Choose one or the Otter...another PB

The bad bit....

It was definitely a tale of two halves over the weekend, Saturday I ventured out to the River Arrow to do some roving around and to try and explore the river a bit more. The large corn field has been flattened so that made it easier to make progress along the bank, there was a frost overnight so not much chance of a Barbel but I had 3 baits with me, lobworms, stinky cheese paste and garlic spam. The first swim I settled in there was a big splash to my right, I thought it might be from a fish but no, it was from two otters patrolling up and down margins. I managed to get a picture albeit a poor attempt. It brightened up and was a lovely morning but despite trying 6 or 7 likely looking swims I didn’t even have a rattle. 

I’m planning on buying a Warwick book for the 2014/2015 season so with even more water available to me less than ten minutes away, I think the Arrow may have to go. Ok its close enough but I haven’t quite gelled with it, not sure why. The stretch I fish is wider than I thought it would be and not as intimate as I’d like. It’s rarely fished which is in its favour but road noise from the adjacent main road is another reason why I’m not going to renew. I might look in to other parts of the Arrow to fish as there are nicer stretches that would probably suit me better.

Now the good bit...........

I was planning to go to the Ricoh fishing show on the Sunday morning but having blanked on the Arrow the Warwickshire Avon Brook was far too tempting. My trusty Drennan 11ft Avon rod and Centrepin was fitted with a inline map cage feeder that was to be filled with liquidised bread and some stinking cheese paste was wrapped around a large Korum paste cage. It’s a set-up that works brilliantly for Chub. Wait for the bite to develop and you will hook up 100% of the time.

The river was up and had some pace too it but my Chub banker swim is a haven from the flow and sure enough within 5 minutes I had a 3.5lb Chub on the bank. I don’t use a keepnet for Chub, maybe I should and my capture rate might increase I usually just release them downstream. It seemed to work today as within 20 minutes I caught another Chub of 3lb 11oz’s. There are snags on either side of the swim and it gave a proper good account of itself so with the swim left alone to settle I tried a few more swims downstream without success. 

Back to the same swim again and within 10 minutes I had one of the most violent takes I’ve ever had, and in to another Chub again. This one felt far more powerful though and took a while to get it under control. A long and lean fish and for me a PB, not a huge Chub in most people books but at 4lb 9oz’s it was my best ever. 

I decided to call it a day, and finish on a high. 2.5 hours and 3 decent Chub, certainly an enjoyable session.