Warwickshire Avon - Crocodiles and Cryobiology

I didn't feel brilliant for this short morning session as apart from feeling lethargic I also had a fever overnight where 2.30am I'm chucking off the bed covers and reaching for the paracetamol, as I was sweating like Prince Andrew ordering a flaming hot pizza at Pizza Express. 

At 7.00am though I felt ok and with the tackle already sorted and in the car I decided to take a short trip to the Warwickshire Avon where I'd lost a good fish towards the end of the last river season.  

I'm sure it was a decent Zander as I've caught them in this area up to 7lb or so but I've the years there has been rumours that there could be the odd double swimming in the waters.

Probably not ideal conditions at the river was on the rise and it was also clearing after a couple of hard frosts. Now that fish I lost at dusk when it managed to get into a snag and the inevitable happened and I lost it. One of those fish where I didn't even get to see it which is very frustrating indeed. 

I love arriving at dawn when most people are in bed because I'd be bankside before sunrise and during the winter months some of the sunrises especially with a clear sky can be lovely to see.

Now where are all the anglers in these winter months ? I rarely see another one these days and yet despite the rivers being high there are still some fish to be caught.

A section of roach under a small pike float and a size 1 circle hook my default zander set-up was positioned in a slack bit of water where I lost the decent fish before.

The sun had just about shown itself above the horizon when a bite came which I was surprised at, because the swim was like a whirlpool and it wasn't exactly a nice place for a fish to hold up.

The float buried under quite quick and you rarely get that with zander so once I tightened down to the circle hook I knew it was probably a pike. I was correct in my assumption and after a cracking fight  where it went on a good 4 or 5 powerful runs this river croc was in the net.

I knew it would be a river PB and going 16lb 10oz on the scales it was indeed. With that fish returned I stuck it out for another hour and a half but that was it, no more bites, but we are barely in to 2022 so I cannot complain over a PB, especially when they look as magnificent as this fish. 

Warwickshire Avon - Mumbo and Jumbo

With the tackle in the car from the stupidly short session yesterday this post COVID booster chub trip was down at the same stretch of the Warwickshire Avon where some good fish call their home. I almost abandoned the car as I didn't have much time before the Wife had to go to Yoga so no messing, bankside I come. 

There was rain on the way yet again so I needed to make hay to try and winkle out a Chevin before the rain boosted the water levels again and ones arm reacted to the vaccine needle in ones arm.

I was quite happy with two jabs and my anti-bodies but anything for an easy life and her indoors wouldn't stop going on about it, if I keel over and peg-it at least the life insurance will come up trumps. 😑

Now Bojo has been like a stuck record for a good while and that's probably why there are so many people away from the Twitter and Facebook post sharers are vaccine hesitant.

The way the world is going, you will start to come up with road blocks like Novax Novak and the heavy hands of the immigration visa stampers, and heck I need to go back to Ibiza as soon as its physically possible. 

I still think its personal choice as I've always been one that says to look after your own health without the interference from the state finger pointers, who lets be honest do as they please anyway.  

Now talking of boosters an added ingredient to my cheesepaste recipe has been some lip tingling Szechuan pepper. Now sichuan peppercorn is a spice produced from the husks of seeds of two species of the prickly ash shrub, which is in the rue or citrus family. 

The pinkish-red husks around the seeds are used for the Sichuan peppercorn spice, while the inner black seed is discarded as it is too gritty and would be sand-like when eaten. 

Sichuan peppercorns can be used whole or ground into powder. The spice is one of the five ingredients that comprise five-spice powder (the others are star anise, fennel, clove, and cinnamon), and it's used in many savoury Sichuan dishes.

The aroma of Sichuan peppercorn has been likened to lavender. On the tongue, the first taste is bitter, then numbing heat, followed by citrus. Its main claim to fame is the powerful numbing sensation it causes around the mouth, and I find it quite an additive feeling and often add extra to any of the dishes I cook that contain it. 

Does it make any difference to the Chevin, any difference to the catch rate ?

Well with the Leslie Ash lips they are born with you would think so wouldn't you ? to be honest I've not noted any difference in the catch rate because any kind of cheese paste concoction will catch chub but what I have noticed is that bites seem to come quicker in those swims I pre-bait with freebie paste nuggets. 

Anyway better get fishing hadn't I....

The river was up but a perfect colour for chub fishing and having the whole stretch to myself (where the heck is everybody ) It was just a matter of dropping in to every likely looking swim to try and a get a quick bite.

I primed one of the swims as show below and would return to it when I fished a three or four other swims first. I've found if you have't had a bite within fifteen minutes its time to move on. 

Well the upstream pegs didn't produce anything, not even a nibble or a pluck but this is chub fishing it only take one bite to make the session doesn't it.

Even the primed swim I was biteless so with fingers and toes crossed it was time to get fishing the other swims to try and drop in on a fish. The water as I said was a perfect colour for chub and I knew being familiar with this stretch it would only be a matter of time.

