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Specialist Videos

A

Adrian Mitchell

Senior Member & Supporter
Hi all.My wife was out last night and I settled down on the settee to watch some "specialist videos" on the U tube.Found one on there with a guy fishing one of the rivers I fish.It felt odd watching him and a bit strange when he set up in one of my favourite swims.I felt as though he was violating my privacy somehow.It made it worse when he set up "Trent style".2 rods,tripod,buzzers,5oz feeders and bowstring tight line to the feeder.Please do not take this as a criticism of anyone's methods or styles of fishing but it just seemed a bit O.T.T to me.He came across as a decent guy but do we really need to go down the carp fishing route or is it just me?
 
Fishing styles are like so many other things in life a personal choice. I like to think that I vary my approach in order to maximise results, inevitably based upon my intention of presenting the right bait in the right place at the most opportune time and in the manner that experience has taught me is most likely to get me a result. I figure that so long as I have considered all of those things the manner in which I fish ( which varies) is right for me at that time. Some people have favourite ways/styles and that is what makes them enjoy what they do. A wise man once told me that the right way is the way that works, it wasn’t in relation to angling and to be honest at the time his sentiment was lost on me. Forty years later and in relation to so many different things I realise the wisdom in that simple advice!
 
I am just reading a book, in which this is described as "carbelling"....
I am all for adapting and adopting tactics, but if our few precious rivers are invaded by people sitting in beds in tents with TV's, Microwaves, air-cons etc, waiting for their telephone to message them that an obese freak has hooked itself on their 100lb bs braid.. Then "I'm out".
 
Stephen Parry said:
I am just reading a book, in which this is described as "carbelling"....
I am all for adapting and adopting tactics, but if our few precious rivers are invaded by people sitting in beds in tents with TV's, Microwaves, air-cons etc, waiting for their telephone to message them that an obese freak has hooked itself on their 100lb bs braid.. Then "I'm out".
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So to be completely clear, you’d quit because other guys fish differently to you. Why?
 
Stephen Parry said:
I am just reading a book, in which this is described as "carbelling"....
I am all for adapting and adopting tactics, but if our few precious rivers are invaded by people sitting in beds in tents with TV's, Microwaves, air-cons etc, waiting for their telephone to message them that an obese freak has hooked itself on their 100lb bs braid.. Then "I'm out".
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i say fish how you like to fish, as long as you enjoy what your doing then don’t worry about what others are doing .
i fish because i love everything about it , being on the river , the wildlife , buying new kit and talking fishing with other anglers .
If people want to fish , and they enjoy it then carry on .
We’re all different. 🙂
 
Stephen i haven’t yet come across an angler on any river i’ve fished with a tv , microwave or air con unit . Maybe that’s the case on carp lakes , but i’ve never fished one of those.
 
Robert Morgan said:
Fish the way you want and catch barbel aw any other fish on YOUR terms.what styles other ppl use is upto them there no rite aw wrong way..i use 1 rod set up and walk past ppl with multiple rods in the water but that's the way the world is mate
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Although I usually carry 2 rods I only use one at a time,one set up for large baits,the other for small.I posted this thread originally because I could not understand why the video annoyed me so much when I have watched others using the same tactics without it bothering me.Was it because he filmed it on "my river"?
Part of the appeal of barbel fishing for me are the bites,when the rod hoops over out of the blue.This excitement looks to be taken out of the equation when using buzzers and baitrunners although I admit that I do sometimes click the baitrunner on when distracted or resting.I repeat,I was not having a pop at anyone's style or methods of fishing,but was wondering if anyone else had the same irrational reaction to some videos or am I becoming a cranky old git.?
 
