Warwickshire Avon - Misers and Marplots

A roving approach to angling has always been my favorite style of fishing, travelling light to me does not involve a chair, most sessions all I have with me is a rod, a net and a small bag with the bare essentials.

It was barely above freezing for this session where I'd try to wickle out a chub or two. There is no real science to it really, with the river up it is a matter of dropping in to as many swims as possible and give it no more than 10 to 15 minutes in each swim.

I do pre-bait with a few freebies on the way up the stretch and as I move down hopefully those freebies will have drawn fish in to the swim. The river looked a good tinge as well, the colour starting to drop out of it where bread I'd also got with me, might have been the better bet.

Oddly I'd not walked the whole of this stretch and as you proceed along the track it gets more tricky to make progress. The banks becoming steeper, narrower and the swims available less and less.

I've had some good chub here in the past however looking back the majority of those have been in dusk and beyond when I fish this stretch, as it's one of those handful of venues on the Warwickshire Avon I can fish in to dark.

The footprints here of late, only me and an otter it seemed hence probably why it's quite productive in to dark as they can be cautious to feed during the day as they are fed up of back watching.

I don't know what was more of a shock, paying £5.95 for an average pint of  'Quest' Ale a couple of days ago in the Butchers Social in Henley in Arden or after 3 swims not having a bite here, it appeared to be all a conspiracy. There are plenty of better pubs in the area that keep a much better pint and nothing like the cost, one even next door.

Now I did question the bill even though the Wife was paying but apparently, yeah "that's how much it costs in here", which is by far the most expensive pint on the whole road, fine dining Cheals included. Luckily on the whole the food is good (Onglet steak or salted caramel, honeycomb and bacon chicken wings my favorites ) despite the drinks prices being ridiculous, however people will vote with their feet though, so take note.

That could well be why the place was pretty dead on a Friday afternoon. Sadly it was dead here as well. I must have fished 6 or 7 swims without even a nudge. A last gasp bread mash fed in the last swim to try and buy a bite, did sort of work, albeit the fish that were biting were small.

I'm sure if I fish a maggot on a size 18 hook I'd have caught quite a few fish, but they were not what I was after. All very disappointing especially as next weekend I'm away raving it up again.

Sometimes though it's just nice being out especially when I had the banks to myself.