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...

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.

Jack’s Pike #314

Jack’s Pike #313

Jack’s Pike #312

Jack’s Pike #311

Jack’s Pike #310

Jack's Pike week starts now...

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!

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.

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!!

Jack’s Pike #309

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?

Quick Barbel Report (164)

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


And a total of 19.8 miles walked...

Jack’s Pike #308

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!

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...

Jack’s Pike #307

Made you check..!

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!