Is the Teme back in business?

In my last blog, I mentioned the Teme was in my thoughts. My last barbel from the river was exactly 6 years ago, a small fish of a few pounds that came at last light. I've visited most seasons since once or twice each summer to keep tabs on progress. There had been little to report with blanks or chub the usual result. 

Many will know that the Teme was once a prolific barbel river with multiple catches normal. Then the demise set in. Much has been written as to what the cause was with major flooding, otters, over extraction and pollution all blamed. To be honest, they have probably all contributed in some part. The outcome however could not be disputed. There have been far fewer barbel in the river in the last 15 years than before. 

So, my latest visit beckoned. I had been ill recently and not really up to speed with things. I knew we had seen a weekend of rain that had ruled out the test match but it had made little impact on the Avon so assumed there would be little effect on the Teme as well. On arrival, I saw the river was coloured. It was up but not by a great amount. If I had anticipated these conditions then I'd have gone with a meat approach. As it was, I had to adapt. I saw a swim that I'd never fished before. In normal conditions, I'd just keep walking. In these conditions it looked too good to ignore. A smooth, steady glide. I settled into the swim and decided to bait with one and a half boilies on a size 8 hook and a PVA bag of crushed boilie and pellets. In summer, coloured water usually means barbel will be quick to the bait if they are present. They also don't mind moving so I was hoping the scent trail would pull any nearby fish in and onto my hookbait. I cast and sat back to take in the tranquil surroundings. The Teme valley is beautiful and if you have never visited before then I'd recommend it. It's part of the reason I've continued to visit even though the fishing has been less than successful in recent years. It's a river that has very little interference from humans. Trees have fallen into the river and been left there, the banks are wild as the river runs over shallow gravels and into deeper pools.  

A first Teme Tiger since 2016

Back to the fishing and I was about ten minutes in when to my surprise the rod wrapped round and I was into a fish. Was it a barbel or a stubborn chub? The longer the battle went on then the more optimistic I became. A sudden run confirmed a barbel was definitely the culprit. It was safely netted and looked around 6lb. What a cracking start. After all those years, it had taken ten minutes to succeed where I had failed before. 

I decided to have another cast to see if this was just a lone fish and I'd got lucky or whether the conditions had seen a few congregate in the swim. I attached another PVA bag and cast to the same spot.

A second barbel in as many casts

Again, the bait had not been out too long when I was connected to another spirited Teme Tiger. This fish put up a determined resistance, one that its predecessors had made the river famous for, but it was a little smaller than the first. I had been fishing for less than half an hour, made two casts and now had two barbel for my efforts. I was in total surprise. 

Catching two fish so quickly made me decide to give the swim a rest so the fish could regain some confidence and maybe even see something larger move in. I went for a walk to check out some possible swims and then returned and deposited some hemp and pellet into the swim with a bait dropper. I then took my essentials to try another spot. The next swim gave me some twitches but it wasn't really deep enough to give me huge confidence. By the time I returned to my original spot, an hour had past since the second barbel. Out went the same bait and a small PVA bag and you've guessed it, another bite and

The biggest of the three barbel

another barbel. It was larger too, probably 7lb or so. Another cast saw another rod bending bite but this time a chub was the result. The chub signaled a halt to the frenzy and for the first time, the fishing was quiet. I decided that I'd deposit some more bait into the swim and try another spot. The new spot was very different but my options were limited by steep banks that were now wet following an earlier shower and also overgrown. I settled for 40 mins or so but there was nothing to report and it saw me return to the original swim at around 8.30pm. The river had dropped quite quickly, about 6 inches judging by the lines on the trees. This had certainly switched the chub on and a few had been crashing on the surface. It seemed to have the opposite effect on the barbel who had now appeared to have gone into hiding. As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, I was hoping for one more bite. It did arrive, another slam on the rod tip but the level of resistance told me it wasn't the big barbel I had hoped for. Another chub was added and with it I decided to call it a day. 

It had been a really rewarding session, my best on the river for many a year. The barbel were not huge by barbel standards but they didn't need to be. They provided me with as much satisfaction as the 12 pounder I caught last week off the Avon. They also gave me huge encouragement that the Teme is recovering. It may never return to the 1990s numbers but I believe that you can now visit with optimism and it will hopefully keep getting better. 

2021 brings hope or does it?

Well, 2020 has finally passed. For many, it will go down in history as one of the worst years in living memory. I realised I haven't posted on here since the end of June. To be honest, having worked throughout the epidemic and facing some tough challenges along the way it was obvious some sacrifices would have to take place. For me, it meant fishing ended up a way down the list and to be honest, the lack of focus yielded pretty mediocre results when I did manage to get out. That said, many have found rivers a tough gig during the past year so maybe I didn't miss out too much. 

