25/10/2017 - My grandchildren Join the Sport of Angling
Samuel with his first fish
My grandchildren join the Sport of Angling
Recently I rented a big house in Herefordshire to celebrate with my family my coming 80th birthday, we had to have the get together a couple of weeks before 27th October as the Scottish education system is different from England and Wales being two weeks early. Daughter Sharon husband Greg and grandchildren Samuel and Jessica come across from Dubai, while son Nigel, Tracy with granddaughter Morgen had come down from Inverness. For the past couple of years Samuel has been asking his mum and dad when will he go fishing with grandad? When he arrived his first question was “Are we going fishing grandad? I said “Yes and you might hook a big one” When I asked around where I could take 2 youngsters fishing I was told take them on the Wye use a pellet and feeder when the barbel hooks itself they can wind it in. I thought how ghastly this idea was. I wanted my grandchildren to have the thrill of watching a float bob and disappear. Thankfully a friend in Ross on Wye he put me on a still water. It was a dream water ideal for youngsters, in fact on Samuels first cast he had a bite then fund himself attached to a carp which of course busted him off in fine style taking all the float and line with it. Not to be deterred Nigel got him tackled up again and soon he was catching rudd, and of course missing bites, losing fish but ending up with 22 lovely rudd. Meanwhile Morgen is a bit more experienced as she goes trout fishing with dad Nigel, Morgen ended up with around 40 plus rudd, it was a great day and one I doubt if they will forget in a long time.
It was Who Dares’time
When I got to the river to meet 4 anglers who were going to fish with me, they all said in unison “Waste of b***** time today Martin with all this water” I just said “I’m going to give it a try” Brian said “We are going off to a still water” “That’s alright” I said then watched them drive away. Yes the gauge said 1.066 meters the river was high, fast and quite coloured, now I’m always being told you can’t catch chub in these conditions, but it seems that no one told the chub in whatever river I fish. I had one of two swims I’d been baiting for around a couple of weeks with sultanas in the hope of attracting some roach into the areas. Tackle was a Hardy Wallis Avon matched with a centre pin 4lb line to which I tied on a size 12 barbless hook, An LG shot was lightly pinched on the line 2 feet from the hook then wrapped in plasticine, bait was 2 sultanas. But it wasn’t roach I caught but chub I had 11 good fish pic of two fish, all the others were of similar size, the only reason I had a pic of 2 fish together was I rested the first fish in the landing net, as it had fought hard in the very fast water, but within minute I had my second fish so ended up with 2 in the net. I fished from around 1000 hrs until 1145 hrs then called it a day as my right eye was closing caused by my shingles.
Day Two
The next day I had 4 more good chub like the one pictured, which was the first one caught in dry windy conditions, then the rain sheeted down at times, it was hard to make out the opposite bank. I was thankful to have a bin liner to keep my gear and camera in from the elements so didn’t take any more pics. best at 5-6-0, all caught in half an hour despite the river being high and coloured, then nothing in the next hour, so called it a day, the river come up 2 feet in that hour with lots of rubbish which I reckon put the fish off. Now off to the Thames at Tadpole Bridge for 3 days then across to the River Wye for 4 days, and yes I will be taking some bags of sultanas.
Morgen wth one of her many rudd
A brace of Ribble Chub
Another Chub
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