The Sloop on the Sussex Ouse - Colin Etherington

Having joined Hayward’s Heath and District Angling Society back in April 2018 I was keen to fish stretches of the Sussex Ouse. During the closed season I took some lovely walks along the river bank identifying possible swims that I’d fish, it was very interesting to say the least. The upper reaches of the Sussex Ouse isn’t particularly wide and has bend after bend with slacks, glides and faster runs. Then, I came across the Sloop Weir Pool and automatically fell in love with it! I hadn’t even cast a line but I was already fixated by how wonderful and beautiful it looked. I was intrigued to know what fish resided there.

With a new car park constructed by member Ryan Smith it made it even more appealing. In my book there’s nothing better than a nice pint after a days fishing and this pool is fortunate to be very close to the Sloop Inn. I had a lovely pint in there after catching my first Ouse barbel!

The pool itself is only a short walk from the car park and there’s certainly room for two anglers using two rods each. It’s certainly comfortable fishing and I love the fact there’s no high bank thus enabling you to actually net fish right in front of your feet. It’s very picturesque with a lovely willow tree hanging across the pool from the far bank creating shade for the fish on those hot barmy summer days.

The fields around you are home to a herd of dairy cows that will often join you by the waters edge to take a drink of fresh water. They create no problem to the angler and are just inquisitive more than anything.

I’ve always enjoyed fishing deep pools and the Sloop is certainly that, the far bank against the wall has to be at least 12 feet deep. I’ve found that ledgering into the main drag accounted for the majority of my fish. Unless of course the river is flood I’ve found using 2oz of lead more than adequate to hold bottom. I have fished the pool in flood conditions and did well using a 4oz flat lead to hold bottom.

The pool has a wide mixture of species that include barbel, chub, bream, pike, perch, roach, eels, grayling and apparently the odd carp. My choice of Weir Pool fishing has always been on the tip and I personally use 12 2lb TC barbel rods coupled with Shimano 6000 baitrunners. However, you can also trot a float around the pool as demonstrated to me by Darren Larouche, who on his first ever visit banked a lovely 4lb 4oz PB chub.

My first sessions on the pool I used glugged 12mm boilies hair rigged on a short 6” braided hook length and I found the going tough. Albeit I was also using a PVA mesh bag containing three to four crushed boilies as an attractant. My initial sessions I just couldn’t get a proper bite from my quarry. I caught chub on a regular basis but I couldn’t get the barbel to feed and pick up my hook bait. I also managed to catch several wild brown trout on maggot and worm.

I then met another member that was having tremendous success further upstream at East Mascalls and he introduced me to Hinders Elips range of Barbel pellets that are advertised as the Rolls Royce of barbel pellets. I wasted no time in heading to Crawley Angling Centre and investing in some. I bought the small, medium and large options along with the matching paste. I also changed from braid hook lengths to fluorocarbon with a breaking strain of 10lb. The large pellets I use as my hook baits are held on to size 10 hooks with a pellet band. The smaller gauge pellets were used in my PVA mesh stockings which is tied directly on to my free running lead.

On my first cast using these pellets on a gorgeous autumn morning my right rod out of nowhere suddenly hooped over with a belting take from a barbel. You cannot mistake a pick up and I was suddenly playing an angry Ouse barbel. It stripped line of my reel and took me all round the pool before I managed to guide the fish into my awaiting net. It wasn’t a huge fish weighing 6lb 4oz but it was my intended species and I was over the moon! Finally, I was up and running!

It wasn’t long before I returned to the pool with my Hinders pellets giving me confidence. I cast across the pool as usual and eagerly awaited another take. I only had a few hours to fish due to family commitments and with just minutes remaining before packing up I was in again. Another classic bite, the rod hooped over and must have been pulled down nearly two foot. This barbel fought considerably harder than the previous fish and I was surprised when it only weighed 4lb 9oz. But, it was another barbel.

The mighty river Trent at Newark was calling me to take a trip up north, so it wasn’t until early December that I fished the Sloop again. My confidence was high albeit we had suffered torrential rain and the river was in flood conditions. The river looked really angry and was pushing through like I had never seen it before. Where I normally sat was completely submerged in water and I decided that a bunch lobworms would be an enticing bait to use.

My first cast resulted in a lovely winter condition chub that was well over 3lbs. It fought really well in the current and I was excited to get rebaited and to cast again into the angry water that was in front of me. An hour passed and I was considering a recast when once again the rod slammed over with an unmistakable take from a barbel. I had a proper battle on my hands and netting the fish was a lot more difficult as the current kept sweeping the net away from the fish. This one went slightly better than the last one and weighed 5lb 12oz. I smiled all the way home whilst singing Sleigh Ride.

