21/10/2022 - A Day On The Ouse

A good swim for chub

It was ideal condition when I arrived on the banks of the Sussex Ouse for my last session of my holiday, over cast sky, a light wind, with an occasional light shower. It was going to be a roving day, fishing a bait in every likely looing area, so no bigger than a dining room table. I used an Avon action rod fixed spool reel with 6 lb breaking strain line then added a size 10 barbless hook, weight would be one two or three LG shot depending on the swim. I extended the landing net handle to 10 feet as the banks were very high in places. Access to the fishing spots wasn’t easy with nettles and brambles everywhere, I also had to put up with many trees and bushes, but with care I could push my way towards many of the spots I wanted to fish despite getting stung and scratched.

My first spot was where the shallow water flowed fast over the gravel, before making a right turn creating a nice pool about three feet square, tight to the opposite bank, over hung guarded by branches of a big oak, I pinched on one LG shot six inches from the hook then baited with crust, keeping the rod low I dropped the bait into my target area, within a minute I got a take catching a chub about 2 lbs. It was time to move, in in the small spots you usually only get one fish.

A Perch Hole

Having moved on a few yards I come to a spot where the water flowed over some rock the five yards further down was a nice pool overhung by a mature oak and alder tree. As I sat looking at the pool, another member said “That’s a good perch hole” we chatted for a few minutes, When I said, ”Trust me not to bring a pot of worms”, he then offered me some. Thanking him he moved further on downstream, I bait the hook with two red worms topped off by a soft plastic red gentle, within a minute I ‘d got a perch about 10 ounces. In the next fifteen minutes I got two more perch of similar size. I was the bite less for the next forty or more minutes, as I waited for some action, I was lucky to see a kingfisher dive and be successful, several grey wagtails flitted up and down, also I was lucky to see two green woodpecker, all these birds creating some colour on a dull day, a robin chirped away on the far bank, a wren was close to me in the reeds. I was time for a change, before doing so I headed off upstream for a brew and sandwich. Then returned to my swim, this time I started off fishing a prawn, as I sat talking to Mark Sarul I got a savage pull, of course it was missed.

In the next two hours I caught seven chub between 2 lbs and 2.5 lbs.. with the light failing, knowing Martyn wanted to leave a 1600 hrs I packed up then made the long walk upstream the end of a successful session, all fish caught either on prawn or crust.

I had 8 chub of similar size, also 3 perch

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