Sunday 3rd November - session on River Kenn

I was keen to get out this weekend whatever the weather as a result of 2 weeks away on holiday. There were no open river matches on (although I have been looking at options on the upper Thames for the future) so a text to Dean Harvey earlier in the week in order to see if the Frys river die hards were going to have a knock up on the Bristol Avon at Fry's, a reply back from Dean on the Friday confirmed that there was to be no 'knock up', the weather forecast was not good so I expect that had something to do with it. I ordered some caster anyway from Cadbury Angling http://www.cadburyangling.co.uk/ but was still unsure were to go, my thoughts were the Bristol Avon at Jack White, the River Kenn or Apex Lake at Highbrige. I didn't do any tackle prep as I am still decorating my youngest daughters bedroom. Sunday came,07:30 alarm, weather a bit blowly but more or less blue skies, the River Kenn it was to be. I stopped in Davis Lane near the motorway and climbed over a couple of stiles to look at the river, hardly any colour at all which was a bit of a surprise give the rain we had but the level had also been dropped by the EA. Wind was having a go and a cormorant gave me a fly past so decided to look down the bottom end. To cut a long story short I settled on peg 5, it was still blowly so decided just to set up a tip rod. Peg 5 is very firm and you can get down in the water without sinking into mud alough that did not stop me getting a boot full of water when setting up my box (doh), nice start. I mixed up about 2 kilo's of groundbait, a mix of Sensas Noire, Sensaa Match Blend and brown crumb. Caster and hemp to be put through the 20g feeder with 0.13 hooklength to a drennan size 18 feeder, simples. All set up with the view of swapping the hookbait between caster, worm and maggot or a combination. First cast and I joined the polish community with a 'krackoff', how did it happen? Set up again and cast two thirds over.

Set up on Peg 5 

I left it for about 2 mins, wound in an re-cast, immediate response to double maggot and a 5oz pertch was in the net, over the next hour a few more followed, the wind was making it difficult to see the bites.



View across from Peg 5

I was starting to get some wrap round bites but the maggots just came back smashed so I tighten right up after casting and started to get a few small roach which was ok but they were only about 1oz to 2 ozs. I ut in 3 big balls of groundbait down the middle at about 12:30 just in cast wind dropped and the pole could then be an option.

I kept plugging away casting across and managed a couple of nice hybrids plus odd perch on the worm. Caster on the hook was snatched on the drop and I did not have a chance of hitting the bites on the tip.

A guy came along dressed as a Ray Mears or Bear Grylls look alike with 2 black gun dogs (thanks for standing behind me on the high bank mate), I unpolitley told the dogs were to go in his company but he still stayed there. 'You catching silvers mate' yes I said (what else would I catch on the Kenn unless a 1,000 carp have been stocked). He remained for about 10 mins trying to have a conversation with me even though it was blowing a gale and I had 2 hoodies on.

At about 2 o'clock I cast the feeder down the middle where I had balled in and had another hybrid followed by some small roach, lots of bites. I can honestly say I have never had so many bites on the Kenn as I did today, had I been able to use the pole or waggler I would have bagged up. Just after 3pm I called it a day after a hail stone shower.

This was the result of my efforts, approx 5lb of bits. Not bad and a pity I could not fish the float.

Next Sunday is the Poppy Match on the Bristol Avon, got my ticket from Veals during the week and had a catch up while I was there with Jeff Reasons, 120 pegs and should be a sell out, pegging is  Newbridge and Crane section.

Really looking forward to it and perhaps need to have a lucky handshake with Tim Ford who has won it 5 times!!!