Thursday, 14 July 2022

Summer Wye IV


I didn't think I'd get to fish much, if at all this summer - so I've ducked out whenever I can string a few hours together, especially while I'm on the River Wye. Six weeks of chemo/radiotheraphy will probably keep me off the riverbank - so making hay while the sun shines!!


An evening session, almost three hours until dark and rolling meat again - they do like a moving bait. Great fun and 4 barbel landed, plus two chub and another 2lb+ eel, before an otter spooked the shoal. Back home for tea and medals!! (8 July)



12 comments:

  1. Hay well and truly made! nice fish, but you picked the easy ones. We wanna see a catch shot of the eel, easier said than done!

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    1. Really lucky with the eels; seven caught - all unhooked in the water, I didn’t want to mess them about.

      I did however loose a big eel - definitely a PB by some margin - would have got covered in slime getting a photo of that!

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    2. My last 2 eels recently from the Tees, I unhooked no problem. In the past they always been so deeply hooked, these were both in the lip/jaw. Really are tricky to hold!

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    3. The current advice is if you can’t see the hook just snip the line as close as you can, the eel will unhook itself (especially with barbless hooks).

      Photographing an eel if definitely a two person job in my experience; one photographer, one eel-wrangler!

      Not sure how they get those nice Angling Times photos without drugging the eel (which I know happens).

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    4. I always thought you turned them upside down like sharks and they went into a tonic immobility. Although I have never tried it, and again I would utter "easier said than done"!! not sure you would be able to hold them enough to turn them over? the angler more likely to end up on his/her head!!

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    5. Tried the holding them upside down, also tried digging a straight mini-ditch and placing them upside down in it. Nothing seems to work, wriggly buggers…

      Even invented this:
      https://www.pikeblog.com/2010/08/eel-gripper.html

      These days I think I’ll just settle for a mat shot!!!

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    6. Perfect. That's my Christmas present sorted!! 😂😂

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    7. Twelve years ago! Wonder why they never took off?!

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  2. Excellent fishing Brian! Did well to get on the wye just before the closure!

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    1. Cheers Jack. Yeah, for once my Wye timing seems perfect - last day I fished was the 9th, water temp hit 19°C on the 10th, closed on 11th. Well done to all the angling clubs for putting fish welfare first!

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  3. A proper haul of fish Bri, mega going.

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    1. Yeah, they just kept coming - thought I’d only only get a couple of sessions but 5 trips, even short ones was fantastic. Now to try and keep it going away from The Wye…

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