Patience rewarded

After the success of my Avon visit a few weeks ago where I managed two doubles in a short evening session, conditions were back to normal summer levels. That night I had been able to take advantage of extra, coloured water. Now we were back to a clear river. I managed a super 9 pound barbel on the following session along with a smaller barbel of average size. The fish picking up a pellet baits presented with a pva bag of offerings. The next visit saw me in the same area. These few swims had yet to give me a double figure fish despite a few 9 pounders over the last few years. I kept returning sure that one day my luck might change but I was still waiting.

11lb exactly 

On this occasion, I fed more heavily laying down a bed of hemp and pellet concentrating on the head of the swim with a lighter effort downstream. I fished boilie on the upstream rod with pellet downstream. A chub of about 3lb fell to the boilie rod quite quickly. All was quiet thereafter. However, I was content. The baits were presented and there was food available. Some people might have been tempted to recast but in my view this is a mistake. Leaving everything alone allows the better fish to build confidence that the area is just as normal. Casting now would just arouse suspicion so I waited. Finally, there was a twitch on the downstream rod. Was it a chub? Another twitch then nothing. I was now thinking barbel as this is often the precursor. Seconds later the rod twitched again and kept on going and the battle was on. The fish was netted and my patience had finally paid off with an 11lb barbel, my third Avon double this summer. 

A slow start bursts into life

I have to be honest, the start of the river season has kind of passed me by this year. A combination of other things going on meant that for the first time in decades I missed out on the 16th June. A couple of trips in the first week or so resulted in a blank and then a couple of small chub. It was all a bit underwhelming.

Last Tuesday saw a whole heap of rain fall in Worcestershire and the Avon inevitably began to rise. By Wednesday evening it had peaked and was around 3ft up but starting to fall. The weather was grey and cloudy and I did have second thoughts on venturing out. The fact that a heat wave had been predicted for Thursday and beyond was enough to give me a nudge to get my act together so by 7pm I was set up in a swim that gave me some nice steady water on the inside with the fastest water on the opposite bank. The river looked good and as expected, several other anglers were on the bank hoping to take advantage of what looked decent conditions. However, not much had happened and a few were already calling it a day.

I cast out two rods. Upstream with pellet, downstream with meat. Both with a cage feeder packed

The first barbel of the season, and a double.

with scalded pellet to act as an attractant. A few chub topped mid-river so at least I knew some fish were about but all was quiet as far as the baits were concerned. To be honest, I didn't expect much. However, that was all about to change. Around one hour in and the pellet was picked up and it was a barbel. A good fish held its own, using the extra water to its advantage. I kept the pressure on and inched it closer to the bank where it was finally beaten. A good fish that surely had to be a double. Indeed it was, weighing in at 10lb 14oz. My mood had completely changed. What a way to open my barbel account but better was still to come. Both rods had seen a few knocks and at around 9pm the meat was picked up and another barbel was on. This fish just held station. It didn't really run and I could hardly move it. I think at one point it might have snagged but I managed to get it moving again and finally it surfaced. Another double and bigger than the first. The second fish went 11lb 5oz. I packed up at 10pm. I maybe could have stayed on a little longer and maybe another would have showed but I was more than satisfied with two doubles in less than three hours of fishing. The river is now back to normal and we've just seen some very hotweather so right time, right place and all that.

The second of the session at 11lb 5oz 

Anyone that does read this may have noticed I have slowed up with the post releases. I have decided that I will slow down my output, probably posting an update every month or so and maybe an extra if something turns up worth mentioning. However, I'm not really sure how many people are reading this anymore and social media seems to have taken over. There's plenty on here for those that want to search around. Thank you to those that still check in and comment. That's always appreciated.

River Wye - Double Delight

Every so often a session will come along that sticks in the memory for a while. I had opted for a change and chosen the Wye for a few evening hours in unfamiliar surroundings. It's not a river I have fished often, indeed this was only my fourth visit, with my last being over two years ago.

