Just returned from our annual visit to the Severn, Sue and me hire a little cottage close to the river. We walked along the river late Saturday afternoon to check out the water conditions; the river was up about 3 foot, coloured and pushing through. We chatted with one angler in a swim I’d fished before, usual stuff. He said that there’d been some big ones coming out, 12lb plus which sounded great. Then I realised that the swim was a bit ‘more open’ than I remembered.
“Yes!” he said, “had my chainsaw out and cleared a few branches”!
And he had! What was once a tricky, narrow swim was now a wide, roomy one with steps cut into the bank. I was not sure that it was a better swim though. I then asked what bait he was using; his eyes lit up.
“Big bits of meat!” and reached into his bag to produce four of the biggest lumps of luncheon meat I’ve ever seen, at least 2”x”2 cubes, I would think they would be a single ‘Tulip’ tin quartered! Swallowing my incredulity, I asked him what hook sizes he was using. “‘2’s…but you’d be alright with ‘4’s I reckon.” The largest hooks I have are ‘8’s, I didn’t know they still sold ‘2’s.
Sunday the river was dropping slowly, there were several anglers about, and few swims due to the water level, I fished from 3.30 until 7.00pm without a bite, I struggled to hold bottom with 150gm leads so decided tomorrow to use my Greys Prodigy 2.5lb tc which I know I can happily cast 6oz plus.
On Monday, Micky came to stay for a few of days and we chose a couple of swims close together; there were fewer anglers about. Normally I would be using luncheon meat punched out with a 10mm bread punch about 15mm in length but bearing in mind what the guy had said on Sunday, I looked for something I could use to punch out a bigger pellet. In one of my rucksack pockets, I found an old Preston Quick Cone & Bait Mould with a diameter of 20mm, just the job. Tried to hair rig it on a size 10 hook, it looked huge compared to the hook size. Nevertheless, out it went with a six-ounce lead. At about midday, after three or four casts, I had a bite, and struck into and landed a 1½ lb barbel, first of the year; nice to see them that size.
We’d been told to be back at the cottage for dinner by 7.30pm so decided to pack up at 7.00. About ten to seven I decided to lift the lead up and let the bait drift in a bit. I did this a couple of times until the bait was quite near some overhanging willows. It was about 2 minutes to 7.00, getting dark, I’m about to reel in when the rod bangs over and I strike. I thought I was caught up in the willow tree roots but there was a couple of heavy thumps on the line. Nothing happened. Then I felt a couple more thumps, there was a fish on but I wasn’t sure if it was in some weed or what? Torn between heaving hard or give some slack line I opted for the former which led to a fifteen-minute battle resulting, with Micky’s help landing, in a new PB barbel of 10lb 15oz. Smashed my previous best by almost a pound and a half. Did I mention it was my wedding anniversary as well?
Tuesday, I fished with Sue in the morning, she likes groundbait feeder in slacker swims, happily catching gudgeon, dace and perch. Whilst she was having a break I took over and caught a 2lb perch second cast; talk about luck!
Late in the afternoon Micky and me fished for barbel and had one each, a 6lb and an 8lb 13oz.
Fishing was slow, on Wednesday, prior to the arrival of Storm Agnes (which never arrived!) we had a walk along the bank and chatted to a young lad who was packing up; he looked like he knew what he was doing. He’d been there since 6.00am, fed a few pellets, then landed a 12lb 2oz barbel, cracking photo.
All in all, a smashing break.
Andy
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