New Venue Success On Freelined Floating Crust
The last week has been a bit of a hectic one with work and trying to train our 14 week old springer pup. However I don't think I have had more enjoyment out of fishing than the 2x 1 hour session I have managed to squeeze in after 7pm. I was tipped off about a small waterway that could possibly hold some decent fish, after a few inquiries about access I walked the short stretch twice before wetting a line. Seeing numerous chub and roach on the first visit I took a couple of slices of bread when I returned and soon has the chub fighting over large lumps of crust floating down stream. Loading a spool up of 6lb mono straight down to a size 14 I sat tight to the bank flicking in lumps of crust for around 20 min before feeling confident I could tempt one of the dark shadows with visibly white lips out of the small over grown river. Casting the crust into the flow it was only a matter of seconds before I was striking into a good fish for the size of the venue, a chub of around 3lb soon graced the net and was returned quickly after a quick photograph.
The nature of the venue is that you will struggle to get more than one fish out of a swim so I headed down stream into another swim I had previously witnessed chub cruising in. I struggled to gain access to where they were holding so headed back up stream to attempt to float crust a good 20/25 meters down stream to them. This proved difficult as i had line spread across the river and was unable to pick the line up in time to strike at the takes; for the first time my eyes had also failed me in fully being able to see the confident bites clearly. Leaving the water pleased with my first fish from the venue I still had a point to prove with the chub that had got the better of me at the back of the second swim. Racking my brains of how to over come the problem I wanted to keep everything very minimal and simple. Cutting a bamboo skewer in 1/4 I used one piece as a controlled float mounted with 2 pieces of silicone tubing around 2/3 ft from the hook, which had now been upgraded to a Pallatrax barbed size 6.
Greasing my line through a tea towel lightly covered in margarine, I was in the hope my line would be more buoyant and therefore easier to lift from the water when striking. Returning to the venue the following evening the only other addition to my set up was a decent pair of binoculars, these were strapped around my neck and as I flicked several lumps of crust into the flow I was able to follow them down and identify where about the chub where holding in the swim. With my drag set tight to allow a firm strike and gain control quickly of any fish I hooked into, I gently cast the controller and large lump of crust (slightly bigger than the night before to account for the bigger hook) into the flow. Holding the rod in my right hand trickling line off with my forefinger, my other fingers were poised on the bail arm whilst my left hand was holding the binoculars. Watching the crust weave through the current at around 20 meters down stream a bow wave moved towards my crust and in an instant, white lips mouthed the bait. Dropping the binoculars' whilst flicking the bail arm and lifting the rod to whip the line off the water...I made contact. A few swift reel turns and the fish was under control. Not a significant fish by any stretch of the imagination (probably just shy of 3lb), but a significant one in proving that my thinking, watercraft and approach paid off. The photographs of this fish I will keep to myself as in the rush of being in a tight overgrown swim I didn't consider the tell tale giveaways of the location in the background.
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