. Today I changed my end rig to a Stonze weight by Pallatrax, I used it on a two-foot sliding link. In this second swim I baited with two squares of luncheon meat, then cast across to the far bank and well downstream where I had a large hawthorn tree laying well over the water.
I reckon I only had to wait about ten minutes, when I got a sharp knock on the rod top feeling the line tighten over my index finger, in less than a minute later, I got a confident pull on the rod tip, again feeling the pressure of the line on my forefinger, striking I was into a hard fighting chub that had line coming off the spool, I was thankful the fished moved down the centre of the river and not in towards the far bank or my bank, where there were many snags, After several minutes I had full control over my quarry, soon I had my first glimpse of a good chub. Then its head was out of the water, I was then able to pull the fish over my landing net. At a glance and feeling the weight of the fish in the net, I thought "I might have another 5lb chub" on the scales it weighed 4 lb 10 ounces. I was more than happy. It was time to leave.
Another Days Chub Fishing
It was around 0800 hrs when Alistair, pulled into the car park to find we had the river to ourselves. After a walk up and down stream Alistair, picked an area he thought would be ideal in the current conditions, checking the water temperature I got a reading of 48 degrees F. Back at our base I put on the Jetboiler for a fresh brew, then made up a bowl of ground bait consisting of bread crumb and bran, to which I added half a tin of corn for Alistair to use. I then sorted out the tea and a toasted sandwich.
We both reckon it was ideal for float fishing today; also, over the past few days Alistair had discussed with me, about the range of Drennan Acolyte range of float rods, as I was the owner of an Acolyte 14 foot plus, which is a super slim lightweight rod, which is very well balanced, I offered Alistair the use of my Acolyte so he could get an idea of the rod, and its ability when used as a trotting rod for chub etc.
Alistair put together the rod which he matched with a centre pin with 4lb line, with the extra water, he chose to fish one of the clear plastic Drennan Avon floats taking more shot that he had previously used. Alistair. Comments on his days fishing is as fellows. "Your 14' Acolyte Plus. Is a cracking rod for trotting .with. it's definite step up in power from the last rod I trialled, it has a steely butt section to direct fish away from snags etc. I spent a lot of time trotting various pools, using various combinations of maggot, caster, bread and corn, over small amounts of your ground bait mix, I managed 4 Chub to just over 4lb, a surprise 6oz Dace .and several out of season trout to well over 2lb. I'm beginning to wonder where the grayling has relocated to".
As dusk settled over the river, Alistair joined me fishing another area, well downstream, we both fished legered meat, as we started the rain also started to fall in fact it was quite heavy rain, often causing bubbles to appear on the surface of the river. We sat just a few feet apart, virtually fishing the same area of water. In a two-hour session we both got quite a few knocks, but it was some time before I got a bite that I could strike at, but nothing with about ten minutes Alistair had a good pull which had him playing a fish, hopefully not some trout. After a few minutes I netted a very good condition chub for my friend, it was scale and fin perfect looking like a bar of silver in the torch beam. When then headed back to the car then home.
One of Alistair's 4lb chub
Frogs and spawn on February 26
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