Barbel: Back on the riverbank

A plump Severn barbel

Following an injury lay off which has seen fishing out of bounds for a few weeks, I was eager to get back out and find a few fish. A short trip to the Severn saw me net a barbel of around 7 ½lb but it was hard work. With an afternoon session on the Warks Avon to follow, I knew that catching a daytime barbel in the current conditions would be even harder. I've not seen the Avon this clear for a long time. The bottom is visible in 5-6ft of water meaning angling is as difficult as it gets.


In view of this, my tactics changed. The main attack would be

The rig

maggots introduced through an inline feeder with a short 6" link finished with a size 12 hook. This would be baited with an imitation maggot to disguise the shank together with 2 or 3 live ones. The rig would also employ a back lead to pin the line to the river bed for about a metre or so from the feeder. An initial bombardment of maggots and some hemp via a baitdropper put some bait in and hopefully had some fish gaining interest. It was then a case of recasting every 5 minutes or so to keep a steady stream of maggots going in. I had a few plucks and taps when the tip went round violently. I was holding the rod and was able to strike quickly to feel the satisfying resistance of a hooked barbel. It put up a great fight before it was eventually beaten and netted. The fish went 7lb 12oz and was a decent result given the conditions. With it still relatively early in the session, I was hopeful that another fish might show but it turned out to be the only bite of the session and my session drew to a close by late afternoon.

The result - 7lb 12oz of Warwickshire Avon barbel

The nights are drawing in now and there's a noticeable chill to some of the nights. With the water already clear and now cooling maybe it's time to start shifting my attention towards perch and pike.

Back on the barbel trail

Having found fish thin on the ground recently, especially barbel, I decided to visit the middle Severn in an attempt to change my fortunes. I arrived to my chosen venue at lunch time and decided to set up in a familiar peg albeit not one I had fished for a few years.
The Severn was back to flowing low and clear after a brief rise last weekend. My chosen peg had a deep channel that shallowed into rapids downstream. My approach was to use a cage feeder with a 3ft link baited with double 8mm pellets. From the off, my bait received interest from small fish but a positive bite failed to materialise.
A few hours passed without any major events but I had an ace up my sleeve. I had packed an avon rod and a centrepin loaded with 6lb line. A pint of maggots and some worms coupled with a deep hole to my right gave me another option: Perch! It was pleasing to see the float dip although the first two fish were small chub. However, it wasn't long before a string of Perch did succumb to the worm bait. None of the fish were huge but it was an enjoyable way to pass a few hours while the fish in mid-river failed to read the script. 

The best perch

Perch kept me occupied

I had about 10 fish and was now trying worm on my feeder rig out of desperation. This resulted in the first positive bite of  the day but the fish, which took off downstream, slipped the hook. I'm not convinced it was a barbel as it didn't have the speed so suspected a chub. I continued with the worm on the feeder rod and eventually I hooked a better Perch. At about 6.30, the baitrunner finally started to give line. At last a barbel was hooked. It was a typical middle Severn fish that gave its all in the battle providing several blistering runs. It was a relief to finally have my hands on a barbel after an
August drought. I hoped it would be the first of a few fish but it was a false dawn. The session neared its conclusion as the clock approached 8pm. I picked up the rod, removed the rest and as I turned the handle a fish was hooked. Talk about cutting it fine. Another barbel was on and another spirited battle ensued. I squeezed in an additional last cast but that was that. Nothing big but great to find some fish.

Finally!

In the nick of time

If you enjoy fishing the Severn then my guide my be helpful. Take a look here. I also have a Warwickshire Avon, which has proved popular over the last couple of seasons and is the most visited page on the site. That can be viewed by clicking here. As always, comments are most welcomed as are visits to my Facebook page which can be viewed by clicking the Facebook tab on the right side of the page.

