Warwickshire Avon - Mumbo and Jumbo

With the tackle in the car from the stupidly short session yesterday this post COVID booster chub trip was down at the same stretch of the Warwickshire Avon where some good fish call their home. I almost abandoned the car as I didn't have much time before the Wife had to go to Yoga so no messing, bankside I come. 

There was rain on the way yet again so I needed to make hay to try and winkle out a Chevin before the rain boosted the water levels again and ones arm reacted to the vaccine needle in ones arm.

I was quite happy with two jabs and my anti-bodies but anything for an easy life and her indoors wouldn't stop going on about it, if I keel over and peg-it at least the life insurance will come up trumps. 😑

Now Bojo has been like a stuck record for a good while and that's probably why there are so many people away from the Twitter and Facebook post sharers are vaccine hesitant.

The way the world is going, you will start to come up with road blocks like Novax Novak and the heavy hands of the immigration visa stampers, and heck I need to go back to Ibiza as soon as its physically possible. 

I still think its personal choice as I've always been one that says to look after your own health without the interference from the state finger pointers, who lets be honest do as they please anyway.  

Now talking of boosters an added ingredient to my cheesepaste recipe has been some lip tingling Szechuan pepper. Now sichuan peppercorn is a spice produced from the husks of seeds of two species of the prickly ash shrub, which is in the rue or citrus family. 

The pinkish-red husks around the seeds are used for the Sichuan peppercorn spice, while the inner black seed is discarded as it is too gritty and would be sand-like when eaten. 

Sichuan peppercorns can be used whole or ground into powder. The spice is one of the five ingredients that comprise five-spice powder (the others are star anise, fennel, clove, and cinnamon), and it's used in many savoury Sichuan dishes.

The aroma of Sichuan peppercorn has been likened to lavender. On the tongue, the first taste is bitter, then numbing heat, followed by citrus. Its main claim to fame is the powerful numbing sensation it causes around the mouth, and I find it quite an additive feeling and often add extra to any of the dishes I cook that contain it. 

Does it make any difference to the Chevin, any difference to the catch rate ?

Well with the Leslie Ash lips they are born with you would think so wouldn't you ? to be honest I've not noted any difference in the catch rate because any kind of cheese paste concoction will catch chub but what I have noticed is that bites seem to come quicker in those swims I pre-bait with freebie paste nuggets. 

Anyway better get fishing hadn't I....

The river was up but a perfect colour for chub fishing and having the whole stretch to myself (where the heck is everybody ) It was just a matter of dropping in to every likely looking swim to try and a get a quick bite.

I primed one of the swims as show below and would return to it when I fished a three or four other swims first. I've found if you have't had a bite within fifteen minutes its time to move on. 

Well the upstream pegs didn't produce anything, not even a nibble or a pluck but this is chub fishing it only take one bite to make the session doesn't it.

Even the primed swim I was biteless so with fingers and toes crossed it was time to get fishing the other swims to try and drop in on a fish. The water as I said was a perfect colour for chub and I knew being familiar with this stretch it would only be a matter of time.

A couple more swims down this wasn't looking good but then the snaggiest swim looked perfect with snags either side and sure enough within a couple of minutes of getting the cheesepaste out a couple of pulls turned in to a proper bite and a fish is on.

I knew it was a decent fish straight away and it took me on a merry dance all over the swim with me having to use the palm of my left hand to add a little more resistance to the drag. The rod took up much of the lunges though and eventually I got it under control.

I thought it might go 5 when I got it in the net but it was a smidgen under but you can see why it gave me a good fight, just look at the size of the tail. A lovely fish though and I love it when they are this statue.

With that fish rested and returned I managed to catch one more fish which was 4lb is and actually is pictured with its mouth open above. Not a hugely productive session but I love this roving style especially when you catch chub like this. Lovely Chubbly !!!