Chub 4lb 12oz
Arrived at Moorhampton just after 3pm couldn't get in usual pitch due to flooding (someone got towed out Friday night). No phone signal as usual but TV ok for USA GP. I passed over the Rivers Severn and Teme on the way here, both were very high and coloured, I've not seen the Wye yet !
Drove down to Bredwardine bridge to check the river after last nights torrential rain, river about 2ft up and well coloured. Drove to the estate office and got my permit for the week (only £30 for 5 days) then drove down to the river. I parked close to the caravan to check out whether I should attempt to get the car down to my favourite swim on beat 3 and after walking the route decided to risk it. Finally got a line in the water just before midday then the heavens opened and this continued intermittently until mid afternoon. Had a bit of a disaster with the repair on my second leger rod when the tip ring broke off so resorted to the spinning rod instead. Things were slow but after the sun came out late afternoon I had a Chub of 4lb 3oz after changing from one large pellet to 2 medium size pellets. Later came a Barbel of 8lb 12oz to the same rod. Had a walk down the bank to see if the other 2 anglers on beat 3 had caught but they hadn't. Continued fishing but by 1930 I was feeling hungry and decided to start packing up. Typically after I'd put the camera and tripod away I hooked another chub. This looked similar to the earlier chub but possibly a little heavier and it was at 4lb 12oz so a quick couple of photos in the landing net and finally packed up at 8pm.
Drove all the way down to the same swim as yesterday on beat 3 only to find someone already there. The river had risen a few inches following last nights rain but strangely it was less coloured; anyway I decided to try beat 1. Arrived at the top of beat 1 to find someone occupying 2 swims either of which I wanted to fish. Judging by the sleeping bag and cooking utensils this guy had been there all night -- naughty. After a brief word he aged to move his gear out of my first choice swim. Settled down and commenced fishing but nothing doing. Late in the afternoon the expected thunderstorms materialised; boy did it rain !!
Stuck it out under the brolly until the lightening to thunder timing was down to 3 seconds then discretion took over from perseverance and I packed up in a torrential downpour with lightening crashing around. The drive back was eventful with the road partially flooded in places then arrived back at Moorhampton to find some of it flooded again; various caravans having had to move.The silver lining was that the fish and chip van had arrived so I didn't have to cook, only queue in the rain.
Late start as I decided a shower and shave were in order and I was expecting the river to be out of sorts. Finally jumped in the car at lunchtime and drove down to Bredwardine bridge. The river was only up a couple more feet but extremely coloured and together with the expected difficulty driving across the fields I decided a go on one of the lakes was in order.
Small Lake
Arrived at the small lake to find 3 other river refugees from the Red Lion at Bredwardine. I set up at the other side of the lake float fishing worm and eventually sweetcorn and pellet.The rain came down hard of course (same as every other day this week) but eventually sorted things out and managed a 4lb 8oz bream and 2 tench biggest 4lb 4oz. More points for the IAC fishing race !
There's been even more rain; I'll check the river but expect I'll be lake fishing again. River not too bad up a couple of feet but a lot of the horrible reddish brown colour had gone. Eventually headed down for an afternoon on beat 3 in my favourite swim. Managed to get down to the river in the car but didn't fancy risking going down the bank as more rain was forecast. I lightened my tackle down to the minimum and got fishing for 2pm. Managed 3 chub 4lb, 4lb 12oz and 4lb 14oz as well as a solitary barbel of 8lb. I also lost another Barbel when the hook length parted unexpectedly. I packed up at 7-30pm and just managed to get out of the field following the now usual heavy rain showers.
Another late start, drove down to Bredwardine bridge to check the river, which was up
a bit from yesterday but the colour was the same so I decided to give beat 3
another go (mud permitting). I was lucky enough to spot an Otter swimming
downstream and under the bridge but the bugger stayed submerged when I got
the phone camera switched on. I finally got fishing for 1pm and was immediately
getting chub knocks but couldn't hit them. Finally sorted things out by
shortening the hair rig (well to be exact I squeezed 2 pellets on rather
than 1) and got my first chub at 1-30pm weighing 4lb 7oz. This was followed
by a 7lb barbel half an hour later then things went quiet for a couple of
hours. A few showers followed but nothing like the rain every other day this
week then at 4-30pm I had a 3lb 7oz chub followed by an identical one 20mins
later. Then a small minnow was foul hooked but landed ok (IAC fishing race
points !!)** Quickly followed by a 7lb 12oz barbel. Half an hour later the fish
of the session a 5lb chub at last, 5lb 3oz to be exact, netted twice as it
escaped the first time. I finished off with a 4lb 12oz chub then packed up at
6-30pm after losing my end tackle in a snag. Best day of the week, shame
about the few barbel but the chub were getting there first.
** Entry later refused due to foul hooking :-(