I arrived at the venue around 3.30pm and decided to have a look around. Although I had an outline plan in my head I am a firm believer of not being too regimental. Within 10 minutes I had a completely new approach mapped out. Greeted by a gin clear and low river together with bright sunshine, I had originally envisaged feeder fishing in the slightly deeper areas hoping the darker pools would offer sanctuary. However, my walk found me drawn to the shallow, weedy areas. Although only a few feet deep, I found myself bewitched by the beds of ranunculus weed that stretched as far as  the eye could see. It hypnotically waved with the current revealing clean gravel runs and was convincing enough for me to settle confident a fish or two would be hiding amongst it. With this decision came a new approach. If I was fortunate enough to hook a fish then the weed would create a barrier with regard to landing it successfully. Therefore, the feeder was ditched. I didn't want a heavy feeder dangling about and creating an obvious snagging point. Instead I would fish a straight lead of 3oz together with PVA bags which would deposit enough pellets to hopefully entice a barbel or chub to forage and find my hookbait, which began as two 8mm Dynamite Source pellets on a size 12. The other decision came in the shape of fishing upstream. Firstly, there appeared to be a slightly deeper area upstream but I also hoped any hooked fish would hopefully drop downstream with the flow and therefore not see me trying to drag it against the weed. Going with the flow so to speak made it pretty painless.

10lb 11oz - A great start

I made my first cast just after 4pm. After 15 minutes or so I reeled in having received no obvious interest. I changed the hook bait to two regular 8mm halibut pellets and again cast mid-river to my chosen area. The bait had hardly been in the place for a minute or so when a thud on tip resulted in a definite drop back. I took up the slack and struck into my first barbel of the session. It felt a decent fish in the strong current. By now it had dropped directly in front of me and I was keen to keep the rod high and the fish moving to prevent it from getting snagged. I caught a glimpse of the fish in the clear water and was able to watch it as it eased ever closer. Steady pressure got it under the rod tip where it made several lunges for the main current. Eventually the fish was netted. It looked a nice fish but most Wye barbel tend to be in the 4-7lb class and although it looked slightly better than that I was not expecting what lay in the folds of the net. As the fish was laid onto the unhooking mat I knew instantly that I had landed my first Wye double. The scales soon confirmed this with a reading of 10lb 11oz. It was a beautifully conditioned fish with its golden flanks glistening in the September sun and had plenty of room for further growth. What a start after 25 minutes of fishing. My first Wye double!  Another barbel came to the next cast albeit of the more expected proportions. The next few casts saw me admiring the surroundings. Much has been written about the beauty of the Wye Valley and with the sun beaming down there was nothing to dispute this. A lone buzzard soared above the far bank woodland. The water glistened and sparkled as the odd strand of weed broke surface every so often. It was truly a moment of contentment.

I finished with 7 barbel in a frantic 4 hours or so

Half an hour passed without me even noticing. I reeled in twice to find my bait gone, probably from small fish, so I changed to a boilie which I find a bit more robust. I broke a few bits off to make an irregular shape and off I went again. By 8.30 it was almost dark. I had manged seven barbel. Most in the 6-7lb mark although two were probably around 8lb. Despite fishing a heavily weeded area, I suffered no tackle loss and only lost one fish to a hook pull. Even better was the small amount of bait I used. Although I had packed 6 pints of hemp, corn, pellets and boilies my total for the session was a few 8mm pellets, 2 boilies and the contents of around 15 PVA bags. Who says you need loads of bait to catch barbel? I was obviously fortunate to have stumbled upon them so bait was not required to draw fish to me. It proved just how important location is as well as not turning up with preconceived ideas. Had I stuck with my original plan I would have no doubt struggled with maybe a fish as the light faded. However, the main lesson I learned was not to ignore this majestic river for so long. There are few better places to spend a few hours catching fish.

My first Wye double

Barbel in the mist

The weekend brought some foggy weather to the Midlands. I had decided that I could fit a quick session in and as it happened it turned out to be less than three hours. The upstream rod was baited with boilie and a PVA bag while the downstream rod saw trusty Spam over a few droppers of hemp and pellet. With both rods in place by 4.30 it wasn't long before darkness fell and the fog began to linger. By 6pm it was so thick that the far bank had vanished. I can't remember a night so dark. I have never been confident of fishing in foggy conditions and with both rods remaining motionless bar a chub stealing the meat, prospects were looking pretty grim. I had rebaited the downstream rod with a large lump of Spam to prevent a repeat but by 6.50 I had decided enough was enough and I'd give it another 15 minutes and go home. Moments later the baitrunner on the downstream rod started to click and pay line. This was no searing run, instead the fish appeared to be oblivious as it casually moved away. Since the bait was large, I allowed it to run a little longer than usual before striking into what was obviously a Barbel. It fought with the characteristics of a decent fish, staying low with several powerful runs as it neared the bank. A solid fish came into view. A huge girth made me think it was 11+ but amazingly, the scales only settled on 10lb 11oz. The huge stomach was a little hollow so the fish has plenty of potential but I have to admit to being surprised on this occasion. With an unlikely capture secured, I then braved the murky conditions in an attempt to locate the car and the route home.