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Adrian Mitchell said:
Although I usually carry 2 rods I only use one at a time,one set up for large baits,the other for small.I posted this thread originally because I could not understand why the video annoyed me so much when I have watched others using the same tactics without it bothering me.Was it because he filmed it on "my river"?
Part of the appeal of barbel fishing for me are the bites,when the rod hoops over out of the blue.This excitement looks to be taken out of the equation when using buzzers and baitrunners although I admit that I do sometimes click the baitrunner on when distracted or resting.I repeat,I was not having a pop at anyone's style or methods of fishing,but was wondering if anyone else had the same irrational reaction to some videos or am I becoming a cranky old git.?
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Becoming a cranky old git is a privilege of age. Just go with it and enjoy !
 
Adrian Mitchell said:
Although I usually carry 2 rods I only use one at a time,one set up for large baits,the other for small.I posted this thread originally because I could not understand why the video annoyed me so much when I have watched others using the same tactics without it bothering me.Was it because he filmed it on "my river"?
Part of the appeal of barbel fishing for me are the bites,when the rod hoops over out of the blue.This excitement looks to be taken out of the equation when using buzzers and baitrunners although I admit that I do sometimes click the baitrunner on when distracted or resting.I repeat,I was not having a pop at anyone's style or methods of fishing,but was wondering if anyone else had the same irrational reaction to some videos or am I becoming a cranky old git.?
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I don't use alarms aw baitrunners ..the pin will get my attention lol ..I don't watch videos off ppl fishing multiple rods but that's just me ...there are some great videos on YouTube where ppl fish more the style closest to my style that I enjoy watching...
 
Craig Lea said:
Stephen i haven’t yet come across an angler on any river i’ve fished with a tv , microwave or air con unit . Maybe that’s the case on carp lakes , but i’ve never fished one of those.
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When I first got into night fishing for carp we used to fish a pretty easy lake that wasn’t that busy. We used to see these 2 lads there every so often and they used to bring a big tv with a massive aerial they used to set up. You used to have to park in the car park at the bottom end of the lake a walk to your peg. These boys had a ridiculous amount of gear with them. One day we were there they turned up and decided to drive along the edge of the field the other side of the fence that surrounded the lake and pass their gear over the fence instead of walking it all up. The farmer came down and asked us if we’d drove into his field and told him na it was them lads up there. He went absolutely mental at them. They’d driven over all his crops that had started growing trashing them. He was telling them they’d have to pay for them or pack up and leave lol. Some people have no sense at all. Who in their right mind would think it’s alright to drive through someone’s crops
 
Adrian Mitchell said:
Although I usually carry 2 rods I only use one at a time,one set up for large baits,the other for small.I posted this thread originally because I could not understand why the video annoyed me so much when I have watched others using the same tactics without it bothering me.Was it because he filmed it on "my river"?
Part of the appeal of barbel fishing for me are the bites,when the rod hoops over out of the blue.This excitement looks to be taken out of the equation when using buzzers and baitrunners although I admit that I do sometimes click the baitrunner on when distracted or resting.I repeat,I was not having a pop at anyone's style or methods of fishing,but was wondering if anyone else had the same irrational reaction to some videos or am I becoming a cranky old git.?
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I get what you’re saying. I normally only fish one rod but will occasionally fish 2 if there’s enough room for 2. I don’t know why but it annoys me when I see people fishing 2 rods in really tight swims. It’s probably cause in the case of a double hook up one of them will probably end up snagged. As for alarms I’m not bothered if people use them just hate when they’re proper loud and they don’t turn them off while setting the rod down on them and taking up the slack. I use my alarms but don’t have them switched on I just use them for the snag ears as I’m confident the rod is safe and have had rods pulled off rod rests before
 
If the fish go back safely and the peg is returned clean, who cares!
What right has anyone got to tell someone else what they can and can’t bring fishing.

I get the issue, if there is cans of beer or bags of crap left over,
I also get the issue if barbel are being photographed from every angle in the blazing sun.

But I dont get the issue, if he’s just left work on a Friday evening to spend the night by the river and fancy’s a chilled one in his bivvy behind a couple of alarms. It’s not my way to enjoy fishing but he’s doing no harm to anyone.