A couple more swims down this wasn't looking good but then the snaggiest swim looked perfect with snags either side and sure enough within a couple of minutes of getting the cheesepaste out a couple of pulls turned in to a proper bite and a fish is on.

I knew it was a decent fish straight away and it took me on a merry dance all over the swim with me having to use the palm of my left hand to add a little more resistance to the drag. The rod took up much of the lunges though and eventually I got it under control.

I thought it might go 5 when I got it in the net but it was a smidgen under but you can see why it gave me a good fight, just look at the size of the tail. A lovely fish though and I love it when they are this statue.

With that fish rested and returned I managed to catch one more fish which was 4lb is and actually is pictured with its mouth open above. Not a hugely productive session but I love this roving style especially when you catch chub like this. Lovely Chubbly !!!

Warwickshire Avon - Stormtroopers and Stomatology

Back to work with a bang this week, where over the extended Christmas break I racked up as many short sessions as possible to get my fishing fix where I knew when returning to ones desk and back to bashing the heck out of the CAD machine and as a busy family man I know I'd struggle for time.

The Skullcandy crashers have been cranked up to iPhone warning levels and the Mixcloud mixes been stacked up ten to the dozen. 

Unlike the statue topplers and furlough fettlers in the wild west of Bristol its been head down and a very busy couple of years on the rather unique BEV I've been working on and it will only get busier when this time next year we'll have proper production ready cars around us and all the components I've been working on will be off-tool, which is where all the fun starts.

Now one saving grace though the shortest day which was the 21st of December has been and gone and for the office bound fisherman dusk is getting further and further away, which means plan it right you can get bankside prior to dusk, set your stall out and then fish when the fish are more likely to bite.

So with a chub session planned the following afternoon and the gear sorted out I had a small window of opportunity for a smash and grab session at an area that has been good to me in the past where I've caught 5lber, but also seen fish that looked in the 6's. 

The river was due to rise again you see and if I didn't get out for an hour or two the conditions could well change for the worse and having almost been chair bound for a couple of days my legs needed a stretch. 

Now after the ridiculously mild New Year the weather has turned a lot colder and over the past couple of mornings we've had a hard frost where Sam has had to go to school with a blanket and a hat because the authorities protocols mean that ventilation is required and that means, yeap, leaving the windows open. 

Luckily for him he's had some hot soup for his lunch and cockle warmers for his tea. This slow cooked beef and coconut curry is one of my favourites as the fennel and fragrant spice mix of coriander seeds and cumin is chilli light meaning that the kids haven't got the fear of having to reach for the glass of milk. 

The Chevin has its appetite to quell though, where their almost Prader-Willi syndrome means they have a constant craving for food.

Their constant hunger leads to eating often and consuming large portions. Unusual food-seeking behaviours compared to their compadres, and in my experience they will almost have a go at anything presented right in front of them providing it will fit in their cavernous mouths.

I love these sort of sessions and it helps that within ten minutes I can be bankside the problem is if I'm to catch a 6lb Warwickshire Avon chub I may well need to cast ones net wider. I've been struggling to catch decent chub of late, the last decent fish was a 5lb 2 ounce fish from the syndicate stretch where I may well concentrate my efforts on a little more.

So for this quick in and out my dedicated chub set-up which is a TFG river and stream rod fitted with a 1 ounce glass tip and pungent cheesepaste for bait. Just upstream from here I was fishing for Barbel a month or so ago and as soon at the light went the chub became active, the problem is snatching at bait as they do they would feel the weight of the tip and would shy off for that second go. 

Some ridiculous bites too, but I was after Barbel at the time not chub. In the summer they almost don't care I've found and will keep on having a go until they hook themselves but in the colder months they can be a little more standoffish.  

So with a much lighter set-up the glass quiver offers less resistance and its surprising what a difference it makes in chub fishing where they can be tricky to catch sometimes. Just that change means more hook-ups and being more balanced means you can enjoy the battle better, and boy can they battle when they want to. 

A size 6 hook (best chub hook in the world ? ), a paste cage, some stinky cheese paste, what chub could refuse ?

The river has been falling for a couple of days and it was carrying some colour as expect and the swim looked perfect for a bite. The water temperature had fallen considerably but it was still 5.8 degrees and to be fair, chub revel in the other fishes miss-fortune as I've caught chub when its been 2 degrees believe it or not.   

A couple of missed bites as soon as I dropped the paste in to the slack I decided to feed a few bits first, wait a few minutes and then give it another go.

To be honest I was really surprised they were on it straight away so was a little premature on the strike. The fish were still in the swim though because within 10 minutes I had a couple of small ones in the net. The larger fish that reside here could well turn up post dusk so I took a quick pic and returned the fish downstream.

Another missed bite I got the torch out and illuminated the rod tip and would give it fifteen minutes in to darkness. That sort of happened, well I fully intended to stay longer if I could but the rain came and literally bucketed down calling the end to the session.

Less than an hour bankside just goes to show how little and often works for me. Ok not the proper chunky Chevin I was after but at least I ticked off the must go fishing box where I could have easily stayed in the warmth at home.