I'd better up my game...

This morning's reccy down the Avon Brook is my first in many months. Other venues have caught my attention instead even though this small off-shoot of the Warwickshire Avon has produced some of my biggest fish. I was in a bit of a quandary though so being only 10 minutes from my house, I thought I'll go and have a look. As the rivers are up I had Chub was in mind with liquidised bread in the feeder and cheese paste on a sort hair. In the summer I've seen some massive Chub here, I've just not managed to catch one.

It was crisp under foot and as the sun began to rise I was subjected to a fantastic visual setting. It was only when I reached the river I realised just how fast it was flowing, it was properly motoring through. As the river in some places is jump-able in summer any decent volume of flowing water turns the river in to a raging torrent. There are slack areas though and that's where I'd target.

There was plenty of debris being washed down the river so that would certainly put fish off. I doubt the fish would want to be clonked over the head with a piece of two by four, to be honest not ideal conditions. Three or four swims without even a knock I decided to battle myself through some dead stingers and found this swim which an upstream fallen tree meant that the swim I intended to fish was relatively calm.

It certainly looked chubby and sure enough the tell-tale knocks of the quiver resulted in a proper bite and a fish was on. Sadly this was no 5lber but the little Chub gave a good account for itself, it certainly was a scrapper. A 1lb and a half or so, small but in perfect nick.

I don't go back to work till the 5th of Jan so a few more fishing trips are planned, Zander at my usual haunt and also an area of canal where I spotted some topping Roach. A bit of big fish drought of late, I need to up my game as least I need to properly christen my new Garnder landing net.