Back to work and with an important project that needs finishing not entirely worried regarding my Stour campaign, as the weather seems to be getting worse.

Having a couple of features needing completing by the end of the following week for Cemex Angling l really wanted to create a cold water, short feeding spell article on a couple of lakes, but this is out of the question in such artic conditions so a river was needed.

The River Blackwater is a tiny, relatively short-lived river, which has received very little press in the past. As a last resort l found myself on its banks trying to catch whatever this unmolested river held, and what a surprise was in store. Three short sessions revealed an area behind the famous ‘Summer Pit’ that looked promising. Adapting a roving style of angling with breadflake as hookbait the first two sessions produced eight moderate chub, but at least it was sport.

The final session on Friday, in artic conditions of minus three l cast my bait within a swim, soon hooking a fish first thought to be a barbel. When a couple of huge white lips appeared l knew it was a fish of significance and bundled it into the net. Not the stamp of a Stour monster but for such a tiny river and weighing 5lbs 15oz it certainly is in the same league and probably a river record for the species. A further two swims produced another two chub making a very rewarding few short sessions.

Looking at the weather, its at long last on the change so Sunday lm of to Longham on the Stour plus try and get on the Thames for the perch with a few days at Lynch Hill promised from my good friend Michael Townsend the following week.