On Monday and with the storm clouds building my mind was firmly fixed on a big eel. Travelling light l headed for a different stretch of the same Thames tributary that saw the downfall of a couple of monsters the year before. Finding the river extremely weedy l quickly had a lead around and found a clear spot within a swim I’d never fished before. Two rods were cast containing two lobworms plus a small pva bag full of maggots soaked in Sonubaits Action Crab and Crayfish dip. 11pm signalled the first bite, which came from a 5lb bream followed by a belter at 1am that had me thinking all the way to the net that l, was attached to the mother of all eels. Unfortunately the desired eel surfaced as a big barbel and at 11lbs 3oz was a welcome bonus fish.
The following evening was spent on Frensham but the all night session came to an end at midnight for two reasons. Firstly l was exhausted from the sleepless night before and with an easterly wind came a lack in rudd action. There was a spell at dusk when things looked good as a half a dozen rudd and tench came to the maggot feeder but by 11am all seemed quiet.
Returning on the Friday evening, things once again looked dismal as the entire going swims were taken. Slotting into a tight, rarely fished swim and after an absence of fish on the float a switch to the feeder at distance found some willing mouths including four tench along with half a dozen rudd, the best 2lbs 3oz. In the past if the rudd cant be found in close then it seemed they weren’t catchable but it seems that by spodding some Sonubaits hemp along with some maggots and fishing a feeder full of maggot and dry Supercruch Green a few fish can be tempted.