I was sure this pool held some bigger fish and it was my target to get a double before the end of the season. I’d had doubles from the Warwickshire Avon and the Trent and really wanted one from my local river, perseverance had to be the name of the game.

Christmas came and went before I could return. The lobs had given me confidence and on a very cold morning I returned to the Sloop. It was that cold that I needed to use de-icer on my windscreen before setting off. Not ideal conditions and I wondered if I was wasting my time. However, with a PVA mesh stocking containing maggots and Elips pellets I cast out into what I considered a hot spot. Within 40 minutes my rod trembled before slamming over and I was into a crazy angry fish. I knew immediately it was a barbel and after several minutes I had netted my first Sussex Ouse double figure barbel weighing 10lb 8oz.

Two days later I felt I had to get back on the bank and try again. It was somewhat milder and using exactly the technique my rig was under arm lobbed back into the swirling current of the pool. It didn’t take long before the tell tale rattle of tip developed into a complete pull round and I was battling another barbel. This fish fought harder and longer than any other barbel I’d caught before on the Ouse. The water was gin clear and as it finally came up I could see it’s beautiful bronze colours. It weighed 9lb 4oz and I was delighted and I’d classify it as the prettiest barbel I’ve ever caught.

I’ve totally fallen in love with the Sloop Weir which is available to fish on the Hayward’s Heath and District Angling Society ticket.

I’m very keen to put some time and effort into landing a carp from the Ouse and the Sloop stretch can certainly deliver as demonstrated by Ryan Smith.

My next post will be concentrating on the weir pool above this stretch at East Mascalls. So, if you want to experience fantastic fishing in peaceful, beautiful surroundings whilst listening to the sound of running water and birds singing get yourself a membership. Tight lines to all members of Haywards Heath and District Angling Society.

Reel Fisherman - Free to read Angling Magazine

Wonder of the Wye

My fishing began at a young age and like many kids back then it was on moving water and regardless of the amount of stillwater fishing I partake in during the river closed season nowadays, I am always counting down the days until the rivers are back in season.  Its like a first love you never forget, always comparing them to your current flame!   Now, my pregnant wife is the best thing that has happened to me however, the Wye runs a very close second and is much more forgiving - sometimes!  

Today I took the fly rod onto the Monnow hoping to catch a few wild brownies on the dry fly.  I have to admit it was all a bit half-hearted, with every cast I made, I kept thinking of the neighbouring Wye, was it low, was it clear, would I be able to spot a few fish!    As I cast my dry fly, only to miss a rise, I was not concentrating 100% so I decided to scratch that itch, I wound in the floating line and headed back to the van to take the drive upstream to the Wye.

Any fisherman who has a favourite water will understand the feeling when walking the banks as you visit each swim, memories of previous captures come to mind, each step evoking vivid pictures of red letter days.  I stared into the Wye as I walked and through polarised sunglasses I spotted a big chub hugging the over hanging branches of a willow, then below it a flash of a barbel, I stood still and crouched so as not scare the fish.  It was another "Wonder of the Wye" there were dozens of barbel, chasing each other in groups of 3's and 4's over the gravelly river bed.  

You can just make out the barbel

To watch fish, whichever species in their natural environment is a privilege and it stopped me in my tracks, I spent the next couple of hours, just watching, sitting still in the warm sunshine as the barbel darted in and out of the weed beds, sending plumes of silt downstream as they laid their eggs.  It was the first time id actively observed barbel spawning and I hope its not the last.  It can be quite rewarding to walk the river banks during the close season,  not just fish spotting, but also nature spotting, I saw dragonfly's, damsel and mayflies, young ducklings and several species of butterfly.

A nice Chub in the edge

The pics I took weren't great, these are the best of a bad bunch, next time I hope to do better.    Im hoping the Wye will reward me this season with PB barbel and chub, ill be trying my best and you'll be the first to know.  Tight Lines

Flood Water & Falling Leaves

Autumn is an enjoyable season to be on the bank with its changing moods. It brings us shorter days, normally the first frosts and usually rain, which results in the rivers carrying extra water, however what does not change year from year are the vivid colours you encounter as the countryside prepares itself for the harsh Winter months.  The recent rainfall was the reason I trudged my way along a sodden mud caked track towards a swollen River Wye.  It felt colder of late and every breeze of cold wind sent ever more leaves spiralling to the ground to join the hundreds of others that made up the colourful patchwork.


