First session of the 2010 season on the River Eden

It was great to get back to the river after a long closed season. I decided to go down to the river Eden for the afternoon to try catch a few chub. I was slightly worried about the current stock of the Eden due to the sighting of an otter last season. I headed down to my usual starting swim in the free stretch carrying a loaf of bread and spicy luncheon meat. The river was very shallow and overgrown making most of the swims in-accessible. I flick my bread fake out beyond the sunken Lilly's close to where I saw a fish move. On the second cast the rod tip wrapped around and I was in. After a powerful run the fish tired quickly and I netted it first time. It was huge and pulled my new Rubens around to 5lb 2oz and a new personal best. Little did I know that I would be in for the session of a lifetime. After this fish the swim became quite so I decided to move. The weather was hot with a cool breeze and so I decided to fish the weir pools. I don't usually fish the weirs as they normally contain the smaller chub collecting food in the current but because It was a hot day I presumed that the fish would be in these colder oxygenated areas. Above left: 3lb chub from the weir on spicy luncheon meat. I managed a small fish from the weir before deciding to fish the other weir further up-stream which is slightly deeper. On my first cast with a piece of luncheon meat on a size 8 longshank the rod bent around and I was in. This continued on for about an hour and I caught 14 chub from this one weir. It was amazing fishing with at least nine over 3lb one of about 4lb and four of about 2lb. Right: The weir in which I had fourteen chub
After catching an amazing amount of goo sized chub from the weir I decided to go back to the other weir and fish the deeper water. I dropped my bait out 2 feet in front of me and within seconds I was in. This continued and I caught another 6 or so chub. One went 4lb and the others around three. To top the day off I saw some chub in the shallow water surfacing. I threw in some bread crust and they surfaced again. I decided to take the lead shot of my mainline and float bread crust trotting it down the current. I missed a few bites when finally one surfaced and I was in. The fish was only around 2lb but catching one on the surface must be the ultimate way to catch chub. What a day. Above left a 3lb weir chub and above right the swim from which I caught the 5lb 2oz personal best. Right: a 4lb chub caught two feet from the bank. Below: My PB chub 5lb 2oz. All these pics were self takes and many of the other pics had half my head cut off!!!!!!!!!


Tight lines