With the mild temperatures continuing I decided to head to the River Loddon after work on Friday. After battling through the rush hour traffic I arrived at the river well after dark. I headed for an area where I had netted a good chub the week before in the hope of some further action.

I decided to deposit a couple of bait droppers of Super Scent Hemp and maggots into the swim.  Moulding Sonubaits Hemp & Hali Crush groundbait around my leads and using big bunches of maggots for hook baits it wasn’t long before I started getting indications of fish feeding in the swim.  The first bite of the evening produced a small chub of around 3lbs.  Three further bites produced chub weighing 4lb 12oz, 5lb 1oz and 5lb 4oz.

I was back on the river Saturday for a short session after dark.  Using the same approach my first two bites resulted in eels weighing 3lb and 3lb 4oz.  Then at last it happened and the tip wrapped round and a barbel was on.  After a slow but dogged fight lasting 15 minutes the fish surfaced and was slipped into the waiting net.  It looked a good one and the scales confirmed a very fat 14lb 4oz barbel.  Whilst netting the fish the downstream rod bent round in the rests, which resulted in a smaller sample of 7lb 14oz. 

After a roast dinner late Sunday afternoon I headed back to the river.  Temperatures were predicted to fall but I was still in a confident mood.  I had to wait until well after dark when the upstream rod signaled a bite and a 10lb 6oz barbel was brought over the net.  An hour latter and a smaller sample weighing 7lb 10oz made the chilly evening a worthwhile one.