Warwickshire Avon - Manhattans and Mandibuliforms

Having enjoyed a couple of weeks off on holiday with the family the next break away is just round the corner. A 5 night trip to Spain where myself and some mates are having one night in Benidorm the Manhattan of the Mediterranean 😅 which after hopefully surviving that we will be chilling in a mates new Villa in Pilar de la Horadada which is 50 miles South of Alicante.

The so called holiday wasn't exactly relaxing by a pool and chilling with a cold beer like many like to do, but lots of walking where 15k average steps were recorded over the time off. Three of those days were over 25k steps and Looe is steeper than Mount Everest in places. Good for the heart I must admit.

However typical isn't it though because the last week away was very mixed indeed and sods law, the week we got back the UK is enjoying the temperature's we should have had had all throughout the summer months. Oh well it was 2 weeks of family time which is rare these days, well in one long stint anyway. Be good to get the kids back to school though, especially Ben who enjoys the change from 'home life', back in to his school routine.  

Now an impulse purchase of a JBL PartyBox 110 just before holiday has been enjoyed in the garden and the office since I've been back, luckily for the neighbours the 2 stage Bass Boost not needed because it gives a good kick anyway, and JBL make quality gear for decent money. Oddly though more chill out tunes have been enjoyed rather than the "Murder Beat" (The Wife) but then she has enjoyed the time outside like I have. 

Talking of kicks I was umming and ahing whether or not to go fishing this evening but the first day back at work WFH and then in the office tomorrow it was needs must to get that fishing fix, because I was running out of time before getting on the plane to similar climes. So where to go where to fish ? I fancied a decent pull back from a fish so a chub would be nice and with the river being clear, it was a short session in to dusk then. 

Luckily the heat of the day had gone and it was a pleasant 25 degrees when I got bankside just shy of two hours before dusk. The river was lower than expected but the farmer extracts water here and that doesn't help. Also there didn't look like much angling had been going on here either because stinging nettles in many of the swims were making a swift return.

It didn't take long to catch a chub though, because after the first swim where nothing came up for the bread the next swim which was in complete shade from the sun, the first drift down of the bread a chub after nudging it with its nose once, came up again and nailed it.

It was nice to play a decent sized fish again and it was trying to get in to every snag possible so it was back to the river with a bang. Not a huge fish but lovely colours and immaculate condition from what I could see.

After a few more swims without success I headed down to the last swim where it was a little deeper and it's usually good for a bite. I wasn't wrong because after feeding some mashed bread I switched to a link ledger where after missing a couple of bites a 2lber hovered up the flake suspended off the bottom.

Another bite a chub felt the hook but sadly came off and 15 minutes later the 1 ounce quiver pulled round and kept on going and would have pulled the rod in if I wasn't holding it. 

This one the biggest fish of the session around 4lb and taking me all over the swim. Once that was retained it all went quiet. Ok I only gave it another 20 minutes but I had more quota and I was very happy with that.

Illuminating the rod tip would have only been pestered by the insects that were in huge numbers so I decided to call it a day and head home a happy man.