Thursday, 21 March 2024

Season Review 2023/24


Another season in the history books. One that saw a new PB rudd, a new river double barbel, a 120lb stingray and a 20lb pike amoung the highlights. Again barbel featured heavily with 206 fish landed, and only 6 pike, but overall a lot of cracking fish to look back on. So here's the fifteenth season review, written monthly as I went along...

June: I didn't wet a line in the closed season - but the opening morning made up for it - a double figure barbel before 9am! One of 38 Small River barbel in four quick sessions. The other highlight was rudd fishing in the boat with James - love that little boat. And not one, but two 2lb+ rudd to a new PB of 2lb 10oz - monster!

July: I took my Small River barbel total to over 1,500 and added double number 28 (recapture). Floating about in the boat I landed a surprise pike while rudd fishing. And two days on the Wye saw a lot of chub, plus three little barbel. The highlight of the month was a new river, Blackwater, barbel of 8lb 0oz on a tough rainy day.

August: Started with a fantastic trip to the Lake District catching carp from an old iron pit. A few local trips added 30 barbel to my season (Small River total now 96). I spent some time exploring the chalk stream & upper river with the stick 'n' pin - loads of brown trout, plus a 1lb 2oz roach. And I bagged my first 5lb+ chub of the season!

September US: A very much anticipated week-long fishing trip to America. Fishing with Paulos we landed 23 sharks, seven red drum, 3 jacks and a massive stingray on light gear. We also enjoyed a bit of freshwater fishing; catching blue gill & some fantastic bowfin - and those swamp pike (chain pickerel) were absolutely amazing!

September UK: I bumped into blogger Adam from Fishin' Impossible & helped him find his first Small River barbel. Back from the States and off to a private stretch of The Wye with James (who was filming) - seven barbel, including two nines to 9lb 7oz landed. And my first trip to The Severn produced a fantastic 12lb 2oz barbel on a tough day.

October: Autumn was reluctant to land, so a beautiful sunny day on The Itchen chasing grayling with bloggers Keith, Danny & James. An afternoon catching gudgeon on the stick 'n' pin also resulted in 8 mini species, including 2 rare perch & 12 mini barbel. Plus I added another Small River double at 10lb 12oz - SR barbel total now 135.

November: Winter arrived abruptly and with it almost relentless rain - most of the rivers up and down the country were in flood. Only three quick trips to the Small River all month - one of which was a blank! My first barbel blank there in 8 years - it was long overdue!! With the frost starting to bite I need to head out in search of pike next month...

December: A good start with a new river, Rother, pike - not a double but a kype-nosed beauty. Conditions then turned against me but I had high hopes for the Xmas Wye. Christmas Eve saw a blank-saver barbel at 9lb 3oz - then the flood washed down and put an end to the piking! Oh, I finally managed to scrape a win at the annual Xmas fish-off!

January: First session of the year saw another double barbel on the bank, my 30th from the Small River. I had jack pike from The Kennet & The River Rother - still seaching for my new river double. A trip to The Wye for pike and barbel didn't go exactly to plan - but a stunning looking 8lb 13oz barbel saved the trip (no pike!).

February: Started with a few a few trips to the Small River and 25 barbel to 8lb 15oz. The main event was a week on The Wye with Paulos (over from the States). The water conditions were really against us - but perseverance paid off eventually. Just two pike all week - but they were crackers - 20lb 0oz & 17lb 4oz of hard-earned predators!

March: The last 2 weeks of the season. Two trips to the Small River and 9 barbel to 9lb 14oz - taking my Small River total to 185. A trip to The Wye where hopes of one last pike were dashed once again by the floods - a few small chub & barbel saved a blank and took my season total to 206 barbel. Another cracking season - roll on the next one...

14 comments:

  1. A great year Brian. June just cant come round quick enough. Here's hoping for more of the same and some extra special surprises in the next campaign!!

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    1. It’s lovely outside as I type this; Sun is breaking through, birds are singing and it seems to have stopped raining for the first time in months - typical - roll on June!!

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    1. Cheers Mick, looks like a lot when it’s all condensed down into one blog post. Might have to have a chuck in the local canals and ponds this closed season… As well as keep an eye on the ‘Transient Towpath Trudging’

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    2. Can you not lure fish any of your local rivers for trout ?

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    3. No, but can fish the fly from 1 April - might give that a try.

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  3. An impressive season - again. Next season is a blank page which you will doubtless fill.

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    1. Thanks Dave - next season I’ll see if I can get a few more pike to put on that blank page!

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  4. It was a very good season! Even with fairly limited time, next summer we shall have to make more of an effort on the Rudd, feel like we have all the tools to be really successful there but not putting in the time, a three-pounder I feel is there for the getting.

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    1. PS: That Wye 20 put a shine on what was a drab winter!

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    2. Really looking forward to finding a few more of those rudd, with the two pound target cracked it’ll be great to start the search for a three…

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    3. Not many pike, but that Wye twenty was the fish of the season for me - hopefully bag a few more pike next time!

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    4. We just need to commit more time to them, easier said than done though given how busy works been this last few years. Shall have to try harder!

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    5. Just need a lottery win to tide us over!

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