Autumn Morning

The section I was fishing has a long bend which creates a slack on the inside bank, I intended to fish with 2 rods as I was not expecting the fishing to be hectic.  The inside rod for Chub with usual feeder tactics and a rod cast further out for Barbel, using a heavy lead to hold bottom.  I set up both rods before casting out.  I routinely cast out the "Barbel" rod and watched the tip as the lead settled, then reached for the "Chub" rod.  As I prepared a cast, the barbel rod heaped over, I stared at it for a second in disbelief, surely not a bite that quickly, then the tip trembled, I assumed it must have been weed or debris as I put the 2nd rod back in the rest and struck the arched barbel rod, there was a sudden kick as the tip bounced back leaving me to reel in realising I had just missed my first Barbel of the day! 
I recast, again let the lead settle and waited a minute before casting out the 2nd rod, just in case of a repeat performance!  All was quiet for now.  I managed to cast out the chub rod, just inside the crease in slightly slacker water.  No sooner was the rod in the rest the 1st rod bent over double again, no hesitation this time I struck and was playing a flood water Barbel.  It felt like a bag of shopping in the heavy flow as it glided side to side in the current.  Eventually netting a 5lber!  With the Barbel unhooked and recovering in the net, I noticed the feeder rod tip trembling, then bouncing down, then motionless.  The Barbel was just leaving the net as the feeder rod again thumped down and I struck which met with a residence for a few seconds, I reeled in to find a large scale, probably a Chubs on the hook!  What a mad 5 minutes!

Sport was seemingly more hectic than I had imagined, so I thought it would be best to fish with 1 rod at a time, alternating between the 2 during the course of the session.  I stuck with the Barbel rod first and was quickly rewarded with another, this time around 6lb.


Flood Water Barbel

With no further action on the barbel rod, I thought it was time I tried the feeder rod for an hour.  Having missed the first 2 bites, I hit the third and it resulted in a beautiful Chub just over 2lbs.  Albeit a small Chub, I wish I had taken a photograph of it now,  not only did it turn out to be the only Chub of the day, the iridescent purple and blue colours in the wrist of the tail were stunning.
The feeder rod was clearly going to out fish the other today, as it quickly accounted for a Barbel, biggest of the day at almost 7lb, the hotspot was going to be just inside the crease of the bend, which is normally the case.


Golden Flanks in the Autumn Sun

Above me a flew a flock of Redwing, winter visitors from Scandinavia, in search of berries after their long journey.  A juvenile Cormorant flew down river and a pair of resident Swans struggled to make their way up river against the dense flow.

The sun was now strong and felt pleasant on my face as I waited for the next bite I picked up another Barbel on the outer rod, then for the remainder of the day I fished the feeder rod.  I fished an hour in darkness, having no bites in that last hour, however the last hour of daylight was very productive.  Throughout the session I had landed 7 Barbel between 5 and almost 7b, a bonus Chub and lost another 3 Barbel. 


Into another Flood Water Barbel



The moment you know, its just not gonna happen!

A Barbel PB - My Luck Had to Change

I took the opportunity to go fishing this week before my busy work schedule kicks in and I find myself having to plan my fishing sessions around work and family.  As I said in a recent post I'm going to concentrate my autumn/winter efforts on barbel and predators, so with this in mind I found myself on the banks of the Wye just as the sun was rising from behind the trees in a beautiful peaceful Wye Valley dawn. 
Usual tactics were employed of groundbait feeder with fish boilie hookbait.  I donned my BFW hoodie before I locked the van as it felt alot cooler this morning than of late.  I decided to cast the feeder out without a hookbait on to build up some feed in the swim without disturbing the fish that already might be down there feeding for the first several casts.  Once this was done I didn't have to wait too long before my my now baited hook was taken by an eager Barbel after a fishy breakfast and within an hour of fishing my first barbel of the day was in the net.  A long lean fish just over 7lbs, a few quick self takes of which I need more practise and she was back in the water.



A nice start, just over 7lb

The Barbel swam away strongly and the feeder was soon cast out into the swim delivering more groundbait for the hungry Barbel.  As I watched the rod tip I spotted a buzzard in the adjacent field flying low, then it folded in its wings to gain momentum as it swooped down onto its unsuspecting prey probably a rabbit or vole.
The rod tip then wanged backwards as a Barbel disturbed the feeder and I was into my second of the day.  The fight felt different, still powerful but no weight to the fish, I rather hoped it would be a big Chub and I was soon netting then releasing a perfect miniature Barbel of no more than 3lbs.
Over the next few hours I landed one more 7lber, a brace of 6's and a brace of 5's. 


Barbel in the Brambles!

