• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

An Interesting Bite and Fight??

Shaun Nurse

Shaun Nurse

Senior Member
I am wondering what fish I may have encountered the other evening? The bite was just a steady pull round of a downstream rod which seemed like a log or debris just pulling with the flow. I lifted the rod and dragged the item against the flow some twenty yards with no sign of a fight, just like pulling a very heavy branch with the rod full tilt. As it came up in front of me and under the rod, it was a fish and turned to dive hard and the hook pulled. I thought with the strain and lunge that the hook had snapped, but no, it had pulled out.
I wonder what other anglers have experienced like this? And what it turned out to be?
My Theories so far are a) A big carp. or b) A foul hooked fish. (maybe top of dorsal).
It would be good to hear of everyone elses experience of this please...:confused:

P.S. c) I also fear I may have lost a massive Barbel.
 
Last edited:
First and foremost you should discount the massive barbel possibility. That will only serve to give you the biggest head fuc* in the history of mankind. I had a similar situation a few months ago on a club lake fishing for Perch. I lost a big fish after quite a scrap and I have now managed to convince myself it was probably just a carp. Go for carp or indeed a large, even foul hooked bream. Write this 10,000 times and repeat. Then get horribly, truly horribly, drunk on cheap tequila and when you emerge from all of that you should simply remember that you lost a carp or foul hooked bream. But it certainly, most definitely, wasn't an enormous barbel.
 
shaun, i had an identical thing happen to me on the wye, the rod just hooped over and it started taking line slowly but surely after a little while i started getting concerned that it wasn't slowing at all, i clamped my hand over the spool to stop the line coming off anymore, the rod just bent and bent and i had to let more line go with as tight a clutch as i dare, eventually it started slowing and at a guess i would say it was 150-200yds downstream, i then started to make line on it and it was in close on the near bank, still about 50 yds away it took off again with more gusto, i remember thinking to myself whatever it is it's just realised it's been hooked, prior fish to this bite was a 21lb 3oz common carp that led me a right merry dance but a totally different fight that went upsteam and all over the place, anyway started making line again on it and it was keeping deep and had me thinking what the hell is this, almost withing netting distance and i still hadn't seen it and ping! the hook pulled, i was absolutely gutted, never knew what it was and i still get to thinking about it every now and again but i guess i'll never know!
 
Ut Oh, Phil and Howard I am not reassured here!! I quite like the bream idea, but it was so heavy?
 
I'd go with Joe, Shaun.

I have hooked a few in the tail over the years and you are pulling against all fins in reverse against the current. The fight you describe is very typical.

When they do run off, when they get a bit of slack or are lifted up....they do go hard even if a 6lber plus.

Graham
 
As Graham says, you have more than likely foul hooked a barbel. If you hook into a fish and can't turn it after a few minutes then it's definitely not hooked in the mouth. Invariably 'fin hooked' fish will eventually come off, especially in faster flowing or flood-water. Over the years I've hooked barbel in various fins and it's a hell of a job to bring them upstream especially if they're hooked in the tail or the dorsal.

I well remember hooking one such fish which ran off downstream, no way could I gain line. I eventually managed to hold it on a tight line so that it swung in towards the bank and a friend of mine netted it some sixty yards down from me. I was just over 11lbs and was hooked in the tail - no way could I have landed that fish without help.
 
Pike
I have dragged them not realising they were hooked until at your feet then they go.
Foul hooked or otherwise.
 
Third vote for pike. During the colder months they can go ages without appearing to know that they've been hooked.
 
hi shaun, sounds very much like a big carp mate, i had something similar a few years back on the thames, my gear was totally inadequate dragged it slowly within a few yards then it gave one deep surging run and my 12lb line parted like cotton:(
 
I recall a similar experience.

I was fishing the stick float on the near side when the float dragged under, I struck and the float was snagged on the bottom. As I pulled for the break, I felt a thud through the rod and the fish moved off....

It steadily swam directly across the flow for about 40 yards, then turned and swam upstream - the fish wasnt stressed or fleeing, it was just swimming around normally and there was nothing I could seem to do to slow it down or stop it even with my rod hooped over double.

After about an hour of swimming road leisurely I managed to net it (I say net it, more like squeezed the top third into my tiny match net!)

Turned out to be a pike of around 25lb foul hooked under the left pec!
 
Shaun Nurse said:
I am wondering what fish I may have encountered the other evening? The bite was just a steady pull round of a downstream rod which seemed like a log or debris just pulling with the flow. I lifted the rod and dragged the item against the flow some twenty yards with no sign of a fight, just like pulling a very heavy branch with the rod full tilt. As it came up in front of me and under the rod, it was a fish and turned to dive hard and the hook pulled. I thought with the strain and lunge that the hook had snapped, but no, it had pulled out.
I wonder what other anglers have experienced like this? And what it turned out to be?
My Theories so far are a) A big carp. or b) A foul hooked fish. (maybe top of dorsal).
It would be good to hear of everyone elses experience of this please...:confused:

P.S. c) I also fear I may have lost a massive Barbel.
Click to expand...

Sounds to me like a 22lb barbel Shaun :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top