Sunday 3rd November - Chew Valley Lake

I was booked in to fish an Open on the Bristol Avon at Swineford but a text from organiser Dean Harvey notified me it was cancelled. No surprise really as I have been keeping an eye on the levels all day. The banks on some of the pegs can be quite steep so good call for safety reasons.

I pondered over a few options.....the K & A but couldn't get a day ticket until 9am. Durleigh Res probably too many carpers. Bristol Docks too many people walking around.  I eventually decided on Chew Valley Lake for another bit of "fluff chucking ".

I already had the rod set up with two red dawl bachs and a green one so it didn't take long to load up the following morning.

A reasonable day was forecast with light winds. I got to the Lodge around 9 am and got my ticket. I decided to try the Lodge Bank first as there is a decent depth close in but at the moment you can still wade out a few yards.

The sky was a little overcast but due to brighten up later.

The bank on Lodge is nice and solid with stones in wire cages to protect it from erosion unlike the North Bank where I was earlier in the week.
As I was putting my gear down a fish topped no more than 30 yards out.

I wadded out up to waist deep and fixed the bank stick with the landing net on it into the lake bed then went back to get the rod, I was the only one on Lodge Bank which is unusual but there were quite a few boats out.

I had my first pull around 20 minutes in and hit it. Lovely fit rainbow which gave a great battle as it took the point fly at distance.

Another angler turned up and started fishing about 40 yards to my right, he took a fish quite quickly.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted another angler coming down the bank behind me...Mr. Currie..how are you he said...it was Steve Ball who I know from the Bristol and West Federation of Anglers and who also follows my blog.

Steve had read my earlier post about my day out on the North Bank and went there first but didn't have a pull, he also had been on Whalley Bank but know luck there either. He had a look at my fish, sat and had a chat and then went up near the boat jetty to try his luck.

The wind got up a little and was blowing right to left toward the bank so I had a few casts paraell to it and soon was playing another decent fish.

Steve came back about an hour later and asked if I had any more. I told him I had another, he hadn't had any luck and headed home to work on his motorcycle.

It was quiet for the next 90 minutes but on the retrieve about 2 rod lengths out I had a really violent take and had to give the fish a lot of line. What a scrap, it was a long lean fish but another angler weighed it for me and it registered 4lb 8ozs.

I had another smaller fish around 1lb 8ozs but let it go after landing it.

So a nice day after all.

Poppy match next Sunday but may go up on the Gloucester Canal in the week.