Barry Smith's Fishing Journeys
Recent Catches from the River - March 2021
The Claydon Brook is still producing some nice chub. Both Steve Cory and Barry Smith have had a number of successful visits to the river over the last couple of weeks with Lenborough, The Coombs, Roman Bridge all producing good sized chub.
Following his trip on 1st March - Barry writes "After successfully catching chub on the Claydon Brook on bread decided a return visit with the roach pole. Fished at 12.5 meters to reach the far side brambles and fed maggots. 1g float with 14 hook with 2 maggots. First go resulted in a 2lb chub followed by 4 more in successive put ins. Finished with 13 chub to 5lb. A lovely afternoon."
Claydon Brook - 3rd January 2021 Session
Barry, our chairman, reports "It was a bleak January day with the river pace slowing after floods. Decided to take just a float rod to trot a few swims with bread on the hook. Managed to catch 7 chub the biggest about 5lb. Shame more people don’t give the river a try.
Roach Fishing - Woodfields
Click here for a guide to Roach Fishing at Woodfields with Barry Smith
Fishing - Leckhampstead Bridge
A small working party recenty spent some time clearing a few of the swims on the stretch known as "The Straight". Click here to view Barry Smith's video on Fishing Upstream of the bridge
Claydon Brook - 10th January 2021 Session.
Another brilliant session for Barry- 15 Chub in one outing.
"Lock down has given me an opportunity to try different types of fishing and venues from my normal match fishing. On this particular Sunday I had a choice of liquidised bread and punch bread for roach on pole or grab the bare essentials to roam the Claydon Brook for chub. I chose the latter so armed with my float rod, as much liquidised bread as I could find in the freezer, and slices for the hook. The Claydon Brook a tributary of the Ouse was starting to return to its normal level after recent floods and there was just a touch of colour.
I set up the float rod with a 2.5 gram loafer with a bulk shot and one dropper and for me a massive 12 barbless hook. The river here is proper upper river, meandering all over the place lot of swims to to go wow about. I always see bread as instant approach so when I got to a swim I would throw a tangerine size ball of liquidised bread and then follow with the float with a piece of bread about the size of ten pence on the hook. If after 4 or trots there no signs I'd move on. After a blank on the weir pool I found a swim where a pipe ran across the river with a few brambles over. A cast to the brambles and float moved a meter down the stream and then disappeared first chub about 3lb more liquidised and another cast and same result.
After 3 from this swim I decided to move on. There is 1.5 miles of river here so plenty more swims to try. A few blank swims till I came to a double bend the flow was sent straight across the river hitting the far bank where there was some brash and brambles, the liquidised bread put in at half way across, and I watch the ball head towards the cover, the river here was about 4 feet deep. First cast a better chub about 5lb more bread and more casts and more chub, 9 in total between 2 and 5lb well what a day the best way I caught was to run the float to cover by then holding back the chub just could not resist. Tried a a few more swims and with light fading and a long walk back to the car the count was 15, and a few that got away. The fish were in perfect condition but still I was left thinking their are there even more bigger chub in there. I will be back.
The day brought back so many memories of fishing the river Ouse system in my younger days. I promised myself a trip back also with a ledger rod and smelly cheese. Buckingham Angling club manage the river and even the main river, polluted several years ago, is returning with small chub. The Claydon Brook was not effected and along with the chub there is some great river roach, pike and perch fishing. Back in the day the river here was renowned for it specimen chub and perch not so common these days but certainly the fishing here has put plenty of smiles on my face."
Landing a Chub on the Upper Ouse
