Warwickshire Avon - Bulging Bellies and Buckminsterfullerene (PB Content)

It was barely above freezing yesterday and yet 24 hours later it was a barmy 14 degrees, gone was the frozen fields, the lingering snow, the black ice, now trudging over the fields the wellies were sinking in to the mush. The change is all linked to where our air is coming from apparently replacing the bitterly cold Arctic air with something much milder from the Atlantic.

The wind would be gusting up to 40mph for this session where I'd fish the same stretch but this time rove around with the pike rods deadbaits, as not exactly brilliant conditions to trot a float or stare at a quivertip. 

Now there is plenty of cover here and also some of the swims have some depth as well perfect for a predator to hide out, so I was hoping the change in weather would wake the fish up from their slumber.

What I didn't expect was the 2.8 degree jump in water temperature where it was now over five, I'm sure that would help matters. It's a nice roving stretch this and despite being near a main road once your bankside especially the upper reaches the traffic noise in minimal.  

I can only assume the water going in to the river from the dramatic ground thaw and also the rain that we had boosted the river to almost barbel biting temperatures. 

After 4 swims down though with around half an hour in each swim the pike were not interested in the smelt whatsoever which surprised me as some of the swims looked perfect for a bite. The Avon had got some colour as well, in-fact it looked absolutely perfect for all and sundry, let alone Mr Snappy. 

... then an idea, as I'm bored of this !!!!

You see I had the quiver rod on the car and a few lobworms left so heck, why not try for a chub. Ok the quiver will be bouncing all over the shop like Elon Musk's Net Worth but I've got to try something to avoid a blank, I NEED to make things happen. 

So I headed back to the car got my rod and decided on a perfect looking swim that ironically I fished yesterday without a bite. Some feed went in there though, I'm sure that would help. What I didn't expect to cut a long story short was after a 3lber literally as the bait hit the bottom and then after that was released upstream, another quick bite I'm playing something quite a bit bigger.

It bolted off upstream at first towards a snag but I managed to bully it out from there and then it decided to try and get under my feet which was a mess of reeds. Again I had to show it was boss and after a further abated run I had it under control.

Nic from Avon Angling Uk had left me a WhatsApp voice message just before this and asked how I was getting on and not long after I replied, with "I've just caught a 5lber, a cracking fish". When I lifted it clear of the water the length of the fish was as long as my 60cm landing net, and its budging belly was there to see, hmmm I might need a rethink on this. 

What I didn't expect was that the dial when way past, 5lb, then past my PB of 5lb and 15 ounces and settled at 6lb 2 ounces. WTF, I didn't expect that. Wow a Warwickshire Avon 6lber, an awesome fish indeed and one I thought I'd struggle to tick off my most wanted list. Effort often equals reward though and considering the amount of Warwickshire Avon chub I have caught over the years, a fish I've wanted for so long decided to show today.

The fish had some filling out to do as well so I dread to think what it would go in March, a 7lber ? quite possibly. I was already past my curfew at this point so rather than try for yet another fish, I decided to end the session on a high, a massive high in-fact as you can see from my smile.

A good fish off any river, but the Warwickshire Avon it's a proper specimen and one of those sessions I will remember for a good while, awesome stuff if I say so myself !!! The 5lb was one of the hardest monkeys to get off my back and I've caught plenty of 5's now, but a 6, wow. Great for the Warwickshire Avon because ok the barbel numbers are not like what they used to be, but given the choice to only fish for barbel or chub, it would be chub every time, probably my favourite species.