Final Flurry

The last two weeks of the season - and a misty start gave way to a sunny afternoon - time to stock up on that barbel pull before three months without! And eight barbel found the net - brilliant!!

It's left me with a bit of a dilemma; I was going to spend the last few sessions tracking down a fat Spring dace - but 237 barbel is really close to 250 barbel - and it has been kind of a barbely season...

On This Day 2013

Eight years ago today...
A quick mission to the river resulted in this stunning 12lb 4oz PB barbel - and I very nearly didn't go fishing that afternoon!

First Butterfly

The first butterfly I've spotted this year - a Small Tortoiseshell in South Norwood Park this morning. I didn't have a camera - fortunately TC had her camera phone - not great photos but better than nothing.

Better start carrying my camera again - the species I really want to photograph this year are an Orange Tip, a Painted Lady and a Hairstreak (not fussed what colour) - and anything else I spot!

Not Barbel

I fancied a crack at something other than a barbel - so armed with the stick 'n' pin I went in search of a big fat Spring dace. Long story short; after a little roach first cast I was plagued by small trout - in some cases catching them, putting them back and then catching them again! I'm sure there are dace here - and I've still got time...

Sprung?

Spring is springing - this week anyway. But the lockdown is going to stay inforce for the rest of the season - no piking - the pike season that never happened! Still I'm lucky to have barbel within walking distance - although the bites were difficult to hit - 10 or 12 bites, 3 hit, 2 barbel landed - still a lovely afternoon in the sunshine!

Long Shot

First time it’s jumped above freezing for over a week - a Spring like 12°C and sunny! Yeah - sunny!! Problem was the river was cold, full of melted snow - and even worse salt washed off the roads.

It was a long shot but would the barbel be feeding? Hell yeah! Six barbel and an OOS brown trout found the net. Great to be back on the riverbank after two weeks - a much needed fishing fix!


Quick snap of the trout - as it's something different!


Best barbel of the session at 7lb 14oz - barbel #227

The Mighty Gonk

I thought the mighty gudgeon deserved it's own t-shirt. And they're selling quite well - on the Gudgeon Society facebook page - talk about a niche market! Possibly the first of the mini-monsters collection.

Frozen

Snow on the ground and temperatures not getting above freezing all week - think I’m going to miss my fishing fix - even walking to the river would be treacherous on the icy pavements!

But temperatures reaching into double figures next week - albeit with a bit of rain - hopefully sneak out for a trip (or two) then. That is unless I’m helping someone dig a pond!!

Personal Best

So far I've managed to beat three Personal Bests this season - rudd and wels by design and barbel by playing the numbers game - but as the target weight increases it gets more difficult each season.

So I've worked out my PB list as a percentage of the British Record (at the time of capture). I can identify the easier post-lockdown targets - any excuse for a table! Perch & eels look like a good starting target...

Species	PB	Record	%
Barbel	14lb 2oz	21lb 1oz	67%
Bream	10lb 9oz	22lb 11oz	47%
Carp	28lb 12oz	67lb 8oz	43%
Crucian Carp	3lb 8½oz	4lb 10oz	76%
Chub	6lb 12oz	9lb 5oz	72%
Dace	11¼oz	1lb 5oz	53%
Eel	2lb 11oz	11lb 2oz	24%
Gudgeon	2oz 11dr	5oz	54%
Minnow	18 grams	24 grams	75%
Orfe	5lb 1oz	8lb 5oz	61%
Perch	2lb 4oz	6lb 3oz	36%
Pike	25lb 4oz	46lb 13oz	53%
Roach	1lb 15oz	4lb 4oz	46%
Rudd	1lb 14oz	4lb 10oz	40%
Ruffe	2oz	5oz	40%
Tench	7lb 12oz	15lb 3oz	51%
Wels Catfish	30lb 3oz	--	--
Zander	9lb 1oz	21lb 5oz	42%
Grayling	2lb 11oz	4lb 4oz	63%

Breakdown across river, canal and stillwater is here.

Barbel Blog

My weekly fishing fix - and after a wander about and three barbel - I scaled the gear right down and tried to find a gudgeon or roach. Not a bite! Conditions weren't great and more rain is on the way - but it feels like we're starting to run out of season...