Back to the drawing board

Scary to a toddler

After returning from a week away, it was time to get back out and do some fishing. First trip was an impromptu session. I gave my 3 year old son the option of a bike ride or going fishing. Fishing was
the clear winner so off we went armed with a lure rod and a few essentials. A Pike of around 5lb resulted which gave me a right run around. My son watched from afar because of the 'sharp teeth'. It was the only fish of the session, mainly because I missed another hit but it was great fun for us both to share a bit of time together on the bankside. It turned out to be the highlight of the week.

 Wednesday saw me visit the BAA's new Stacklands stretch on the Wye. It is a cracking looking stretch but I knew I'd been in for a struggle given the very sunny weather and clear water conditions. And so it proved. Two chub at the death saved a blank but I'll definitely return and I will change my approach as a result of that first visit. A chat with the bailiff revealed a barbel or two is considered a good session so it's certainly not an easy stretch unlike some of the Wye beats you read about.

BAA's new Wye water

I finished the week off with an evening session on the Avon. It was very quiet. Very few chub taps, definitely no bites and all in all a disappointment. As dark fell I had a savage bite that pulled the rod from the rest. It screamed Barbel but the culprit was a 4lb 8oz Chub that fought rather tamely for its size.

The weekend saw the rivers rise a little after the heavy rain in Friday but another trip away saw me miss out on any advantage the new water brought so it looks like a change of venue might be on order so I can struggle in new surroundings!

It's tough out there

Despite the showers, I spent the afternoon and evening on two rivers. First stop was a visit to the Warks Avon. With all the rain you might have expected a bit of colour and extra water. However, it was still gin clear and had risen all of a few inches. With this in mind my attack consisted of rolling meat in a fast glide. This method normally throws up a fish quickly if it's actually going to work so after 20 uneventful minutes I allowed the bait to settle and got the lure rod out the bag. There were no follows on the lure rod but the line did start peeling off my other setup. A strike hit a fish, well an eel! I then cast a pellet into a likely looking area and waited. Eventually, a chub of about 3lb rewarded my patience. I then chatted to a chap who was carrying out repairs following acts of vandalism by anglers at the weekend: broken trees, loads of litter and the remains of a fire. I wish such people would do us a favour and stay at home.

I then relocated to the lower Severn. I was still hoping I could tempt a barbel. I put a bed of bait down and was willing to sit it out until about 11pm. I had a few chucks of the lure and had a small pike hit but I failed to hook it. Then I settled into my peg. The downstream rod was placed over the bed of bait. Apart from a few taps, it remained unmolested for 5 hours. I used a groundbait feeder upstream and this at least gave me some sport with several bream of about 4lb adding to my Avon fish.

A pretty rare sighting but this is exactly what I saw

It wasn't the result I had dreamed of but it's pretty tough at the moment with low and clear rivers in these parts. Perhaps if I stayed longer into dark then a barbel may have appeared but I was knackered so had to call it quits. I did see a badger at close quarters, which makes a change from only seeing them lying at the roadside. I also had a pair of strange looking birds make their way across the sky on the far bank. They turned out to be Great White Egrets and their sighting represented a first for me. I won't be fishing for around a week so hopefully my absence will see a bit of water in our rivers and some better catches to report.

Tales of the Unexpected

If you're clicking this hoping to read Roald Dahl's collection of short stories then you'll be sadly disappointed. However, 'Tales of the Unexpected' was an apt way to describe my latest session on the Warwickshire Avon. The river has given me many surprises over the years. Indeed, I have caught over 12 different species from the river so it has always kept me captivated. My latest session took me to my favourite Avon venue. It's one I don't visit as often as I once did since I have other venues closer to home but following such a slow start to the river season I felt familiarity was the way forward.

The first small barbel

My number one swim was occupied so I settled a little further downstream where the river's increased pace was still evident. I decided to start by rolling some meat, a favourite method in
difficult summer conditions. It's a method that can result in a fish when all else fails. After ten minutes, there was a subtle tap on the line and a swift strike was met with a fish. I expected a chub to surface but the first surprise of the day resulted in a juvenile barbel. These are rare, in fact fish under a pound are caught less often than double figure specimens. It was, of course, in perfect condition.

