I was a little worse for wear at the start of the day, having spent a few hours on the pop the previous afternoon / evening. Still, it was all in a good cause and a hangover is far less annoying when fishing is on the cards.
I moved a peg further downstream for this session, with Charlie occupying the next peg below me. Both of us boshed in about 10 balls of groundbait before tackling up. I decided to just go with a straight lead rig, figuring that there was enough bait out there already. Charlie did likewise, but he also set up a pole to catch a few bits close in.
An hour or so in and Charlie had bagged some bits on the pole, but couldn't get a bite on the feeder. I had no fish, but I was getting plenty of bites on the lead that I couldn't connect with. Eventually I got lucky and bagged me a Bream of 3lb 11oz. Charlie got in on the action later when he had one of exactly 3lb.
My peg didn't take off and my next two fish were a Gudgeon and Bleak. Then the tip slammed round with a bit more purpose and I was into another slab - or so I thought. It was the usual slow uneventful fight, but when the fish surfaced I saw it was a decent Chub. I've never known such a lethargic Chub and it weighed in at 3lb 8oz. I had a further Bream of about 1lb and a small Dace.
It's not proving easy on this stretch (could be down to the angler though!), but there are some rewards to be had with a bit of patience.
I think it's the very low water oxygen levels Sean. I had one on the Sence last week that came in like a carrier bag and the trout I had from the same swim that did give an account of itself was totally exhausted and went belly up on return - had to nurse it back to strength.
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