Piscatorial Quagswagging

...the diary of a specialist angler in around the Warwickshire Avon and its tributaries.

Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Warwickshire Avon - Emergencies and Embouchements

Well what a brilliant weekend just gone I must admit, well saying that not for my good friend Simon who had to call an ambulance for himself on the hard shoulder just past Bristol on the way down to Minehead, when he had blurred vision. A suspected TIA (Transient Ischaemic Attack) which came out of the blue and put the kibosh on his weekend before it even started. 

It's known as a mini stroke apparently and certainly a wake-up call to alter his lifestyle which to be honest has been rather full on for years. A stressful high pressure job having to fly and travel here there and everywhere, lack of sleep, often grab and go food, too much booze etc etc, your body will eventually tell you about it. 

Anyway for those other 12 that made it, Friday night kicked off with Greg Wilson spinning classic disco tracks, warming up the crowd for an impressive lineup with Mighty Dub Katz (Fatboy Slim) 



The History of Rave set, featuring Sasha GiGi, Adelphi Music Factory, and Arielle Free, were plundering out those banging nostalgic beats. Then Later, Eats Everything turned up the energy with rave anthems, while Special Request dived into deep techno, then Todd Edwards closed the night, with his signature beats.

As Saturday night approached, Sarah Story’s lineup, including Eliza Rose and Melle Brown, kept the audience dancing. Utah Saints (they were awesome), Conducta, and Ewan McVicar followed, building anticipation for Fatboy Slim’s headlining set, which captivated the crowd as always, this being the 3rd year #Allbacktominehead


Sunday, well during the day Fatboy Slim, his Uncle, and his son Woody who shared the decks playing all manner of classics from dance, to rock and jazz, and as night fell, Todd Terry (superb) and Groove Armada closed out the event with iconic Ibiza anthems. 

To close Fatboy Slim returned for an unexpected final set, creating an electrifying end to another brilliant weekend. A weekend where the outside world is forgotten, albeit briefly which is perfect big family of old ravers like me. A couple of the gigs reminded me of those old clubbing days, where ever you were in the venue you could feel the bass through your feet. 🆒


October and the start of November has been rather busy for me I must admit, that Selador dance gig in Glasgow, a family holiday in Northumberland, a lads holiday in Spain and the FatBoy Slim weekender I could do with a rest myself now and that's where the fishing comes in.

I'll hopefully rack up some sessions now, well I need to really, as I've rather neglected the fishing as it has had to put on the back burner really. But then if life doesn't get in the way of fishing sometimes, maybe you need to do more with your life, those years are ticking by for a 52 year old like me, those diary entries are a much needed welcome change from the humdrum.


Anyway with a couple of hours to fish I ventured down to a convenient stretch of the Warwickshire Avon where I'd fish in to dusk. The river is low and gin clear and what I didn't expect was after seeing if there were any chub willing to take bread off the top, that a few drifts down of some freebies one literally launched itself out of the water to grab the prize first before the other fish (I assume).

Wow !! I didn't expect that. So I removed the small bomb from the running clip and set a piece of bread on its way down the shallow reed riddled river that was motoring through.


A chub nailed it straight away and went off on a mad run when it realised it was hook. In-fact it took me through two sets of reeds before I managed to get it in open water. Once that was done its game was up but such a cracking battle on light gear I really do love catching chub on balanced tackle. A nice chunky fish of 4lb 8 ounces was most welcome when I know the Avon is fishing hard from others.

Sadly, after failing to hook up to another Chub that took it off the top soon after I went on the rove and fished two more swims in to dusk and a tad beyond without even a nibble. Very odd indeed, anyway I'm back on it now, lets catch some fish !!

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