After this, I then reverted to regular straight ledger tactics with PVA pags and pellet hookbaits. The tip soon went round and I was connected to what I believed to be another chub. Again, I was wrong.

Variety in the shape of a tench

This time the golden flanks belonged to a tench of about 3lbs. What was more surprising was the speed of the flow it had been happy to feed in given they prefer sluggish water and ponds. A gudgeon managed to hook itself before another young barbel put in a spirited appearance. This fish probably approached a pound and with it I had caught my two smallest barbel in almost 30 years of fishing in space of 90 minutes.

It was beginning to become a thoroughly enjoyable session so it was inevitable that some bad luck would be sent my way to balance proceedings. The rod tip once again rapped around savagely and I was connected to

The future

something much more substantial. Undoubtedly a barbel, it moved upstream before surging across river towards the far bank. This is when disaster struck and the hooked pinged free. It was a disappointment as experience tells me you rarely get a second chance on the Avon. A chub of about 3lb did follow before another of similar proportions managed to escape my clutches by finding sanctuary in some near bank reeds. As sunset came and went, the chub raps continued but unfortunately another barbel could not be persuaded to return.

Although the fish I caught were not of specimen proportions, they certainly showed off the variety of species the river holds. More importantly, it proved the future of the river is looking rosy and those small barbel of today could be tomorrow's front page news. As always, thank you for reading and please add your comments or visit my Facebook page.

The declining Teme and a Linear blank

So another break from work comes to an end. I finished off the week with a walk along a BAA stretch of the Teme and a trip to Linear Fisheries for tench.

The Teme is a majestic river that ebbs and flows from Wales, through Worcestershire to the meet the mighty Severn. It WAS once renowned for its hard fighting barbel dubbed the 'Teme Tigers'. Sadly

If only it contained barbel

however, the last few years has seen a sharp decline in barbel catches. The banks are deserted and those that still persevere only have hard luck stories to tell. My last Teme barbel came during the summer of the 2011/12 season. During the following season, I didn't even see a barbel let alone catch one and my walk was my first visit since then. It was a bright day ideal for fish spotting and I hoped to see signs of a recovering river. First stop was to visit a downstream swim that used to be home to a shoal of resident barbel. When the river was clear, it was a super spot to observe the fish and the overhanging trees on the near bank provided a safe haven for both barbel and chub. You can imagine my surprise and disappointment that those very trees had been hacked down so that only a few branches remained. Of course, there were no longer any signs of fish. It was pretty devastating really. Why did these trees need cutting away? The river is not navigable, not that they would have interfered anyway. On a river that has suffered from water abstraction and otters, taking away the security of these trees only compounds matters. On a brighter note, the Teme still looked its

Same old story!

You may recall my recent post (here) on trying to persuade the Birmingham Anglers Association (BAA) to change their 'one hour after sunset' rule. Firstly, many thanks to Mr Williams of the BAA who has taken the time to read and respond to my report. His reply is as follows:

Mr Lee Poultney,

As promised I tabled your letter at the Management Committee meeting which was held on Monday 29 October. I have been asked to pass on the thanks of the Officers to you for taking an interest in this matter.

Firstly I have to point out that your letter contains a number of assertions and presumptions which do not reflect the reality of the situation. I should perhaps point out that the introduction of night fishing on Association waters is a relatively recent initiative and was introduced only on an experimental basis at limited venues and is by no means certain to be extended or even retained. The current system for issuing night permits is as flexible as it can be, whilst retaining the required control elements of the procedure. It is not necessary to visit the office in order to obtain night permits, indeed most members call the office to order their permits which are then posted on to them. We realise that this is not practical if a member makes a late decision to fish at night but it does work for most members. We cannot tailor every Association rule to cater for individual member’s requirements, we have to balance this against what is practical and in the best interests of the Association overall. We cannot have a situation whereby we lose control of knowing who is fishing where at night. You suggest that the vast majority of anglers fishing BAA waters do so in order to catch Barbel – what evidence do you have for this? You also assert that the BAA match calendar has declined over the past decade – do you mean the contests which BAA run, or the number of contests run by associated clubs?

