A Great Session at Northcroft

[Rusty]

Today’s plan was really to try out a few of yesterday’s birthday pressies namely an AN centrepin, chest waders and a bait smock. In the event nothing got tested at all because I was too busy celebrating to load the reel, the water looked too cold to wade and my maggots had turned to a frothy ammonia riddled mess, there’s no way they were going in a pouch directly under my nose.

 

But the trip went ahead, I livened up the maggots by placing them in the footwell of the car with the heater on full blast. Half an hour of that had them wriggling like mad…..and fermenting even more.

 

The weather didn’t look too promising when I arrived at about 10:00am, it was still just 3 degrees C and the mist hadn’t lifted but on the basis that pleasant weather isn’t always best for fishing I was still optimistic.

 

I was gobsmacked when my first trot produced a decent Chub of about 11/2lbs (I don’t have scales and don’t catch many Chub so please feel free to correct my estimates).

 

 

Being the cautious type I thought it’d be a good idea to rest the swim for a bit so I did……for 30 seconds. Second trot produced a Gudgeon and third go another Chub a little larger than the first.

 

 

I couldn’t understand it, I hardly ever start a session so well. Two very pleasing fish in ten minutes had they mistaken me for Chris Plumb?

 

It all went a bit quiet for the next 20 minutes or so and the weather stayed dull and cold so I considered wandering to warm up my feet. At that point I realised that my feet weren’t cold at all, the new thermal socks I’d been bought were keeping things nice and warm. Blimey, this is turning out to be a very good day indeed.

 

This chap then graced my landing net. Probably the smallest of the day but certainly the most eager to get back in the water, hence the grassy flanks.

 

 

Another quiet period, more extended this time, about 45 minutes. I was just thinking of packing up and reflecting on a great short session when the float dipped in exactly the same position as it had done before. I lifted into solid resistance, so solid I was convinced it was a snag. Then the snag thumped a couple of times, much bigger thumps than any other snag I’ve caught. Then it decided to stay where it was and gentle pressure did nothing to dissuade it, a bit more heave ho and nothing. I had visions of catching my first Barbel, got all excited and started to question the wisdom of a 3lb hooklength and size 16 barbless hooks but then gradually I started to gain line.

 

The mystery was solved when an acrobatic leap revealed another Chub. Bigger than the others but not the behemoth that I was expecting. Only when I needed two hands to lift the landing net did I suspect that it was significantly heavier than the previous fish. On the bank it was fatter, wider, longer and by a long way my best ever Chub, I’d say roughly 3lb and if that’s about right I can’t imagine what it would be like to catch a 6 pounder.

 

 

I finished off the day with an hour on the Lambourn catching Grayling and small Roach in lovely warm sunshine.

 

The best four hours fishing I’ve had for a long time.

[Vagabond]

Well done Rusty - good pics and write-up, and some thumping chub.

 

 

 

The exact weights are soooo unimportant. These are chub anyone would be pleased to catch, which is good enough for me.

[Angly]

Gorgeous looking fish, maybe the prettiest of all coarse species for me I think.

 

Nice photos and write up too.

[Pilley]

Awsome write up and pics, as well as obvious good angling. Well Done

 

Nice to see someone is having luck during these cold times, this is the worst winter for me yet Lol.

[Stretpegger]

Nice one Rusty,looks like the Kennet chub have been on the munch recently as i had four chub just a few miles downstream of you yesterday.

[Guest tigger]

Well done Rusty, great result m8.

[Steve Burke]

Many congratulations on a PB! Great story and great pics.

[JV44]

Well done Rusty cracking catch and a pb to boot even better your socks worked and kept your feet warm,hate cold feet cant concentrate then Steve

[arbocop]

Well done Rusty cracking catch and a pb to boot even better your socks worked and kept your feet warm,hate cold feet cant concentrate then Steve

 

Well done indeed - you are getting the nhang of this trotting malarkey now aren't you? Maybe bump into you again at the lambourn or northcroft soon. I went to Barton Court last saturday - only 2 of us to the entire place. Lovely hoar frost everywhere -batteries not in camera aaaargh - but trout and grayling were biting.

[Chris Plumb]

I can’t imagine what it would be like to catch a 6 pounder.

 

And that stream could just do such a fish - I had a 4lb 14oz chub from there back in June - now catch that fish again in a fine fat winter condition and who knows......

 

 

C.