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Personal Best by Peter Foster The season was drawing to a close, and I knew this would be my last session on my local river, the lovely little Rother in Sussex. I was planning to fish my last day of the season at Throop on the Dorset Stour, so I knew I had just two chances to improve on my...

My First Barbel This is about two fish, both in their own way my first barbel but with their capture separated by more than 40 years. My first came from the River Kennet many, many years ago when I was a youngster with just one rod but a whole lot of enthusiasm. I can’t remember exactly...

New Beginnings, Pt 1 Spring 2002, and a move to pastures new was in the offing. With my wife Jane, and 3year old son, George, I upped sticks and moved east to west, landing in Hereford. The decision was taken carefully, and involved, jobs, houses, congestion, etc, etc as valid reasons...

Last Day By Graham Elliott The wind had picked up and was now blowing from the East. The angler had arrived with the dawn, just after 8am, and had settled in the cow drink swim a few hundred yards downstream of me. The path was lightly dusted with an overnight sprinkle of snow, but more...

The Expert By Graham Elliott I knew this water like the back of my hand. Hadn’t I won the Specimen Cup three times in the last 4 years? Respect - I had it from my fellow anglers, they whispered as I passed, surely they said, "that’s Bill Witham, you know? The Expert" Yes, I was...

Fishing Ad By Graham Elliott The river looked just perfect, the mist rising from the bank and shadowing the willows as they dipped and waved their fingers into the fast paced current. The air had that sweet smell of balsam as I crawled along the bank, eyes searching for the tell tale...

Good Fortune for a Fortnight By Graham Elliott Loddon Week It was just a magical, lucky fortnight really. One to embellish the last weeks of the season and remain tucked away and fortified in the age deleting memory cells. I just love the River Loddon and it’s moods...

OPENING WEEK - 2003 Bby Mike Berridge (BARBULE) I am sitting at "The Bibins" on the banks of the River Wye in the Forest of Dean. This will be the scene of the bfw "Fish In" next month. It is 6 o’clock in the evening, Wednesday 18th June. I am all alone contemplating the opening 3...

14 Days in Barbel Heaven By Jon Callan I’ve wanted to write this for a bit now. But, have never been sure how to do it or if anyone wanted to really read it. But, have decided to give it a go anyway! It was a rather special time for me, in the fact that I caught a fish I had...

My Mistress, My Season By Paul Thompson Well, it’s funny how these things go. No sooner had I clapped eyes on a barbel fit to grace my net than the heavens open for seven days, and seven nights, (well not literally of course) , and the water goes all coloured. That’ll be the barbel...

My Mistress, My Season (Part 2) - 2003 -2004 By Paul Thompson My mistress, my season continued……… Did I say winter campaign? You would have thought that judging by the very low water levels it was still summer, except that it’s definitely getting colder. The river and its...

GRICE & YOUNG A Good Choice for Barbel? If you're looking for a good usable pin that doesn't break the bank and has a touch of sentimental value then it's certainly worth looking at G&Y's many variants. Made in Christchurch, these are robust reels, presumably designed with trotting and...

Barbel Handling Code Written and compiled by the Barbel Society and reproduced here, without alteration, with kind permission of Steve Pope The popularity of the barbel has exploded over the last few years and continues to grow into what is now the most sought after river fish. It is the duty...

Targeting Bigger Barbel - Part Two By Ian Grant In my previous article I spoke of Bait, and it's application, which really tells only half the story so to speak. I'll describe in this article my approach, my rigs, and methods. Much if not all of what I write here, will seem so obvious...

Floatfishing For Barbel By Keith Speer When I was asked to consider writing a note on float fishing for Barbel my first reaction was to run screaming for the door, I reconsidered because I have received such a lot of positive remarks from my post "An alternative viewpoint", also last...

Targeting Bigger Barbel By Ian Grant Sept 1997 my first double - St Pats 11lb 9oz on Spicy Meat The Beginning : There was a time when I thought that deliberately targeting big Barbel, and by that I mean fish into of double figures, with any degree of certainty was an impossible task...

Maggots and How To Make The Most Of Them By Keith Speer Maggots were for a very long time the favourite bait for most anglers, nearly every angler would use them on a regular basis and they were the first line of attack for most anglers. The modern angler can now use a much more hi tech...

Guide to the Planning Process and Objecting to a Planning Application By Phil Hackett As some of you will be aware there is an increasing risk to our rivers from hydropower developments, whether those are large scale (river barrages as has been muted for the lower Severn, Ribble, Mersey...

Pallatrax Products For The Barbel Angler By Tony Miles As well as my well known connection with TFG, I have, over the last few years, formed a close friendship with Simon Pomeroy of Pallatrax and am now a consultant for the company. I do not accept consultancies lightly, nor do I receive...

DIY Cage Feeders by CronkYVoddy A few simple steps on how to make your own cage swim-feeders and save yourself £££s ITEMS YOU WILL NEED : 5mm Square mesh sheet (Available from Garden or Hardware Stores) A pair of tin snips A pair of pliers (regular and long nose if...