“A Season of Change"

By Jon Callan​

Having always been an angler who has enjoyed most other forms of coarse fishing, this winter has been a return to days gone by…

For the last half a dozen years I have Barbel fished non-stop from June the 16th right through to the 14th March, without a break. However, this year has seen a total change in that, Barbel have taken a back seat most of the time, with Tench, stalking Carp in the warmer months and a move to Predators, Roach and Grayling once the frosts arrive. I have still had the odd little intensive dabble for Barbus Barbus, but it has been only that.

With all the changes to my fishing, results have suffered in some respects and been spectacular in others. Even my Barbel fishing has taken a major change in direction, but more of that later! One thing I do think is that I have improved more in the last 12 months as an angler, than I have in those half a dozen years chasing one species. I have rediscovered many things I had forgotten and seen things with a lot more clarity. I have also found that, when I do pursue a certain species, because time is limited; I have put in more effort and thought than ever before. You tend to find that you don’t lose your way or get stuck in a rut, such as when its 100% one species.

However, it can cost a fortune! Four complete different set-ups, enough quality bait to sink a small boat and tickets for just about everywhere regardless of whether you really wanted or needed it. At times you do find yourself questioning your sanity and also your bankers statement. But, on the whole it has been a great year and worth every extra little bit of effort. What all the changes have allowed is complete concentration on what I want from Barbel fishing; hours of relaxation followed by a few minutes of sheer pleasure (sound familiar…?)

About now, your no doubt wandering where the hell I’m going with this! Not sure yet, but bear with me…

Ok ok; think I made my mind up how to proceed!

I would love to include lots of humor and funny stories, but anyone that knows me will tell you that my jokes are all filthy and most of my funny stories would get me shot!

New Beginnings and Old Ground

Oh well, better start musing about Barbel or I can’t see many reading on…

I made a few choices and hard decisions this year that would lead me away from all but one of my previous Kennet haunts. The only reason I was going back was that there was a feeling of what should have been the previous winter. The two venues I had chosen would both be classed as hard, with a small population of Barbel, but very large populations of crayfish, that can drive you to distraction and me to fits of swearing (very loudly!)

One venue was chosen for summer and the other for winter, both when they are at the quietest and allow me to fish the way I want. I’m not going to mention the Thames at all, because that was more playing and just enjoying getting away from it, with a different set of goals and problems.

The Summer and early Autumn were spent on a canalized stretch of the river, with fishing companion Nick Coulthurst. Both of us had spent time on there in the past with varying results. We both were left with that feeling of what should have been and not, what was. We spent quite a lot of time talking about tactics and methods to thwart the crays and ensnare the Barbel. In the end we agreed to go on the same bait and fish less than normal, but much longer sessions that lasted throughout the night and see what occurred.

Nick kicked off proceedings with a couple of doubles; well the same scabby double twice lol! What was interesting was the amount of weight it put on in a short time. It was a fish on the feed hard and obviously trying to regain its post spawning condition.

My first session came about by accident, I was meant to be traveling up to the Trent to fish for 3 days in July. However, horrendous road conditions made this futile, instead armed with 3 days of bait I set off for ‘The’ venue.

To cut what could be a story in itself short, I piled in a kilo of CCMoores Obsession boilies and a couple of kilos of pellets just over the marginal shelf and between rannunculus beds. I did smile to myself and think at least the crayfish wouldn’t go hungry!

However the crayfish never got a look in, within 20 minutes of the sun setting the first Barbel graced my net. A pleasing start to a new campaign weighing in at 11lb 2oz. This was followed before midnight with another 2 doubles of 10lb 2oz and 11lb 6oz. Fishing on after midnight till 3am yielded another 3 Barbel of 9lb 6oz, 8lbs and a little 3lber.

Just over a week later I returned to the same spot and repeated the tactics all bar the Boilies, which were sat on top of the freezer! I very nearly went home in a strop, but fished on re-capturing the 11.02 at 11.02 again, also adding a 10lb 14oz Barbel and a 9.09.

Two days later I returned, complete with bait and managed an 11lb 10oz Barbel and lost a good fish through a hook pull after it had been snagged for 20 minutes!!!

