Warwickshire Avon - Coprophagia and Comstockery

Back on the river for this short evening session which I was surprised at because I've had a recent lack of piscatorial motivation, you see since coming back from holiday with the weather how it has been, ie lack of rain and a mini heatwave. I just haven't been that interested in getting bankside. 

The Warwickshire Avon clear as a teetotallers head and the River Alne for example a mere trickle !! I did fish everyday on holiday mind you and racked up the steps to well over 20k over those 6 fishing days. 

Not everyone's idea of a holiday I suppose and despite the effort put in ones results were, well a little mediocre. Still I caught a nice bass though and was well happy with that. 

Still I've got a couple of projects on the go, for example my little Jimny audio upgrade has taken over ones spare time of late and all being well come the weekend the additional rear speakers, will also be complemented by a JBL Bass Pro Nano.

Sat under ones derrière hopefully it will satisfy the low frequency air movement every dance music lover craves. With nearly 15k miles ticked off since buying the car I'm surprised I've lasted this far with mediocrity.

Wind from the east, fish bite the least; Wind from the west, the fish bite the best; Wind from the north, few sailors set forth; Wind from the south blows bait in their mouth. Yeap you guessed it, we had an easterly wind and bright blue skies in the main so better get the excuses in hadn't I.

Now prior to going on the Ibiza Legends weekender eleven days or so now I deposited a load of boilie and pellets in to a swim down at the syndicate stretch to hopefully get some passing fish in to the area to feed on the buffet table. 

I wanted to try some pungent boilies I bought recently as well because they just smelt right if you know what I mean especially when the main pungency was GARLIC.

I air dried some baits (well what could be achieved in a few days ) and glugged them and also made some paste by grinding the boilies up and using some of the matching liquid to get it to bind together. 

Proper stinky stuff and when fishing in to dark like I would be for this session a stinky bait it well worth having for a Barbel or Chub for that matter to try and home in on the bait. 

It can be very much a waiting game on this stretch but all the Barbel that have come out thus far have been a decent stamp and I'm sure right time, right place a proper lump will eventually turn up. 

When I fish in to dark I rarely fish in to dark even on the Warwickshire Avon where bites from Barbel can hard to come by especially in these conditions.

Colour make a big difference in catch rates especially during the day but when it's clear in to dusk is the best option where a motionless tip can switch in to one of pulls, plucks and twitches.

When I got bankside I was surprised the river wasn't up a little because it had been raining all day but there was a little delay because when I left 2.5 hours later the almost stagnant looking river was flowing a little faster.

Still painfully clear but the witching hour really is the best time to get any action from a decent fish. That's why I like this time of the year because not only is it mild but it suits ones busy life.

Work is done and dusted, watered and fed, the family duties ticked off and still there is enough time to go fishing and set-up just before dusk, fish well in to dark and be back before the neighbours curtains start to twitch. 

Not for everyone but I find it hard to sit behind motionless rods these days and these short sessions suit me perfectly. Now I was surprised that the chub pulls started as quickly as they did, but half an hour before dusk some quite violent pulls I knew it was only a matter of time despite the long hair before a chub would hook itself. 

It came an hour after the first indication though so well in to dark, and a nice fish it was too. Giving an almost barbel'esk bite it registered 5lb on the nose on the scales.

A fairly hollow fish with a big frame hopefully it will fatten up for winter where it could well go 6lb I reckon, it was certainly looked like it wasn't doing its frame justice.  And that was it, once I put the fish back and getting the rod back out all went dead. A nice fish though, not a barbel but when they are this size who cares.