Warwickshire Avon - Vampiregeddon and Vindictivolence

It's quite scary how time flies, you see every few months or so some I meet up with some ex work colleagues for a curry that were trainees and apprentices' when I started the world of work well over 30 years ago. We eventually all went our separate ways with our careers but still keep in touch because we had some good times over the years, yes I did actually enjoy going to work for a good period of my life. 

Now it certainly doesn't feel like 30 years since we started the ritual where often the same old stories pop up and we reminisce over old times. 

One particular one was when we borrowed a Rover 400 estate from Longbridge where we worked, that needed miles adding to as part of a fleet of engineering cars that you could borrow not just overnight but for a weekend. 

So with a full tank of diesel we drove to Dover, then got the ferry to Calais, then proceeded to drive to Amsterdam where we stopped for a couple of nights to see the 'sights'.

On the return we stopped off at the hypermarket filled the boot and whatever space was there in the cabin to the brim with cheap French booze, which overloaded the car so much, we broke the exhaust when negotiating the rather steep ramp on the ferry, because the car, well had little or no suspension left.  

Driving on the wrong side of the road, trying to get our heads down in a sketchy area of the Dam before getting to the hostel that seemed even more sketchy with some right old dodgy characters. However with more luck than judgement we managed to survive the trip relatively unscathed. 

900 miles or so driven and it was only when we got back to Dover we needed to add extra fuel. A very fugal car indeed where when driven sensibly you could get well over 600 miles out of a tank of the dirty and stinky stuff quite easily.

It's spring don't you know !!! well it feels like it anyway

Anyway after all that rich food and enough garlic to kill a colony of Vampires, and enough naan to choke a chub I needed to walk it off. Sadly I couldn't fish in to dark as the diary makers had their hold but enough time to try and winkle out a fish or two. So the plan was some double dipping for this session, chub naturally but then I'd also try and winkle out one or two of the Gudgeon that reside here, because come on who doesn't like a Gudgeon. 

But then not everyone thinks Cleopatra is attractive

But that’s how Julius Caesar. !!! 😉😉😜

To specifically target Gudgeon doesn't feature in many modern anglers quarry to target I'd imagine but then I like mixing things up as I think I'd get bored otherwise. If I had to specifically target one species only mind you it would probably be the chub as I use a variety of methods and techniques to target them and they are one of those species that bite all day long. 

Anyway to the fishing !!!

A rather blowy 14 degrees when I got to the river but with a slight tinge of colour I was hoping a few bites were forthcoming, and thankfully they were. 

Only from minnows and about 5 or 6 Gudgeon though, in-fact some of the swims I never had a bite on maggot. The chub well, I didn't expect a bite if I'm honest because here is not only shallow now in most swims I know from past experience dusk and in to dark when it's gin clear like this that's about you're only chance.

Anyway yes, ok a small helicopter rig did the business for these Gonks but to be honest the rod was already set-up and and set-up like this does work really well for these bold biters.

A good amount of steps ticked off and as I had the banks to myself so a decent amount of solitude, all was good in the world again especially then the water temperature was positively tropical for February.

So much so I might try for an elusive barbel in the week maybe on one the stretches I can fish in to dark. I'm sure their whiskers will be twitching after having been sheltering huddled up away from the cold.