Mepps made for Chub

 Biggest Chub of season at estimated over 4lb on the Mepps again on Somerset Frome. Plenty of small Perch and smaller Chub all willing to take the lure. Thought I’d spooked a shoal of big Chub but cast ahead and drew the spinner through the group. Bang and a big scrap ensued. Beast of a chevin.

Crazy Perch fest on the Mepps

Yet another red letter day for Perch on Somerset Frome. Absolute stunning Perch on large Salmon Mepps gracing the net. Later in the year this fish would be going well over 3lb. Lots of other smaller Perch, Pike and Chub making a cracking day on the river.

 

What’s this not more spinning on the Mepps

The Mepps didn’t disappoint again today with Chub, Perch and Brown Trout taking the spinner. Again out on Somerset Frome downstream of the previous weekends exploits. Big surprise today wasn’t the Perch but an absolute beast of a Brownie. It launched around the river like a Salmon and in the net I could see was my biggest Brown Trout for some years. Conservatively over 17 inches and 2.5lb of muscle with full on kype jaw.

Plenty of action after the trout from Chub and Perch but just not in the same league. Another cracking days lure fishing. Kind of feel odd I didn’t catch the trout on fly but I would have never fly fished that section of river for trout so it would have never come to pass!

Something different getting to grips with the Mepps

Well whilst enjoying the trout fly fishing I was really looking to to tap into some coarse fishing now the season had opened if not on fly then lure fishing. I wanted to catch primarily Chub but both Perch and Pike would not disappoint me. My favourite spot on Somerset Frome was the location and met up with Red who I had also sounded out for a change to the usual fly gear. Within a couple of casts with the Mepps XD I’d had a knock but lost the Perch close to the net. After moving upstream I found a hollow around a submerged tree and dropped the spinner in after a powerful riffle. As I retrieved from the willow branches a large fished launched at the lure and gave one hell of scrap. In the net it was a lovely Chub getting on for 4lbs.

Red had caught a number of smaller Chub in a small fast run. As we worked upstream next fish was a fine Perch netted by Red followed by another by me, both fish nearing if not 2lb. The action was non stop with both Perch and Chub taking the Mepps with abandonment.

We then drove a mile or so downstream to try another section of the Somerset Frome where we knew both Chub and Perch were abundant. After a couple of nice 1/2 lb Perch I hooked an absolute monster that took me all over the pool I was fishing. In the net I could see it was over 3lb easily my PB. As I stared in awe at the fish it buried itself in the net and found a hole in the seam I was just not aware of so no photo unfortunately but I have the memory! As the day wore on my final fish was a nice jack Pike in a shallow run. Epic days lure fishing, the Mepps is king!

It’s been a while - high rivers, loss of mojo but finally back on the Pike

I’ve finally got back in the fishing habit. As the first glimpse of spring is shedding light on the Snowdrops and the water is falling I have found my way back to the river. The Pike have been clinging the bottom so deep sinking lines have been required. A couple of nice fish have been in the net both taking a weighted fly. It’s nice to be back!

Pike elation tinged with some sadness..

Roving trip to Somerset Frome strictly fluff chuckers only this time with Red and I targeting initially the Chub and then the Pike. The Chub elusive as I tested some bread, maggot and traditional flies in the clear water. Not as easy as a dry fly session in the summer when the naturals are providing some encouragement. I felt a tub of liquidised bread would have gone well with my foam flies but it is not really cricket and I might just as well have moulded a piece of cheesy dough to the hook. Anyway no success in the absence of some nice smelly bait prompted a quick change to the predatory gear and a trace. As we explored the Frome we came across a dying fish pretty lifeless on one of the shallow runs. On closer inspection it was a Barbel of about 4lb pretty much intact save a number of puncture marks around the head and eyes. Such a shame the first Barbel in my hand on the Frome a dead or dying one. I held it in the flow to try and get some life into its limp body but to no avail. I concluded it had only recently been the target of bird attack - Heron, Goosander or Cormorant. 

A bit later on another large fish lay in a shallow run this time without a head, it was a small Pike. The culprit here was either another Pike or mammal (Otter or Mink). Back to the fishing and it was proving hard despite the river looking in good form with great clarity to work the fly. My first bit of action came as a good 1.5lb+ Perch chased the lure in to the bank. It stopped, I imparted two quick jerks, it swallowed the lure completely, I struck hit resistance but the hook pulled. A lesson learnt  - if you hit a snag and pull the hook free check the bend. I had been fishing with a hook had that had opened and it cost me a good fish. Incidentally this Perch was in exactly the same pool as a fine Perch I had netted back in the summer. My last stop saw a change in fly to a 8cm Brown and White Bass fly from eBay. I worked it down the edge of some sunken willows and suddenly struck resistance. A slow dogged fight saw a nice Pike in the net with a heavy stomach, probably my biggest so far on the fly at just under double figures I would estimate.

Another Chubtastic session on Somerset Frome

A misty morning across the Bristol Avon catchment and the rivers were in fine condition after copious amounts of rain and a short spell of settled, fairly dry weather. The levels were within normal but high with the colour just dropping. Not quite enough clarity to make the fly the obvious choice so if I needed an excuse to run the stick float through some of my favourite runs this was the time. James, my youngest, had brought his Christmas whip which was only really feasible in the back eddies of some of the biggest pools. To my surprise whilst I blanked for the first 20 minutes in the main flow James caught a lovely miniature Roach and Dace close to the bank. First swim then went quiet. After testing a few other swims trotting the stick we finally settled on a long straight run ending in a bend. It was approximately 6' even depth with steady flow.  It was not long before we got re-acquainted with one of the resident big Chub. After a head banging struggle and a couple of burrowing runs to the bank it was in the keepnet (James' Christmas present number two!). For the next couple of hours James and I literally bagged up netting at least a dozen good sized Chub between 2-4lb.

