Two club chub

Date fished 12/10/2024

7.15am until 12.30pm

The BBC weather app was now behaving. It was not showing 16 thousand mile an hour winds, so with 0% chance of rain until 2pm, I headed south. The Swale at Morton my target. 

A few days ago, I started planning for this trip. With recent rain, the river would be up but fishable. The freezer was still full of breadcrumb so I decided to turn it into something more substantial! 

Cheesepaste made I was ready. I am a member of two clubs that have water at Morton. There may be others, but I am not sure. There would be no casting just to mid river for me. 😉

I arrived at the river and sat in the car with a cup of coffee and ate my second breakfast. All very civilised. The first swim to fish was a stones throw away, so I waited for the light to get that little bit brighter. 

The river looked spot on. High, maybe dropping but definitely good for a fish. I cast my ledgered cheesepaste into the slack and waited. 

This swim only produced a snag and a lost hooklink, so did the next swim. This was not going well. 

I walked on upstream. I got to a sign that declared the end of this clubs stretch. I am a member of the other club, so hopped over and continued on my way. I am no longer able to fish the opposite bank. The first club no longer have rights. I looked at past swims I had caught in. Particularly noting "9lb bay" where Davey had a 9lb pike from many years ago. It made me smile as I walked on past. 

The third swim I tried I really like. I had my first ever touch ledger caught chub on curried meat. Its a swim I am fond of. I sat and watched the constant taps on my meat (I had switched baits), I think I knew what was happening. 

Ronnie or Reggie

I then walked to a big bend, I have fished here unsuccessfully in the past, why should today be any different? 

I cast in the ledger and nothing. I watched a small pike, about 25cm, come up to the surface, look around and then slowly drift down to the depths. ( If it had been 25 lb not cm, I would of called you Tom! )

It was 9.04. I decided to take off the weight and free line a big lump of cheesepaste. I would give it until 9.15 and then I said I would move on. I had left my coffee, lunch and third breakfast in the car. I had to drive to the next set of swims, so this was planned, not forgotten. 

The clock had not hit ten past when I watched the line tighten. I tightened up and was soon playing a small chub. I am being generous with myself if I say 2lb. Definitely the smallest I have had on ledger on this stretch, a sign for the future. A blank saver anyway!! 

The success made me make one more cast and add 20 mins to the timer. All this did was mean the rain started. 0% huh!?! It was quite heavy, I trudged through the rain back to the car. A sheep had its head stuck in a wire fence. Looking around for Little Bo Peep, she was nowhere to be seen. The sheep had dented the ground it had been there a while. I put my kit down and walked over to help. The thought of me helping was enough for the sheep to wiggle with increased vigor and was soon free. Glad I didn't need to manhandle it, not sure what I would of done, I walked on even wetter but a little bit smug. 

Back at the car for third breakfast and a cup of coffee and I watched the rain slowly stop. Enough time to briefly chat to two other anglers, who had pike success, and I was soon driving to the next spot. 

I parked again and got 'everything' this time to take with me. See, there was logic with eating stuff before. Less to carry! I also left my sunglasses and cap. I would not need them. I headed down the track to the river. 

I came to a swim I have another fondness of. I got snapped up by something in here years ago. Something big. I never saw it, but I always wonder. 30 minutes here today with just a few knocks, I wonder if they were fishy or with claws!?! I moved downstream. I played in a few swims, but I knew where I wanted to fish. 

The big bend! It's a washing machine of flow going both ways, around in circles and every which way but loose. I had been using weights and feeders in all swims since catching the free lined chub. Here, I took the weight off again, it's not needed in the washing machine.

I cast in and sat back. Within 10 minutes the line started to tighten and I was in again. The 7ft rod, I thought I was going to be casting close in behind bushes and in slacks, looking silly playing a fish in open water. It did the business though and it was soon in the net. At 4lb 10oz, a much better fish. 

The clock had not hit midday yet. I sat back and watched the water. The sun came out and I took off my big coat. Ironically the sunglasses and cap would of been good, but I settled for a sarnie! 

I had caught a chub from each of the clubs water I belong to here, so I figured that was enough. The pike anglers had walked past, so I went and told them the washing machine was free and they could jump in. 

A 20 minute walk uphill to the car and I was certainly warm when I popped the boot and loaded my kit in. A successful few hours spent reminiscing about swims and washing machines. Now back home to the reality!