Holt Fleet Weir

Fished Holt Fleet today, the first time for Barbel have fished at the end of the season for pike but that's a different story. Arrived at the island a little later than planned at 5.15am and the weir peg was gone so my son and I set up in the next 2 pegs downstream.

Set up with normal feeder tactics using a 18in 10lb IQ2 flourocarbon hooklink with hair rigged corn on a size 12 hook . Within minutes i was getting indications/bites so i recast to the same spot and within seconds I had a good pull on the tip and i was in. The fight was nothing spectacular and i thought it was a chub only to see it was a decent Bream bout 4lb, not my favourite fish due to the bucket loads of slime and the stinky net afterwards but its better than blanking. The guy on the weir said he'd had a few since he'd arrived which seemed odd as he was fishing in the wash which i would have thought would be too quick for them. Shows what i know!!!. My son Reece who hadn't caught a Bream before was pleased when it was his turn. He's welcome to them.

we didn't have anything else until bout 9am when i had another bream yippee.!!! Then we both had a couple of chub.

I called it a day at 11.30am as it was a bit of an anti climax after yesterday on the Teme but will have to return when there's a bit more water on

River Teme part 2

After my last blog i was going to get back on the Severn but couldn't resist another bash at stalking on the Teme near Worcester.

Its a long trek from the car park but hopefully it'll be worth it. No fancy gear or rigs with this approach just a size 6 hook and a big lump of cheese free lined then cast upstream and let it trundle down.

 Looks like it's going to be a good day when on the second cast i hook this chub. Not what Im after but not a bad start. 

Every swim i look at has loads of chub cruising about on top just like carp do but creeping down the bank without spooking them is a nightmare.

not the best photo but my 1st attempt at self photography.

I limit myself to 1 fish per swim but cant resist another cast and on this occasion it pays off and i get another bonus chub but still no sign of barbel.

Most the time if your lucky enough to connect though it usually kills a swim so on to the next one. Which is what makes this so effective rather than waiting for the fish to regain confidence just peg hop to the next fishy looking swim.

Getting better at the photo's on my own

 After 6 six chub a couple of chublets im getting a little bored and dying to get a proper fight off a barb on my new rod.
I spot a shoal of barbel in a shallow gravel run but guess what no peg there i can only view them from the steep bank above and wish i could drop in a line but there no chance of landing them so i just watch.

So i walk upsteam past the gravel run and have a cast and straight away im. Fingers crossed is this the barbel i've been waiting for??? No such luck another chub..

No peg!!! TORTURE

 after watching the shoal of barbel again i come up with a plan this time i go to the peg downstream and try to cast upstream to them but its too overgrown. As its only shallow i decide sod it im not going home without 1 so i get in,my new boots are soaked as the waters bout 3inch's over them lol

Good things come to those that wait as on 1st cast with my curried luncheon meat its finally taken by a barb

 I fully expect it to be over now as i've spooked the shoal but within a couple of mins there  are chub and barbel just swimming inches away from from my feet. it was an amazing experience one i'll never forget. its pretty exciting stuff watching a barbel take freelined meat in just 18in of water and then trying to stop them tearing off down stream. I manage a couple more before they finally retreat for good.

 

A great day one of my most memorable just for the the sheer excitement and the fact that i never saw another person all day. That's what i call getting away from it all..

Lee

River Teme

After a couple of poor sessions on the Severn i decided to switch my attention to the River Teme in Worcestershire. It's a new stretch for me as i haven't fished it before.

 After arriving at the river my spirits are lifted as i can see loads of fish on the top catching them however is a different matter.

 my son is the 1st to catch with a nice chub on double hair rigged sweetcorn and feeder tactics and in sweltering heat  i blank

 So back again the next day this time with my father in law Barry ,we hit the same stretch this time roving style and im given another lesson when he tempts this huge barbel on freelined cheese while trying to catch chub

I do catch however with this nice chub while barbel fishing on pellets typical looks like the fish fancied swapping dinners lol

 One things for sure this roving style of fishing is addictive and im definitely going back soon for another crack
will post results when i do

Trimpley A great start and a disastrous end

Talk about a session of 2 half's.

Up at 4am and at Trimpley for ten past ready for the long walk to the B.A.A water. By the time i get to my chosen peg its 4.35am and the sun is blazing through.

The river appears to have risen a few inches after the much needed recent rain and is slightly chocolatey.
I set up 2 rods 1 on halibut pellet the other on sbs frankfurter pellets. Both with 2oz open feeders using hemp liquidised corn and a mixture of 3,6 and 8mm pellets with marine halibut groundbait mixed using the oily water left over from cooking the hemp. After 20mins of building up the swim my left hand rod wraps round (halibut pellet)and its my first barb of the day only small bout 2lb but it still gets my blood flowing. Unfortunately the barbel feeding frenzy doesn't last as the next 5 fish are all chub and none are much over a pound. followed by a little trout.

