barbule

November 2005

7th Middle Trent.

Had to redo this section as I lost the 7th article so will just precis it,There had been lots of rain over the previous week and the river level was 6ft+ above normal and really pushing through, we could hold with 4ozs 2 rod lengths out and 6ozs 4 lengths out. We put 6/8 balls in each swim, I started on the inside line with worm, taps coming straight away from the chub and Arthur with pellet slightly upstream.We ended up with 8 barbel between us, biggest my 11lbs 9ozs fish, Arthur had 3 to 7+ including a baby one. 15th River Ribble. Sue off gallivanting round europe again so off to the Ribble to meet Les and Mark, arrived about 3pm they had been there since 11am and both blanking. The river was up a bit and looking good but the temp was not, it was down at 8.5 from previous days 9+ I tried a few different tactics but all to no avail except an eel of less than a pound that took 4 lobbies on a size 2! Mark did get a couple but all small fish , Les and I never bothered the scales man! It was a very cold night when I left at 10pm! 22nd River Severn.Sue is away again (east midlands this time) it took us 3 1/2 hours instead of the usual 2 (M1 shut both ways for 7 hours) so detours all over the place (thank god for sat nat!) I met up with Roger mainly to pick up a couple of rods (presents for customers for xmas) but we had decided to have a fish together too.I have never fished the Severn, the last time I was at there (just over a year ago again with Roger) the river was 17 ft above normal 400yds wide in places and the tree line was 50yds in the river! We ended up on the Teme and that was just as bad ( the old bugger still caught though). This time it was bloody freezing and the river temp had dropped like a stone over the past month! so the chance of any barbel was looking very very slim. Roger much to my surprise had never fished with the Peregrine Flood rod ( I later learnt he doesn't own one!) he borrowed one of mine and put on his ever faithfull spicy meat (I am sure its the same stuff he had last year on the Teme!) Chris (Ponsford) had said he would pop and see us after doing his paid job and he duly turned up about 3.30pm we expected him to stop about an hour then go home for his tea. No sign off fish whatsoever, Roger was sticking with his meat, I had started with lobbies but a few plucks and some slime up the line showed me it wasn't barbel so they came off after 2 casts (remembering the Ribble last week?) I put on the faithful barbel rig,small boilie with paste wrap and a stringer and sat and waited and waited and waited. Roger had been getting a few taps and at just after 6pm his tip went over and he was in, we were only 6 yds apart and my peg had an easier get down so as Chris directed Roger in the finer art of playing the said fish I netted a cracking looking chub, as I lifted the net I could tell it was a gud un, the hook was taken out and as it lay in the net I though it may go 6lbs but the scales never lie and she came out at 5lbs 14ozs, Roger was now a very happy bunny. Photos taken and as Chris put her back (his turn to get muddy) she swam off strongly, Within a minute of me helping him back up the bank my tip slammed over and I was in, another chub but most welcome on a cold damp evening, she weighed in at 5lbs 6ozs ( a new PB) so I was very happy angler and Chris's tweeks had worked for me. No more action so we packed up at 8pm and headed for home, a most enjoyable evening by 3 "Grumpy Old Men"Total for November5 barbel

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page last edited 21.6.06