There is only one venue on my mind at present and that’s the Stour and at long last I found myself on its bank over the Christmas period.

The first session was really to get a feel for ‘Beat 2’ and if a fish fell then I would consider it a bonus. Knowing the banks would also be busy meant that I would bump into the odd angler and hopefully extract some information as well as see how they were fairing. Arriving rather late in perfect conditions, mild, still, overcast with the water-colour taking on a nice green hue I roved around dropping in seven swims.

Offering bread flake it soon became apparent that this was the standard method as most swims showed signs of bread left from around a dozen other anglers moving around. The second swim produced bites, however I soon realised that these fish are switched on as I couldn’t quite get a feel for when was the best time to strike as all I got was pulls and rattles. I did briefly make contact with a fish but the hook pulled, bugger. A pike took a liking for my feeder in another swim whilst I did get signs of interested fish in three others, so these will be revisited tomorrow. The odd chub was caught by the other anglers but no reports of monsters.

Returning the following day well before dawn, I managed to drop into one of the banker swims and after just twenty seconds the tip pulled round and probably the smallest chub from Throop graced my net. All I wanted to do was shout yes, but at just a pound and a half it would have been somewhat overkill, but at least I was of the mark. Moving upstream I soon realised I’d lost a seven quid isotope but was quickly rewarded with a thirty pence discorger, oh yes it was going to be my day! Luckily their were few other anglers around, which allowed lots of swims to be fished and after some fifteen swims visited, my returns were three more chub, all big ones, the best a shade over three pounds!

I feel disappointed that after working, probably the best chub stretch in the country, over two days that my best chub wasn’t even worthy of weighing. Another day, four chub may well result in at least one over six, but that’s angling. My approach over the last two days has been based around bread, but although I feel more than competent doing this, I just feel these fish see this day in, day out, and are quite cute to this approach. Never one to go against the grain, and what has been written before, maybe these fish may just become mugs for something different so watch this space over the next few weeks. Over the two days I also realised just how important it is to hold your rod at all times, as on the second day, and after holding my rod almost all day, the one time I did drop my guard saw the best bite of the session missed. I did also miss another bite from doing nothing wrong, but taking a positive from each missed chance, those swims will be revisited.

They say the Stour is addictive, well I can’t wait to get back, although with a slightly different approach. This weekend I will be taking a look at the free stretch at Longham, as my good friend ‘Mr Blobby’ is keen to look at the pike potential, for me, well should I have to say, its chub.
Christmas Eve I started to put some bait into two lakes on the Cemex Yateley Complex in the hope that a few bream will respond allowing a couple of features to be completed before mid January. The lakes are nice and local so if I can get down every two or three days it should be enough to create a response once the weather turns milder.

Friday I managed just this and decided to give one of the lakes a few hours the following day. Saturday the temperature was just 2.5 degrees when I arrived but between 3-45pm and 4-40pm I received three takes, unfortunately two were missed and one was bumped, at least they are, there!

Sunday we are of on our planned trip to the Stour at Longham. The temperature was below freezing when we left and struggled to rise into positive figures all day. Blobby caught a pike and missed one whilst I took the opportunity to watch a couple of Ringwood match angler’s fish the waggler and maggot. Luckily these guys were willing to extend a wealth of knowledge on the river and I left a happy angler later that day. Whilst other anglers and tactics failed both these anglers caught the odd chub so on Monday I’m of to Throop with maggots and a waggler rod.

Trying to get a full day in this week is out of the question due to family commitments, so with dinner booked Monday evening I headed back down to the Stour and took a long walk along Beat 3 knowing I had to leave well before the ‘witching hour’. Having been put onto a few areas I managed to locate these and actually cast a waggler in most, however no bites came. The weather is freezing and with an overnight temperature of minus four the early start was called off, so I only fished for four hours in the middle of the day, not the best but this trip was what I call, doing my homework. As I packed up the bailiff turned up and was extremely helpful even revealing his seven-pound swim!
 
Friday morning allowed a few hours before the next family gathering so instead of driving the 150-mile round trip to the Stour for just four hours, I decided to spend it on the Loddon. In need of a confidence boost I roved around seven swims taking three chub to 4lbs 7oz plus a bonus roach. All were taken on bread flake in conjunction with a tiny cage feeder containing liquidised bread.

Saturday, and with temperatures dropping off sharply overnight the early start was delayed once more. Leaving at 8am the car thermometer showed a chilling minus seven and a half approaching Winchester so my optimism for catching wasn’t that high. I decided to take a look at another stretch of the Stour at Parley but after talking to a guide who was fishing, I moved back to Beat 2 and walked upstream of School Bridge. My friend, the matchman was once again fishing and after a brief conversation I moved into an area upstream that he recommended. It was now around midday and with lots of other anglers around decided to stay put and feed the swim. Unfortunately no bites came over the next four hours but my waggler fishing skills are coming along. An angler upstream landed what looked like a big chub, as I was packing up so at least I’ve found an area that looks promising.

Sunday morning the temperature reads minus four at 10am and with a couple of hours available headed for the Loddon. Unfortunately with five other anglers moving around my thoughts were of a blank and that’s exactly what happened, although I did miss a bite.