Warwickshire Avon - Slippery Slides and Solifidianisms

With the river season close firmly in its countdown I'd been twiddling my thumbs where the heck I was going to fish for this session.

Now I have been tasked in the new season to make good the 'steps' that George kindly cobbled together, after a fellow WBAS syndicate member Dave loaded up with everything but the kitchen sink 'nearly' went arse over tit whilst trying to negotiate the slippery slide of death. 

So a visit to the stretch for a once over bailiff reccy was worth doing prior to the season close as not only could I refresh my brain on the challenge I'd set myself, but also I could try for a chub or barbel in to dusk and beyond. I said before these short sessions suit me really as the thought of sitting behind a motionless rod put the heebie-jeebies in me. 

The barbel numbers here are few and far between but be bankside the right time when a transient barbus is on its travels you can be lucky for one to grace the net, where they will be near doubles or often over that magic figure.

To be honest I'd not caught one in ages from here but to the chub are decent size as well where I've caught quite a few 5lbers. I'm sure a 6lber is here to be caught I just need to put the time and the effort in, or chuck a piece of meat out in the right location like James did recently and catch myself a rare Warwickshire Avon 6lber of my own.

To be fair I know quite a few that have caught 6 lbers now, in-fact Nic from Avon Angling Uk caught a >7 lber a few year ago so you have to put the effort in, or be wearing those lucky pair of socks. The general statue chub of Warwickshire Avon chub do seem to be getting bigger though so I'm not complaining as I caught my PB of 5lb and 15 ounces a few sessions a go and 6'ber is now a realistic target.   

So anyway meat on the hook and some meat as freebies, I'd also to pep it up a bit as I would douse it in Korda spicy squid goo. They certainly sell enough of the stuff, so will this added attraction and 'pink smoke' draw any fish in to the area ? It better do as I could have bought a nice bottle of wine with the outlay. In these wallet squeezing times every penny counts these days. 

Luckily I got it for a song, because boy, not cheap is it. First impressions it clings well to the meat, has a nice pungency to it, as its sweet and spicy but one disappointment ones hands were stained when using it and it was out with the swarfega !!!!. 

Don't get it on your best attire, let's put it that way !!!!

Anyway to cut a long story short a chub pull (I think) within 10 minutes of getting the rod out I thought I'd be in to a fish at dusk. But best laid plans and all that, because 2 swims, one pre-baited and both fished well in to dark, there was nothing doing whatsoever. 

Usually here dusk and beyond is when the bites from bigger fish start but not this evening sadly. It was nice to be out though and there is definitely signs spring is here to stay. I've a few sessions I can fish till the season end so I'm hoping something decent will slip up, where, who knows might need to mull it over with a dram or two. 

Anyway on to the next one !!!