A dirty weekend with Sabrina
Claudia and I had a couple of days off around this weekend and had planned to visit Dicky and Jim on the river Severn. The plan was for me to do a bit of Barbel fishing, Claudia was after Zander and possibly a Barbel.
We set of Friday morning and took a leisurely drive to the Severn, we arrived at the tackle shop to get our tickets only to find Jim and Paul in there, so after tips were gathered and the last few essentials purchased, it was off to the river, and the mighty trudge through the mud to find a swim.
I found myself a nice little swim, some one had kindly dug out, made steps and it was possible to fish without the fear off falling in.
Here is my mate, the robin, nicking bits of pellet, gives you an idea of the drop off
I set up a single rod with a 2 1/2 oz maggot feeder, this was slighty modified by having the holes enlarged to allow the 3mm halibut pellets to trickle out, a size 12 hook with a hair rigged 12mm halibut pellet. I cast out about 1/3 of the way across to the crease in the water and watched the feeder bounce along the bottom, the flow was strong and carrying alot of leaves, this was moving the feeder.
After a couple of casts I found I could hold bottom about 1/4 of the way out just in front of the fallen tree, I had to keep watching the line as when it collected leaves it would move again and get snagged in the tree debris, I had to lose a couple of sets of tackle before I learnt this.
The weather was perfect, warm and sunny without too much breeze, and I soon settled into the routine of setting the feeder in the right spot.
After about 2 hours I had my first indication of fish, the water around the fallen tree right by the bank exploded as a predator took some small fish.
Shortly after my rod tip bounced a couple of times and the tip started to bend round, so I struck into and felt some weight, I tighten down to it and it felt solid, I thought it was snagged until it pulled back and shot off, tacking line off my clutch, I was into one of the River Severn Barbel. I played it in gently, enjoying the fight, I had only ever caught one Barbel before and this was a new experience for me.
I managed to land it and got it into the weigh sling, it tipped the scales at 5lb 7oz, not a monster but a great way to start the weekend. I released it and settled back to fishing, happy now that the weekend was not a blank and I had the right tactics.
45 minutes later I saw the tell tale bounces of the rod tip and as I reached out to strike the baitrunner burst into life as the rod tip went round, this was a bigger fish, it was like trying to pull in a concrete block that would suddenly burst into life and take more line, these fish have real power, and as the hooklink I was on was only 7 lb breaking strain I had to get everything right.
After what seemed like forever I managed to get a glimpse of the fish, it was a beauty, but she dived off again, this was not an easy task. I managed to subdue her and bring her to the net after about a 10 minute battle. Once in the net I knew I had a new PB. A quick photograph and into the weigh sling, this fish was tired and I did not want it out of the water too long, but the moment the scales passed the 10lb mark I let out a little whoop of delight as they settled onto 10lb 10oz. I clambered down to the waters edge and gently revived her and watched her swim off, that was me happy, mission accomplished, a good Barbel, and new PB.
The rest of the day was slow, the river was rising and the debris was getting worse, I had no more indications so I packed up and called it a day.
I went to see how Claudia was doing, she had decided to go for the zander, she had been flicking lures and dead baits around all day, finding every snag in the swim and generally not having any luck. Neil, Dicky and Jill had turned up and we arranged to meet up the next day, we were staying at a Premier Inn about 5 miles away so we left them to it and got a shower and a nice meal in the restaurant.
Saturday morning dawned and it had gone cold, and windy. I walked the bank and tried my original swim, the flow was stronger than before, the condition of the river was not as good as Friday, I generally did not feel so good about today. I tried a couple of swims during the day but it was not to be, I blanked.
I was not alone, of the 7 of us fishing only 1 managed a Barbel and a Zander ( That was "Lucky" Jeff ), Neil had some nice coarse fish, but the rest of us blanked totally. I waked the river and spoke to a couple of other anglers who had no luck either.
Neil with a good roach, or is it a hybrid???
So Saturday night was a few drinks and a curry with the others. We had one more day to make a go of it, the Sunday was a Barbel Society Open day, we had booked places to fish at Beauchamp Court below Worcester.
As Sunday arrived it was raining and mild, this looked like being perfect conditions. We trudged off into the rain to find some swims and the river looked good too, spirits were high as we looked forward to big catches. Then the rain stopped and the temperature fell, I had a good take, felt a fish on, it then took line and dived deep, this was a big beasty, after a couple of lunges down the line went solid, snagged!!! I slacked the line, waited, pulled in different directions, until finally my main line parted.
I had a couple of nibbles after that but that was the end of it for me, no more fish.
Everyone else on the Sunday was serial blanking, so it was not the day for big fish.
Did get one little "extra", there was a raffle on the open day, and I won first prize of a special light feeder rod.
Not a bad weekend for me, 2 barbel, one a double and PB, and a new rod. All my kit is now caked with mud, and one reel is need of a serious clean as it was getting a bit graunchy towards the end of the last day.
There is one little anecdote I have left out thus far.
Day one, "someone" arrives at swim and cannot find her cigarettes, many grumpy hours later cadges a roll up off me (nearly killed her, menthol to old holborn!!). Gets back to car, finds fags in jacket pocket she had been wearing all day.
Day two, gets to venue, "someone" has left phone and camera in hotel room, no pictures today!! ( did have fags this time).
Day three, gets to swim after long walk, "someone" come to get car keys, has left fags AND phone in car, this time not too lazy to walk back and get them!!
Is the the beginnings of senility?? or is she a batty mare!!!
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Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:24 am
don't tempt fate........ 
