Warwickshire Avon - Hit the ground ‘trundling’

The last session on the Warwickshire Avon a moving piece of meat was pretty successful; it’s a method I don’t use often enough. It suits me as a roving angler and sciatica sufferer, a landing net, rod, a small bag and un-hooking mat is all you really need. I’d modified my rig slightly for this session, but essentially it’s a large longshank hook with an adjustable grippa stop up the line a foot or so from the hook, this stop allows some plasticine to be moulded around it or I sometimes I pinch a couple of preston jumbo locking shot on the line if the flow is particularly strong, you want the bait to sink and ‘roll’ across the river bed after all.

The weather has been mediocre of late; disappointing below average temperatures, the summer needs a jumpstart. Even my Webber Kettle has had a bit of reprieve up till now, a rather large chicken has been primed for penetration and I’ve a beer can at the ready FFS. It certainly would be nice to get some sun on ones back, but it looks like mid August will be when temperatures will rise again. To be honest August and September have been good months for me when targeting Barbel, so plenty of time left to gather some bloggers points but some nice nicer weather wouldn’t go amiss, it is meant to be summer, isn’t it ? It certainly doesn’t feel like it. It’s still light in the evenings though, so to maximise my banktime a mid-week excursion is most welcome.

I was a couple of miles upstream from the last session, but tactics were similar. For the first few hours I’d trundle the meat down 5 or 6 swims and then for the last hour just before dusk I’d fish a static piece of meat that I’d pre-baited with a handful pellets when I arrived. A large buoyant float with some AAA bulkshot certainly worked well but as its narrow here in lots of areas the float was being pulled under by the flow of the water, the ‘rolling’ or ‘trundling’ method if you will, seemed to suit this stretch far better.

The centrepin is the key for me; it really does complement the method very well indeed. You can feel everything through your thumb on the spool and your thumb also allows you to speed up or slow down the bait very easily. I feel like I’ve got far more control on a hard fighting Barbel too. Your thumb and the pressure you apply is effectively the clutch, the adjustability and control you have is something a fixed spool reel will never give.

This short stretch is like a jungle with plenty of swims with cover to go at, it fishes far better when it’s up after recent rainfall, summer levels can be hard work indeed although the fish are easier to spot. There is thick cover, undercut banks, reed beds, streamer weed, holes and troughs, you name it, and it’s got it. Where there is cover though there is fish, they just need tempting out of their hidey holes. I remember one day here last summer, it was a scorcher of a day and one of the corner swims that is relatively shallow but has thick far bank cover and stream weed I witnessed something for the first time and that was joy to watch. A few pellets thrown upstream and allowed to trickle downstream brought the Chub and Barbel out from their sanctuary and in and amongst the flow to feed heavily and then to return as quickly as they appeared. 

There were some big fish too, probably 5lb plus Chub (the monkey on my back) and a couple of double figure Barbel. The swim which you could probably jump across given a decent run up was suicidal if you ever hooked one but it was the visual spectacle I was subjected too, it certainly got me thinking about outwitting them rather than fish a static bait which can often be left untouched, they can be crafty and shy these fish, they ain’t starving F1’s in mud coloured commercial fisheries.

It was down quite a bit from Monday and clear so not ideal conditions but there is plenty to go at here, the first couple of swims not a touch a touch or a nibble so I moved upstream where there is a narrow swim but with plenty of cover. I’d bumped in to another angler who had been there most of the day and had some Chub and a small Barbel so encouraging signs. The first cast I caught a tree fish so had to re-rig, the next cast upstream was perfect and the meat started to roll under the thick far bank cover, sure enough some taps felts through the reel I’d struck in to a decent fish. With the rod bent double and with me giving it plenty of side strain the fish was trying to get back to the thick cover. It eventually revealed itself and yes a decent Barbel, a nice sight amongst the clear water and streamer weed, after a spirited fight the fish was in the net. Not a huge fish but in perfect condition and very fit indeed, and a nice change from Mr Chub.

I rested the fish for a while before weighing it, 5lb 8oz. The angler who I spoke to earlier heard the commotion and did the hours with the camera. I’d usually use an unhooking mat but the thick grass was incredibly soft so did a similar job. Again rested in the net for it to get its strength back I returned to the water, the first Barbel of the season and most welcome. A few further swims without a touch I returned to the same swim and again similar tactics I managed a hard fighting Chub of 4lb 4oz.

With the light faded I had intended to sit it out behind an isotope for an hour but after catching Mr Tree again I called it a day around 9.30pm.

An enjoyable session that’s for sure, I like these light and simple sessions, no wheelbarrow in sight.