5lb of Bait for 3lb of Fish

On Wednesday I took a slight detour on the way home from work via the river. I put about a pound or so of pellets into each of a couple of swims ready for Thursday's session. Thursday, when I arrived I added another pound or so in each swim. Then cast out and waited for the members of the huge shoal of barbel and/or chub to find my hook bait. I waited and waited and waited and waited.

 








While I was waiting I set about the Himalayan Balsam around the swim developing a nice nettle rash as I did. This, along with cups of tea and sandwiches failed to induce a bite. By mid-afternoon I was seriously pondering giving up. There'd been plenty of chub and the odd barbel around here previously. Had I overfed? Can you overfeed chub and barbel? A couple of other anglers wandered past, on their way back to their car. They'd had a very slow day on maggot with only a few bits to show for their effort. The best excuse we could come up with was a combination of the overnight drizzle and lunar eclipse.

 








Not long after they parted I got my first indication. A quick rattle of the rod tip. After leaving it a while I wound in to find the bait band had been cut. This happened three more time before I change to a hair rig. A far as I know there are no Crayfish along this stretch of river so what was happening I don't know. Not long after the hair rigged bait hit the bottom I had a proper bite which resulted in a rather apathetic chub of 3lb.

 








That was it,. I sat there until dark with no further bites. Nearly five pound of bait in exchange for a three pound fish. No what I was hopping for, but that's fishing.