Game of Two Halves

Well,  not a game, more accurately a weekend.

Saturday afternoon the river was a bit fast but a decent colour. I set up for "whatever comes along" with a size 10 and small bit of flake, feeding with a bit of mashed bread.

The result was missed roach bites and a solitary chub. Sometimes the method works well but today it was too heavy for roach/bream and not what the chub wanted. Thats how it felt anyway. 

Sunday, with the river in similar, perhaps even better nick, I decided to fish cheese for chub and bait the swims with half dozen bits of paste.

I also baited a roach/bream swim with several droppers of hemp and maggots.

Before I'd cast out I'd walked and baited the stretch. Accurately today.

It looked lovely, the water having been held back by the sluice, the flow slow, smooth with an almost oily look to it. Of course, that afternoon the sluice was opened and the flow increased. Not to the degree it does sometimes and I was confident of a few fish.

First cast the tip went round and a nice chub ended up in the net. Next cast the same. Great start.

I'd baited a couple of new swims further downstream. It was a reed lined, and had a smooth, steady run along the inside, with a sunken tree upstream. I started with a cast upstream and immediately had a bite. Missed of course. Next chuck a nice drop back and another chub in the bag.

Next cast I flicked the bait downstream and within seconds the tip pulled over. Another one. Then another.

By this time I'd had seven chub and with dusk approaching it was time to change tactics and try for roach and bream in the pre baited swim.

I sat there for an hour and a half, listening to the Liverpool  v Utd game. I don't know what was duller, the football or the breaming. No bites but a cracking afternoon in the sunny, mild weather nonetheless. 

When I started fishing "The Forbidden Stretch" I had a feeling it might be the place for a very big chub. Snaggy, deep,  tonnes of cover, unfished.

I'm doubtful now. There are more chub than I thought, in great condition but no sign of anything big. Who knows ? 

One last thing. My mate told me about this handy, simple gadget he keeps in his van. A hand propelled food processor, you can do liquidised bread literally "on the bank". It really does work and it costs a fiver !