Ice cold in Newbury
Following on from the outings of late in bitterly cold conditions, Reg and I decided that we were now hardened anglers and headed off to fish the Kennet just outside Newbury.
The weather was -5C overnight and so I made a later than normal start from Devon, not arriving until about 10.30, and it was still sub zero. The setting however was spectacular with a hoar frost having decorated the trees and it was like a picture postcard. We thought that chub would be the probable quarry in such conditions, and having taken advice from the river keeper, we headed to a pool below a small waterfall where carriers end. Reg picked one likely looking deeper hole fishing with a quiver tip and lobworm, and I fished my usual spam touch ledgering on the far side.
Reg quickly had a chub and then a trout, the latter being his personal best as he seldom fishes waters containing brownies. I had nothing. Then, a while later, he landed a really beautiful perch. I quickly changed to a paternoster rig and lobworm hoping to reduce drag and catch one of the stripeys.
After a few minutes I got my first bite and landed the splashy brownie. Then shortly afterwards, I felt the line tension increase and I was into a large fish which glided about before the hook pulled free. I told Reg if it wasn’t so cold I thought it would be a bream, when lo and behold, Reg lands a bream of nearly 6lb in absolutely superb condition, and some way over my personal best leaving me cussing about my loss to an unsympathetic Reg!
Sport then slowed, it was so cold that my fingertips could be cut off by the line as I touch ledgered and I wouldn’t feel a thing so I switched to trotting. This was another mistake, as the line kept freezing onto the rings and made bait presentation poor, and I had no more bites, whereas Reg persisted and caught a few more chub and trout.
As light fell, we packed up and went to the pub for the evening meal and planning the next days sport, trying different swims.
Even though the snow hadn’t thawed in the morning, the temperature had risen to freezing point, just enough to allow me to trot a float. I love trotting and will always do it where I can as the waters in Devon are far from ideal.
Reg fished a pool once featured in “Passion for Angling” with the same technique as previously. I adopted a more mobile approach having a trot through a swim for a few minutes, and if there was no action, moving on. This turned out to be my day.
After a couple of blank swims, I found a run about 6” deeper and here had three chub and four trout before moving on and catching trout at regular intervals throughout the day. Reg managed a solitary trout.
It really is staggering how sport can switch from one day to the next and the fortune can move from one angler to the other, but the sport is not totally about catching fish and we both had an excellent couple of days in pleasant surroundings sharing the usual fishing banter.
We also can’t finish the article without thanking Gary for his patience and advice without which we wouldn’t have seen or caught such pristine fish.