After several trips to a little river I've discovered without success, I finally got some reward, with a seasons best chub!
The previous trips were in near artic conditions, and I think the fish were just in shock. But some rain did bring it up a few feet, and despite the cold I fancied a trip as the "shack nasties" were getting to me.
I started trotting maggots with my old 13' Daiwa team match rod. 3.2lb main line and a 3lb fluorocarbon 8'' hook link 16 hook. But after two hours I had just one tiny roach to show for it. The water was very coloured, but clearing some. I had a bag of mashed bread with a fruity flavour added in my bag, so decided to put three handfuls in the margin, just six foot down-stream. The margin was about 6' deep, so I pushed up the 7bb stick float up to 9'.
I sat back and had the first cup of coffee from the flask (I'ts amazing when trotting how times goes by, you forget to warm up with a hot drink?) it was a Kenyan blend we grind ourselves, very hot. I'd baited with a piece of flake on a size 12s super spade, thinking it being so cold a small mouthful could do the trick. A big roach, chub or barbel COULD pick it up.
Then the float buried and the tip pulled round as I picked up the rod. The fish pulled out into the main current and I could swear it was a barbel. But moments later it gave up and lay in the folds of my landing net. I knew it was a good fish, the digital scales told me it was my best for several seasons at 5lb 10oz.
Some would say three trips for just one fish in freezing cold conditions it was not worth it. What would you say?
Picture on the way if I can find out how to load it?????
mg: Forced to fish my left hand margin which was the only place I could see my float, I struggled in this 4 man knock up on a S.bucks lake....
