Back With The Flow Part 2

Method feeder and bolt rigs
The going method on the river was method feeder with rods being kept low to the water and pointed at the bait with semi-fixed bolt rigs and big hooks. Bites were signalled by screaming runs on baitrunners. This was a mile away from the approach I had been using on the Ouse but with a lot more flow on the river I would need to fish heavier to achieve decent presentation. I decided to fish with my rods high and fish off the tip with running rigs, smaller hooks, longer hook lengths and lighter lines than were being employed by the other anglers.

Andy’s 6lb 2oz chub and his second over 6lb in six weeks from two different rivers (click for bigger picture)

I was pestered by bream on my first full night on the river but persisted and finally hooked a chub at 4 am. After a short and not very dramatic fight I slipped the net under a short but very fat chub which went 6 lb 2 oz. My campaign was only six weeks old and I’d already had two different fish over 6lb from two different rivers.

First the bream, then a PB barbel
Four days later on the 4th March I was back on the river, which was fining down after flooding two days earlier. Fishing luncheon meat on one rod and a freshly made 10mm Mainline Assassin-8 boilie on the other I baited heavily before the bream moved in on dark and I took several before striking a more subtle pull at 10pm and feeling much stronger resistance from the fish at the other end. At first I thought I was attached to a large chub as the fish initially shook its head and zoomed around the swim. However, as the fish continued fighting it became clear that it was much larger than I had first thought and I became convinced that I was attached to a large carp.

The fish repeatedly took over 40yds of line off me and on two occasions tried to get into a fallen tree on the far bank 30 yards upstream of where I was fishing. After 20 minutes the fish rolled on the surface and I was stunned to see that it was a huge barbel.

I have never really spent much time after barbel, not least because for the last decade I would have found it very difficult to land one because of the problems with my hands. Indeed the fight had gone on so long that I was now in quite some discomfort and totally knackered. The fish at the end of the line was clearly a good double and for the river in question a very big fish indeed. I brought her to the net three times before she eventually went in and I let out a great cry of joy as she did so. The fight had been spectacular and had lasted a full 25 minutes. She was in immaculate condition and on the scales she went 12 lb 15 oz; my a new PB and 87% of the record for the river I was fishing.

A PB barbel for Andy at 12lb 15oz (click for bigger picture)

An angler fishing downstream had heard the commotion and came up and helped with the photographs. Afterwards we sat and chatted as she recuperated and then when she had regained her strength we let her swim off majestically. As my hands are continuing to get better I hope eventually to be able to spend more time after these magnificent beasts. I’ve already got a few ideas as to where I may fish and it will be far from the madding crowd, for fish that do not have names.

And another different 6-pounder
In the next few days the river flooded again and when I fished it the following Friday there was so much rubbish coming through that fishing was a nightmare. I decided to leave the river till Monday and then fish the last four nights and the final evening. On Monday the river had fined down and in perfect conditions I caught seven bream and followed them up with another short but very fat chub, which went 6 lb 3 oz – a different fish from the one I’d had a week earlier. Sadly, it put up a poor effort of a fight with the bream fighting better in the strong current.

With four days of the season remaining I couldn’t believe how well things had gone. From the start it had been an excellent season for me, with two double-figure tench to 10lb 12oz, 10 double figure bream to 16lb 5oz and now capped by the capture of four chub over six pounds, with three different fish from two different rivers and a new PB barbel at 12lb 15oz.

With four days to go I’d had a brilliant season and enjoyed every minute of it. It would have been easy to slacken off but I was determined to make the most of the last four days and, although I didn’t know it at the time, being prepared to keep going would prove decisive right at the death of the season.

Next week in Part 3, Andy rounds off an incredible season with two chub over 7lb… amongst others.