In your proposed changes you suggest we use ‘dawn’ as a starting time – when is dawn? We have to have a rule which can be enforced and which is clear and not open to interpretation, hence the fact that our current fishing times are determined by known parameters, i.e. Sunrise and Sunset.

Under your proposed changes, there would be a potentially unlimited number of anglers on river banks, unsupervised, in all weather conditions until well after dark throughout the season. This we consider to be a potential hazardous situation and one which could put many members at risk. Furthermore, many of the fisheries which we only rent have ‘no night fishing’ clauses in their leases so in these circumstances we could not sanction any change. Having considered your proposals in detail, the Management Committee are unanimous in their opinion that to make changes along the lines you propose would not be in the best interests of the Association or the overwhelming majority of its members.

Regards,

John Williams
General Secretary
Birmingham Anglers Association Ltd.

In the letter, Mr Williams poses a number of questions/points as follows (The yellow bits are my response):

The current system for issuing night permits is as flexible as it can be, whilst retaining the required control elements of the procedure. Could an online system not be incorporated?

It is not necessary to visit the office in order to obtain night permits, indeed most members call the office to order their permits which are then posted on to them. We realise that this is not practical if a member makes a late decision to fish at night but it does work for most members. Not every angler wants to sit there all night, but paying for an hour or so does not represent value.

We cannot have a situation whereby we lose control of knowing who is fishing where at night. Do the BAA know who is fishing and where in daylight hours so why is it different once the sun sets?

You suggest that the vast majority of anglers fishing BAA waters do so in order to catch Barbel – what evidence do you have for this? I applied this assumption to the BAA's river venues and I'd say I'm not too far away with this remark.

You also assert that the BAA match calendar has declined over the past decade – do you mean the contests which BAA run, or the number of contests run by associated clubs? A look at the weekly venues unavailable due to matches is tiny compared to 15 years ago. There is a definite decline.

In your proposed changes you suggest we use ‘dawn’ as a starting time – when is dawn? Dawn was used as an example. All I wanted was the opportunity to discuss this matter further and such fine details are ‘nitpicking’ in my opinion.

We have to have a rule which can be enforced and which is clear and not open to interpretation, hence the fact that our current fishing times are determined by known parameters, i.e. Sunrise and Sunset. That is fine, but a set cut off time as I suggested would serve the same purpose.

Under your proposed changes, there would be a potentially unlimited number of anglers on river banks, unsupervised, in all weather conditions until well after dark throughout the season. How do the BAA supervise unlimited numbers of anglers during daylight hours and during a range of weather conditions?

This we consider to be a potential hazardous situation and one which could put many members at risk. Anglers are at risk every time they visit the bank, are the BAA assuming responsibility for anglers’ welfare? If so, does that mean the BAA are at risk of being sued should a member fall in and drown?

Furthermore, many of the fisheries which we only rent have ‘no night fishing’ clauses in their leases so in these circumstances we could not sanction any change. In this case, they would be exempt.

I do believe that the BAA are missing a trick here especially when they have clearly advertised that they are trying to attract 'specimen anglers'. I also wonder what the background of the committee is and if it’s representative of its members. I had hoped there would have been more of a discussion rather than a 'straight no' to my suggestions, since that's all they were, suggestions. I'd have hoped we could have discussed them in more detail and tried to thrash something out to suit all parties. I did send my responses back to Mr Williams but I fear that without a significant backing from other like-minded members then any calls for change will fall on deaf ears. All the best, Lee Poultney

Will the BAA join the 21st Century?

Firstly, I'd like the say that the Birmingham Anglers Association represents the best value in the country with miles of rivers and canals as wells as a range of pools all for the sum of £35. However, despite boasting 70,000 members during the 1970s and 1980s their current membership is just a fraction of that. Unfortunately, the club is still run in a similar fashion and by the same people it was 20 years ago and as such it is failing some of its members through a lack of flexibility in keeping with modern angling practises.