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The OC and the "D" models are the best quality Shimano's currently make in my opinion. Proper solid reels.

That's what I voted for Graham, this year, we've been fishing for spawning fish in July, and there's been many a year we've been doing the same on June 16th.

Ade Kiddell on Facebook is the man to ask I'd say Lee. I've got a few mates who went last year.

Lee - they can't mate, Charlton weir is in the way, unless there's a flood.

Lee - if I remember rightly, I think it was Cleeve Prior that John Rourke had that 100lb of fish, and not Marlcliff. I read somewhere a while ago, that barbel were in the Norton Corner area (just up from Twyford), in the late 70's - which wouldn't surprise me. The one I hooked in '87, was a...

I hooked one in 1987 in a match at Twyford Farm, I'd heard of barbel coming from Fladbury a few years before that. Personally, I don't believe barbel colonised the river from the Severn as claimed - stocking occured at some point, either legally or otherwise.

Hi Hurgen, I do the tame carp match puddle thing in the summer, and own a Rive as Rich as mentioned, great box, but very expensive for bits and pieces. If I was in the market for another one, I'd get a Matrix s36. They're similar to my Rive, with a sliding footplate and 36mm legs. A few mates...

It amounts to pretty much the same in my opinion Terry. Each to their own, but circuses aren't my bag.

Mine's a very simple item, a Gardner rig bin, £7 i think. Much better than boards and pegs.

Annoyingly, they can already chug between the two towns via the GU and Stratford canals....

I suspect nothing will happen, and it's just lip service. The best option IMO and in a few people seems to be keep it but alter the dates. I've completed it anyway.

if I had a man-cave like that, I think I'd actually sleep in it. Honest.

Hi Jon, The only one i can think of is the Manor Farm stretch at Harvington. It's not a bad bit of river, two or three meadows, with the first one not too far from a weir, so there's always a bit of flow. 8 quid a day on the bank. I've not fished it in a while, but there are always chub around...

I've got a pair of 'Seekers' Graham, you can specify EVA (Duplon) or cork. I had mine last Christmas, the 1.75 SU's, a bit more 'steely' than my 1.75tc Daiwa's. Got to say, after a year of having them, they're the nuts. The new ones have isotopes in the handles. Only thing I don't like is the...

The Lower Severn at sunset.

I've got x-aeros, but the 6000's. They're OK, but for some reason the line can end up either behind the spool housing, or under the spool itself sometimes, usually after casting, when a wind in your face catches the line. I did have a 6000OC, but sold it, and wished I hadn't, much better reel.

Great minds. I've been thinking the same. I've read Tony Miles book, "Top Tactics for Barbel" and he talks about maggots in detail, but his approach was for small rivers where you can you spot the fish. The same tactics must work on the WA and Lower Severn where i fish, feeding a lot of maggots...

I've had a few nice ones lately Dave, quite a few around the pound mark, usually on pellets designed for barbel. Graham Elliott has had a few too, up to around 1.10 I think, he fishes the same stretch as I do. The fish are mint too.

There's a tongue in cheek Facebook group, called 'Double Figure Barbel Legends', where some of us chronicle these silly claims, it's quite amusing, but as already said, there are some very nice fish that any barbel angler would be pleased with, which are claimed to be far higher than what they are.

Hemp for me too, it gives me great confidence. Hookbaits i tend to stick to meat/boilies, maybe a paste wrap. I've not caught a barbel on pellet so far this season.