2021 commenced. A dawn of new hope maybe? I did manage a trip on the Avon with the end of the Christmas break looming on the horizon. The river had fallen. It was certainly cold but the water had taken on that tinge that always screams chub. Out came the cheese paste. This particular batch must be over a decade old now and has been in and out of the freezer more times than I care to remember. A light quivertip rod, size 8 hook and 6lb line together with just enough gear to allow me to stay mobile was all I needed. The first swim produced some indications but a few strikes met with thin air. My second swim saw me miss a really positive bite that I was way too late reacting too. Off to what turned out to be my final swim. I had seen some chub topping here so I had reason to feel optimistic. Two chub resulted pretty quickly plus another bite that I hopelessly missed. Neither fish was huge at 2-3lb but they brought some welcome cheer on a cold afternoon. The light soon faded and it had also started to rain so that signalled the end of the session. 

Within 48 hours, Lockdown 3 had been announced. It looks like fishing will be down the list once again for a while.  In the meantime, stay safe in whatever you're up to and let us all hope that better times are around the corner. 

Autumn Perch and Chub

The end of October coincided with high pressure meaning cold nights and bright days. Despite having the week off, I still ended up having to fish on one of the brightest of them. I had decided to target some decent perch and as we all know, bright sunshine is not the perch anglers favourite condition. Arriving at a stillwater that had been kind to me in the past, I tackled up with a ledger set up with prawn and a float set up with worm. Regular feeding soon had the swim filled with the resident roach and skimmers. With perch sport slow, I changed to a maggot hookbait and enjoyed some nice roach.

As the afternoon wore on and the sun began to dip behind the trees on the far side of the lake. I was left in the shade and the temperature dipped sharply as another frosty night loomed. Although chilly, I knew the low light would give me a better chance of a perch so it was all systems go with prawn and worm baits cast into prime position. The waiting game began. Regular feeding kept the prey fish in the area and I just had to hope the big perch would turn up at some stage.

A 2lb 4oz perch

Some of the resident day ticket anglers fishing for carp started to depart. It was now as the lake became quiet that I noticed something a little different. The smaller fish in my swim seemed to have disappeared. Had the perch moved in and caused them anxiety? I recast my ledger rig baited with a prawn. I then placed the rod into the rest. I was still holding the line as I set about clipping on the bobbin but there was no need. A sharp tug registered. Then another. I struck and a decent fish was on. I quickly decided it had to be a perch so I just had to ensure it stayed on. Every time a good perch surfaces it never fails to be a breathtaking sight. They have been described as the biggest fish of all and there's no doubting they make for impressive viewing. The fish was safely netted and although it wasn't going to threaten the 3 pounders I'd had from the venue previously it was certainly over 2lb.

A carp approaching double figures

The scales confirmed this at 2lb 4oz. I hoped this would signal a flurry of activity and another perch around the pound mark fell to the worm. Another positive bite on the worm put a huge bend on the rod and signaled one of the resident carp had been hooked. Whilst good fun on a through action rod and centrepin its marauding around the swim put an end to end hopes of anymore perch. Soon enough the light had gone and the session had ended.


A few days later I was on the Warwickshire Avon. The river  had been low and clear for what seems an eternity. With the temperature dropping it was a toss up between pike or chub with the latter winning. Tactics were going to be simple with trotted bread flake the order of the day. By the time I'd faffed about it had gone 3pm by the time I'd thrown some mashed bread into the head of my chosen swim. With the nights drawing in I probably only had about 90 minutes to make this work. One thing in my favour was the fact the Avon has a great head of chub. Most are in the 3-4lb class but they are great sport especially on fair tackle.

The first fish of the session

A piece of flake was presented on a size 12 hook to a 7lb hooklength. My first cast was made and the float started its journey through the swim. Half way down and the float sunk from view. My strike was met with solid resistance as the first chub of the day made a bid for the nearside cover. It was a great start. The next cast saw a repeat with the float burying and another good chub hooked. This was beginning to look like a super session in the making. It was maybe the next run down that another fish was hooked. However this one had a bit more intent about and took off across the river towards the far bank trees. I was unable to tame it and the hooklength parted. I have no idea whether this was an over energetic chub or whether I had connected with a barbel. I will never know. Another chub showed meaning I had managed three chub and a lost fish within the first 6 or so casts. It was then that the chub vanished almost as quickly as they had been caught. I persevered hoping some more mashed bread would entice them back upstream. Had I not started so late in the day I would have moved and most likely added some more fish but with light fading it was time to call it day. It had been an enjoyable hour or so and something I must do again soon.

