LOCKDOWN'S CHUB BONUS

Lockdown saw everyone at home a lot more. With time off school and dad at home, this gave us time to spend together we wouldn’t normally get.

We spent our time watching Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing with my dad teaching me some of the tricks of trade, ready for when we where allowed back out. When the time came we went to the River Blackwater, on Shepherds Meadow, on the Berkshire- Hampshire border, and put all I had learned into action. I caught a few small perch, chub, roach and small barbel.

On my Christmas list this year I asked for some new fishing gear. I must have been on Santa’s good list, as I got my wish, spending a few days and New Year's Eve tying and practising making my own rigs with my new gear.

My dad and I went down to the river to test them out. After catching some small roach and chub in the morning, the rod tipped and the line took off down the river, almost taking my rod with it.

Grabbing the rod, I knew it was bigger than anything I had ever caught from the river before, so getting snagged in the reeds wasn’t ideal, but I’ve watched enough Mortimer & Whitehouse with my dad to know that you: “Don’t wind”.

So, walking the line back and round I finally got the line free and walked it into the net.

Bringing it on to the bank, we could see it was a big chub, topping the scales at 5lb.

My dad also had another big chub out the river at 4lb 1oz, not as big as mine, which I remind him of daily.

What a sense of achievement, catching this on home tied rigs with maggots and cheese. I couldn’t be happier, what a great way to start the New Year.