The calm before the storm

[Anderoo]

The storm is now here in Oxfordshire, the wind is battering the house and the rain is rattling at the windows. We knew it was coming, so today was a bit of a smash and grab session, getting a few jobs done in the morning and getting to the river after lunch to fish until dusk or the storm arrived, whichever came first.

 

One of the last 'jobs' was to knock up a new load of cheesepaste. I managed to do this sneakily, with the window open, while my girlfriend was on the phone (tee hee). With no-one any the wiser, I was ready to go. I now have enough for a good few weeks, maybe until the end of the season - if I can get anywhere near it It's superb, it that special, vile way.

 

On the drive to the river I had that feeling that something special was going to happen. I get that sometimes, and it's not often wrong. I don't know if it's some kind of premonition, a vague awareness of good conditions or just excitement - does anyone else get it?

 

I got to the river at about 1.30 and by 2pm was settled into a lovely swim half a mile upstream. It's just below a little bend where an old tree stump causes the flow to crease right across the middle of the river, and with some nice overhanging brambles along the near bank. I plopped a couple of lumps of paste into the flow along the crease and also by my feet under the brambles, and set up quietly - a running link leger and a quivertip.

 

 

 

The best spot looked like the near bank snags so I dropped the bait down there and sat back, enjoying the mild day and expecting a fairly quick bite. However, after 20 minutes nothing had happened, so I swung the stinky paste out into the flow and let it trundle round and come to rest along the crease. It just felt so right there, so I decided to sit there until I had a bite. After almost half an hour (I've normally upped sticks after 15-20 minutes) there was a tremble, then a tap, then a taptaptap and I struck into a nice solid lump - hooray! It thumped about and felt pretty heavy, and then made a dive for the tangled mess under my feet, but I hung on and luckily it turned back out into the river. I brought it up to the surface and saw a good sized chub...I had no idea what it could weigh, but it looked big! I got a bit shaky and made a bit of a splash with the landing net, which set it off again, and meant I had to hold my nerve for another few minutes of diving at the brambles. But, thankfully, after that I drew it over the net

 

Lifting it out onto the bank, it just about doubled in size! It looked like a chub, but bigger, if that makes any sense! It was a really impressive creature, not that long but wide, thick and heavy. The needle on the Avons swung round to 5lb 12oz, which was a PB by a huge 11oz! One more crayfish dinner would have pushed it over the 6lb mark

 

 

After all that excitement the wind started to pick up and by about 3pm it was very blustery indeed. I managed one more small chub from a thicket of far bank brambles (which almost gave me a heart attack - it was bright silver and I was convinced I had a massive roach!) and then as the light went the wind was really howling, and it was time to retreat gracefully.

 

What a great day! God bless the cheesepaste

Edited January 17, 2009 by Anderoo

[Andrew Burgess]

What a cracking chub and a new personal best! Well done mate

[Vagabond]

Nice one Anderoo

[JV44]

What a cracking chub and a new personal best! Well done mate

That's a great result mate and PBs by there very nature are always special but the flip side is they allways leave you wanting bigger ,Which is good as it gets us back out there.

Whats the secret to making cheese paste without the other half realizing then? , Hope i get that feeling that i am going to catch something special tomorrow Steve.

[Guest tigger]

Nice report and congrats on your new PB Anderoo

[jameshodkin]

What reel is that in your Chub pic mate?

 

James

[Alan Roe]

Cracking Chub that Fella Well Done!

[poledark]

Nice one Andrew,

 

Den

[raycab]

Fantastic chub well done.

[bingo]

Lovely report. Well done.