Saturday 17 September 2011

Angler's Arms (PB)


I've been baiting up a swim for the last couple of days, yesterday after roach fishing I added a bit more bait and saw two nice barbel flash, so this evening Dan and myself crept into our trap. The barbel were there - there were taps on the rod tips, the tell-tail signs of them sniffing the bait but they didn't want to play. We sat there quietly for a couple of hours but no luck so we went on a chuck it and chance it mission...

We fished a lot of shallow water, one cast per swim leapfrog style, until we ran out of water - and the pub was calling. Dan had the last spot and after a few minutes said "gosh be darned it, lets go" or words to that effect when his rod wrapped round. Fantastic fight and a new PB barbel 3lb 14oz. Ace!

We decided to give it five more minutes and just before time my rod hooped round. I connected to a good fish, it headed down stream and I had to stop it before it got to a tree in the water, it broke the surface under a street lamp and wriggled about on the surface, yup an eel! I had it on for about another minute but I gave it too much pressure trying to avoid the snags and the hook pulled... Why am I banging on about an eel?

You wouldn't believe me. It was a monster if it was a British eel... And I know it's the Wandte and it was probably a foreign species... But I wish I'd landed it for a photo!

4 comments:

  1. Well done Dan! Good stuff!

    Stu

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  2. Great looking fish Dan. Well done on the PB.
    As for the Eel, was it a double? I remember the UK record was like a giant and nobody seemed to come close to beating it.
    Do you remember the size of the Eels at that water bird park, I think it was called Slimbridge?
    Paulos

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  3. I'll pass on the messages to Dan, cheers guys!

    No idea about the eel, I've never seen anything to compare it to, it did look enormous in the water. The hook pulled so it's fine, I may be popping down with some deadbaits next week... Eels don't have a territory so it could be anywhere by now, but I'll give it a whirl!

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  4. Thats a grand looking Barbel Dan,
    Well in mate,
    ,,,Paddy,,,

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