Warwickshire Avon – Hard Body and Rubber Legs

Don’t ask how much I paid for this lure, you don’t want to know.

Manufactures blurb….

The Realis Shinmushi has incorporated the actions of a “hard” body and “soft” rubber legs, creating a 3 dimensional pulsation that predator scant resist.

The most important factor for the “Bug” lure is the “sound” the bug makes when falling on the surface of the water. The hard body of the Shinmushi will enable any angler to create this effect. In addition, the rubber legs and feather on the tail hook will also induce bites from the bass.

The wings works as a “stopper”, limiting the lure from traveling too far, while staging a “freestyle” swimming action when retrieving. Anglers will be able to approach the fish in a versatile manner.

This ultimate “bug” lure will automatically induce bites from the bass while “stopping” it or “moving” it.

Separate body structure: The body of the Shinmushi is a two piece structure separating from the belly and the back section. By removing the belly hook eye, anglers will be able to separate the body to customize the lure depending on the given situation.

Wing: We made it a point to design the wings as a fixed feature instead of a free moving wing, for its function as a stopper. It was also carefully designed to enable to the lure stage a ”freestyle” action while retrieving. We have employed elastomer as its material minimizing any drag while casting.

Rubber legs: The length of the legs are 70mm and are so soft that it will continue shimmering even when holding it still in your hand.

So enough of that….

I wanted to try this unusual surface lure for Chub on this nice stretch of the Warwickshire Avon, come dusk you see, I’ve seen some big fish surface and yet a static bait and trotting maggots has been ignored.

Barbel won’t be on my radar till much later on in the season and to be honest as I do like variety in my fishing, apart from the dedication I give the Zander challenge I need much needed multifariousness otherwise I’d get bored.

However after the capture of one last weekend for a little double dipping, a bait dropper of hemp, small pellets and dead maggots went next to a overhanging tree and half and hour before dusk I'd put a boilie bait over the top.

Enough of the preamble, how did it go....?

The first chub came pretty quick, properly nailed the lure and on light gear gave a pretty goo scrap too.

Wow what a great way to fish, the swim has reasonable depth and flow so it was a matter of casting upstream and allowing the lure to drift down on the surface, giving it a quick, flick now and again to make it look like an injured insect.

Reeling it in like a normal lure it's wings rotate causing a surface disturbance with added noise.

As the light goes, the bigger fish start moving about, but not long after the first fish, the second one comes along. This feels like a much better fish and after it got stuck in some marginal reeds I managed to get it out.

3lb 14oz's, a mint fish with a bronze back.

I know a bigger fish will come winter, but a nice fish all the same.

With the sun now setting it was time to sit behind the barbel rod....

The odd sharp tug and twang it was uneventful but having to leave at dusk, I know for well, that stay an hour in to dark, a Barbel would likely be forthcoming.

The weekend, well, I'm in two minds what to do as weather don't look the best and Sam coming with me.