FM Ribble Winter Chub Fish-in VII

The Seventh Ribble Fish-in

Cartoon by Lee Swords

It's always a dilemma re how much information to post prior to the event; do I tell it as it is and possibly put one or two off or do I con everyone into turning up by saying you are all sure to bag up?

Well the last thing I want is for people to make a long trip up north, or across the Pennines, only to be disappointed. So come Friday night everyone knew it was going to be difficult and when I saw snow on the fells up here in the Dales, I just thought 'shit', that is the last thing we want.

Calm before the storm

Nevertheless, there is one thing I know about the regular FM Ribble Fish-in lads: they're always up for a challenge as well as the crack in the pub after the fishing.

I arrived at the pub about 10:30 am to find half a dozen lads already there, along with Wendy who was beaming all over her face and ready to give it her best shot regardless of the weather. By 12-o-clock, the half dozen had swollen to over fifteen and everyone was up for it. Although this was our lowest turn out of the seven fish-ins it was still an excellent effort bearing in mind the weather (and boy did it get rough around dusk!) with high winds, rain and hail and that was only half of it. The Ribble also did its best on more than one occasion to dump a few anglers on their backsides and a few almost tumbled into the river.

Ron Clay

The normal convention at a Ribble Fish-in is that during the first hour and half in the pub time is spent dividing into small groups, discussing tactics, as well as the usual micky-taking, and catching up on recent gossip. Evening meals are ordered and those who are staying over book into the bunkhouse. By 12:30 there were 15 anglers in 6 small groups ready to hit the river. While all this was taking place the landlady had laid on a huge pot of tea for the lads, Andy Nellist and myself helped ourselves to a big bacon butty, and Wendy entertained us with a rather frightening but entertaining story about a holiday she'd spent in a foreign place she made us all swear not to repeat.

Lovely Ribble Grayling

Andy Nellist and I decided on a roving session, fishing a swim for 30 or 40 minutes then moving on and finally settling into a swim for the last couple of hours at dusk.

At the start of the session the river was fine, up a foot on normal summer conditions and carrying a wee bit of colour, however, it was only a matter of time before snowmelt from the Dales along with frequent heavy hail showers dropped the water temperature from 7.2C to 6.2C and the river slowly started to rise. This killed off the action but not before Andy had netted three chub and one chub for myself and all from four different swims.

Andy Nellist

The last half hour was appalling with the heaviest of the hail showers, however by then we only had a few hundred yards to walk back to the car park. With the exception of Ian Marsh, who'd decide to stick it out at all costs, Andy Nellist, Phil Hackett and myself were the last to make it back to the pub around 8-o-clock, and a superb lamb dinner was washed down with a couple of pints.

After the meal, we listened and shared tales of the days' fishing and various adventures. With the aid of the pub's fine selection of beers and sprits we then moved onto club and association politics and general fishing gossip. Ron entertained us with tales from the past and his ubiquitous South African fishing exploits. After a few farewells and just before the migration to the bunkhouse we were all surprised by David Chilton's generosity when he handed out a selection of Kryston products. Lee was equally as generous in the bunkhouse with a fine selection of cheese and biscuits, not to mention a fine bottle of whisky and brandy. At some ungodly hour, we finally turn in. They say that the noises from the bunkhouse are something to behold, however when my head hit the pillow that was it, I never heard anything until nature called just before dawn.

Bryan Baron

Remarkably on the day, we had caught quite a few chub in what was appalling weather. With the exception of a couple of blanks everyone caught, the largest chub going to Bryan Baron at 4lb 12oz, Jim Hinchley catching the most Chub (6), Ric Elwin had seven small barbel and a small chub and Wendy landed her 1st Ribble 4lb plus chub.

However, the success of Saturday was not repeated on the Sunday with Andy and me turning in a blank with the river running high, cold and loads of leaves. Eric Elwin however managed two small chub in the last hour of his session.

Baz and Wol you were missed, roll on the next Ribble Winter Chub Fish-in in late Feb or early March 2007.

Note from Graham

Wendy

This year I had to fish one of the well worn day ticket stretches as I had relinquished my membership of the Ribble clubs in the area due to having to endure too many nightmare journeys on the traffic ravaged M6. So me, Wendy and Paul B paid our money and slid down to three neighbouring swims, Wendy on the left, me in the middle and Paul on the right.

Phil Hackett came along for the first hour and we spent the time catching up on old times. I think Phil might be saving up for a Brotel after admiring mine, which I've had for several years when Relum were still in the fishing tackle business, but it might take him a while after buying a very smart Smart car.

The steep bank was already as slippery as a fresh-caught eel, but an hour or so after the rain and hail storms had set in we began to wonder how we were going to get back up the bank.

Tucking in

Then Dave Chilton arrived, standing behind me as there was no room under my Brotel. None of us had caught anything by then and not for some time, but we passed the time away exchanging the usual innuendos with Wendy who took it all in good part, even volunteering to pose for Dave in the next Bag Ladies shoot. What some people will do for a dollar!

Going for a pee was hard for her as the banks were just too slippery to keep nipping off for one (she's already gone flat on her back once but me and Dave couldn't get over fast enough to take advantage of it), so she laid her brolly on its side and managed behind that. Try as I might I couldn't get a good shot for the next Caption Competition.

Late arrivals John Conway and Andy Nellist sit at the table overlooked by Phil Hackett

She was a good sport though, taking all the banter that me and Dave could throw at her and giving as good as she got. Paul Brummie Williams phoned her once or twice and she told him he was a t**t, so she was on good form. And later on she caught the biggest chub of the three of us, a fish she well deserved, having fished hard and well for it.

For the record I had four small chub, Paul had one and Wendy had one. So all in all the conditions were kicked back into touch and we had a few fish in spite of them.

Getting back up the bank was a team effort, with me, Dave, Wendy and Paul relaying the tackle up the bank that was now like a skating rink. But we made it without any mishaps and had a couple of brandies and a glass of Guinness to help us warm up back at the pub.

Thanks as usual to John for his organisational skills, and to Dave Chilton for giving everybody a goody bag of Kryston product, a nice gesture that was totally unexpected but very much appreciated by all.