A nice return for little more than an hour

Back to business

Having returned from holiday it was time to get back on my local Warwickshire Avon. Hopefully, the fish would be more obliging than their French cousins. My time away had seen the heatwave pass and with it the the bickering in the barbel world that had been taking place all summer. I didn't get to the river until until almost 7.30pm. A few baits were thrown in and a first cast was made some twenty minutes later. This summer had seen the river alive with chub leading me to start fishing with pellets again as they are not as easily stolen as my boilie baits. On this occasion, I set up two rods to see which bait would prove more effective.

Within minutes of casting a positive bite on the boilie saw a 3lb chub make its way to the bank. It seemed that the chub were still here and still hungry. That said, they were not as ferocious as they had been a few weeks earlier when it was almost impossible to keep a bait in the water for more than a minute. It was soon after that the boilie rod was signifying another bite and this time a barbel was on. A fish of around 4lb put up a great scrap before another chub took a liking for the boilies.

A pause to the action ensued as the evening began to draw in. It was only 9 o'clock but already the

A few barbel put a bend in the rod

sense that autumn is just around the corner is present. I then heard a huge crash in the water just upstream. I stood up to see the bow wave and the trail of something that had moved to the near bank. I suspected an otter so I walked slowly towards the commotion. It was then a deer spritely jumped up the bank before running away, pausing every so often to see if I was a genuine threat. It had obviously decided that the grass was greener on the other side.

The pellet rod now jumped into action with a rod wrenching bite that had to be a barbel. Indeed it was as another fish of around 5lb put up a spirited battle. Another barbel of similar size put in an appearance as light faded before sport stopped dead in its tracks. I was back home just after 10pm so two chub and three barbel was a decent return for just over two hours of fishing.

A brief catch up

It's been very quiet here since the first week or so of the river season. With the country baking in a heatwave it's been pretty difficult to face the heat and summon enough inspiration to do anything other than hide away. That said I have been been out on the Avon for some short evening sessions as the sun begins to lose its strength. No blanks since my opening day debacle courtesy of the obliging chub. Inevitably, a few barbel have showed up along the way although nothing big.

An afternoon down the canal

What a contrast to seven days ago. This time last week the UK was gripped by sub-zero temperatures and a covering of snow. Today was a glorious spring day and by far the warmest of the year yet. With some maggots left over from last week's perch session I decided to have a few hours in the afternoon sun. The Birmingham to Worcester canal was the chosen venue. In all honesty, I rarely fish canals these days but I fancied a change and was intrigued as to what might turn up.

I dusted the pole off, it's first outing for quite some time, and set up to fish down the centre of the canal. It was about 4ft deep. The single maggot was dropped into place and a little and often feeding approach was employed. Bites on the canal are not usually difficult to come by but today was different. After an hour, I was starting to doubt there were any fish present. However, in the warm sunshine with the sound of new born lambs not too far away there are worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon. I decided to go for a short walk when I noticed a 25 metre stretch of the margins was home to population of breeding toads (I think). As the afternoon wore on I was still fishless. In fact, still biteless. It had just gone 4.30pm and I remember setting myself a 45 minute target. I had still to register a bite I was going to call it a day. It was just so strange to have not encountered any fish after a couple of hours that I had begun to think the stretch was barren and maybe they had shoaled up somewhere else after the cold weather of the last few weeks. Then a couple of fish topped and restored my confidence.

The 11oz roach

At just gone 4.50pm my first bite of the day saw a dace landed. Only a few ounces but more than welcome given the circumstances. Then a steady trickle of roach appeared with the odd small chub and a solitary perch. Things were looking up at last. I then connected with a better fish which turned out to be an 11oz roach. It was in immaculate condition and much bigger then its predecessors.

The hybrid

It was heading for half past six now. The change to British Summer Time afforded me an extra hour of daylight. The sun had dipped now but was causing havoc off the water's surface meaning seeing my float was tricky. The bites continued. It wasn't frantic sport but a bite every so often kept my interest. The float dipped from sight one more time and this fish saw the elastic stretch from the pole tip with purpose. It was a much better fish but what was it? I caught a glimpse beneath the surface and it looked bream like but the fight was anything but bream like. Instead of coming to the net like a wet sack, this fish wasn't going to give up easily. Finally, it was beaten and it silver flanks showed it was a roach/bream hybrid. It was a bit of an ugly work of nature to tell you the truth but it did weigh 1lb 10oz so was a decent fish for the canal. I gave it another 40 minutes or so but the commotion killed the swim and I called a halt to proceedings on what had been an enjoyable afternoon.

