Severn Stoke - 28th February 2015

Well, it's been quite some time since my last trip out on the river, with the weather being all over the place over the last few months. I'm not really one for fishing in freezing conditions, and it's never usually conducive to good barbel fishing anyway.

A good looking Lower Severn

Saturday though, brought the promise of a better chance, so I trotted off to Severn Stoke once more. Severn Stoke, as those of you who are probably familiar, isn't an easy stretch of water, in fact it's very difficult indeed, but this length of river keeps calling me back. Big fish live here. And that's the reason I keep going back.....for the chance of a big Severn fish.

The river on the day was eight feet up, a good colour, and a promising temperature of 7.2c, not too bad considering the temperature was only 3c a few weeks previously. I opted to fish pellet on both rods, one with elips, and another with two 'Pellet O's' in spicy sausage. Unfortunately, as is often the case with this intriguing venue, my approach failed on both rods, and a four hour session ended in a blank.

I spoke to another two anglers later who were fishing above the car park, who also seemed to be on the way to their own blank sessions, I suspect the water isn't quite warm enough just yet, and as the angler I spoke to said, "you visit Severn Stoke more in hope than expectation", and that probably is a fair comment.

In hindsight, I should have fished the middle river after such a long break, perhaps the chance of shoal fish, or maybe the Warks Avon, which I always do well on in winter. Never mind.....luckily for me I have the last week of the season off work, so I shall look forward to telling tales of huge barbel on here then!