Please believe me that I post only because I’m a very average angler who has lots of blanks but occasionally things go right
So if it can happen for me, it can for anyone
So to conclude the season I returned to the swim I lost several big fish in a week earlier.
I had been informed a 12 and a 10 had come out after my visit
Continued on maggots (live) and using a mini spopper put a good pint in the swim and left it
I also upped the rods to 2lb Torrix and some of Rich’s big maggot feeders
First put in, a nice fat barbel about 6-7 lb
Perfect and some redemption.its easy to forget how hard these shoal fish pull.
Recast and didn’t have to wait too long and another bite.This was definitely a heavier fish and stayed deep and used the current for a great battle
No dramas this time and a nice barbel in the net
She went 10lb exactly- a proper result for this river
Then it went a bit mad
I rested the fish when I had another positive bite. This wasn’t a barbel, probably a modest chub but dare I dream for another big perch?
It wasn’t half banging about, and a bit like the big chub the week earlier, my knees went when I saw a huge perch come to the surface
So, with a 10lb barbel still in the net I slid it under a behemoth of 3lb 7oz.
And I pondered what had just happened?
The action continued with another 2 perch at 2-6 and 1-14 another couple of barbel in the 5-6 lb mark and in the afternoon the chub turned up with a succession of 2-4lb fish
Then another heavy fish, just fighting like a good barbel including taking line so again I was surprised and delighted to net another quality chub - 6lb 2 oz
Another day I’ll never forget
The next day I moved swims but the fishing was hard due to a drop in temperature and a very cold easterly wimd
I lost 2 heavy fish in a new snag in the middle of the river and managed a modest chub
Normal service is resumed !
So I decided to move swims
Maggot fishing was very hard so I opted to throw a sleeper pike rod out
After a few dropped runs I had a very aggressive pike about 7lbs
Recast and almost immediately another run, this time a bit bigger 8-9lbs
Half hour passed and another run- this one was long and very skinny but went 11
I pondered had I found some males and spawning females?
All the fish were super aggressive when hooked
Another half hour and off it goes again, this time some weight to it and another spirited fight before landed
A decent fish that weighed 14-9 , in great nick and no spawn?
So another strange but productive day having racked up a LOT of blanks this winter chasing Stillwater pike
Yesterday we went to a new stretch more for a recce
Just one dropped run and no fish but lots of promise for next season
So a great week and end to the season
And despite what we catch we always ponder the ones we lost- it keeps the fire burning