The sun was now high and strong and it certainly was an Indian summer.  The banks on the Wye are often steep, and this swim was no different which makes it difficult for self take shots and with me needing more practise in that area, it certainly provides a challenge.
It was now approaching 12 noon and it had been a decent morning with several Barbel under my belt however the Wye still had one more treat in store for me.
The rod tip pulled down towards the river and my strike was met with a strong fish that confidently took line from my reel as I tried to slow it down and gain control.  I immediately knew this fish was going to be the biggest of the day, it felt heavier and more powerful.  Bigger Barbel tend to be more purposeful in their runs as it attempted to seek the refuge of weed beds or sunken snags.  I got the barbel in front of me after several minutes, I had to give her a bit of stick as I had a sunken branch to my left.  I still hadnt seen the fish as it hugged the river bed as it patrolled up and down the bank, the feeder still hadn't surfaced either.  I slowly pumped the fish up and just as the feeder was about to break the surface it headed down again with a flick of its tail.  Now I was starting to get nervous, I just wanted to get a glimpse of the fish and after a few more heart stopping runs, I could see its golden flanks a foot beneath the rivers surface and realised it was going to be a good Barbel.  I missed the fish on my first attempt to net her then let out a big sigh of relief as I lifted the rim of the net as she lay in the shallows in the soft mesh.  I hauled the fish up the bank with the net held vertical and layed her on the mat and I was quickly zeroing the scales with the landing net head to weigh my fish that was definitely bigger than any other fish that day, but would it go over my personal best.
As always I weighed the fish 3 times each time the scales resting on 9lb 8oz, a new PB, only by a couple of ounces but they all count.  Ill be 50 years old by the time I get a double at this rate!!
I was pleased with a new PB however I wish the pictures were a bit better.



9lb 8oz - just before the rowing boats were out



A few shots of the fish then I let her recover in the net before releasing her.  My fishing was made a little difficult as I continued for a further half hour due to the number of rowing boats that were now out on the river(as you can see in the first photo!) I decided to pack up and go and have a look at another stretch that intend to fish for Chub in the near future, it would be fantastic to catch a Chub PB in this river season as well.

A New PB Barbel - Will it be that Elusive Double...

Had a good session this week, including a new PB Barbel, more to follow tomorrow including pics. 

Roll on Winter....

I really shouldn't be wishing the summer away, if we can call it a summer after the deluge of wet stuff that didn't stop falling, but I am looking forward to waters not being so crowded as the colder weather approaches.  My recent outing was in search of my first Avon Barbel.
I decided to fish a stretch of the Avon on the BAA card with my intention of staying the night in the van and making 2 days of it.  On arrival at this popular stretch I made the decision to walk down river away from the "popular pegs" which just so happen to be the closet to the car park!  I as I approached the river I could see a couple of heads down the bank, then another, then another, then as the river came into view there were anglers in every peg, the length of the river.  I know this is a popular stretch but this is ridiculous!
I spoke to one of the anglers, who happened to be fish less up to now, and he explained how the match had been moved that morning from another stretch of the Avon due to car park being flooded, that was why it wasn't listed on the BAA website.
Only about 2 pegs remained, neither one I would of chosen to fish if I had the choice, however as I made the trip I thought id give it a go, I set up and fished on, not in much confidence of catching.  After 2 hours I was also fish less, not even an indication on the rod tip, so made the decision to fish another stretch, one in fact that I hadn't even seen before.


My view upstream towards the weir

I managed to find the new stretch first time which doesn't normally happen, there was about 10 anglers but I found what looked a reasonable swim and fished 2 rods, both on feeder rigs one cast out into the flow and the second on an inside line.  As this part of the river was narrow the pleasure boats were bit of a problem, but at least I was topping the swim up regular.  I fished on all afternoon until it was almost dark however I remained fish less and still in search of my first Avon Barbel.
I made my way back to the van for some fresh bacon rolls and a cuppa.  On speaking to another angler in the car park he said he had been catching steadily all day, a bag full of Bream upto 3lb, not quite what I was after but at least someone was catching something.  I have noticed on these stretches there seem to be very few anglers specifically fishing for Barbel, the majority seem to fish match style for whatever comes along, which is fine, does this mean the Barbel are a bit thin on the ground.



