I started today buy taking claires stick to the River Ash in upper halliford whilst taking Callum and Jake to the park.
We had seen some small fish there a few days earlier, they looked like roach and bleak, however I did see a large chub of about 1lb, which for a river the size of the Ash is probably as big as the fish are gonna get, unless there is a pike or 2 in there!
When we arrived we ate lunch (Maccie D's, free glasses innit!!!) and there was a guy already fishing there, he was trotting maggots under a float about 8 inchs deep. Im not sure if it was the noise from Jake crying or that he had caught all the fish, but shortly afterwards he packed up and left!
So I set up the whip, my intention was to just freeline tiny bits of bread and just watch the bait for bites.
I had 3 mtrs of line attached to the whip, straight through to a size 18 hook.
It took a few trots through, but I soon managed to hook an immaculate chub of about 3oz, it really was in fin perfect condition, probably never having been caught before.
I was able to see the small fish attacking the BB sized bit of bread but they failed to hook themselves as they were that small!!
I had managed to get a couple of better bites which I missed, when a couple of girls came and started walking about in the river where I was fishing!! I suppose its to be expected in a park during the summer holidays, cant wait for them to all go back to school, lol
I packed up shortly after that, just as 2 young boys arrived to fish, again with maggots set about 6-8inchs under floats.
Maybe thats the going method. I didnt realise how many people fished the little river, but it will be worth another go I think with maggots and small float.
After this we decided to drive to chertsey and feed the ducks with callum, so I thought I would have a quick half hour lure fishing a few swims along there. As it turned out, when we arrived it was very busy, I suppose with it being Bank holiday Monday it was to be expected.
All the usual "Noddies" were out in force along the stretch, so we decided to go to a new bit of river which I had been eyeing up with the intention of barbel fishing it. However I only had lure rods today so I set up claires rod too and we wandered off to pastures new!
It is a stretch typical of the Thames, shallow close in, before shelving off to the deeper channel, then raising up again on the far bank. We walked probably 300yards in total. I managed a small pike of about 3lb on a spinner bait, the pike destroying the skirt on it in the process.
We walked towards the meads, however its the other way that im interested in for barbel fishing, not sure why really, im sure if the barbel are in that stretch they will be in the meads too.
I think I fancy the other bit as I have never fished that far around, whereas I have fished the meads for pike before.
Hopefully I will be out before the end of the week to try out a couple of spots I have ear marked.
