Warwickshire Avon - Bludgeons and Bossa-novas

This quick after work session was a proper tough one, lots of roving around to find the fish which didn't seem to be in the usual locations. The bread revealed their hideouts though but again spooky as anything, even after feeding a good while when a bait went out they would come up to inspect the bait a few times, and in lots of instances knocked the bait with their heads to break the bait up.

This is exciting fishing however and generally how I like to fish rivers these days, staying in one swim just isn't me and this technique suits me down to the ground.

Fish were caught though and the first fish went 3lb 10oz  with the one pictured below 4lb 3oz's. Now one particular swim I'd never fished before but after battling through a load of stingers to get to it, I watched and fed bread for a good while before landing a small chub that grabbed one of the small pieces of bread that still had the hook attached after a bigger fish headbutted it.

There were some proper big fish here, how big, well easily the biggest I've seen here since I've been targeting them. The seemed to be taking part in a samba dance off such the visual disturbance in the swim. However as soon as that small fish was caught the swim went dead and that's the issue with this sort of fishing, the chevin don't hang around, they move on if they feel they are in threat.

The smaller of the bigger fish I caught today I swear was a barbel at first, it was activating the tight clutch for starters which considering I've had fish to 5lb now that was a first. These Warwickshire Avon fish are fighting fish and with a little extra water on from when I fished this area last week, they seem to be enjoying the milder weather and a boost is levels like I am. The two I caught today were proper long and lean though with with big heads, so plenty of room to grow.

Even when the light was almost gone the fish were still talking off the top. Don't assume that because you cannot see that the chub are similarly handicapped. The eye of a fish is specially adapted for poor light, and there is strong evidence to support that to most fish there is no such thing as real darkness. Anyway take no chances, sit as far back from the waters edge as rod length and other factors allow.

It's going to be interesting come winter time if they are still here as one swim in-particular has a high average of lunkers, where I think everyone caught has been over 3lb. I've yet to use a bottom bait in anger yet so maybe that's something to try to maybe see if there is a older and wiser fish lurking in the background leaving the younger fish to compete in the mayhem.

 So the morning drive in to work is now lights on time so the days are getting shorter so I've got to try and cram in as many sessions as I can before I'm really having to work out when I can fish. I'm lucky that I've plenty to go at this season with more water than ever available to me. I did think a change of species to target, in-fact I might try for a Roach on the Avon sometime soon but at the moment my mind is still on chub chasing.

Barbel will be much later in the year and this season I will give them more of a go and I will make every effort to beat my mediocre PB of 11lb 11oz that was caught sometime ago now. Oh and Zander, I've forgot about them. So the next session, well Sam wants to fish the Alne again, so I'll hopefully get out midweek.