The longest of winters

One of the few recent captures

Another river season has come and gone and the lack of activity on these pages tell its own story. Since Christmas there have been few opportunities to capture some large winter fish. Since my previous post where I enjoyed some nice chub fishing in January, it has been a tale of woe. The changeable weather conditions have been most unhelpful. We have had to endure long periods of freezing weather which saw the Warks Avon dip to below 2°C at one point then we've had to contend with the inevitable snow melts that saw the river rage and spill its banks. A couple of small pike managed to put a bend in the rod but a string of blanks appeared to be the norm for me.

Mother nature flexes her muscles

Despite the lack of fish, the countryside can be at its most striking at this time of year. From the beautiful snow covered landscape to witnessing the power of mother nature when a river is in full flood. I had the pleasure of witnessing a starling murmuration for several weeks through the colder months. Quite why starlings do this prior to roosting is a mystery but it certainly makes for an interesting spectacle on a cold, winter's afternoon.

The final weekend saw the river rise dramatically. Had it not been the last chance to fish the river then I'd have probably given it a miss since I have found the Avon rarely produces when on a rapid rise. Despite reasonable water temperatures, a winter barbel could not be tempted. I even gave the river a final chance on the 12th but again she was on another quick rise following a day of heavy rain. I struggled to place a bait even in the slacker swims and was forced to retire early.

There are few better sights than the countryside shrouded in a blanket of snow

The PB chub

As I write this, I have awoken to find we are once again greeted by snow. It's certainly been an interesting start to what is supposed to be spring. Looking back, it's been a reasonable season full of highs and lows. The barbel fishing through the summer and autumn was some of the best I've enjoyed on the Avon in recent years and my first Wye double was a stand out memory. A personal best chub brightened up my winter before the weather took its grip. With March upon us it affords time to regroup and explore new challenges and I for one hope that the close season remains although that's a debate for another day. The next few weeks will see me switch to big perch and hopefully some better times to come.

Chub - A winter warmer

Having spent the best part of a week wiped out by a nasty bug, I was itching to get back outside again. I didn't really care about the conditions as getting out the house and breathing some fresh air would be enough after a severe bout of cabin fever.

The first fish of the day

That said, conditions weren't bad. The river had dropped so that it was only several inches above normal and the colour had started to drop out to give it that look that spells chub. With that in mind my batch of cheese paste was defrosted and a few lumps deposited into several likely looking swims. The idea was to stay mobile and hopefully pick up a few fish along the way. Although the air temperature on Sunday was pretty chilly the river itself was hovering around 6°C so I was confident a few fish would bite. I set up a simple running ledger rig employing an 1/2 oz bomb to hold bottom with a size 8 hook. My bait was flicked into position. Within 10 minutes the rod arched round and the centrepin screamed into life. A lively chub was on and heading for the downstream tree. Chub put up a great fight when tackled with suitable gear. A fact often lost when they frequently turn up whilst fishing for barbel and offer little resistance. With their determination to find the nearest snag, my tackle was tested but the fish was successfully landed. A decent fish of over 3lb lay in the net and signaled a great start to the session. Next cast threw up another, albeit smaller, chub before it became apparent this swim needed resting.

The next swim saw immediate interest although the bites were finicky. Eventually, a fish was hooked

Winter and chub go hand in hand

but then lost. With a few missed bites and a lost fish I decided that this swim should also be given a break. My next location again saw me miss a couple of bites so I decided to return to swim number two where I had lost a chub. I didn't have to wait long and I was soon into a hard fighting chub which I gleefully landed despite some powerful runs towards an old reed bed. It was another fish of over 3lb but bigger than the first. It also proved to be the last of my action. It was almost dark now. I did cast in a lump of meat in the hope I might find a hungry barbel but that wasn't to be. However, it has been an enjoyable couple of hours on the Avon and something I have vowed to do with more regularity.

In the nick of time

December has been tough. Snow, changeable temperatures and high water have sent our rivers into disarray. Apart from my PB chub earlier in the month, I have had to settle for a run of blanks despite targeting a variety of species. With the last day of the year upon us one last trip to the river beckoned. I had hoped to visit the Wye for pike but the a rising river put paid to that. The Severn suffered the same affliction but the Warks Avon was falling and would be fishable.

