13/11/2025 - Another Good Session-On A bank High River
5lb 2ounce chub
It was around 0800 hrs when I arrived on the river bank, conditions looked good, despite the rain and cold wind, the big problem was the large amount of rubbish, including masses of leaves, several large branches, even a bin liner of rubbish, with some luck, with my long handled landing net, I managed to drag the bin liner into the margins, then haul it up on the bank.
Many anglers will tell you, when the rivers are up several feet, in some places lapping the top of the bank and very coloured water, its unfishable. Not true, if you carefully walk along the bank, you will see quite areas of water, where the flow is a lot slower, close to the bank, where you could well find a fish. The deeper the water close to the bank, you will usually get a less flow rate, than three feet further out, where its often pushing through quite fast. Remember these fish are still in the river, and can be caught, but its often hard going, until you get to know the river. Hours spent in reconnaissance, is well worth the effort.
Today not only was the water bank high in places, but it was also very coloured, not a day for using small baits like gentles, corn or bread. What you need is a good smelly bait like well matured cheese paste, Garlic sausage or luncheon meat. The latter bait is much better, if you have cut it into big chunks, then spray it with sausage sizzle flavour, I then keep it in the freezer, until needed. As the bait thaws out, the thawing process sucks the flavour into the meat, leaving you with a good smelly sausage sizzle flavoured bait. Its a bait that has accounted for a lot of good chub and barbel.
Having checked the water temperature, I got a reading of 50-51 degrees F. My tackle choice today was an eleven-foot soft action Avon rod matched with a 4inch centre pin reel holding some fifty yards of 8lb bs line, I then added two float stops, these were used to mould my plasticine weight on the line, so if I got hooked up on a snag, more often than not, I would get my end tackle back, often the plasticine, would be a different shape when retrieved, where it had dropped between a couple of small rock, as it was pulled free, some of the plasticine will be missing, far better than losing a string of shot or some other weight. My hook size as usual was a size 4 barbless.
During the course of the day, I fished several swims, one swim was close to a wood, next to the fence line, where there was a big oak tree, the roots going down into the water, it created nice slack they area was about the size of a small dinner table, If only I could get the bait into the area?, I was certain I'd get a bite, the trouble was I had to work the rod through some branches, eventually I was lucky, all I had to do take the check off the reel then allow the bait to drop in place, everything worked perfectly. A minute or so later I hooked a chub estimated around 4lbs, it was time to move on.
My next spot was behind where a tree was laying in the water at an angle, creating a small slack area. I had two quick bites in succession, I missed the first one, hooked the second but was quickly it was off. Fifteen minutes later I moved again. This time to an area where from previous knowledge, there was a long gravel run with a lot of wate crowfoot. After putting in half a dozen bait size pieces of meat, I went off downstream to the bridge looking for other spots to try. Back in my baited swim I made a brew, at the same time enjoying a cheese and pickle sandwich.
After my break I baited with a chunk of meat, then cast it well downstream, as I sat holding the rod, I allowed some line to come off the reel, as the weight and bait moved downstream, I could feel the weight moving across the gravel suddenly I felt the line tighten, as the rod tip was pulled over, at the same time, I lifted the rod, immediately I was forced to give line, a good fish powered off downstream. It was using the full force of the strong flow in its bid for freedom. For some five minutes or more it was a case of getting some line back, then forced to give some back to the fish, but slowly I was getting the fish upstream, thankfully it didn't kite into the inside, where there were some big rocks. A few more minutes I had the fish in some slower water where I could increase the strain, as I slowly had the fish coming towards the net, I lifted the rod a bit more, soon the head then whole fish was in view, I then guided it over the net, as I lifted the net, I said to myself "Yes another good chub" this fish looked as if it might go 5lb. After taking out the barbless hook, I lowered the net into some shallow water, while I got the camera, scales, weigh bag and mat sorted out. Lifting the net out of the water it was laid on the mat; I gently put the fish in the weight bag then hoisted it on the scales. I got a reading of 5lb 2 ounces, after a quick photograph, I returned the fish to the quiet water, where it immediately shot straight out into the faster flow. During my session lasting some eight hours I had a total of seven chub estimated around 4lbs, the best was the 5 lb 2-ounce fish. I hooked and lost four fish, also missed five or six bites. All in all it was a very good session.
One of my swims
View of the river
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