
Afternoon, 6lb 3oz

Evening, long lean 7lb 5oz

Night, 5lb 9oz
Afternoon session, this time joined by Dan (who was ill yesterday). And a change of plan, instead of searching for barbel we baited a swim and waited for them to come to us. Kit was also scaled down as light as we dared - wasn't sure if they were on to me yesterday.
After about an hour I got completely distracted and was returning James' rod rest and having a chat a little way from my rod, I glanced round to see my rod hammer away - time to demonstrate the running strike! Fortune smiled on me the fish was still there and after a delicate fight on light line the first fish was in the net.
Dan held the barbel in the net while I quickly set out the unhooking mat, scales and camera. Then he hosted the net to the bank - the barbel was gone!! Fortune smiled on me once again, the barbel hadn't spat the barbless hook and was still connected, a brief fight before it was re-netted, 6lb 3oz, a cracking start!
We were listening to the football on the radio and at half time Dan decided to pop off and get some chicken and chips, while he was away I had a bite that tried to rip the rod into the water, he was back for net duties and a long skinny 7lb 5oz barbel was added to the challenge.
Next up Dan had his first rod smashing bite of the season, and hooked a fish that shot downstream and expertly transplanted the hook from its mouth to a snag... I was really hoping he wasn't going to repeat his run of bad luck from the start of last season!
We sat it out but pack-up time of 10.30 arrived (work tomorrow). Net, unhooking mat, scales and camera were packed up just in time for Dan to have another rod ripping bite, a fantastic fight and a 5lb 9oz barbel - he does seem to leave these things to the last minute...
Happy fishermen!
And I should have mentioned, Dan guessed the weights as I weighed them:
ReplyDeleteGuess: 6lb 0oz (3oz under)
Guess: 7lb 6oz (1oz over)
Guess: 5lb 8oz (1oz under)
He's getting pretty good, I'll know who to ask if we forget the scales.
Great start Brian, the 6.3 is a beauty!
ReplyDeleteThanks, it's nice to get a good photo in daylight. The 7.5 was a very spawned out fish, wonder what it weighed prior to spawning? They all put up cracking accounts of themselves though.
DeleteNice fish. Bet it feels good to be back on the river bank.
DeletePaulos
Feels fantastic, was a very long closed season!
DeleteThree good fish keep it up. Wye dropping but not quite enough yet. Jane
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the report when it does...
DeleteAwesome blog...... your photos would look a lot better if you werent holding the fish out at arms length.
ReplyDeletewill be ordering a book
Thank you. Read about fish photos recently on Idler's Quest, about holding them next to you, photoshopping in a nice smile etc... Not sure I agree, the fish is the most important thing in the photo (to me) and should fill the frame - the angler is just the bag of meat holding it up :)
DeleteHope you enjoy the book