A much needed 10 days away from tomorrow so a quick smash and grab session !!!!
Saturday 30 July 2022
Warwickshire Avon - Synodontidae and Simultanagnosia
Warwickshire Avon - Tomahawks and Tomographs
It certainly doesn't feel 10 years ago that I fished this swim, but I can remember it vividly because you see as a barbel novice I lost two certain doubles that did me over good and proper. You see after taking a rather large piece of luncheon meat they bolted downstream and got me in to a snag before I could say 'Ohhhhhhhh FFS'.
Eventually a nice chub succumbed to the same tactics but it was losing those two barbel that remained with me. Now this area was given a rather unfortunate 'butchering' for whatever reason around 5 years ago when the trees and cover were removed.
Thankfully the cover grew back faster than I thought it ever would which brings me to present day where I now have a different vantage point available to me on this new syndicate of mine.
It is the upstream bit of water that really interests me as it is largely un-fished and offers a big barbel if there is one around some peace and quiet from the bait chuckers.
Thursday 28 July 2022
Warwickshire Avon - Shrapnel and Shunamitism
Monday 25 July 2022
Warwickshire Avon - Gut Buckets and Gynotikolobomassophiles
I was umming and ahhing whether or not to wet a line post a rather large Sunday roast, but I was only a small glass of wine down and I'd have only fallen asleep on the sofa anyway, so the car was loaded with a few bits and pieces and I was off down the Avon.
Like the majority of anglers, if a fishing fix is needed there isn't a fat lot you can do apart from going fishing, otherwise a few hours later if I'd have not gone, I'd be kicking myself, wondering why the heck I didn't.
Saturday 23 July 2022
Warwickshire Avon - Nymphalids and Nympholepsy
I remember the first camera phone I had back in 2002 when for my birthday I spoilt myself and bought a Panasonic GD87, which was a flip phone with video and picture taking capability.
The actual pictures taken were literally the same size as the screen, so roll on 20 years the quality of the pictures taken on modern phones really are quite incredible really especially when the lenses are so small and the pictures so big with millions of pixels.
Anyway to the fishing, with a couple of butterflies down on route to the first swim on a stretch that Sam had chosen the evening before, ok it was very much groundhog day where we'd fish maggots for gudgeon and also bread on the surface for chub, but so what, especially when we had the stretch to ourselves.
Sam like me loves this technique to catch wary chub in the summer because despite them sometimes ignoring it completely, however it's often when the bleak and the other smaller bait fish start attacking it where Mr Chub decides to get in on the act and shows them who is boss.
This first swim downstream there is an overhanging tree and often the fish are tucked up tight to the far bank cover, but feed bits of bread most of the time they venture out for a nose, and when they are feeding with confidence that's the time to put a piece down with a hook buried in it.
The problem is they take it quite a long way down the swim so you need to crouch down to focus your eyes down the line of attack and Sam was demonstrating the method in this picture perfectly.
Nothing big turned up today but it is great to see Sam with the confidence to bully the chub away from snags when hooked, and boy, like me, they know this convenient stretch intimately so it's not an easy task. He is turning in to a cracking little angler that's for sure, I hope his interest doesn't waver like mine did when I had a lay off for 20 years.
After we'd got through the half a loaf of bread it was on to the gudgeon where there are plenty here, the problem is there is an abundance of other species that like the maggots too so the key is to use a wand rod with a light running set-up where you ignore the taps and wait for the tip to properly go round.
Ok, not quite cricket but even Sam who loves catching minnows knows that we need to adapt the set-up to target the species we are after.
Only a whistle stop two hours but enough to satisfy the fishing fix for both of us but you know me, I like to mix it up with most of my fishing sessions so I'll have a think what to do where to go without resorting to the familiar. I'm lacking a little enthusiasm at the minute but these sessions are palatable, so not all lost.
It is becoming a little groundhog day'ish though, I freely admit it !!!!
Friday 22 July 2022
Warwickshire Avon - Targaryen's and Tartarology
This 11ft TFG X1 River and Stream is probably my favourite rod from my ever growing collection, because well, for fishing for chub it really is balanced to perfection.
You see not only does it help restrain the snag lunging Chevin but you get such a fight from these hard battling chub playing fish is addictive and there is no need to reach for Thor's hammer when this light rod is more than enough for the job.
