Medusa Machination

With the air temperature on the increase I was hoping the Barbel might be on the move after a few weeks of cold and wet wintry weather. The Warwickshire Avon was still up after a deluge of rain from the previous week it remained caliginous and tea like in colour. It suited a pungent bait, a Medusa ball of ammonia leaking maggots. I filled a swim feeder with meaty groundbait and cooked hemp and positioned in an area of slack just off the main flow of the river.

Fishing at dusk and well in to dark certainly in my experience anyway brings out the bigger fish similarly when the water is up and coloured, it really does get them confident and feeding. The Augustus Gloop Affect. The cold is the biggest issue as a big Barbel doesn’t want to waste much energy finding food so making it easier to find can only help. My nose was testament to the odoriferous bait, it stank, a fetid fish finding food if there ever was one. If Mr Whiskers didn’t fancy it I’m sure a greedy Chub would be more than interested, and this morning they were.

3 powerful fighting Chub, 2, 4lb on the nose and another 3lb 14oz that had been in the wars. Not the intended species but I do love catching Chub. The first felt like a Barbel when I was playing it and gave one of the most powerful bites I’ve ever received from one. Respect.