Lentil soup in the rivers, water everywhere else

[Vagabond]

The coarse river season is sliding by, and we have been busy sea fishing. The weather hasn't helped, but yesterday a brief window in the persistent rain was forecast.

Certhia had spent the previous evening removing huge slugs from her delphiniums and dahlias, so I took a box of them down to the river.

The rain had stopped but there was a fair gale blowing, and the river was flowing rapidly, and thick with mud.

As I set up, I could see some Purple Loose-strife striving away below my feet - the angle it makes in the photie shows how strong the wind was.



I had expected a strong flow, so had taken my ultralight beachcaster along. A 3oz lead would just hold bottom where the current had carved out an eight-foot deep swim just under the opposite bank,



Hooked on a massive slug, and banged it across - just above the willow in the water on the right of the picture.

The forecast was wrong - it soon started stair-rodding down, and as I was travelling light, I just had to stand and take it.

Nothing for an hour, then a walloping bite. Two minutes of intense excitement, with the rod in a quarter circle, then - Gone!

Wound in, line chewed through. A big chub had taken the slug right down past the pharyngeal teeth and treated me to a bite-off. No more bites after that.

Came home and philosophised over a glass or two of malt. That was a seriously BIG fish - worth trying again.

Today, in spite of heavy rain forecast, I was up at crack of dawn, and fishing from 5am to 11am, in the same spot - a fresh slug put on every two hours, and two prolonged thunderstorms endured.

Zilch - the river was rising still further, so it was a forelorn hope that the fish were feeding. But hey, it can't rain for ever (can it?) and sooner or later river levels will start to fall.

I shall be back

[Fishing Forum Admin]

At least you tred mate and its a better day than I had so sounds cracking to me

[pingu]

unlucky mate
desperately want to get to the rivers arround here but all like chocolate
hopefully next week

dave

[the boss]

worth a try, i'm sure you can get that biggie next time

[Twiddler]

Know just how you feel........3 months wait for the river season to start again....then few more weeks before it's fishable again.....but as you said, it can't rain forever.

I hope you will get that big chub next time

[Norfolkboy]

Hope you have a bit more luck next time mate.

[Greenheart]

The rivers down this way look more like Oxtail Soup.....

[Noel]

I noticed that you stayed in the same place for an hour before getting a bite. I tend to only stay for a short while in each swim when I'm chub fishing.

Looks like I've been missing out?!?!

Unlucky that you lost it but at least you know it's there now. And can now dream about it!

[Vagabond]

Originally Posted by Noel

I noticed that you stayed in the same place for an hour before getting a bite. I tend to only stay for a short while in each swim when I'm chub fishing.

There was good reason for it - I was using a heavy lead because of the flood, and it was critical that it dropped in the right place. It makes a fair old THWOP! as it goes in - possibly spooking the chub.

Dick Walker once told me that chub scared easily - which we all know. However, he added the vital information that chub come "unscared" at about ten to fifteen minutes to the pound.

So having got the bait in the right place, nailed to the bottom, I left it there.

When the river is low and clear, you will find me stalking chub with much lighter gear - THEN I change swims frequently.

At the moment it is like winter flood conditions - and in winter I would use the same tactics as I used yesterday, but with chunks of cheese.

[Noel]

Thanks for the reply vagabond. Very interesting.

I will try this when the rivers are in flood (which is all the time at the moment!)

I do love summer stalking in clear rivers though. On some days the split second the bait lands on the water I get a take. Thrilling stuff.

Lucky you to have met and spoken to Richard Walker too