Thursday 25 August 2011

Rain And Blanks


Just when you think you've found the barbel feeding pattern they change it! A bit of rain has made the water look good, but three trips to the Wandte this week for no barbel. Dan did manage a couple of eels and hooked into a couple of big fish on Saturday, but both escaped unseen. We even tried fishing through a storm, Dan forgetting the most essential of items - an umbrella!

So our fishing stats are 32 trips and 16 blanks, a 50/50 split, but I feel this stat is going to go down as we approach autumn and the fish get even more difficult to locate.

I don't know what happened to summer but you can definitely feel autumn in the air, another couple of weeks and I'll be off in search of a Thames pike...

6 comments:

  1. It certainly feels autumnal, Brian. I had another despairing session above and below, er Tractor Lane on Friday. Not a knock. Not a sausage on three swims. I gave up and tried for a Thames Barbel at Sunbury Weirpool on Sunday instead. No joy there either, but as soon as I put on a Mepps I was into the Perch. Lovely spot, but those whiskers love to stay hidden! Jason

    ReplyDelete
  2. Its strange how the old whiskers change there habbit when it rains, Then there is the Eel's there was supposed to be a shortage and everywhere you look people are catching them,
    The weather and the seasons are changing,
    And i cant wait to see you Blogging a Pike again,
    Good luck,
    ,,,Paddy,,,

    ReplyDelete
  3. http://preview.tinyurl.com/3k6lvuk

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/14033755@N05/6088111821/in/photostream/

    Sometimes you arrive at the river knowing you are going to catch straight away. And that's exactly what happened yesterday - warm temps and rain gave me reason for optimism. So I tackled up away from the water's edge, above Earlsfield, with a degree of confidence. After persisting with pellets, I was back on the meat and cast out into a long deep, far bank run that I know has good numbers of barbel. The flow was powerful and I was worried about debris, but within ten minutes the rod had hooped over I was into a fish, the first after three blanks. Mightily relieved to christen my new net and also try out my new digital scales, weighing him at 5lb 9oz. Time to give Spam a few more try outs in September, I reckon!

    Jason

    ReplyDelete
  4. Brian, after bumping in to you and Dan that saturday a week ago after the heavy rainstorm, I decided to go out early the following sunday morning. Anyway 10 minutes after setting up i had one bite, turned out to be the double i'd been after all season. Have some good pictures (taken by an elderly woman on a morning walk) but they give away the location so won't be posting on line anywhere. Happy to show you next time I see you on the bank anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Top fishing guys, at least someone is catching! And looking forward to seeing the photo of the double...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well done that man, cracking fish!

    Stu

    ReplyDelete