barbule

June 2006

16th - 18th

The New Season

A couple of Teme Virgins.

River Teme,

nr Worcester

During the closed season my best mate Paul and I talked of him never having fished "opening" night before (his club water don't allow night fishing!) so we decided it was time to rectify it now that he is semi-retired and has a lot more time on his hands!

It was the same day that England played their group match against T&T, Paul's not a "big Engerland" man so I met up with a few more guys in the Blue Bell at Callow End, just a few miles south of Worcester and enjoyed watching a comfortable win to stay at the top of the group.(even with that "scouser" Gerrard costing me £20 with his late late goal!) Paul arrived just before the game finished and introductions were made in the pub car park.

I had fished the Teme a couple of times before, but Paul had never even seen it in the "flesh" Phil took us to the river with a small amount of gear intending to return to the cars and get the rest a little later, Paul couldn't believe his eyes when he was stood on the top of the bank and the river was 15ft+ below him! words like "Bonnington" "Hilary" "Eiger and "K2" spilled from his lips. After walking a fair distance (for me) we decided that as we wanted to fish "together" we would walk back to the car and go to the next section downstream where the banks were apparantly a little "less steep".

As we parked the cars you couldn't even see the river! never mind the pegs. As we walked up stream the pegs were no kinder to us 2 old guys, so we decided on a peg near to where the cars were parked then atleast we didn't have too far to walk to make a cuppa!

There was still a 15ft "drop" down to the peg, this is the view back up but when you did finally reach the river the view was absolutely stunning .

After a "brew" we took some of our gear down to the peg in "convoy" Phil soon left us to our own devices and we settled down setting up our tackle in readiness for the "witching" hour. We talked for a couple of hours and then he produced a couple of "cans?" of wine, red for me and white for him, as midnight approached we drank to our friendship and many more sessions together this season.

I had decided on a complete new approach to my fishing this season, 1 rod and reel, so in February I sold 2 of my GTI's (still left me with 1 though) to fund a new reel, a Ray Walton Rolling Pin MK2 in "black". I had used it a couple of times towards the end of the season luckily catching a couple of barbel on the set up.

My 1st cast resulted after 15 minutes in a missed take but 20 mins later the tip wrapped round and I was into a "Teme Tiger". I had hooked and lost one last year with Tony on another stretch but this one was to be my 1st. The fight was tremendous and Paul couldn't believe the power in the fish but my Peregrine GTX coped easily with it and she was soon resting in the net.

My 1st ever Teme barbel 8lbs of sheer beauty. another 2 followed but Paul couldn't get a bite. Then after dawn had come and gone the tip on his GTI went round, the ratchet on his "pin" screamed as a barbel picked up his bait and went off downstream. A cracking fight resulted in his 1st ever Teme barbel resting in the net. 7lbs she weighed. Still not sure about that hat though Paul?.

The sun was up early so we had a sleep across the hottest part of the day, then went to walk the rest of the 2 stretches, what a lovely river not even my new camera could do it justice. We meet up with the 2 Robs who showed how "they" fish the Teme, no chair and very little gear!

We started fishing again about 7pm as the searing heat of the day subsided a little, Paul had 3 more fish in the next 2 hours but I couldn't "buy" a bite and at 6am the next morning I had too go leaving Paul to the wonderful river Teme. I don' think I had been on to the M5 10 minutes before my phone was ringing, Paul had started catching again and by the time I got home he had graced the net with 6 more barbel!

What a fantastic couple of days and the best of it we were "Teme Virgins" no more"

20th

Middle Trent.

A well planned trip this one, actually left home on time!

Hugh and Tony were down when I arrived at 3pm.

I had decided to do some "trotting" first, with a "Match Aerial" (I had aquired at the BS Conference) and my trusty 13ft "Normark" float rod (I think I saw it blink when it came out of its bag!). I had loaded it with some 5lb line and put on one of Chris Lythe's floats (also from the conference) it would be my 1st proper "trotting" session for the best part of 25 years, would I have forgotten how to do it?

