Lee Swords Fishing

Once again, I am thrilled to be able to offer you all the chance to read a cracking story based article by the illustrious chub angler and high quality bespoke bait producer Darren Mcann

Chub Grub

         By Darren McCann

The morning was just like countless others I had enjoyed recently as the warming rays from the sun projected shafts of light through the trees dappling onto the rivers surface like mini sparkles. A wispy mist rolled across the glassy surface, twisting and swirling like spindly ghosts making a hasty retreat to the bank side bushes, and I thought to myself what an absolutely fantastic morning. It felt great to be alive. I slowly sauntered my way up stream looking for a likely looking chub swim, and after a short while exploring, I passed some gentle flowing rafts of thick streamer weed and noticed a darker, deeper hole underneath the myriad of tree roots, that just had to be investigated. Just like the mist, I ghosted my way forward for a closer look, taking care so as not to betray my presence to man nor beast. There in front of me was my idea of complete ‘chub heaven’, with plenty of overhead cover, a deep gulley in the river bed that acted as a natural food larder, and just upstream was an overhanging branch that reached down through the water adorned with an impressive collection of flotsam and jetsam that broke the flow of the river creating a perfect slack….Brilliant. I have just got to spend some time in here!

After settling in to my new swim, the tranquillity was briefly broken by the sound of a ‘plop’ on the surface then all was quiet again. A big juicy lobworm wafted down through the crystal clear water and I thought to myself ‘’Now what self respecting chub could ignore such a tasty treat’’? But hang on, something was not quite right. I felt uneasy. I felt a stinging sensation in the left side of my face and I turned around to see what was causing the pain. Like a bolt out of the blue I was hurled forward and panic set in as I made a hasty retreat back up my swim. I could not fathom what the hell had just happened and indeed, I was fighting to try to gain some self control. Without warning my eyes started to burn in the bright sunlight and I felt that I could not breathe properly and started to panic and gasp for air. Heart racing and feeling like my time was up, I found myself writhing about in the long meadow grass and I tried my utmost to right myself but just could not do it. I flinched when I suddenly felt a hand under my shoulders help lift me up from the grass.

Suddenly the pain in my face stopped and I felt an enormous sense of relief, but as I peered through blurry eyes I was shocked to find myself staring into the face of an angler. Well, it was all I could do but flip around in his hands for all I was worth and my flanks started to sting as I slapped against his hands. Cradled in his grip he gently lowered me back into the water and I took in a much needed gulp and let the oxygenated water flow past my gills. After what seemed like an age I felt his grip release around my body, so with one almighty push I kicked with my tail and I surged out into the flow and made a beeline straight for the bank side cover under the weed raft.

 

For ages I just lay there motionless under the weed raft pondering over what had just happened  I could not figure it out, how did my world turn upside down so quickly and how did I end up in such a hostile, alien environment? Deliberating on this my mind started to wander and I started to get confused and lost track of where I was. Slurping in a passing slug I started to make my way for more familiar territory when I felt a searing pain in my mouth. In a fleeting moment the penny finally dropped…. Ohhh nooo.