I arrived at lunchtime. The river was tearing through but I knew that some swims downstream would afford me some more favourable conditions. I started by throwing a lure around a backwater that contained lots of prey fish sheltering from the high water. It was a bit of a long shot given the heavy colour and so it proved. After half hour or so I trudged off downstream empty handed to where the river widened and the flow became more to my liking. Two rods were cast into place. One on meat, the other with homemade paste. A couple of hours passed with nothing to report. The thermometer

Finally, the December barbel arrives

showed 7°C so I remained slightly optimistic that something would feed. With an hour or so of light remaining, the paste was swapped for lobworm. Soon after the meat bait showed a few signs that some fish might be on the move. Time was running out as New Year's Eve plans beckoned. Eventually, the worm rod started to bounce as the upstream bait was dislodged. A fish was on and was brought to the bank without much fuss. I suspected a chub but a small barbel was the culprit and how welcome it was. I have been attempting to catch a barbel during every calendar month of the river season. December had let me down so a barbel on the last day of the month was a bit of a god send. The fish was returned and no sooner had I put he net down then my other rod lurched round with a typical 3ft twitch. A fish was hooked and it felt good. It powered downstream and I have to be honest and say there was little I could do to stop it. Unfortunately, the pressure against the extra water in the river proved too much and the hook pulled. Moments later I slipped on the treacherous banks and ended covered in sludge. An eventful 5 minutes or so!

This Wye double proved to be the highlight of my summer

The light soon faded and no further fish
showed and with that came the end to my fishing for 2017. It's been a decent year. The start was of the year was slow. A uneventful winter didn't match the previous one when I experienced some great perch fishing. The spring saw me have a go at some carp off the surface. I'm not a huge fan of carp fishing but find this particular tactic rewarding and I had fish to just over 16lb. Not monsters but good fun whilst the rivers were out of bounds. The summer came and it was all about barbel for me. I had set myself a challenge - to prove that the Warks Avon could produce barbel away from the popular venues. It turned out to be a huge success. Choosing a less than obvious venue I  went on to have a one of my best summers on the river. There were no monster but I had fish over 9lbs and proved that you don't have to be fishing Marcliff, Salford Priors, Fladbury, etc to experience great fishing. However, the highlight of the summer had to be my first Wye double. A superb looking specimen that came from spectacular surroundings. But the seasons soon change and with it we travel full circle back to my PB chub of 5lb 7oz that turned out to be a bright light in an otherwise bleak winter so far.

A PB chub 

Some fun off the top

With 2018 upon us I do hope that the predator fishing will improve. It simply hasn't got going yet. I also aim to snare a barbel for the the final three months of the season to hit that personal challenge of a barbel every month of the river season. Hopefully, it will prove easier than the last few weeks. Have a great New Year and tight lines for the rest of the season. 

A PB chub lifts spirits

The changeable weather over the last few weeks had coincided with three straight blanks. I'd set myself a little challenge this season of catching a barbel in each month of the river season. So far, so good but December's deep freeze and a lack of daytime fishing opportunities meant that it was starting to look unlikely. Last week saw a brief lift in temperatures before the next wave of freezing weather arrived.

It was already dark when I left the house and a late change in mind with my chosen venue saw me on the banks of the Warks Avon by around 6pm. The river was around 7°C, which was a rise on the previous week so it meant something ought to bite. I had only taken one rod as I aimed to be mobile

if required. A chunk of meat was cast mid-river. After a quiet 20 minutes it became apparent that the chub would be the most likely species. The tell tale knocks and grabs began, none of them enough to warrant a strike. Something was definitely interested and the pulls continued for a good 15 minutes. I remained patient. Striking too early would most probably end in failure and see the opportunity lost. Eventually a positive pull that kept going saw me strike into a nice fish. I've had some decent chub from the stretch throughout the season with a few big four pounders but the chub that lay in the net before me was no four pounder. A broad shouldered chub sent the scales to 5lb 7oz and was a new personal best for me and a cracking result for a December evening.

As I sit writing this, the countryside is white over. It looks like it could be a tough week or so as Christmas approaches. Hopefully, there's still time to manage a few more fish before the year is out. Good luck if you're planning a trip.

The Colours of Autumn

Autumn is a fantastic time to be out in the countryside. The colours of autumn show themselves in all their glory and of course, with winter around the corner the fish feed in earnest. There are few better occasions to be on the bank and the recent mild weather has provided anglers with a great opportunity to land some cracking fish.

Perfection in minature

With a week off, there was a real chance of a big barbel. I missed the ideal window of opportunity and ended up on the lower Severn about a week ago. Unfortunately, the level had dropped compared with a few days before and it also coincided with the coolest evening we had seen in an otherwise mild spell. Needless to say, my quest failed and the evening passed without so much as a tap on either rod. With my optimism dented I visited the Warks Avon the following day. I took my nephew out during the afternoon with a spinning rod and we managed a few hits resulting in small pike. As the light faded we changed tactics with one rod baited with boilie and the other with meat. It wasn't long before the boilie rod showed a few signs of feeding fish. Therefore, it was no surprise when a 3lb chub hooked itself and was safely landed. Another, slightly larger chub soon followed. At this point, I swapped the meat so that both rods were baited with boilies. It seemed that this bait was gaining more interest on this occasion. A few twitches on the downstream rod signalled a fish was closing in. The rod wrapped round and a barbel was on. The next few minutes saw me experience a memorable battle as a powerful fish tested my tackle to its full. The fish was landed and a solid looking barbel lay in the folds. It was a deep fish but lacked the length needed to send it over ten pounds. The scales settled at 9lb 3oz. It proved to be the final action as the swim switched off and home beckoned.