A couple of runs down to gauge the depth and a "barbless 16" with a couple of maggots on and away she went.

The wind wasn't the most helpful as it was downstream but the float buried half way down the swim and a small chub was reeled in, when it was about 3ft from my waiting hand, a bloody big swirl to my left saw a pike of about 7/8lbs rip into the fish! The pike attacked virtually every fish I hooked including my biggest a perch over 1lb, I had a great couple of hours with a bite a chuck, roach, chub, perch and a gudgeon on maggot and casters but I never landed the pike.

Hugh was away about 6pm, he had a nice barbel about 7lbs and a 4lb+ chub.

I dropped in the peg, 1st cast with the Rolling Pin and the bait had hardly had time to settle before the ratchet was clicking away and I was connected to a very fiesty barbel it looked a good fish as she lay recovering in the net. Tony came to see what all the commotion was and we decided that it looked like a good 10. When she was lifted onto the un-hooking mat an empty belly showed her true weight at 9lbs 7ozs but a very big framed fish that would go a lot bigger during the winter.

Tony had a good day with some "big" roach that wouldn't leave his double pellet alone, he ended up with 9 good uns all over 1lb,and 4 chub.

No fishing now for a couple of weeks as I am training for a new job, so it will probably be the weekend after next.

30th

Middle Trent

As my training schedule for my new job is Monday to Friday, 5pm saw me on the motorway heading for the wilds of Nottinghamshire.

As I pulled up at the river the temperature was still 25oC and very humid, I was the 3rd car in the car park, I recognised Freds car but not the other? as walked over to the river I saw it was Brian, back in England for his 10 week summer break! (he is a teacher in Kuwait) it was good to see him after nearly a year and we talked of his "twitching" my new involvement with the Barbel Society and the past winters fishing. I had a walk down to see Fred, his wife (Pauline) was sat "topping up" her tan and reading (not the AT I might add!)

My new fishing regime is still holding up (1rod and not much tackle!) so only 1 trip to my peg and not the usual 3! As I fitted my "Rolling Pin" to the GTX a fish rolled straight out in front (my hopes were high). I had decided to alternate between "pellet" and "boilie" with a small "pva" bag.

Kev was due down early evening, he had been at Donnington Park all day (Moto GP practice) and then to his other job weighing in a big match at Mallory Park (his weekend job). By the time he arrived it was nearly 9pm and he decided to fish the peg upstream of me. With less than 3 hours left Kev was hoping to get a June barbel as he had been too busy at work to get out on the river this season he wasn't very hopeful.

Brian had a small chub and a couple of barbel but Fred who had arrived in the morning struggled all day but did manage to save his blank with a barbel and a chub before he decided to take Pauline and retire to the pub! Brian had a move but this was to no avail, it looked like it was going to be a long session?

I had a couple of taps and at 9.30pm the tip jumped and a fish sent the rachet on the pin into action, "that will be a bite then" came sarcastically from Kev (the reel is new and the ratchet VERY! loud). A cracking fight ended with a perfect 8lb 8ozs barbel resting in the net, a short rest and away she went, things where looking up?

I met one of the new members "Frosty" with his son Ben, he was having his 1st trip to a river, Ben ended up having a great session beating his dad with his 1st barbel and then later a beauty at 8 1/2 lbs.

Kev fished the feeder with halibut pellet and after 15mins the shout "that's June out of the way" and a barbel of about 3lbs had saved the day.

I had decided to leave at the witching hour but after talking to Sue she said there was no need to come home at that time , I had forgotten I wasn't at work the next day! A stroll to Kev and I told him I was staying till the dawn arrived he was well "made up" as he had been battering them into submission with another 7 barbel before midnight!! topped off by his 1st double from this stretch a cracking 10lbs 3 ozs.

He ended up with another 8 barbel after midnight and left a very "happy bunny" I had a couple of chub and bream but no more barbel.

email me : email mike

page last edited 22.06.06