Usual tackle of 6lb fluro attached to size 6 hook and a generous cheese paste blob. In most circumstances a positive hook up would result for leaving the float to dive away for few seconds. An immediate strike would often return the bait in a moulded shape crushed by the larynx of the Chub but without fish. I left in disbelief of how this stretch of river can sustain such a density of large fish. My thoughts turned to new year planning and what great fun a focussed a session on the fly in the summer would be. It was also good to see a couple of other anglers on the bank during the Christmas break.

In praise of Chub on the Somerset Frome

Well I had checked the river levels in the morning and although high the rivers were falling. So I headed off to the lower Somerset Frome with Pike fly rod and back up float gear for Chub in hand. On arriving I could see the river was up and coloured unfishable from a fly or lure perspective. I reached for the stick float and put my faith in the Chub. The day was bright after a period of prolonged heavy rain. I set off for miles trying every back eddy on the stick float feeding each swim with liquidized bread. The current was racing through and I was conscious I needed to get my cheese paste to penetrate the depths. It was tough to start and I only had size 6 hooks so it was go big or go home. Lots of bites from smaller fish, I guessed they were Dace or possibly Roach, but I was not connecting. I had avoided the weir pools thinking the fast flowing water would not be the best in such conditions. This was a bad move as in the last hour I fished the tail of one of the biggest weir pools. The expanse of water was actually dissipating the flow and the float was running nicely at about 5' deep on the edge of the crease to the main channel. Within a few minutes first Chub of about 3lb was on the bank after a lunging fight with the fish breaking water several times. I caught four Chub all within the 2.5lb-3lb bracket on a generous lump of cheese paste and would have continued if I hadn't run out of bait. The Chub were in fine condition and I have to say this stretch of Avon Tributaries Somerset Frome is a cracking fishery.

Winter Chub on the Somerset Frome

Having a young son who is keen to catch just about everything has inspired me to branch out with my fishing. Today we set out to catch Chub and have a little dabble at Pike on the fly if that wasn't successful. It has been a long time since I had prepped bait for the next day but I diligently liquidised some bread and made up a quick and easy cheese paste. The paste was effectively cheddar, a bit of the liquidised bread and some clover to bind. We headed to a lovely stretch of the Somerset Frome on the Avon and Tributaries ticket which I knew was frequented by Chub. First swim and a few handfuls of liquidised bread were thrown in. Literally second or third cast and the stick float slid away. After a lethargic struggle our first Chub was in the net and it was a fine fish of I would estimate over 3lbs. James was made up with such a large fish from what he called a shallow river. A few more casts with missed bites and we moved on.

Second swim slightly deeper and slower. Same method few handfuls of bread and let the stick float trot down with a size 6 hook and generous blob of cheese paste. Another clonking Chub in the net. We caught 4 decent sized fish one of which James did all the work on so it was so really rewarding for him on his little 8' Shakespeare all purpose rod.

After the bites dried up I made a few casts with the fly rod and tempted a Pike of 5lb from the bottom. Unfortunately it did not make it to the net and shook the single hook on the surface. We then moved locations and spent the dying hours of day in little mill pool run where James bagged a half a dozen smaller Chublets. He actually enjoyed this more than catching the big ones as it was quick fire instant reaction fishing. A great way to spend a dull miserable Saturday, anything but for us!

Its raining and more Perch on the Frome

It had rained persistently for some 24 hours and unbelievably the water was up and coloured on the usual trout beats so we headed way down on the Frome and its confluence with the Avon. The Avon was absolutely clogged with weed after the low water spell and almost unfishable by any method other than float. A few Chub were showing in the Frome amongst the rannuculus but none taking the fly. Switch of tactic to the lure and finding some structure managed to tempt a few Perch again on strip of fluro fur with weighted fish head. First a nice fish of about 1lb followed by few smaller brothers. No pike though.

No particular plan turns in to Perch fest

Met up with Red to fish Frome on Avon Tribs ticket. Another baking morning as this summer of all summers continues. Plan was coarse on the fly in some form, whether that was Chub on the dry or Pike on lure, not absolutely sure but something away from our usual trout. Red was first to connect and landed a nice Pike almost on his first cast using a leech fly without a trace. I had a Chub take the dry but failed to get it to the net.  I swapped to lures, added the trace and started to explore the gaps between the weeds. Almost at the point of giving up I hooked a good fish which until I got in the net thought was a Pike. It turned to be a stonking Perch, not my PB, but not far off and not shy of 2lb I would guess. It took the fly deep beneath the sub surface leaves of the lillies. Red caught a couple of smaller Perch on his Leech fly which really seemed effective in UV black dubbing. The Frome incidentally looked wonderful with Gudgeon, fry and Minnow teeming beneath our feet. Those wily old Chub, until next time!

Fly fishing for Pike on the Frome

Nothing quite like a bit of piking when the pumpkins come out. Spent day guesting on Avon & Tribs on the Frome. A lot of fish about but only two coming to hand or net with Red and I catching a fish a piece. Mine just about 5lb but his probably just shy of double figures. I did connect with two other fish, one a particularly good fish which I had on for quite some time before it shook the hook. Sometimes I think the teeth just get caught up on the fly and that is why its not a solid hook up. Great day in lovely setting.