Warwickshire Avon - Maschalephidrosis and Maritodespotism

Thirteen years of marriage apparently (its engraved in my wedding ring), its gone so quick as I remember the wedding day like it was yesterday, quite incredible really how quickly time has flown by so me and the lovely Wife celebrated in style by managing to get a babysitter (thanks Rachel) and we went to a local pub that has been cooking some Thai food as well as the usual pub offering. 

The tiger prawn toast really was quite special and the main event the lamb massaman was packed with flavour and the meat fell off the bone.  The drink was flowing and I thought I'd have woken with a thick head but far from it, I woke at 6.00am and felt as fresh as a daisy so only one thing for it, chub fishing. 

Ok very much groundhog day I suppose but in the summer months I love this sort of fishing especially when you can see the fish you can catch. 

Or not catch because I spotted quite a few barbel but they were not interested in feeding whatsoever. 

A trimmed down piece of spam right in front of their noses time after time nothing. They were as cagey as the chub though and wow there were a couple of lumps in this area. 

In one particular swim where from an elevated position I could see one chub that would have quite easily beaten my PB. 

Unlike the other chub it wasn't interested in the bread drifting down the river but occasionally came out from under some thick cover in to the main flow where it revealed itself.  

It was so much bigger than the rest it was unreal, a PB beater for sure but these older and wiser chub don't give up easily do they.  Its nice to see fish of that statue here because come winter when they are at their biggest I know at least one area that could potentially bank me a Warwickshire Avon 6lber. 

There is no better time to catch them on the Avon because over the past couple of years they just seem to get bigger and bigger. A 5lber which was the monkey on my back now a distant memory. 

After one fish was caught the whole swim within seconds would be devoid of chub and they didn't appear again a good while after. They are so cautious and cagey in these conditions but that's part of the appeal, the chase suits my roving approach. 

I got through half a loaf of thick bread quite quickly but they really did need to be confident before they could be caught. The water is gin clear and just the line laying on the water can get the chub bolting off back to their cover. 

I managed to catch three though and one that I bumped off that hovered up a piece of meat meant for Barbel. The biggest exactly 4 pounds so not massive but when they are a dark and coloured as they are in clear water I love catching them whatever the size.

I think the key is to use balanced tackle so put those 2lb TC barbel rods away and use something more suited to the quarry....

....the fight chub give is so characteristic and the biggest really did give me the runaround but with a decent hook hold it was quickly put in its place. 

So there is Barbel here then, better try for them then hadn't I !!!!!