14/08/2024 - A Day Of Good Memories
The late Len Head and myself on the River Soar Island sharing a brew
Recently the Recontours gathered on the River Stour in Suffolk, organised by a TFF member Phil Humm, for me it was a return to the past, I’d fished this stretch of the Stour for many years with the late Len head, a great all round angler, coarse, game and sea fishing, he was very successful in all the branches of the sport, even more so when tench fishing where he was “Truly The Master”. He was a lovely man, who I admired greatly along with his family. There were several occasions when he would drag my wheelchair over some rough ground, to reach a spot we wanted to fish. He sadly passed away long before his time. Len authored several excellent books, but the one book that stood out was “Tench Fishing”
Band Of Brothers
Around 0800hrs we raconteurs started to gather in the carp park, a lovely place surrounded by trees shrubs wild flowers and bird song, including seeing several green woodpeckers. the group comprised Rob Burt, Peter Allen-Jones, Rob Greer, Ian Perryman, Paul Elliott, Carl Hier, Phil Humm and myself . As I moved from the car park, then through the trees to the river, after fifty yards or so, I got my first glimpse of the Stour, flowing low and clear, from left to right, I reckon there was about a foot of water over sparkling gravel. I glimpsed a chub about a pound, along with some dace, they departed quickly underneath the branches of a bush over hanging the water under the far bank where it was dark and secretive, a place of security for these fish. Tackle Set Up The first swim I chose was a small weir pool, with a nice over hanging tree offering shade and security for chub, no doubt many insects would fall from its branches creating a food source for the fish.
I chose to fish with my Kennet Perfection made by Andrew Davis, I purchased the rod for my 80th birthday, I’d only used it for one day, on the following Christmas morning, I felt Pitmere was the ideal venue with all its great memories for me to use it once more. I used one of my Mitchell 300 reels with a fitted bale arm roller by the late Len Arbery, the first ever Mitchell reels with a roller. The spool was filled with 6lb bs line to which I attached a size 4 barbless hook, my quarry would be the chub. Paul moved to the peg upstream, he was pole fishing in the true traditional way, later I watched him in action as he sat on his throne wielding his cane pole like an old professional from the past The man really know how to fish the traditional pole, I reckon he is better than myself who has used one since 1949. In fact I doubt in these days if there is anyone better.
Approaching the swim quietly, I gently parted the nettles, then moved through the gap allowing the nettles to return to their natural place, butterflies use nettles, so why kill them off, a few nettle stings wouldn’t hurt anyone. Having settled in, I lightly pinched on three LG shot six inches from the hook, I chose to fish a cube of bread crust, a light underhand cast landed the bait in the area I wanted. Within second there were lots of twitches on the rod tip, a minute or so later they stopped, “little fish” I thought, retrieving the tackle, as suspected, the bread was gone. An hour later after using lobs and meat, with just two small chub around 8 ounces and three small perch on lobs, I moved on. All I had for me effort was another couple of small fish.
After a short break we all gathered in the car park for a group picture, also getting to know each other. I was the first to leave, with the sun overhead, I headed upstream where I found a swim with lots of cabbages, a big tree which had crashed into the river probably the previous winter with lots of trees around me creating some shade for myself and the river, as I sat looking at the water, I spotted several fish moving about, only small, but hopefully some decent fish.
A Free Lined Lob Worm Bait
After sitting in my swim for some thirty minutes, I baited with a lobworm, then nicked a plastic gentle on the hook to keep the worm in place, casting the bait across the river it landed in a small slack some inches from the bank, within a minute or so, I felt a determined pull on the line as the tip pulled round, another chub this time around 12 ounces. In the next hour, I covered every likely looking spot in the swim catching a succession of small chub. Time to rest the swim, I sat there thinking of how I could get a decent fish. Then Paul Elliott turned up so see how I was getting on, we sat talking about various ideas, Paul was fishing his Sowerbutts pole, I suggested a swim just upstream of me, he had been successful during the morning session, catching perch, gudgeon and chubletts, including a pound plus chub. In today’s angling world where 99% of pole anglers, fish the cane pole both Paul and myself favour the cane pole. (The book to read if you would like to know more about the art of pole fishing is Poles Apart Michael Nadell)
At Last A good Fish
After catching more small chub on free lined lobs, I decided to try as cube of bread crust, after changing from a size 4 hook to a size 6, I added two LG shot to the line six inches from the size 6 barbless hook, then bait with crust, casting out I slowly worked the crust along the far bank, soon I has a couple of 12 ounce chub. Several casts later as the bait moved into some faster water the rod was pulled savagely downwards, striking I set the hook into what felt like a good fish. I Paul called to “I’m In” I thought at last “Something to pull my string” within a minute Paul was beside me camera in hand, then we got a glimpse of the fish “Good 3lb plus chub” I said. Soon I had the fish coming towards me, Suddenly everything went slack, I was shocked, no way did I think I would lose that fish, even more so, I was annoyed to find I had a “Bite Off”, clean as if a razor had sliced through the line, looking back I should have used a shorter link, but I wanted the crust to be level with the cabbages. Still such is life.
Sadly around 1800 hrs several Recontours started to drift off to The LaMarsh Lion a delightful country pub on the Essex - Suffolk border, it’s been an Inn for over 700 years. It was closed briefly in 2016, for refurbishment, then opened in June 2018 as a Community Pub. Paul Rob and myself were the last to arrive, I would have liked to have fished well into the evening. As others sat with pints of ale, I was more than happy with my ice cold water, when I was young I would often ask my grandfather for some lemonade, he would say, “There is water in the tap” my answer was “I don’t like it” He would then say “Remember lions grow big and strong on water” I had no answer to that.
Presentation of The Chub Award
After the food and drink were taken, Phil who had arranged everything perfectly, then become the MC, what a fine job he done. The big event was the presentation of the Martin James Chub Trophy, Phil explained what it was all about, the award would go the person who had caught the biggest chub during the day, The winner was Paul Elliott, the pole man with as pound size chub, Carl Hier who had travelled from North Wales lost a good fish which when hooked dashed across the river then busted Carl off in some tree roots under the far bank. Carl’s outfit was a delightful cane rod, with a Mitchel Match reel, he has had since he was 11 years of age.
Presentation over Phil asked me to say a few words, the subject was Len Head, with some of my memories, I still miss my old mate after all these years. RIP Len. I then congratulated on Phil taking over the stewardship of the Pitmere fishery, knowing it is now in safe hands. I would hate the thought of an angling club taking it over, there would be a major clearance of nettles brambles shrubs etc etc, then there would be litter. I have seen it so many times. As Honorary President I present a shield to Phil, which will be awarded annually to the member catching the best chub. Thank you Phil for all you do for anglers and the environment and keep up the good work on the river Rodding.
Paul Elliott with his best chub on the day
Pitmere angling group
The Pitmere Shield
MJ fishing the Suffolk Stour
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