Sunday 29 November 2020

Back To Barbel


While Jack & Bob took over the blog last week I managed a couple of afternoons on the river - banking 4 chub and seven barbel - including this chunky 11lb 0oz double - great stuff! Twenty barbel to go...

980/1000

Saturday 28 November 2020

Jack’s Pike #315


The excellent Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing is avaliable on BBC iPlayer - definitley worth a watch if you haven't seen it.

Saturday 21 November 2020

Wandering


Another afternoon chasing barbel, and five more added to the count - but then I fancied something different - perhaps a dace...


An early morning start, stick 'n' pin and a wander into the Marraskuu - more wandering than fishing but a great few hours on the riverbank...


No dace but plenty of small roach and chub - even a couple of gudgeon - lovely. And of course a little barbel crashed the party!

973/1000

Wednesday 18 November 2020

On This Day 2016


Four years ago today...
I landed my PB roach at 1lb 15oz, really need to target them again - and see if I can find a two pound plus fish.

Tuesday 17 November 2020

On Repeat


Athough I can go pike fishing it takes two trains and about an hour to get to the closest pike (and the same on the way home) - I think it's fine driving to venues - but I'm not sure about using public transport. So although this blog is getting rather repetative I'm happy to walk down to the small river for my fishing fix - for the time being.


Another long walk (fishing fitness program?) and three more barbel added to the new challenge - 33 more needed to hit 1,000! But I do have other small river options; dace, roach and gudgeon on the radar - a trip or two with the stick 'n' pin. And still plenty of time for some post-covid pike - really hope that vaccine works!!

967/1000

Friday 13 November 2020

Persistence Of Time


A tree eating a No Keep Nets sign I photographed back in 2013, interesting but I thought no more about it...


Until I stumbled on it again a few days ago, 7 years later, wonder how long it will take to 'swallow' the sign?

Wednesday 11 November 2020

Quick Barbel Report (164)


Six barbel added to the challenge, 36 to go...


And a total of 19.8 miles walked...

964/1000

Friday 6 November 2020

Keep Calm...


And Go Fishing. We can still go fishing in Lockdown 2.0 - until restrictions are tightened anyway. So a walk to the river chasing down my new barbel target - and 5 barbel plus a bonus chub found the net. Might not have local pike but I'm lucky to have the barbel!

958/1000

Wednesday 4 November 2020

Lockdown 2.0


It's dropping below freezing at night now, winter is on it's way - and a new lockdown starts tonight (that will curtail my pike fishing). I opted to avoid the train and go bother the barbel - walking to the river.


Talking of trains; if this lockdown ends in December will they still allow the traditional Christmas migration? Might be difficult (and unpopular) to stop but it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!


Anyway, about 5 hours on the river - and after all that rain it was high and dirty - perfect. Four chub to about 4lb and and seven barbel to about 5¾lb landed - river total now 953 - another 47 barbel to go...

953/1000

Sunday 1 November 2020

What Rain?


After a day of heavy rain I hit the river seaching for chub with dirty water confidence. But the water was surprisingly low and clear, I did land a couple of chub to 4lb - but not the monsters I was chasing.


The chub were spooking off the bait, so I turned my attention to barbel - landing 7 of them on shallow gravel runs. The biggest was the long, thin 8lb 1oz fish (above) - I'm sure it'll be a double in March.


Barbel total this season is 146, and overall river total is 946 - can I hit the magic 1,000 this season? Need to average 11 barbel per month over the tougher winter season - but I'm going to give it a whirl!

146/200