Avon Barbel: The doubles keep on coming

I found myself sat reading a copy of Elite Barbel by Tony Miles this week as I entered the final days of my paternity leave. Reading Tony's escapades of his first ventures at Adam's Mill really whet the appetite to get myself back on the barbel trail. Of course, that is easier said than done when you have a new born in the house. So with plenty of errands completed and hopefully enough credit in the bank, I was brave enough to broach the possibility of an evening session. Thankfully, I was successful albeit it meant setting up in dark, which is something I try to avoid but beggars cannot be choosers.

Both rods were in place by 8.30pm. A boilie wrap on the upstream rod over six droppers of hemp and a few pellets. Hopefully, just enough to attract some attention in the area. Downstream was a lump of meat with a few morsels thrown in to encourage any feeding fish to mooch about and look for more. I've been experimenting this year with feeding and have found that the Warwickshire Avon barbel population can be suspicious of heavy deposits of bait. This was illustrated perfectly earlier this season when my upstream rod over a couple of pints of bait was ignored yet my downstream rod attracted lots of attention. I have summised that the fed bait does attract fish to the swim but they have learned to associate large quantities with being caught so hang back. This is where the downstream rod can pick up those finicky fish, which are quite often larger specimens.

I could hear plenty of fish topping and the local tawny owls and foxes were in active as I gazed at the clear night sky. The rods sat motionless but I was confident. About an hour in and the

The run of doubles continues

downstream rod was away. A barbel was hooked. It held station for a while as the better fish tend to do before I was able to ease it upstream. Twice it ran for the far bank. One of those runs saw me applying pressure to the spool to slow the fish down. Every time it surfaced and I reached for the net, the fish made another bid for mid-river. Eventually, it was netted and a thick set double was lying in the folds of my landing net. The scales registered 10lb 12oz. It had some distinctive marks on its right flank proving it was a recapture of the 10lb 3oz I had caught a few weeks ago. Although I have not caught as many barbel as usual from the Avon this season, that was my fourth double out of that last six barbel I have caught. This has been the first recapture meaning there are group of reasonable fish and a real chance of something much bigger as the season progresses and the fish pile on their winter weight. Perhaps my PB will be beaten? As far as the rest of my session panned out - a couple of line bites on the upstream rod was all I could muster in the next hour and I was back home by 11pm to recommence daddy duties.

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Barbel: On a roll

If you are a regular reader of my blog then you'll know that my last session resulted in a last minute double [here]. Therefore, Sunday evening saw me return to the same venue. Last time, the stretch was busy but I was delighted to see I was the only visitor on this occasion. As a result, I made straight for the swim that had rewarded me a few days earlier.

I set two rods up and they were both in the water just after 5pm. I didn't expect much action until dusk and apart from a few chub raps I was proved correct. I wasn't too concerned though, My main aim was building up an area with some bait so that when dusk arrived any roving barbel would visit my swim. I was especially confident given my bait was the only offering on the stretch.

As the light faded, I ensured both baits were spot on. The upstream rod was baited with a pellet wrap and cast over the bed of feed. The other rod was baited with meat and cast a little further downstream with a few lumps of meat thrown in to get the fish rooting around. I've noticed that more experienced Avon barbel can be wary of baited areas, especially in clear water and often hang a little downstream.

With autumn now less than a month away, it was noticeably cooler and the light seemed to

My second double in as many sessions - 10lb 8oz

fade far more quickly. A half moon reflected on the still river surface; the scene was set. Then it happened. The meat was picked up and the size 2 hook was set. It didn't have the speed of the fish from the previous session and for a while I thought it would be of average size. I then suspected differently as it began to stubbornly hug the river bed. As it neared the bank, a glimpse in the moonlight confirmed it was a decent barbel. It made several bids for the haven of mid river before it was safely netted. Another double was lying in the net. The weight was 10lb 8oz and confirmed my second double in as many sessions.

