Change of plan!

I got up at 7am and ventured out to the van to find about 12 foot of ice attached to it! ARGH it was a bloody cold night that was for sure! -5C apparently and it felt every bit of that! I drove down to a local commercial 30 minutes from home to find it had a 3" thick lid on it! 

That was any ideas of Perching out the window. I sat for a few minutes debating whether to head home or somewhere else? I opted to head up to my club stretch of the Wye after a quick check on the river levels. 

I dropped into AD to grab a pint of whites and then drove the further half hour up to the river. On arrival it was clear to see that they had had a really cold night up there! 

The trees were literally blast frozen and it was bitter! I donned the essential 50 layers of clothing and opted to travel light with out a chair. I chose to fish a swim that I had caught a fair few chub from in the past and set up a lightweight 20 gram black cap feeder, heli-style with a double red maggot presentation to size 18 hook and 3lb hook link. 

I made a couple of casts into the swim to get a bit of bait in and then sat on my unhooking mat drinking a cuppa. I had a guy turn up behind me who wanted the same swim and we had a nice chat for over an hour. While he stood with me I had a great bite on the quiver rod and the tip went over in true Chub style. 

The fight was pretty sketchy as the fish ploughed all around the swim in strong current and the lightweight tackle did little to tame the fish. A good 10 minutes later I slipped the net under a proper lovely winter Wye chub of 4lb 13oz. Well worth the effort! The chap left me and I sat for another hour bite less so I felt a move was in order. 

I moved about 150 yards up stream to a new spot that I had caught in well before. It took about half an hour before the first bit of action and with the same tactics employed as before I found myself attached to another nice chub. The action continued for the next 3 hours with 11 chub finding the net. It was great sport for the weather conditions and albeit they were all pretty much a similar 2lb in weight, it was great to put a bend in the rod in such hardcore conditions! 

As the light started to fade I kept the bait going in steadily and a quick tap tap bite was struck into and a very different feeling fish fought it's was back to the net. On inspection it was a nice little Grayling that sat in the net and I got some quick snaps before slipping her back and packing up for the hour long drive home. I took a few picks on the way back to the van as the scenery was utterly stunning! I have a few days booked off in a fortnights time so I'm hoping to head down south to the Avon for a bit of seasonal bliss featuring the ever favourite big Roach! Fingers crossed the rivers in decent shape and they're on the feed!!!