I got to the Arun around half four to find the car park empty which I wasn’t surprised about as I had seen the forecast and it wasn’t looking great. I decided to try a swim I hadn’t fished before, so I put a scattering of boiles over the two areas I planned to fish to hopefully entice some fish.

The first bite came around half an hour after the first cast; to me it looked like an eel having a go, the bite soon stopped but about 5 minutes after just as I was tucking into my French stick and stilton the the right hand rod hooped over, the French stick dropped on the floor as I leapt up to grab the rod, there was no real weight to it but when it came to the surface and I saw it was a very good size roach I took extra care to net it. When it was in the net I continued with my French stick and cheese while I was sorting out the weighing equipment. When the scales read 1lb 11oz I was over the moon as this is the largest roach I’ve caught. What a start to the session I thought to myself.

The next bite came an hour and forty minutes later this bite was on the left hand rod this time and again a terrific bite and this resulted in a chub of 2lb 2oz.

Then the rain started so I moved under my brolly and it absolutely pour down, I was just hoping I wouldn’t get a bite whilst the heavens were open, so I cooked my dinner a nice bit of sirloin steak and a tin of mixed vegetables then chilled out for the evening listening to a bit of radio one, not that I could hear it with the rain beating down on my brolly.

The rain finally settled just before 11pm when my left hand rod slowly bent round and the alarm started to bleep, this time the fight was completely different I knew what I was into straight away the fish stayed deep and gave a good account of itself, whilst I was playing the fish I thought there was a local rave going on in the woods! unknown to me it was my radio playing some trance music; I hadn’t noticed how loud it was due to all the rain before. I netted the fish and weighed her the scales read 8lb 3oz I was overwhelmed as I know these Arun barbel are hard to catch.

The next bite came at 3am another chub this time smaller at 1lb 8oz but very welcome all the same. The final bite came as I awoke at 7am I had noticed little plucks on the rod so I felt the line and struck, another good roach this time it weighed 1lb 4oz it sure was an excellent condition fish.

I awaited for the rain to stop so I could pack up which it did but as soon as I started pushing the barrow the heavens opened and it absolutely poured it down and I was soaked and so was all my gear, but I didn’t care I had an excellent session, I must make more effort to fish the Arun as I only ever manage to fish it a handful of times a season as I’m usually spending most my fishing time chasing those Rother chub!

Stephen Gray