Trying to find time to blog in the summer holidays is proving to be a somewhat difficult task... Still here I am finally grabbing a few minutes to myself to hammer out my musings.
Trip one:
I paid a surprise visit to Ben. The only run between us both came at 10:30pm. I'd landed a Barbel of 8lb 12oz. A record shaker for me, but my current PB of 8lb 15oz stayed intact.
Trip Two :
A new section of river was on the cards for myself and Allan today. We'd started to become a little, how should I say?... Creatures of habit? Comfortable in our pegs? Frightened of trying somewhere different in case we blanked? Yes I'll go with the latter.
So we made way to a new stretch and we were rather excited, though perhaps not too expectant in our new venue.
We were kept waiting right until last light before we caught. I was into a good fish, it was darting all over the place, when disaster... The hook pulled! I was gutted! I'd lost a good un'. I slinked back into my chair a deflated man, in other words I'd gone off to sulk. I'd possibly blown my chance to land a Barbel.
A couple of hours later and Allan was in, he had a fair old bend in the rod, I called that he was about to land his new P.B. I was right. He'd managed to land his first Barbel into double figures. 10lb 5oz a cracking fish that mate. Well done!
Not too long later he was in again. I was rather taken aback by his capture. A 8lb 5oz Bream left us both with our jaws on the floor. Wow! I'd rather catch a double figured Bream than a Barbel any day. I have a feeling one of us may just do that this season.
The Barbel weren't finished with yet. Allan landed a couple more and I had a mad action packed few minutes that saved the day. I was playing my right hand rod when my left hand rod screamed off. Thankfully both fish were landed.
I was also to catch my first ever river Bream, not as big as Al's but another P.B for me. at 6lb 10oz I wasn't for complaining. I was pleased to see this one slip into the net.
Trip Three :
Back to the river, a late start, we haven't had much rain and as such the river was running low, very low in fact. We decided to increase the chance of catching by fishing an area that holds a little more water.
I had a pretty good session, I landed four Barbel in total. No whoppers the biggest was a little under 8 and half pounds. The novelty of photographing catches seems to be wearing off. I only posed with a couple of 8+ fish. I'm still looking for that elusive double. As for Allan, well I was very surprised that he blanked on this trip. Unlucky mate. (Although after your last session, I have one thing to say... GOOD!) :)
Trip one:
I paid a surprise visit to Ben. The only run between us both came at 10:30pm. I'd landed a Barbel of 8lb 12oz. A record shaker for me, but my current PB of 8lb 15oz stayed intact.
Trip Two :
A new section of river was on the cards for myself and Allan today. We'd started to become a little, how should I say?... Creatures of habit? Comfortable in our pegs? Frightened of trying somewhere different in case we blanked? Yes I'll go with the latter.
So we made way to a new stretch and we were rather excited, though perhaps not too expectant in our new venue.
We were kept waiting right until last light before we caught. I was into a good fish, it was darting all over the place, when disaster... The hook pulled! I was gutted! I'd lost a good un'. I slinked back into my chair a deflated man, in other words I'd gone off to sulk. I'd possibly blown my chance to land a Barbel.
A couple of hours later and Allan was in, he had a fair old bend in the rod, I called that he was about to land his new P.B. I was right. He'd managed to land his first Barbel into double figures. 10lb 5oz a cracking fish that mate. Well done!
Not too long later he was in again. I was rather taken aback by his capture. A 8lb 5oz Bream left us both with our jaws on the floor. Wow! I'd rather catch a double figured Bream than a Barbel any day. I have a feeling one of us may just do that this season.
The Barbel weren't finished with yet. Allan landed a couple more and I had a mad action packed few minutes that saved the day. I was playing my right hand rod when my left hand rod screamed off. Thankfully both fish were landed.
I was also to catch my first ever river Bream, not as big as Al's but another P.B for me. at 6lb 10oz I wasn't for complaining. I was pleased to see this one slip into the net.
Trip Three :
Back to the river, a late start, we haven't had much rain and as such the river was running low, very low in fact. We decided to increase the chance of catching by fishing an area that holds a little more water.
I had a pretty good session, I landed four Barbel in total. No whoppers the biggest was a little under 8 and half pounds. The novelty of photographing catches seems to be wearing off. I only posed with a couple of 8+ fish. I'm still looking for that elusive double. As for Allan, well I was very surprised that he blanked on this trip. Unlucky mate. (Although after your last session, I have one thing to say... GOOD!) :)
Back on the Barbel
6lb 10oz wild river Barbel
10lb 5oz Barbel the first double
Al's 8lb 5oz Bream
8lb+ Seem to be catching a few of these
8lb+ Seem to be catching a few of these 