I think some people need to give themselves a bit of a shake and wake up.
We are all on the same team. Stop moaning about the guy in the bivvy and start moaning about the guy pouring shit in the river.
 
Adrian Mitchell said:
Although I usually carry 2 rods I only use one at a time,one set up for large baits,the other for small.I posted this thread originally because I could not understand why the video annoyed me so much when I have watched others using the same tactics without it bothering me.Was it because he filmed it on "my river"?
Part of the appeal of barbel fishing for me are the bites,when the rod hoops over out of the blue.This excitement looks to be taken out of the equation when using buzzers and baitrunners although I admit that I do sometimes click the baitrunner on when distracted or resting.I repeat,I was not having a pop at anyone's style or methods of fishing,but was wondering if anyone else had the same irrational reaction to some videos or am I becoming a cranky old git.?
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I have sporadically fished a few bits of the Thames with my dad for the last 15+ years and for much of that we had it almost entirely to ourselves. It was my slice of heaven and we fished from a little boat, occasionally having some luck and generally feeling free and unencumbered.

The Thames record carp (as far as I know) lived in one of the stretches, was known about but it seemed only by a limited number of people. Some sponsored angler then caught it and a feature length film appeared on YouTube, drone shots etc.

The fish died and I thought it would quieten down. Then a year or two later another sponsored angler did the same for the next stretch down. Ever since it’s been a conveyer belt of new boat owners looking to copy the sponsored anglers. Same spots, swims etc.

I was so irate that for the first video it took me years to even watch it. I couldn’t get past 5 minutes without turning it off. Anyway I’ve mellowed somewhat with time and have to accept it for what it is, an unfortunate byproduct of the modern fishing scene and marketing.

I still occasionally feel hard done by, which is irrational considering I have no more right than anyone else to privately enjoy large areas of the Thames.

Times change and we get stuck in our ways. Harp for the old days etc. I think irrational responses and being a cranky git are fine for a bit, just best we don’t let it govern our enjoyment of fishing and try to work out why we really feel so irked by the alleged grievance in the first place.
 
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Horses for courses IMO.

Last Friday I went for a few hours after work with an 11ft rod and my pin, a rod rest and landing net.

This Friday I’m doing an overnight so will have a bivvy / x2 12ft rods with alarms / cooking gear / bivvy tables etc…

I love YouTube but this year every man and his dog seams to be Barbel fishing and there are thousands of videos. Pretty much all the same tactics / rigs too. A lot of Carp guys are moving into the rivers it seams.

Had a guy on the W.Avon last season and he had wrapping sticks, you can literally underarm flick to the spot he was fishing in !!!
 
Then there is the kidology of legends in thee own back yards flogging some product . I fished a session recently near a know it all who was bragging about £400 quid rods and a £600 quid bite alarm.He was one of the breed of Bait slaves who has a product to sell and numerous comic book films to boot. I go fishing to get away from all that crap and can see why Chris Yates has taken to bird watching .
 
Regarding youtube videos on Barbel Fishing I'd say there are probably more "Carbelling" style videos out there than the 'Traditionalist' way of fishing for barbel.
If you are on much larger rivers such as the Tidal Trent then Carbelling certainly has its place I'd say , but on a small snaggy river such as the Nidd where you have willows and branches underwater I personally wouldn't dream of setting up 2 rods pointing skywards on alarms (I go fishing to relax, not to be on edge worrying about a double hook-up in a tight snaggy swim 😬)
When I look at some of the books I have on barbel written by some of the pioneers of barbel fishing many of those anglers have caught 1000's of barbel using far simpler tactics and more watercraft imo, and I think part of the 'magic' for many has gone because it's become so popular.
One of the most memorable sessions I had was on the river Severn in the early 90's fishing maggots, casters, and hemp and fishing a stick float for barbel on a very low river.
It was tiring fishing like that but far more rewarding than sitting for hours fishing static 😊
 
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