My Swim on day 2

I was back on the water at first light the following morning on the same stretch as I finished up on the previous evening.  I chose to fish a swim further downstream with a big over hanging tree on the far bank.  I fished with just one rod, casting the feeder as close to the foliage as possible.  I tried to keep casting to a minimum and fed the swim by and only recasting when a boat came through causing me to reel in.  I nicknamed the swim the "Ashtray" due to the amount of cigarette butts that were left by an angler from the previous day, not very pleasant.  This was something  I was noticing more and more on these stretches is the amount of litter left by anglers on the banks.  An anglers upstream of me filled an entire carry bag full of litter he picked up from his swim when he arrived as he just couldn't fish with all that crap around and I don't blame him I would of done the same.  Why are anglers so thoughtless when it comes to taking their rubbish back home with them, they will be the first ones to complain when the land owner doesn't renew his lease to the clubs concerned!
Anyway not much happened over the next couple of hours so I photographed a couple of Canada Geese that came through my swim.



Canada Geese

The longer I fished on, it felt more and more likely I was not going to catch my first Avon Barbel today.  It was still only 10am, and I had fished for 4 hours.  I phoned  Rob the bailiff from my club stretch of the Wye who said the river had dropped a little over night and was looking perfect.  That's all I needed to hear, I packed up headed back to the van and drove to the Wye and hopefully get a bend in my rod.  This sounds a little defeatist but as my fishing has been limited recently due to work commitments I just wanted to get a bend in my rod and hopefully get a Barbel on the bank.
Within 90 minutes I was on the banks of the Wye sat under an umbrella with my feeder rig cast out in hope of a bite.  Over the next 4 hours I caught 4 Barbel biggest going just short of 8lb  It was good to have a fighting fish pull my line and I will definitely be back after those Avon Barbel.



6lb 4oz Wye Barbel in between the showers

 As I said at the start I dont want to wish the longer days and warmer weather away but I do enjoy my fishing when the banks aren't so busy.  Im going to make sure I get out on the banks more often as the winter approaches, im going to concentrate on Predator and Barbel fishing for the most part and my challenges from now until the end of the river season will be either my first Avon or Severn Barbel, improve my Pike and Zander pb and hopefully manage my first double Barbel from any river.

Just when you think it couldn't get any worse...

My latest fishing trip didnt go quite as planned.  I was never going to reach the river at the crack of dawn due to arranging to have a few beers for the Euro Final (congratulations to Spain - a masterclass) on the Sunday evening.  I was up at 8am on the Monday and not in as bad a shape as I expected.  Van was soon loaded up, however I had to make a detour to the tackle shop for some hooks as I only realised I had run out on Sunday morning when I was getting the gear ready after the 3 month lay off.
As I came around the roundabout I indicated to come off the turning, only to be greeted with bollards and a diversion sign!!    Damn it!  I now had to detour all the way via Newport centre through traffic which delayed me even more.
For the past couple of seasons I have been using Korum S3's seamless hooks, I scanned the wall of the tackle shop, I couldnt see any.  On enquiring I got the response that they have now stopped making them!  Whenever a decent product is introduced very often they stop being produced, however some of the more useless ones hang around forever!  Anyway I grabbed a couple packs of Drennan Barbel hooks, very strong and very sharp - as I was about to find out.

The river in question was the Wye after Barbel.  My Dad was already there fishing, so I decided to phone him en-route to see how he was getting on, considering the rain was still persisting since the early hours. The conversation went something like this:
Me:  Hi Dad, how you getting on?
Dad:  Bloody soaking
Me: Have you had any?
Dad: Yeah, one, usual stamp, 'bout 6lb, rivers ripping through, lots of weed and debris
Me; Well that's a good start! 
Dad: Ive been here 4 hours!  I wouldn't bother if I were you son.
Me: Its my only day off in 2 weeks, I got to go fishing, even if it is lashing down.
Dad: OK well you can move in here if you want, I'll wait till you get here then shoot off
Me; Ill be 'bout half an hour, see you soon.

When I arrived, I approached the swim to find Rob (the bailiff) helping my Dad with his gear up the very steep, slippery, mud soaked bank.  The swim would of been more at home at The Isle of Wight Festival!
It was still raining as we chatted and I unloaded the van, wellies on, waterproofs on.  I decided to fish the same swim as Dad, on the reasoning it had been baited up for a few hours this morning.  As I descended the step bank, he lowered my gear down to me, to make it easier. 
I got as comfortable as possible, as I tied up a couple of rigs with the new hooks, the rain seamed to be easing a little, I soon cast out the feeder and sat back.  The river was at least 4 feet above summer level and carrying quite a bit of debris.  It wasn't long before the rain got heavier again, I had no choice but to put the brolly up.  For the next couple of hours I sat there bite less, frustrated and wet.  I couldn't keep the bait in the too long before the tip got pulled round by weed.  Then as I tried to retrieve my rig for another recast it was stuck solid.  All I could do was pull for a break, with the rod in the rest I pulled the mainline, until it parted.
On inspection the hook length was fraid near the swivel.  I sat there and wondered if it was worth putting on a new rig or calling it a day.  As my time on the bank has been limited I decided to stick with surely my determination would be rewarded!!
New rig on, I held the hook in my left hand and reached for the heavy feeder, with everything wet and covered in mud, the feeder slipped out my hand pulling the hook full force into my index finger!



