Sea Trout, Big Chub & Barbel – The Pro-Flow – John Llewellyn

Conditions have been grim recently and the Avon and Stour flooded but it dropped just enough to get to a swim I fancied for these conditions. A slight curve in the bank creates a nice crease a couple of rod lengths out. The flow’s a bit smoother here and with 7ft of water and a hard gravel run next to thick weed, it just looked right. It meant quite a long walk in wellies through several inches of water to get to the swim but once there, I could fish from a small, slightly raised bit of bank just upstream of the interesting part of the swim. I trudged through the flooded water the evening before I was to fish and put in a couple of handfuls of Pro Flow boilies and half a dozen pieces of paste.

I make up the paste using the Milk & Marine Hook Bait/Paste pot using the Pro-Flow liquid food and Flavour shot. The paste has lovely smooth, sticky consistency that wraps beautifully around a boilie.

I arrived at the swim an hour before dark and threw in just a dozen boilies before setting up. Kettle on, a hot cup of tea and then the rig was dropped in gently, with a stringer of 3 boilies attached.

Just 10 minutes later and following a jerky bite, I was attached to a decent fish that was fighting really strangely. It was pulling hard but certainly didn’t feel like a chub, or barbel. I could hardly believe it when I saw this magnificent sea trout come over the net. That’s a first for me and definitely not what I was expecting on a boilie. A few quick pics and slipped it back, surprised but very happy with such a lovely fish.

Carefully swung the rig back out with the same boilie on the hair, a new paste wrap and another 3 bait stringer.

Well into dark and a typical thump from a chub. This immediately felt like a good fish and it was a real beauty at 7lb 3oz. It’s not easy taking self-takes splashing about in several inches of water, so I again took a few quick pics on the mat before slipping it back.

Threw in a dozen more boilies and got the rig back out again with a new paste wrap and stringer. Nothing for a couple of hours and then a sharp pull, before the rod wrapped round as a barbel made off down-stream. A typical, powerful fight in the strong flow then followed and as the fish tired I was able to guide it out of the main current and over the net. What a beauty and at 15lb 2oz I didn’t mind getting wet to take a few pictures.

The Pro Flow Milk & Marine really is something special and as you can see, everything eats it.