![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4C1xs0VT7jFkIWopswuS4zkLRzV0hPMZAKxZ4Vm5YakS-1WRKyMXkcDqbnuJywj-HNPtSqaE4CY5EbmVMDIa6kV2sAxO1DAHc3UjK5xstmaMlFOzWV0s8c58Gd8_xRwW0X3rrGR3ZWQ/s400/421B5D43-B13D-4ABA-A1FF-0DA88CC99062.jpeg)
The summer river season is just 107 days long, and once again it has flown by. After a quiet closed season I was eager to get cracking - I mainly limited my targets to just three species of fish; barbel, carp and chub for the opening months. Lots of early starts and creeping about in the nettles - here’s my summer, written as I went along...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQek6nPxar5Ea24KEMA_ZG2g5IPsCcT48_3-4DAyg684iWxwMsLu1rLcZpmKkzQ2UX3V-ETRW3SWk4mYdypsy66Nw7y9STWhMoSzLXZZwVqngCHkyrqzPXTK2MPTfi3doa7n2xkHAeF2g/s400/54A4EC83-2030-45DB-BC2D-63F8B7C6B2D5.jpeg)
Closed Season: I had a bit of a break over the closed season, very little fishing. I did manage a couple of gudgeon matches against James on a local pond. A couple of days chasing my first wels catfish - landing five, setting a fantastic PB of 27lb 0oz. And pre-season warm up with the tench and crucians down on the farm.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iKkOfnpN0yxjAXvMvqmGoDcQ0A3NVx1PBDDtRJyE5tzA3G_TO24SbpCXySnmlHluf8rlZUpRxOAJSifcDG5N6S6zHBrnp3s_LKeWXZhcsMer2gMff0zFECDNdRnxA5WwCL2847kBRgw/s400/068D3C61-D60C-4722-8A9D-FA3C4E35E48C.jpeg)
June: Well rested I was looking forward to the start of the river season, and this year it was all about barbel. Seventeen barbel on the opening morning was a result beyond my dreams! And four more short sessions took my barbel tally to 34 fish for the month - a cracking start to my 100 barbel challenge, could I complete it in the summer?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjldm6fSQsho2LHM7s6ogemto94po_FP_tgCa9NfNwOepv2Zkrnq9EdrpFb2rZdyWwDLcTSFOZzEmlweIKCgOIwCX9sjKkTkuO7xgIDFo_SV-Om_mrDHWTPW9QWG8Ln8BwoHTkGHCeoo/s400/D6307EF8-CA1C-48BD-86D9-9AA4D957A5D0.jpeg)
July: As well as barbel fishing I set my sights on a fly caught carp - but what I wasn’t expecting was this stunning double figure koi on the fly - brilliant way of catching her! A long day of bait ‘n’ wait was rewarded with a beautiful twenty pound common carp - the first of many I hope! And I took my barbel count to 55 fish.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrC2M8DiwQ-Lax1oNbB0tvsX9CUkC7Ns2sTTBRwS_ccQniE40_fDa_VN7ggi2oTNt6w1KvKKuBd8Ml0abFjuYH3a5vV2JIjG9_VUBV__AM4G-NtesFltskx8survDSeukx92s_MBr0E4/s400/A13C2399-4B6D-487B-BFD3-3A4DE7EF55AE.jpeg)
August: I continued my barbel quest with a few short early morning sessions - which included bagging a double - my barbel count was up to 84 fish. But the fish of the month (perhaps season) was a six pound chub from the local little river. Me and James have long speculated their existence - and here was one on the bank - brilliant!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbwTKLsKeNDUUCo_26BcDF4hAkmheXHgLuqBmvEqr51OGEMYh9qCCIU1L9ppWnQgLdANfyo1sI1I_Liqrw9Xw3LoUEgUX6hUuh0MoCtdrAdJCCttAAHXAEtBC41v4tyg-snH4eHWG0Nk/s400/E434B361-63A4-4031-AB33-0FF8A8FE5347.jpeg)
September: The month started with a beautiful river koi - followed by catching carp on Jelly Babies! But the main mission of the month was my barbel quest - and I cracked it - 102 in the summer season! Sorted, I managed three crucians from the farm and said goodbye to the summer with my very first tidal Trent barbel!
And now it’s pike time...