Warwickshire Avon - Meat Eaters and Mechanolatry

I fancied trying for a Barbel for this session, because not only was it windy, overcast and quite mild I had the evening to fish rather than the morning that I've been doing now for the last number of sessions.

There are some right old lumps that swim in this convenient stretch but they have eluded me thus far but this is the Warwickshire Avon after all, one bite can mean a PB beater and that's why I will keep plugging away to I catch one. 

I went for an explore along this section the day before and actually singled out a swim because it looked perfect to hold fish.

There cover to my left, some decent depth out in-front and the lead dropped with a satisfying thump which is ideal to present a bait properly.  

The water temperature was half decent and with a couple of hours to fish, and hour and a half of that in to dusk and well in to dark I was hoping something big would show up.

It's a big old river though so to track these elusive fish down isn't going to be easy but you know me I like a challenge. So a large piece of garlic meat on the hair and some chunks of meat as freebies the rig went out half an hour before dusk and I sat back and preyed for a 3ft twitch.

Not much happen until the light went and then the chub moved in. These pellet stops I use though have a really big span so even the most determined of chub you can almost guarantee the bait is still going to be there.

Some of the bite were quite ridiculous but I wanted to sit it out for a barbel not a chub which I'd give a go tomorrow morning again. I just don't enjoy catching chub on my barbel rod. Don't get me wrong I don't like blank sessions like all anglers, but chub fishing for me is all about the battle and a 1.75TC Barbel rod isn't a fair fight.   

I could have scaled the bait right down and mounted it directly on the hook and I'd imagine I could have netted a chub but no, I stuck to my guns and persisted with the large bait.

With the torch doing a grand job of illuminating the rod tip sadly the bite from a barbus never materialised before ones self appointed curfew came and I headed back home on with an expected blank, on to the next one !!!