Ouch!  Its deeper than it looks

 Instant pain, a few choice words and worse still I it was past the barb.  My index finger started to throb and I started to sweat as I reached for the forceps.  I tried to tease it back out but I knew it was never going to come out the way it went in, I was delaying the inevitable.  I sat for a few minutes and gathered myself. 
Only thing to do was to pull it all the way through past the barb.  I gripped the hook shank with the forceps, gritted my teeth and started to force the hook round until I could see the hook point below the skins surface, then I had to keep going, the barb was the worse it seemed to take forever to break the skin.  As I had no cutters on me (in the pike bag) I had to flatten the barb as much as possible and hope it went back through the finger, luckily it did,  Then it started to bleed. 
By this time I had had enough, I was fish less, wet, bleeding, sat in mud!  I could of easily packed up there and then.  I decided to bait up the debarbed hook and have another few chucks.  Luck wasn't on my side today, I fished on for a couple of hours but didn't receive a single indication, still id given it a go. 
What an afternoon, diversions, constant rain, Barbelless, a throbbing finger, you gotta laugh or you'd cry!

13 - Lucky for Me? A PB

With the weather being so mild I just had to go Barbelling on the Wye again before the close season kicked in.  I booked the Friday off work so as to miss the weekend anglers, especially as it was the last weekend of the season.

Having caught consistently on my previous trip, I intended to fish the same swim hoping the barbel would still be in residence.  I Arrived just before sunrise and it didn't take me long to set up and get comfortable in my chosen swim, the sun was rising and the sky had a pink glow. 
Tactics were to be the same as the last couple of trips, standard feeder set up with boilie on the hair.
The day started well and I was getting a few knocks on the first couple of casts, probably chub, so I waited for a "proper bite"!  I didn't have to wait long until the rod thumped down and I was into my first fish of the day.  It gave me a good scrap, first heading down river, then across.  It was a steady fight after that as the fish stayed deep and patrolled up and down the near side shelf.  Once it was in the net I could see it was a decent Wye Barbel.

First of the day 8lb 3oz

The first fish of the day sent the scales to a modest 8lb 3oz, a lovely chunky strong barbel.  As the barbel was recovering in the landing net, I looked up to see the more ever present Black Plague - 4 Cormorants flying up river, no doubt to terrorise the depleting stocks of dace!
The far bank trees made perfect markers to cast to and I kept the bait in a tight area.
Then two consecutive casts resulted in 2 fish, both putting up good accounts of themselves and when on the scales went 7lb 5oz and 7lb 14oz respectively.  Over the next couple of hours I managed to land a further two 5's and two 6's also losing a fish to a hook pull.  It was a great start, 7 Barbel on the bank within a few hours fishing, although the biggies were still eluding me.
The groundbait that I used in the feeder was quite a stiff mix, with lots of different sized pellets, it was certainly keeping the Barbel occupied.  The next bite was a thumper as the rod sprang back then hooped over and I connected to a fish that shook its head then took line from the reel as it powered towards the far bank.  This fish felt heavier as it went on determined runs, I gradually gained line and slowly pumped the fish up to the surface, on seeing the net it turned leaving a large swirl in its wake as it headed towards the river bed.  Finally it was netted and I let it rest for a while before putting the fish on the scales.


8lb 8oz - Just look at the size of that tail

Biggest of the day so far at 8lb 8oz and you can see where these fish get their power from with the size of the fins.  I was then joined by Rob the club bailiff, I told him of my day so far and apparently the only other two anglers on the stretch were pike fishing with no result.  As we were chatting about the upcoming work party, I had another 2 Barbel, both 7lbers and Rob did the honours with the camera, mush easier than a self take shot, although I did forget to show him the zoom button!


