I didn't really set a Barbel Challenge this season as I was unsure if I'd be able to go fishing that much. But I did manage to get out on the Small River quite a lot - it turned out to be a godsend during my treatment. And I landed a remarkable 228 barbel - mostly small fish but just what the doctor ordered! *Plus 31 Wye barbel.
One of the highlights was a Small River double, they are very few and far between these days. And despite occasionally fishing with James over the years we'd never witnessed the other land a double - until I was netman for James' Kennet double in January - a couple of weeks later he returned the favour - and jumped into the photo!!
| Season | No | 5+ | 7+ | 10+ | Best |
| 2010/11 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6lb 6oz |
| 2011/12 | 44 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 9lb 12oz |
| 2012/13 | 56 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 12lb 4oz |
| 2013/14 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 7lb 13oz |
| 2014/15 | 71 | 33 | 16 | 1 | 10lb 1oz |
| 2015/16 | 127 | 45 | 15 | 0 | 9lb 4oz |
| 2016/17 | 70 | 31 | 15 | 2 | 11lb 15oz |
| 2017/18 | 132 | 56 | 23 | 2 | 10lb 9oz |
| 2018/19 | 101 | 36 | 13 | 1 | 10lb 3oz |
| 2019/20 | 164 | 69 | 28 | 5 | 12lb 1oz |
| 2020/21 | 250 | 77 | 20 | 6 | 14lb 2oz |
| 2021/22 | 180 | 34 | 8 | 2 | 11lb 1oz |
| 2022/23 | 228 | 47 | 8 | 1 | 10lb 9oz |
| Total: | 1,458 | 482 | 178 | 26 | Breakdown |
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There are either more barbel about or you are getting better?!? Not sure what you were doing in 2013/14?!?
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely more barbel about, but the average size has plummeted - not many over 7lb (or I couldn’t find them). Hope some of them grow on to replace the lost doubles - but with more fish competing in the same system only time will tell.
DeleteHi Brian, was the 14 from the little river too ?
ReplyDeleteYeah, that list is every barbel I’ve ever had out of there - lots of splashers but some real beauties mixed in
DeleteI haven’t fished it for a few years now. Parking became a nightmare and lots of other anglers so moved on . Was it down Wanda’s end or up G.R way ? Surely it wasn’t Wanda was it !!
DeleteAll the best ..Richard
I’m pretty sure Wanda expired years ago, along with the other known fish of her time - The Pig, Stitch etc. This was ‘Meatball’ (Stu named her), hope she’s still in there somewhere - would love to see her again…
DeleteLol
ReplyDelete