Thursday 21 July 2022
Warwickshire Avon - Lollies and Lithochromy
I found out this week the kids have actually got their uses, you see not only was their ageing paddling pool made use of, but those cheapo lollies buried in the back of the freezer were actually perfect to suck on in the near 40 degree heat for some much needed ray relief.
Now in hot, summery weather, the fish go off their feed. Now So you sit there, sweating, without a bite. In cold, wintry weather, the fish go off their feed. So you sit there, freezing, without a bite.
Most fish can be guaranteed to come back on feed about five minutes after you have packed up to go home.
Careful observation of the weather pays untold dividends.
Nip out after a summer shower, when the water will be cooled and oxygenated and the fish will be on the feed again. By the time you have tackled up it will be time for the next shower. You’ll get soaked.In winter, wait for a mild spell and give it three or four days to warm the water before you go out. This will get you to the bank in time for the cold snap and the heaviest snowfall in living memory.
If you fish through a rainstorm do it under a bridge. All the fish will be there, keeping dry.
Now talking about keeping dry these sadly leaves haven't got that problem because the extraction of the rivers are part of the course especially in these conditions, where Sadiq Khan had been preaching his virtues and was warning his followers off having a BBQ and telling them how to keep safe in the climate crisis.
Jesus, what would Londoners do without him !!!
To be honest I didn't have much planning for this session, it was one of those that dictated itself following the days proceedings and I really needed a fishing fix.
The stretch of convenience was chosen mainly because I can get from door to door rather quickly, and with only a couple of hours till dusk and a spare loaf of bread, chub off the top was the plan.
One up on the carp trolley pushers !!! my own toilet |
Saturday 16 July 2022
Warwickshire Avon - Grandiloquent and Grammaticasters
Sam wanted in on the gudgeon malarky, so a shaded swim was chosen away from the suns rays where he fished the light wand rod to get the bait to the bottom as quickly as possible.
After a few pesky perch eventually the gudgeon showed up and quite a few were caught in the short morning session. No monsters but certainly a few gonks turned up amongst the smaller gudgeon.
Friday 15 July 2022
Warwickshire Avon - Schwerpunkts and Scribbleomania
A short afterwork session was well worth the trip out because I saw something I'd never seen before in the Warwickshire Avon which hopefully I'll act on once these bought of hot weather has left us.
The river is so low and clear but with a wand rod and a handful of maggots I fancied a few bites from some gudgeon that reside in this gravely stretch.
They didn't disappoint either and were in almost all the swims I fished. A smattering of other species such as roach, perch and small dace but in the main gudgeon.
These swims have pace, so ok I'd like to have fished a float, but a light link ledger set-up is more suited especially when you can get the bait to the bottom much faster.
None of the big'uns showed up but still a welcome sight especially when the sun makes their colours even more vibrant.
What I didn't expect was a 4lb 8oz chub to dash out of cover and hover up the maggot within a split second of the underarm cast.
A proper battle ensued but the light rod did a decent of restraining its lunges and it was soon on the net. A short smash and grab session but these are my bread and butter.
The fishing fix ticked off and back before the sun would be properly beating down.
Short and sweet, love it !!
Thursday 14 July 2022
Warwickshire Avon - Philistines and Physiognomancy
Probably not the best idea a home concocted spicy prawn curry but a little like fishing, the feelgood meter cranks over to right rather than hovering vertically or well over to the left.
Life is all consuming at the minute, but then it is for many you just need to find those little windows of opportunity to get back control of ones own diary rather than having it dictated by others.
I didn't really have the urge to go fishing if I'm honest but with the river low I decided a mooch down the new syndicate stretch to check out some spots was a worthwhile exercise.
The weather is going to be hot and humid for a while so venturing out either early doors, or when the sun was setting was probably the best idea. To be honest I didn't have much of a plan but trying to locate some chub via some floating crust and try and spot some areas for a future bait and wait approach.
This stretch of river like much of the Warwickshire Avon these days does hold some nice chub and a winter campaign is planned here where I'm sure a 6lber would slip up.
The farmer has been busy bailing the hay so the access which was pretty decent anyway was now a breeze. I didn't see the resident owl though as I assume with much of the cover gone for its prey, he might have buggered off somewhere else where the furry four-legged picking were richer.