A cracking 9lb 3oz autumn barbel

A few hours with my son completed the week. We caught a few silvers on maggots, lost a pike on the worm before my half mackerel deadbait was finally picked up. Another good battle commenced as the mild conditions meant an energetic fish gave its all. I didn't weigh the fish but I reckon it was heading towards double figures.

With the cooler nights and the clocks going back it won't be long before the perch come into focus.

The barbel keep on coming

The last two weeks have seen me continue on the Warks Avon. A bit of rain a fortnight ago lifted the level a few inches and added a tinge of colour. Nothing much to get excited about but compared to recent months it was a definite change. As a result, I was confident when I arrived on the bank and my optimism was soon confirmed. No sooner had I cast in with a boilie hookbait and PVA bag  a few indications told me fish were present. It was no surprise when the rod wrapped around and my first barbel of around 7lb was in the net. A great start as I had literally only been fishing a matter of minutes. The bait was straight back out and again I was soon into a barbel albeit this fish felt better. A chunky looking barbel was landed and the scales registered 8lb 11oz. It was a great looking fish. A period of inactivity then followed before the chub moved in. Three chub were landed in succession before the swim died.

A beautifully conditioned barbel of 8lb 11oz

With river levels back to their low, clear and normal self, I again pursued a bigger fish. My second session was eventful even if it ended rather frustratingly. A barbel of around 6lb was landed within ten minutes, which promised a fruitful session ahead and indeed it should have been. However, lady luck was not on my side on this occasion. Another barbel was hooked but the hook quickly pulled and the fish was gone. Worse was to come when I later hooked a fish that was of much better quality. I had it right under the rod tip where it thrashed giving off an enormous splash. It then powered off downstream and found the sanctuary of a snag. I tried everything to get it moving again. I could feel it kick but nothing was freeing my rig from the its solid hold. Therefore, the inevitable happened and the line parted and with it the swim was killed. I gave it half hour but it was all in vain.

Another short trip (my visits tend to be 2-3 hours) saw me move slightly downstream of my newly found snag. After twenty minutes, a small barbel of around 5lb was hooked and landed. There was a definite chill in the air that reminded me that autumn had definitely arrived. Having being spoiled by some mild temperatures recently, the now cooler temperatures were sure to have affected the barbels' appetite. I had changed tactics slightly in so much as presenting a meat bait on one of the rods. It was this bait that was picked up by a chub, which was played to submission when it inexplicably found its freedom. Nothing happened for the next forty minutes and the session was ended.

There's a definite feel that winter is around the cornier. Having said that, I am determined my new stretch will produce some double figure barbel in the right conditions. A return of 33 barbel so far is a decent result compared to previous seasons' efforts although the really big fish are eluding me. I'll keep trying as I am convinced it's just a matter of time. However, we are reaching that time of year when other species start to distract and chub, pike and perch become the focus of my thoughts. Plenty to go at but so little time!

Tales from the lower Severn

Having found a consistent supply of barbel this summer, I was keen to try and up the average size. Therefore, a trip to the lower Severn was the order of the day. I planned to fish two days. With conditions less than perfect I figured that darkness would give me my best chance of sport. I have already managed a couple of evening sessions on the lower Severn this summer packing up around 11.30pm and both have resulted in blanks. Would staying a night improve my chances?

I arrived at the river mid-afternoon and chose a swim that provided comfortable access to the water's edge. I was mindful I could be on the bank in the middle of the night and I didn't want any unwelcome surprises. With base camp set up, I finally started to bait up around 6pm. Out went 4 pints of mixed hemp and pellet around a third of the way out. I also catapulted a few pouches of boilies. It's a big river with a lot of hungry mouths to feed and I am certain the barbel are quite nomadic at times so I needed to give them a reason to stop if they passed.

