Thursday, 24 February 2022

All Change


There has been a couple of storms since I last went barbel fishing - two big floods (and a bit of wind). A lot of trees have blown over, some into the river, and the riverbed has changed drastically.


Where there were deep runs have been filled in, new holes and features have appeared and new cover in the shape of rafts hanging off trees - and the barbel have quickly adapted to their new home.


Time for a wander, have a look at what has changed and hopefully bag a barbel! Well, they've moved - but I did find two - great stuff. The game of hide and seek has been reset - and I love it!

Thursday, 17 February 2022

Dace Hunt


With most of the rivers in flood it seemed like a good time to try and find a chalk stream dace. But where were they? I couldn't find them - and to cut a short story shorter - 4 trout, 2 chub, a roach, a gudgeon and an Iron Man found the net. The 2oz gonk being the highlight!


Monday, 14 February 2022

Four Weeks


Just four more weeks left of the season - you knew that - but it's an excuse to publish this underwater barbel photo! What are your plans? I'd really like to add a few more pike to my season - got to get on it - those 4 weeks will soon fly past...

Thursday, 10 February 2022

Unmissable


A mild afternoon (fool's spring) so I hit the river. The barbel were on the feed; five landed to about 6lb (one about 4½lb pictured), two lost to hook-pulls and some extraordinary missed bites...

I missed seven or eight bites - holding the rod the barbel nearly ripped it from my hands - and I struck into thin air! Once or twice perhaps but 7 or 8 times - how do they do that?

Thursday, 3 February 2022

Minonsters II


Back to the minnow shoal, armed with some ropy bait (it's not worth buying maggots from Decathlon). Time to put a weight to these monsters - except the minnows were mostly minnow sized!

There were a few bigger ones but nowhere near the size we found before - did we missed our chance to weigh a monster? Time for a mooch about - see what else fancied some ropy maggots...


Three chub...


Three OOS brown trout...


And one of these!