A mixed day ending with four barbel, four chub and three common carp (two small) but the frustration was that several decent fish got off and many, many bites were missed. Alternated with short pole and method feeder but only one serious pull on the latter that looked like a line bite.
The first fish hooked was a decent barbel but appeared to be foul hooked and came off under the pole tip. Big fish were in the swim for an hour or so around 3.30 pm but all came off early in the fight, including a snap off. One in particular was going like a train.
I'm starting to have doubts about bacon grill as a bait, as, although popular with the fish, they seem to have no trouble stealing it however it is hooked. As on other trips there were any number of lighting bites that were impossible to hit, some of which may have been shot bited from fish looking for hemp. Worm or meat/worm cocktail was more successful plus one fish on worm/sweetcorn.
The chub moved in heavily towards dusk. Unlike the barbel, they are nothing like their river equivalents - elongated with soft, slimy flanks and above all soft, flabby mouths. Nothing like the hard-fighting ones I once caught in the Trent, which were at times impossible to unhook without a disgorger, so tough were their mouths.
In retrospect i think these chub may have been ide, which I didn't realise had been introduced for some time.
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