In the middle of last week Aidan and I returned to the river Thames, the scene of his recent triumphs and found the river flowing a little stronger but still in perfect condition. The method was the same as on his first visit but this time he was equipped with a more powerful rod, the Shimano Specialist that I had used on my last visit. After the usual half a dozen casts with maggots in the feeder and no hook length just to get some feed into the swim I fitted the same short, five and a half pound hook length and baited the size fourteen hook with three maggots.

I cast the feeder into the usual spot and we sat back and waited. Nothing happened for about an hour, despite about six recasts with the feeder refilled and I began to wonder if the fish had become wary of the short hook length. I then lengthened the hook length to four feet to place the baited hook well away from the feeder in what the fish may well consider to be a safer area, the next cast resulted in a sharp pull on the tip and the usual drop back bite.

Aidan lifted the rod and bullied the fish away from the far bank roots as I had shown him. The fish weighed four pounds ten ounces.

The next fish was a monster at six pounds five ounces and took all of Aidan’s newly learned skills to keep it out of the many snags on the far bank. This is a huge fish for a fifteen year old lad and only an ounce below my best chub.

6lb 5oz chub for Aidan

The last fish of the day was five pound fourteen ounces, making his two day total of chub up to six, four of which were over five pounds.

I don’t think he yet realises how lucky he has been!

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