End of Season On Kings Weir, River Lea...
Well my season finished with a bit of challenge on the Kings Weir stretch of the River Lea with the Hook Bait Company. Choosing to fish a swim with a large slack, overhanging trees and snags whilst also being able to flick out into the main flow gave me the option of targeting both pike and barbel/chub that reside in the 9 peg weir stretch of the famous fishery. Mostly known for its monstrous chub and barbel the fishery isn't targeted that much for pike and after speaking to Andrew one of the bailiffs on the stretch he advised on the far bank swim.Arriving late morning I set up two running leger rigs with stops to allow the fish around 1 foot off free run before feeling the 3oz lead, this then lends itself towards a bolt rig style approach, with the number of snags around a quick hook up was vital. Mounting 2 whole mackerel onto the size 4 trebles they were positioned around a meter away from the overhanging branches at no more than 3 rod lengths out. Chopped trout was then scattered around the baits, i don't normally use trout as choppy as its too expensive for my liking. However calling in at Morrisons on the way down to the river the usual guys on the fish counter we all off and a butcher had been asked to cover....i managed to get 8 whole rainbows for the price of 1...winner.
It took around 2 hours to receive the first indication and what an indication it was, the bobbin slammed against the underside of the rod and then smashed against the bank stick as it swung back, line was stripped for no more than 3 seconds and then stopped. This could have been a liner from a barbel though around 30 mins later another lively take resulted in me setting the hooks into a double but loosing her at the net. As always I have my lure rod to hand when a situation like this unfolds and a quick cast with the BBZ spro brought 3 lovely marked fish to my feet keeping them entertained with a figure of 8 action, though they were reluctant to hit the lure, It made good viewing for myself and Jon and it proved there were numbers of fish held up in the swim. The afternoon unfolded and i kept the fish entertained with the lure for around 20 min before they dispersed.
To the left of the swim was another overhanging tree under which in the late afternoon sun I could see the curling and sculling motion of a pikes tail. Mounting up a mackerel on a wobbling trace with a fluorescent yellow rattle positioned on the trace in front of the deadbaits head, i cast the rig up stream and with 3 swan shot to add a little weight to aid control, bounced the bait under the snag and just kept giving it 2 turns on the reel then free line. It took a matter of minutes for the line to peel out my fingers and it was away, 3 or 4 seconds free line and then the hooks were set into a small lively jack. This was not the fish that I had been watching under the snag, anyway the positives were there on the first day and I hadn't blanked.
Setting the swim up for the night session and targeting the barbel I had started to introduce a few boilies, little and often on the crease of the current through out the afternoon. Making up some PVA bags the rods were positioned poised with Barbel 5 flakeys at the business end. Around 2 hours into dark I received a take on my right hand rod and connected with a fish though I could feel it had made it to the snags before I had even managed to turn its head and........slack line! That was the only indication I received on the first night.
Up early I had a single cast with the spro which resulted in an instant follow, realising i hadn't brought enough deadbaits I headed down the road to the local supermarket to by some fresh deadbaits and was soon back on the bank with them poised in position under the trees. They remained untouched for the rest of the day; through once again as the afternoon sun cut through the water I could see the same pike from the day before holding in the current under the raft of debris collected by the overhanging branches.
The spro made way for the wobbling rig and once again it was bounced under the snag, it took a little longer this time to entice a take but fluttering the fresh sardine in the flow line was soon being taken, though she had tuned and swam back into the snag, striking and setting the hooks I expected the fish to burrow itself into the snag and for that reason I had set the drag tighter than normal. Though it had other plans as it exploded out of the snag and stormed upstream flat roding me with a tight drag, which my fingers couldn't loosen off quick enough and the hooks pulled. A few angry words with myself and I knew that chance was gone.
So as dusk drew in the barbel rods went out again and I decided to fish a rod in the main flow of the weir itself, speaking to Jon and Darren in the day I had managed to windle a few Spicy meat pro choppys. So with a barbel 5 flakey and SM pro choppy placed on the long hair I put a bait into the turbulent water. As darkness fell the isotope on the re-positioned rod disappeared into a blurring haze as the tip slammed over and I connected to a lively fish making every attempt to get itself amongst the snags either side of the swim, the net was soon slipped under the fish and she recovered in the margins. A quick photograph on the mat whist I removed the hook from the corner of her mouth and she was back on her way. This the first barbel I have caught away from the Trent/ Trent waterways, so all around a good result. The tips remained motionless throughout the night and into the morning.
Day 3 on the Kings weir stretch and I felt I had worked hard for the few fish I had banked, with pegs available I had arranged for Andrew (a lad I had met on the Trent the previous season) to come down and have a crack at the resident chub. After a quick catch up I left him and his mate Ben to it in their chosen pegs. As I started to pack my gear up and get it back to the car, a call from Andrew brought the welcome sight of his friend netting a lovely 6lb chub. Leaving the fishery I headed back up north and got home just as the light was fading, then the phone rang....'Hi Lewis its Andy, I have caught it, I have caught the big chub with the scar on its flank!!', I was over the moon for him, not only had he caught the biggest chub of the season out of the stretch but he had caught the biggest chub of the season at 8-05 reported in the UK this season. Receiving the pictures minutes later it was a beast of a fish and all credit to Andrew for out witting this lump with double maggot. You see alot of people on social media slate the capture of this fish when they have no perception of the fishery itself, 'it was once the best chub stretch in the country' yes but them days are long gone and the fish that are left are big and a damn sight more wary than most. Fair play Andrew and hats off to you well done mate!
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