It’s strange how things turn out. This week, what with a wedding midweek plus the TCF & Korum Competition winners day on the Severn l didn’t expect to get much fishing in so just planned an overnight session on Thursday in search of a 30 lbs plus pike.

The planned session arrived, however so did the high pressure, far from ideal for pike fishing. I arrived at my chosen destination at 2pm and spent the first couple of hours sunbathing in what seemed an Indian summer. I wasn’t expecting much but after an hour the drop of indicator hit the ground and a small jack fell to my sardine offering. As the light faded another came to the net plus three other takes, one dropped, one missed and the other fell of, a fish that felt quite reasonable. The sun dropped behind the trees and with it so did the temperature. Thank god l took a warm overwrap, as it must have been around five degrees next to the water along with a dense damp fog. Nothing happened during the night but soon after a recast at first light a low double came to the net. Two hours later and with dogs running everywhere it was time to leave.
I thought about returning but decided to head towards the River Kennet at Burghfield in hope of putting a chub or barbel on the Cemex Fish Challenge Competition. The session was mainly based around looking at the river and checking out some swims but knowing the stretch slightly l took a rod along. Arriving at 4pm my aim was to try around six to eight swims spending just thirty minutes in each. If l received a liner then this would be classified as a result and a returned visit planned. My hope was to get half a dozen going swims located and then try my River Loddon rotation system in them along with the method lead that had been so successful on the river. Would it work on the Kennet thou? The first swim failed to produce but the second didn’t and perfection in miniature sucked in my Sonubaits O-Pellet, all fourteen ounces of it! Seven more swims were visited producing three chub, the best 4lbs 11oz. The last swim l visited produced nothing, not so much as knocks from small fish. I suspected bigger fish were close by and although nothing happened a feeling came over me that l had to prime the swim and return at first light. Not being a morning person l surprised myself that l managed to get up as the alarm sounded and found myself back in the swim at dawn. Even the walk to the swim seemed hurried as l knew something was going to happen and it did as after just one minute of my bait being in the water the tip wrapped round and after a lengthy battle where the fish snagged me l managed to net a personal best Kennet barbel of 11lbs 2oz.
To say l left the water a happy man is an understatement and once again it goes to show never ignore your sixth sense!