Warwickshire Avon - Gluepots and Greenheads

Rods made up a quick cobbled together session. Bait some Lone Angler pellets I'd found hidden at the back of the bait fridge. They were very brittle indeed, a drill through the middle no chance, these needed to be superglued and Gorilla Gel more than up for the task. File flat one of the pellets and a small blob of glue on the end. Then add the tag end and hold and sandwich the other pellet in place for forty five seconds or so.

Leave for a few minutes and it will resist the most determined of Chub. But to be fair for this session a chub would do. So I reduced the hair so the pellets sat close to the hook, usually you see I use a decent length hair when targeting Barbel specifically, however with only an hour in to dusk needs must and all that.

The river was up from the last trip, but not only that is was on the rise as well. The swim I'd caught Barbel before and its deeper than the norm in this section and it also has a nice crease where the flow is hindered by an overhanging tree and where the river widens.It was threaten showers all day and sods law it started to rain when I was there. Some ominous dark clouds putting the river in to gloom. Only the sunset helping lift the mood of the evening.

At least it was warm and after a few pulls of the rod tip not long after putting the bait out at least there is some fish around.

What was encouraging for a future session was that I watching the Perch plundering the fry that littered the surface. Dusk came round quick and as soon as the bats came out the right-hand rod was getting interest.

Sure enough as I preparing to make a hasty exit because the clouds were gathering and heading my way a decent bite came. A confident pull turned in to a proper bite. I knew it was Chub without even feeling the fish through the carbon.

One of the smallest I've caught in a long while as well. No Barbel, again, but then others are struggling on this stretch, it's not just me. I'm not a mad Barbel angler though, maybe I need to up my game a little. As I type this the rain has been nonstop all day. I expect the rivers will be continuing to go up, and up.