Hampton Lucy Brook - 28.08.12

Probably my last 'till dusk' fish on the Warwickshire Avon this year so with the river up a tad, coloured and dropping I only had one real option, a couple of rods out with static baits for Barbel. With only about 2 hours of the bait being in the water if there were any around hopefully they will pick up my bait.

I've been struggling keeping the luncheon meat on the hook, I suspect hit and run chub being the culprits so I swopped for a Odyssey XXX boilie on both rods, I've done well with these recently, maybe the Green Lipped Mussel additive helps or the fact they are light in colour.

As suggested by a fellow blogger I kept the hair length to a minimum so if a Chub didn't pick it up they would struggle to get rid of the hook. I've also been moulding scalded pellet around the lead, gives off a nice sent trail as well as being easy to do.

Wasn't long before I was getting indications a within half an hour a fish hooked itself and the rod violently bent over. The swim is pretty snaggy so I applied considerable side strain and eventually turned the fish in to open water and I caught sight of it, a nice Chub. It's mouth looked a bit deformed and a Pike much have grabbed it at some stage as it was scarred on one side. It was long and lean and weighed 3lb 15oz.

No Barbel this evening but I did catch another Chub at dusk, this time 3lb 7oz. Chub have a habit of disturbing the swim, maybe that didn't help.

I've been following Joe Chatterton's http://joechatterton.blogspot.co.uk/ blog with interest so when I fish the Avon next I plan use more of a roving approach and try some moving baits, I've some large chubber floats that I've never used, and they would be ideal.

I'm fishing Barston Lakes match pool in a few days, it's one of the regular Shanghai Anglers Club matches. The Avon will have to wait another week.