Nearly a month elapsed before I once again returned to the water, fishing a slightly different area that allowed 2 rods to be used easily and presented in different holding areas. Instead of fishing over large beds of boilies and pellets, I changed tack and went to large beds of particles bound together with my own home grown ground bait; consisting of pellet crumb, Sardine & Anchovy meal, Krill and Capelin, with a small proportion of brown crumb to aid breakdown. To this I added an assortment of pellets in 4 and 8mm and around a lb of crumbled boilies. In total around 3 – 4 kilos of bait was introduced onto the upstream rod and this was fished with a pelleted Boilie hook bait soaked in Obsession dip. The down stream rod was just a single 14mm Boilie; with a 50 pence size PVA bag. The night produced 4 fish on the downstream rod, 12lb 14oz, 11lb 6oz, 11lb 4oz and 9lb 8oz. The up streamer a 9lb 7oz Barbel and a small one of 6lb or so. A win for the down streamer I think!

Two weeks on from that session, the same tactics produced a 12.06 and a 9.04 both on the upstream rod. Scores level and proof that they responded best to large amounts of bait.

The next and last time I have fished the venue this season brought about another bumper session, with a 12.08, 11.10, 10.04 and a 7lb Barbel.

By now I was overlapping with my winter venue and was well into October. So it was time to leave, with an awful lot learnt and not with the dreaded “what if†feeling!

The thing I missed out was that there were four complete blanks that only yielded a Chub and non-stop action off crayfish. Not very enjoyable, but still let me into a secret or two about the venues Barbel population and location. Chatting at length to Nick and noticing that we had caught a few fish quite a few times and from opposite ends of the length. Also, we had both suffered some very long and frustrating blank sessions, without a hint of a fish. The overall population was of a very good average size (11lbish), but the population wasn’t very large and seemed to travel as small pods of fish. If you could catch one, it was very likely another would appear. We both by no means caught the largest of the fish in the stretch; if we had stayed on, I’m sure we would have, just by law of averages and numbers of fish falling to our rods.

The final score for 10 sessions and about 30 kilos of bait was…

12lb+ 11lb+ 10lb+ 9lb+ 8lb and Under

3 7 3 5 4

Very enjoyable and satisfying, but time for somewhere else…

The second section was similar in some ways, but had a small head of very big fish and a large amount of angling pressure.

As opposed to the very heavy baiting that took place on the canalized section, this was to be “minimalistâ€. Bait was only introduced by PVA bag or stringer or by way of single hook bait.

Things didn’t start off in the best way, two complete blanks and hoards of other anglers had me wondering if I had made the right choice. A change of jobs and a little time off brought about a change in luck and the peace and quiet of mid-week sessions.

The first of these resulting in two Barbel to 10lb 8oz and a Bream. The next three sessions brought about the same kind of results with a further three doubles to 11lb 2oz and a couple of nines, plus half a dozen Bream. Then, one cold blustery night two more Barbel of a whopping 3lbs and a real lump of 14lb 10oz graced the net. Another four sessions followed with two more 10s, an 11 and another pair of nines. The weather then took a turn for the worse and a very uncomfortable blank in terrible conditions was had.

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In all on this water I have done 21 sessions with 5 blanks. The results have been good, but I feel I did miss out on a few things by getting stuck in a swim for the first half a dozen sessions. It did produce for me, but never anything over 11lbs. It wasn’t until I moved away from the safe zone that things quieten down and the average size went up.

14lb+ 13lb+ 12lb+ 11lb+ 10lb+ 9lb and Under

1 1 2 3 6 9

As we get to this point in the season, I find myself looking back fondly at some of the fish I’ve had. Not all of them Barbel, as I’ve managed a few other species PBs and also had some cracking sessions and sport. Apart from those 31 sessions, I have spent quite a bit of time on the Thames and Loddon. Having also had quite a few social days on old haunts that have proved to be as productive as ever; having provided some very good fish and great company.

But, the fish from these two venues and also a certain Thames fish; have given me the most pleasure and headaches.

I’m not sure I’ll be doing more than one or two more sessions before the seasons closes, as a certain Roach I lost a little while ago is haunting me slightly and I may have to put this right!

But, if any response comes along. I’d like to fill in the gaps on the baits, rigs and methods through the long close season evenings!

Also, dispelling a few myths…

Couldn’t leave it there without thanking a couple of people, Dick for the company and sane reasoning, Nick and Simon for the sessions, not always productive! But, always a laugh!!!

Also, a very special thanks to Neil H-D for sorting out my appalling grammar and lack of structure!

Jon Callan