River Kennet, Saturday 3rd September 2011

Well I had to open my big mouth didn’t I. No sooner had I uttered the words ‘banker swim’ than all barbel vacated that particular stretch of the Kennet in favour of somewhere else.

The day started encouragingly, I got the early start I wanted and arrived just as it was getting light enough to see my way to the swim. Pre-baiting took place while I set up the rod and the first few trots produced a string of nice dace, some chublets and the odd brown trout. For the first hour it was great fun and I was just wondering how to get through the silvers to get to the barbel when the problem resolved itself, they all disappeared.

Not a major issue I thought, I’ll just wait until the barbel show up because they always do. I waited for five long hours trotting every line imaginable, during that time the bait dispenser dispend three pints of maggots. This produced nothing but a couple of trout plucks towards the tail of the swim, no proper bites at all.

I rested the swim while I went for a wander returning with renewed enthusiasm but even this failed to change the pattern of nothingness. As the last of the maggots trickled out of the dispenser I took the hint and skulked off back to the lock cut where the perch were more than eager to grab lobworms. They were big enough to put a bend in the rod which was good because I was beginning to wonder whether the rod would ever bend again.

So it’s official…I cannot claim to know any ‘banker’ swims.