Rob did the honours - 7lb 10oz

Action was thick and fast and the barbel were obviously on the feed and as Rob left to carry on doing his patrol of the river, the rod went again and after a tussle in mid stream the fish headed for a snag down to my left, I could feel the line grating over the snag and it didn't feel good.  The line went solid and I could no longer feel the fish on the end of the line.  I decided to let the line go slack for a few seconds before tightening down to the fish, on the second attempt the fish swam from of the snag and I managed to get the net in the water in the hope of landing my 11th barbel of the day.  As I eased the net towards the barbel, the fish turned and made a last bid for freedom, on my second attempt to net him the fish turned with a lot more force as the main line suddenly parted just above the hook length and the feeder plopped into the river as the fish vanished down the shelf.  Obviously when the fish found sanctuary in the snag earlier in the fight, the line must have been weakened.  Not ideal leaving a hooklink in a barbel, at least it will not be towing a feeder.
I was a little disappointed as I tackled up and it wasn't long before the rod was back in the rest as I waited for the next bite.  It wasn't instant, however a couple of casts later and I was again playing another barbel.  These Wye barbel certainly do pull your string and you always have a fight on your hands when you hook one.  It sent the scales to 8lb 2oz and this was quickly followed by a fish in the 6lb bracket.
12 Barbel and it wasn't even midday.
Would I be able to tempt another, it went quiet for a little while then the rod went into action as the tip rattled towards the river and I struck into a heavy fish, instantly it took line as it headed down river and towards the near bank, this wasn't ideal as there was a partly submerged tree to my left, I held the rod out in front of me to try and get an angle on the fish.  I could see the mainline just touching the branches on the waters surface, I let the Barbel twist and turn downstream hoping it would head back towards mid river.  Eventually it did and luckily the line pinged off the branch and I was back in control.  The fish stayed deep, usually a sign of a better barbel, and I played it hard as I didn't want it to head back towards the snag.  As it came across the surface I prayed the hook would hold, it was fish number 13 after all!


9lb 6oz - a new PB

As always I let the fish rest in the net before weighing and photos. It was going to be the biggest fish of the day, but how big, I knew it wouldn't make a double.  I zeroed the scales and they pulled around to 9lb 6oz, I re-weighed the fish 3 times and sure enough it was a new PB Barbel and fish number 13 of the day.   Luck certainly was on my side today, as I was preparing for a few self take shots, Tony who is on the angling club committee approached over the bank to see how I was getting on as he was one of the other pike anglers on the stretch.  He offered to do the honours with the camera and took a few shots for the photo album.  This was a red letter day indeed 13 barbel, a new PB and last session on the river before the close season kicks in.  I was very happy indeed.  Throughout the day I landed two 5's, three 6's, four 7's, three 8's and a 9.
As I promised to spend part of the day with my wife, I had a couple more casts but no further action, so I packed up and headed home a happy angler.


Note: As I write this I had a phone call from my father who went fishing in the same swim today (Saturday) He landed a 9lber and a new PB at 10lb 8oz, witnessed and photographed by Rob the bailiff.  He was happy to say the least. 

13 - Lucky For Me?

A Red Letter day on the Wye, will update you all on the proceedings very shortly.


One of 13!



Great Expectations

After coming so close to my personal best, I just had to get back to the Wye, especially with the weather staying mild. 
I arrived just as the sun began to creep over the trees on the horizon and although it was the last day in February it seemed like a spring day and I felt confident of catching as I made my way down the bank to the same swim I fished last time. 
Same tactics as before, groundbait feeder with red fish boilie on the hook.  With two trees on the far bank, I made my casts in between the reflections of the trees on the water, this meant it would keep the feed nice and tight drawing the barbel in - hopefully.
Things started well and within 2 hours I had landed 3 barbel, 7lb 14oz, 7lb 2oz and 6lb 8oz.  They were getting smaller not bigger!
Im starting to think my first double will not be from the Wye.  It went quiet for a couple of hours, but I still kept the feeder going in every ten minutes.  It was a glorious day, it felt like the middle of April, it certainly was a pleasure being on the bank, especially after the last two harsh winters that we have endured.
Then I started to get taps on the rod tip, my first thoughts were chub, or worse a small eel.  The taps were too fast to hit, so I took the rod off the rest and touch legered with the line looped over my finger.  With the rod in hand I waited for the next response.  After a couple of minutes I felt a vibration through the line and I just knew the tip was about to move, then it dipped towards the river and I struck meeting a solid resistance.
This felt a better fish, it stayed deep and took line when it wanted, acoss river, then down river towards a nearside snag, I managed to create enough side strain to pressure the fish back into open water.  The fish felt strong as I eased it near the surface and after my second attempt, across the the net.


Biggest of the day - 8lb 1oz

It was a strong healthy looking Barbel and sent the scales to 8lb 1oz.  Long way off my first double.
By the end of the session I managed to land 6 Barbel, an 8, two 7's, two 6's and a 5lber I also lost one to a weedbed, consequence of the mild winter!
A good session overall, but no monsters.  With the river season drawing to a close, I might be able to manage one more session, then my thoughts will turn to Carp, Tench and Bream.

