River Kennet, Newbury, Monday 30th November 2009

This venue continues to deny me a chub and today it almost denied me any fish (again).

I couldn’t make an early start today and arrived at the venue at about 10:00am. Too late for perch really (and I was after chub) but it was overcast and so I thought it was worth a try before the chub search. A big lob was dangled into a close swim that had produced last time out, this time though a couple of missed bites and that was it. An hour later and it was time for chub.

I’d been given a helpful hint as to a good swim but couldn’t be sure exactly where it was so the plan was to start upstream of that particular stretch and gradually work my way down over a distance of fifty yards or so. All of the freebies would be going to swims I’d yet to explore so it seemed like a foolproof plan, I was bound to find them eventually…wasn’t I?

Nope, on this day either they weren’t there or weren’t feeding. I tried the reed lined near bank and the far more likely looking far bank with partially submerged trees and slacks (which cost me a loafer) but nothing, not even a bite.

I think I’ve been spoilt by a local free stretch of the Kennet where, to be honest, it’s quite easy to catch chub. This water requires a bit of thought and planning and I’m struggling. Never mind, the venue is fascinating and the initial lack of success is not putting me off one little bit.

I wandered back to the car at about 3:00pm trotting my float as I went. A small roach saved the day so I drove home happy and puzzled at the same time. Perhaps it isn’t cold enough for chub yet? Should I try a static bait in good looking swims rather than trotting? Is the ubiquitous red maggot not a good bait for this stretch?

Questions which will have to wait for a couple of weeks to be answered.