 A friend of mine Steve Upton with a decent Severn perch

After a couple of hours i decide to move right to the other end of the water up near victoria bridge. A move which seems to pay off as first cast !!!

but unfortunately my swim now appears dead!!! nothing for the next hour and a half when just as im pouring a cuppa my rod is violently ripped from the rest and pulled into the river luckily for me the its only shallow up this end so i take a dip in the drink and retrieve it. Thank god for polarising glasses so i could see the bottom as i waded out and the culprit????

Gotta come up with a way of anchoring my rod down for next time as those bites always come when you least expect them ie pouring a cuppa or answering the call of nature lol. Lets see what i come up with????

Severn at Arley June 19th 2011

After a good day in the week knew today would be hard. How right i was.

Got there at about 1pm and couldn't get on the pegs we wanted so settled for this very scenic spot. if you look closely you can see the footbridge at Arley in the background. 

                            And by 5pm still no action unless you count the constant flood of canoeists.

waiting apprehensively for a bite, any bite please!!!

Anyhow come 7pm and a few cases of 1 last cast syndrome i got my rewards again on sbs frankfurter pellets.when after a spirited scrap this Barbel finally rolled over the net.

8lb 14oz
Any my son not to be outdone decided he was having "1 last cast" and with it he up'd his pb little sod!!!

Reece's pb 9lb 

June 16th Finally arrives!!!

Up at stupid o'clock but where to go so much choice,not. Everywhere was absolutely rammed even at 5am so thats one less decision to make.

So i settle on the only peg i can find empty on the B.A.A Blackstone stretch. It's much slower and deeper than i would like but i was still optimistic of a few barbel. A few hours later and biteless i change my bait from pellet to corn and yatzee my tip swings round and i strike into my first fish of the year only this fish hasn't read the script as a nice bream rolls over the net. still it's better than blanking. Another hour or so later and still on the corn my tip swings round again and this time it's definately not a bream as a good fish runs me into a giant snag damn and to make matters worse my son lands his first barbel ever of about 3lb which naturally im of proud of but would of been a lot happier had i banked mine lol .

My Son Reece and his 1st Barbel at 3lb

After another good fish takes me into the snag im beginning to think it's not my day and perhaps i should take lessons off my son!!. So after breaking a branch off the small tree that separates Reece's swim and mine i recast and within seconds im away again only this time as the barbel runs for the snag i walk into my son's swim and steer him away and into my net. Result

1st Barbel of season at 10lb

I quickly weigh it and at 10lb on the dot im chuffed so i excitedly recast only for disaster yes you've guessed it line wrapped round tip and crack off much to my son's amusement. Oh well you live and learn except i never do as during the course of a season i do it a good half a dozen times. Anyhow all retackled line not round tip and this time my cast hits the spot. about 20mins later i change bait as it's all gone quiet this time i put on a SBS baits frankfurter hooker from their "serious Barbel baits range" deveoped by SBS owner Des Taylor.It's a bait i had a lot of success on last year they smell great. Almost good enough for me to try.Promise im not sponsored by them i just think there fab especially when the waters coloured. 

And it doesn't take long for the fish to be tempted when just as im pouring a cuppa my rod is savagely pulled off the rest. why does that always happen?. so with scalding coffee burning my leg i wrestle another nice fish to the net this time weighing in at 8lb 12oz.

After that its quiet till home time but im buzzing and couldn't care less and with everyone around us struggling for bites i think we've done well.

Just can't wait for my my next trip

Season start awaits !!!

As I write Im like a kid at Christmas excited by the anticipation of  the new river season ahead. During the 3 month break i curse the powers that be about the enforced break but i must admit i have always loved the start of the season and would miss excitement if it was abolished completely.

Anyhow sorted all my gear and barbel bashing hear i come (fingers Crossed). Really cant make my mind up where to go though have purchased the B.A.A again this season and this has got loads of choice for the river angler plus with numerous day ticket river venues locally it makes the decision of where to fish a hard one.

I've whittled it down to a few now either Bewdley,Arley or Hampton loade on the Severn or Fladbury,Barton or Marcliff on the Avon. It's a tough decision as there are so many places on the River's Severn and Avon Within a short drive that it will just have to be a last minute decision i think or i might let my 13year old son decide who begged me to  let him bunk off school to join me on opening day ha ha.

Any suggestions???

Will post results