Close but no Cigar

One of the targets I set myself for 2012 was to improve on my Barbel PB.  Most of my Barbelling will be done on the Wye due to the close proximity of the river to my home however on rejoining Birmingham Anglers I also have the Avon and Severn to go at.
Monday morning, and I have arranged to meet my father on the banks of the Wye in a swim we have never fished before but recent reports have led us to believe that some bigger than average barbel have been coming out including a couple of doubles - that'll do me!
I arrived about 10ish, couple of hours after the "Old Man" and on arrival he informed me he had just lost a fish which shed the hook after a few seconds.
Hearing this I couldnt set up fast enough, tactics would be standard feeder rigs, with a red fish boilie on the hook. The swim was a lovely looking glide with a steady pace and around 8 feet depth.
Dad had taken the only flat spot on the bank for his chair, only fair as he arrived first I suppose, I managed to get reasonabley comfortable on the sloping bank. 
I didnt complain for long though as within 20 minutes we both had a barbel each on the bank. Never going to break any records at around 5lb a piece but a confident start in a new swim.
We had only planned a short fishing session and over the next few hours we managed to land 5 Barbel between us, couple of 5's, couple of 6's with me taking the biggest.
The biggest coming half an hour before we packed up, I had a tremendous pull on the rod tip, which I connected with, immediately the rod bent over and the fish went on a purposeful run taking line steadily.  It stayed deep and ploughed up and down river for a few minutes as I gained some line on it.  I knew it was a better stamp than the previous fish caught that day.  On seeing it in the net it was a stocky pristine looking Barbel with a full belly. When I hoisted the fish up the bank in the net, I knew it was going to go close to my PB. 


9lb 1oz - A few more boilies and it might have been!

At 9lb 1oz it fell short a new best, still an impressive looking Wye Barbel.  Due to work commitments I will only manage a couple of days fishing before the end of the river season, if it stays mild its going to be very hard not to fish for a few more Barbs.

Closer to Home

With the temperature predicted to rise on Thursday to a tropical 14 degrees, there was only one place I was heading for and that was my local stretch of the River Wye in search of Barbel.
My intention was to fish an afternoon session, so I arrived at the river around 11.30am and on arrival I walked a short stretch, to find no other anglers, which was not what I was expecting due to the mild conditions.  My chosen swim was a glide just down from a salmon groin which created a nice steady run off with a nice depth of water.  I headed back to the van to collect the tackle.
Set up was going to be a standard feeder rig, including a 3oz feeder, 2 feet braided hooklength and a strong size 8 hook mounted with a hair rigged red fish 15mm boilie. As a little extra incentive for the barbel to bite, I wrapped the boilie in a fishy paste, surely irresistable. 
The sun felt warm on my face as I made the first cast towards mid river, as the feeder settled I squinted into the sunlight, wishing I had packed my polaroids.  The feeder mix was a stiffish method mix dashed with pellets that slowly released from the feeder, perfect in a strong flow.
First few casts were made in quick succession to buid up some feed in the swim and it didnt take long to attract the attentions of something fishy.  The bait had only been in the water a few minutes on my fifth cast when the rod tip thumped down, I struck, the rod bent over and line started peeling from the reel as the fish headed upstream, then across river, then downstream using the flow to its advantage.
With the added flow the fish felt heavy and certainly gave a good account of itself as it did its best to lose the hook in a winter weedbed.
On the surface the Barbel felt like a "sack of spuds" and after a blank 2 days on the Avon, I was relieved when I finally managed to persuade the Barbel over the lip of the net.


8lb 7oz - Photo doesnt do the fish justice



It was a short chunky looking barbel that sent the scales to 8lb 7oz, not a monster but very welcome especially after a hard fight.  Im hoping to improve on my self take shots which is something im looking forward to sharing with you all.

When the sun shone brightly it felt like a warm spring day, on the odd occasion when the sun dipped behind the ever increasing clouds, you were reminded it was still winter.  I had no action for the next hour, and as the clouds developed overhead I had a confident knock on the rod tip.  Within the next half an hour I managed 2 chub, 3lb 9oz and 3lb 4oz.  The smaller of the two was a perfectly conditioned fish, with proud brassy flanks and a pot belly, surely a future 5lber in the making.



Chub perfection

I fished on until dusk with no further bites.  Im hoping to have a day or two off next week which I will definately be spending on the bank, but in search of what, I havent decided!