It appears I have located some fish of reasonable size. The challenge now is to see if they can pack on more weight as the year progresses or if they have any larger relatives lurking just behind. I'm really keen to beat my PB this season so I am quietly optimistic that this season might be the one.

Back with a bang with an Avon double

After breaking something of a mini barbel drought on the middle Severn earlier this week, I visited the Warks Avon hoping my fortunes had indeed changed for the better. I arrived at my chosen venue at around 5pm to find it surprisingly busy. The area I had hoped to fish had three anglers fishing it so I was forced several pegs upstream. I set up two rods - the first was a straight lead with a PVA bag cast to a far bank tree; the second a cage feeder with a pellet hookbait. This was to be recast every ten minutes initially cast downstream.

A decent bream

The first hour was quiet. The boilie rod on the far bank remained unnoticed while only a few nudges on the pellet rod maintained interest. I then decided to change the bait. Instead of pellets, I nicked several maggots onto the size 10 hook and recast. The result was a positive bite soon after with a bream of about 4lb the culprit. The clear conditions meant I was able to see the fish clearly battling and with it a blank had been averted. It just goes to show how a simple change can make a big difference to a otherwise lean spell in a session. Unsurprisingly, the swim then went quiet.

As sunset came, the light faded. The witching hour had begun. With it came the sound of foxes frolicking nearby whilst I caught the silhouette of an owl hunting above the far bank. I then heard an angler a few pegs upstream battling with a barbel, at least they were feeding albeit not in my swim. As dusk gave way to dark, I heard the three anglers downstream depart. I continued with my traps set. Bait was now my dusk time favourite: Spam. However, time was running out in order to abide by club rules. I heard a sizeable chub crash downstream while my peg remained devoid of action. I remember thinking why would the fish be in my peg when they could be in that downstream area, eating all that bait deposited by the three anglers and with it be completely undisturbed? I then made another decision which changed my fortunes. I packed up all my gear except the essentials. I then wondered downstream in torchlight with just a rod, landing net, mat and rest. I had about 10-15 minutes to make it count. It was now or never. I settled in the middle of the three previously occupied swims and cast my bait mid-river. Without any rod tip indication, I set the baitrunner as my only means of detection in the now dark conditions. I stood at the rod butt and waited. Around 5 minutes elapsed when the sound of line peeling from my reel had me jumping into action. The strike resulted in one of the most scintillating first runs I can remember from a barbel. It powered off downstream at an alarming rate. Fortunately, Avon barbel tend to stick to the main channel so I was happy to let it go in an area I know is free of snags. Then out of the blue it turned and moved upstream so quickly I struggled to regain line in order to keep in contact. By now I had the fish under the rod tip and after several more runs it was ready for the net. It was a stocky fish that went 10lb 3oz. It looked heavier in the dark but it was, on reflection, quite short in comparison to its bulk. So a second change had resulted in a fish meaning I felt pretty pleased with myself. I have no doubt had I stayed in my original peg I had have gone home with just the bream to show for my efforts.

A stocky 10lb 3oz Warks Avon barbel

If you enjoy fishing the Avon and Severn then my barbel guides may be helpful. Take a look at the Severn guide here and the Warwickshire Avon version 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.

Barbel: Rolling meat does the business

After finding a couple of juvenile barbel recently, I was keen to find the Warks Avon's larger inhabitants. The hot, bright weather of late had given way to grey skies that threatened rain. All in all, the conditions were much more encouraging.

First double of the season

With the stretch to myself, I was able to bait up a spot and leave it to rest. This allowed me to try rolling meat in the faster water just upstream. The first few runs saw me experimenting to get the right amount of weight until I could feel that grating sensation as the bait moves across the gravel telling me all was just right. Then came the inevitable pluck. It's hard to describe as it's such as subtle sensation but you just know it's a fish. Instinct told me to strike. My rod hit a branch meaning I couldn't get a full strike in, but it was enough as the line went taught. The fish turned and made a couple of powerful runs downstream before it headed back up the fast