Piscatorial Quagswagging

...the diary of a specialist angler in around the Warwickshire Avon and its tributaries.

Wednesday 29 July 2020

Warwickshire Avon - Crankbaits and Crackmans

Some normality restored the Avon still ridiculously clear, the rain that we had turning the lawn from a brown tinge to one of green, I'm not talking about the river though, I'm now back in the office two days a week.

The 25 minute 20 mile commute seemingly taking an age such out of kilter all things are at the minute. Still it's nice to see some work colleagues albeit an 8th of full capacity, the instructions from the top is still to work from home.


4 months and 6 days since the 23rd of March lockdown I was finding the WFH a little hard to deal with some good days, some bad days, luckily mostly good. It will break the week up nicely I think, and do ones wellbeing much good. The dawdlers, nutters and tailgaters still on the road though it seems, back to the office with a bang, I'm not complaining though it's all good.

Now we just need the whole country to follow suit, seemingly many after being furloughed and have had their feet up for a 3rd of a year disastrous news that some cannot take that much needed holiday in much sunnier climes, 1st world problems and all that.


The civil servants not feeling the pain of the private sector where if you're not already jobless many are watching their backs to see if they will have a job come Christmas, I'm one of the lucky ones, for how long though ? things can change at the click of a finger. Don't worry though, a light at the end of the tunnel Boris will give you a few quid to get your bike serviced at Halfords. 

It's not been the best summer this year has it although as I'm typing this there are some hot days the weekend coming up. It's amazing how the nights are drawing in already though, dusk won't be far off the kids bedtime in a few weeks the blackout blinds no longer required.


The fishing can be tough when conditions are like this but there is an area I know a ten minutes drive away where the fast flowing water harbours some colossal chub. They are no mugs these fish mind you often sending in the youngsters behind enemy lines before attempting to get anywhere near the mindfield.

Fishing would get boring for me if I did the same thing all the time, you have to mix it up a little I say. Fish for barbel exclusively errrrr, no chance.


These fish can be seen under polarised sunglasses you see, the gin clear water allowing sight fishing to be carried out where the Chevins dark silhouettes are a contrast to the light gravely bottom. In one particular swim feeding some bread on the surface brings the fish up from the bottom to inspect the bait before nudging it to break it up.

I've caught some good fish this way but their confidence is the key, sometimes they are properly on it with no care in the world others times like a vegan around a hog roast.


The best I've managed is a near 5lber I think but there are fish much bigger here, easily 6lbers, maybe even getting on to 7. The problem is conditions need to be absolutely perfect for them to reveal themselves, usually you see they are tucked up out the way and to the layman you'd never know a Chub that size would live here.

For this session though I was breadless so a small 3.5cm Rattlin Hornet from Salmo was the lure of choice. It's a great little lure this, it floats on the surface till you crank it and then it dives almost hugging the bottom. When fishing for chub like this often they nail it as soon as it hits the surface, if they don't though you can let it drift down in the flow and crank it occasionally to try and initiate a strike, Chub are sight predators after all.


To be fair I've a fair few surface lures , most I've used float only and 'pop' on the surface on the retrieve, the hornet does both. When I arrive there were Chub in the main swim I was going to fish but only small un's still I know better. The first chuck of the lure a chublet nailed it instantly no messing around straight in there.

In the 2 hours I fish this swim and one further downstream which has an area of calm away from the fast flowing water and I managed 5 half decent Chub and a couple of chublets. Not the biggest of fish the largest maybe a scraper 3.5 / 4lber but all showing their summer colours. On light tackle they give a decent fight and it was an enjoyable session.


What was encouraging though I spotted a couple of decent Barbel from an area I'd given up on because my results this season were less than encouraging, blank after blank. So as this stretch is so handy I think I'll have another go for the barbel here in to dusk, the plans already in action. In-fact will be the next short evening session the next couple of days. They bigger chub didn't succumb still, they are still here, I spotted a couple that were easily over 5lb. 

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