The first barbel of the trip

By 7.30pm, I had two rods in position. To be honest the evening was quiet like my previous sessions. I had a few runs which I suspect were from chub with one fish dragging me to a snag around midnight. Tackling up is so much fun under a headtorch!!! With action slow I tried to get some sleep but found it difficult. An otter then appeared in my swim, it's piercing eyes staring straight at me as they reflected my torch light. At about 2.15am I had a screaming run which woke me from my slumber. Surely a double figure barbel? Not quite. A chub of about 3lb was the culprit but at least I was off the mark. It was just over an hour later when I was woken up by the alarm screaming as line peeled off the reel. My first barbel was on. Welcome as it was it was not a huge fish at around 6lb. And that was that. I didn't see anymore action for almost three hours. Another screaming run saw me connected to another barbel. It put up a good scrap but again it was not the big fish I had come for. It was a better fish though and was probably edging towards the 8lb mark. It was well built and has obviously been feeding well in recent times. I put the kettle on and took in my surroundings. Dawn is a great time to be out in the English countryside and fishing affords us an excuse to experience what many people ignore as they rush around failing to see what surrounds them. The next hour proved to be quite entertaining too as the fish began to move. I hooked and landed a couple of skimmers, and a beautiful looking roach, or was it a roach hybrid? At around a pound it certainly had lots of roach genes.

An early morning barbel

The mouth isn't quite roach enough for me

The downstream rod began nodding. Not enough to strike at but there was some interest. This intensified briefly prompting me to lift the rod. There was a small fish attached. As I reeled in a roach of around 6oz came into view. It had a gash on its flank and a number of scales were missing. It had obviously been attacked by one of the river's many predators. Unfortunately, on returning it to the water it became apparent that this fish was not going to survive. Therefore, I used it to try and catch the culprit. I cast it out on a trace attached to a single size 2 hook. It was picked up almost immediately but the hook failed to connect. This happened again next cast so I decided to use a set of trebles instead. There was no mistake this time as a fish was hooked. Was it a huge zander? It took line and gave a spirited account of itself. The resultant fish however was a pike. It was probably the same one that had attacked the roach originally. It was a lovely looking fish that again was well built with it taking advantage of the many juvenile fish that inhabit the river at this time of the year. It was carefully returned where it sulked for ten minutes before shooting off to leave a cloud of silt.

A welcome distraction

Most of the second day was spent sleeping and sorting out bits of tackle as the daytime fishing was pretty chronic. As evening approached I carried out the same plan as the previous day. I planned to fish till around midnight and then return to the comforts of my own bed. That evening saw a bream and a chub, both around the 4lb mark landed, but as with my other evening sessions on this river recently the barbel failed to show before midnight. As I packed away, a mouse appeared in my swim to take advantage of the grains of hemp that had been dropped. It was more than happy for me to approach it with my torch where I sat for 5 minutes no more than a foot away watching it go about its business. And that was that. An enjoyable 36 hours or so even if my search for the big barbel this summer continues.  

Summer catch up

After a summer break, I have spent the last two weeks catching up by fishing the Warks Avon and the middle Severn. I've fished some lesser known stretches as well as some more popular beats and pleasingly caught at them all. There's a satisfying feeling to catch when everyone else is reporting blanks. I was greeted by one chap on the Severn who told me I was wasting my time as seven anglers had caught about six fish between them. I always prefer to find out for myself.

As for the fishing,  I have continued to find barbel although a double still eludes me so far this summer. Chub have been plentiful and one 4 pounder gave me an epic battle even on barbel gear. Perch were the main target on the Severn and I found some nice fish over a pound as well as a few barbel, a pike and plenty of silver fish.  All great fun. Now my attention turns to finding a double figure barbel. Wish me luck!

Chub, chub and more chub

A typical sized chub.

Following my last post where the barbel put in an appearance I have managed two short evening sessions. The first was a little frustrating. It ended with two chub of around 3lb but was tainted by the loss of two barbel and another chub. The only positive I could take was that the barbel were still around and willing to feed.

A few days later, I was back out again from 8pm until 10.30pm. No sign of barbel this time but a string of chub at regular intervals kept things ticking over. Again, most were around the 3lb mark and I ended the evening with a total of six.

Warks Avon Barbel

The lack of activity on this site tells its own story. I've been pretty bogged down at work during the last month and the few trips I have managed have only told a tale of woe with a few eels and two lost barbel on the lower Severn the result.

So an evening on the Warks Avon was long overdue. It was only to be a short session and it ended up being less than three hours. I arrived an hour before sunset and set up two rods. The downstream was baited with a lump of meat together with a feeder crammed with scalded pellets. This approach is my preferred method as the cooler months approach. It gives off a scent without over feeding and has proven quite successful over the last few years. My upstream rod was baited with 1 ½ boilies with PVA bags containing a few samples. I was able to top this up periodically with a few loose offerings thrown well upstream.

After ten minutes or so I received the first signal that fish had arrived in the shape of a sharp twitch

on the rod top. Soon after the upstream rod was nodding as the first fish was successfully hooked. A spirited fight brought the welcome sight of a barbel in the clear Avon water. It wasn't a huge specimen which I suspected was around 5lb but in impeccable condition. With a fish so early in the session I was quietly confident. Soon after, another barbel was hooked but a hook pull saw an end to that brief encounter. The meat bait had been left untouched until the rod tip wrapped around suddenly. I struck expecting a solid resistance but was left hitting thin air. A cheeky chub or line bite? I'll never know. The fish were obviously feeding and very active so it was not a huge surprise when another barbel was hooked a landed. Slightly bigger, this fish put up a great scrap. Another bite on the meat saw the line peeling from the bait runner but the bait was dropped and I suspect a chub was definitely the culprit on that occasion. It had been a hectic hour or so.

With a clear sky above the temperature had dipped dramatically following a warm autumn day and with it sport began to slow. The next hour saw very little happen until a 3lb chub decided to break the silence and cap the end of my session. It might have been brief but it was an enjoyable way to end the recent drought.

The arrival of October also brought about the commencement of the pike season. I now need to find time to find some pike and ready myself for the colder months ahead.

Perch and chub make up for a barbel drought

It's all been a bit quiet for me in recent weeks. A trip to the lower Severn resulted in a blank. I was quite confident on arrival as there was extra water and some colour but with the river still rising there was barely a tremble of the rod tip.

A few days later I tried the middle Severn. Surely a barbel could be tempted? Well no. The middle also disappointed. In the end I found some opportune perch fishing to provide some drop-shot fun after seeing them harrassing the small fish in the margins.

A final trip saw me on the Avon on Bank Holiday Monday. It seemed like it had been fishing well upon arrival but the sunshine had brought out an army of anglers. This meant I ended up fishing a new area. Again the barbel drought continued but the chub were more than obliging with fish to around 4lb finding their way to the net.

With work back on the agenda, it signals the end of the summer for me and with it my visits to the bank will be less frequent. Hopefully I can finish my break on a high note this weekend.

We're up and running

After weeks of dry weather, the river season started with many of the country's rivers in flood. I had always targeted a few hours on the Warks Avon and luckily it doesn't react as quickly as the Severn does to extra water. So when I arrived at about 7pm on the opening day it was only carrying about 18" more than usual.

The first fish of the 2016 season

I put a few droppers of hemp and pellet on the crease of my chosen area, which was just over a rod length out. Predictably, a big chunk of Spam was cast into the murky water. There were a few chub raps early on but nothing materialised. After a while, I decided to get the second rod out. This was baited with a boilie and positioned upstream with a stringer to provide a few loose offerings. It wasn't long before the rod started nodding away and the first fish of the season was on. It was obviously a chub and a decent one too that was determined to make for the nearside cover. It was soon netted and a fish approaching 4lb was revealed. In the next 15 minutes, another two made their way to the bank. The second was smaller at around 2lb with the next fish similar to my first.

Another chunky chub

With the river continuing to rise throughout the evening, the heavens opened again and another heavy downpour began. I had hoped an opening day barbel might have graced me with its presence but it wasn't to be. Even the chub disappeared so as 10pm came and went I packed up reasonably pleased with my efforts.

Lower Severn Barbel: Short Session Success

Sunday saw the moon and stars align to finally give me an opportunity to get back to the water's edge. I arrived on a stretch of the lower Severn and made my first cast at about 4.30pm. A boilie was presented with a PVA bag of mixed offerings midriver. My other rod was a float fished dead roach aimed at the sizeable population of Zander.

A nice way to start the session

With the clear water conditions showing no signs of abating it was always going to be a struggle especially in the fine late afternoon sunshine, which at least made for a pleasant evening. Unsurprisingly, the zander were not keen to feed in such weather. But as the sun began to drop, my boilie rod suddenly sprang into life. I was into a barbel. Nothing huge but always welcome. The fish was somewhere approaching 7lb and was safely returned. Another PVA bag was attached and my bait was cast back to the midriver spot. I decided to abandon the zander plan in favour of a second barbel rod. Whilst I realised the fading light would improve my zander chances, I has no desire to be unhooking a toothy predator in darkness. However,

8lb exactly

before I could dismantle the rod another barbel had picked up the boilie bait. This fish was a  much more livelier customer that had my clutch screaming on several occasions. After one more final bid for freedom, I managed to slide the net under a barbel that turned out to be perfectly formed 8lb specimen. With darkness still yet to arrive, I was hopeful of a bumper session. As it turned out, the barbel disappeared as quickly as the light and only a chub of about 3lb and a skimmer bream troubled the scorers thereafter. I was packed away and back in my car just after 8.30 feeling pretty pleased with my efforts after what turned out to be a successful short session.

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!