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Anglers mail article

Jamie Warren said:
Anyone read Pete readings article on day fishing for barbel? Interesting........
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I haven't read the article but I remember past articles by Pete Reading in CAT on the subject. He always came across as being quite anti night fishing from what I remember. But a good writer and very successful angler.
 
Read the article and thought he came across as very judgemental on those who choose to night fish. Its ok for pete as hes retired and can day fish whenever he chooses , i work 5/6 days a week and have to squeeze my time in evenings/late nights and im more than happy with my results , just felt he was looking down his nose a bit at us "nocturnal" anglers who through work/family commitments can only get out after dark
 
Chris Thomson said:
Read the article and thought he came across as very judgemental on those who choose to night fish. Its ok for pete as hes retired and can day fish whenever he chooses , i work 5/6 days a week and have to squeeze my time in evenings/late nights and im more than happy with my results , just felt he was looking down his nose a bit at us "nocturnal" anglers who through work/family commitments can only get out after dark
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I’ll qualify this with a precursor. I haven’t read it, I read before that he won’t fish for a fish he hasn’t seen. I assume it’s a similar tone based off your response.
As you say though for the majority of us that’s not possible, at best I can try to find them in daylight and strike at night. Not only do I not have the time to pick and choose but the venues available to me, the fish do not show themselves with ease. So despite fishing the same river as him, his style isn’t particularly practical for me.
He does appear to be a great angler though and from what we can gather he used to teach my wife when she was at school and was a known nice chap.
 
Chris Thomson said:
Read the article and thought he came across as very judgemental on those who choose to night fish. Its ok for pete as hes retired and can day fish whenever he chooses , i work 5/6 days a week and have to squeeze my time in evenings/late nights and im more than happy with my results , just felt he was looking down his nose a bit at us "nocturnal" anglers who through work/family commitments can only get out after dark
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I am not surprised, he seems to think people only night fish because they are not good enough to catch them in the daytime. There seems to be no consideration for personal circumstances, or the fact that many anglers simply prefer the experience of night fishing.
 
I don’t know Pete Reading, but I know he’s a well respected angler. I’ve not read the article, but maybe the Angler’s Mail’s editorial process could be responsible, in part? I don’t read the mag, but see their marketing stuff online and their covers are bordering on hard copy clickbait most of the time. Headlines like ‘BIGGEST PIKE LANDED’, which turn out to be the biggest Pike from that reservoir since last Wednesday... On the odd occasion that I have had a flick through in a newsagent, the articles seem to be eeking every bit of sensationalism they can and often have an air of being deliberately decisive... Must be hard work...

I thinks it’s been said before on here, fish how you want and don’t worry about what others say, as long as rules are adhered to and the fish are safe.
 
I have fished with Pete a couple of times.
Once for grayling on the Frome. A Gentleman. Discussed things quite a few times in the past. At least he listened and got rid of one poisoned fellow that was losing lots of members and had the support of the Boss. Numbers had dropped from over 1000 to near 500.

He did a lot of work for the BS, I never agreed with all of it but a tremendous amount of thought and effort in his own time as Research Boss over many years.

He arranged for funds to be ring fenced for barbel conservation. His views on Otters led to maybe an inevitable change of direction and I believe his Life membership award was cancelled.

A sad way to reward all his hard work even if some of it was controversial.

At about 6ft 6" I doubt he is worried about the wrath of someone 5ft 2"😁
 
It was interesting to read that he uses 4 pints of maggots or casters and 4 pints of hemp. Swimfeeds it into a small area and waits for 4 hours until he sees a barbel fin and then another 4 until he introduces his bait! I know barbel anglers are supposed to have deep pockets and infinite patience, but that style of angling is not for me.
 
David Chant said:
It was interesting to read that he uses 4 pints of maggots or casters and 4 pints of hemp. Swimfeeds it into a small area and waits for 4 hours until he sees a barbel fin and then another 4 until he introduces his bait! I know barbel anglers are supposed to have deep pockets and infinite patience, but that style of angling is not for me.
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It is nonetheless a very effective method, possibly the most effective of all. It can get to be a bit of a lottery these days though if you fish a river where visual sighting isn't possible, and an expensive lottery at that.
 
David Chant said:
It was interesting to read that he uses 4 pints of maggots or casters and 4 pints of hemp. Swimfeeds it into a small area and waits for 4 hours until he sees a barbel fin and then another 4 until he introduces his bait! I know barbel anglers are supposed to have deep pockets and infinite patience, but that style of angling is not for me.
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The bait and wait approach takes a lot of beating in the right conditions.

Stef Horak used to get occasional letters of complaint sent in to CAT along the lines of the bait and wait hemp and caster tactics were beyond the pocket of most anglers. As Stef pointed out, the hemp was cheap as chips as he bought it in bulk sacks and prepared his own and 4 pints of casters would cost him a tenner. For someone who only typically fished once a week this was hardly a big dint in his bank balance. I think he sent a £10 note to the author of one particularly bitter letter advising him to treat himself 3 pints of casters and some fresh grapes with the change!

Personally, the bait and wait method using maggots has given me my 4 biggest barbel.
 
Graham Elliott said:
I have fished with Pete a couple of times.
Once for grayling on the Frome. A Gentleman. Discussed things quite a few times in the past. At least he listened and got rid of one poisoned fellow that was losing lots of members and had the support of the Boss. Numbers had dropped from over 1000 to near 500.

He did a lot of work for the BS, I never agreed with all of it but a tremendous amount of thought and effort in his own time as Research Boss over many years.

He arranged for funds to be ring fenced for barbel conservation. His views on Otters led to maybe an inevitable change of direction and I believe his Life membership award was cancelled.

A sad way to reward all his hard work even if some of it was controversial.

At about 6ft 6" I doubt he is worried about the wrath of someone 5ft 2"😁
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Spot on that Graham.
 
Joe Winstanley said:
The bait and wait approach takes a lot of beating in the right conditions.

Stef Horak used to get occasional letters of complaint sent in to CAT along the lines of the bait and wait hemp and caster tactics were beyond the pocket of most anglers. As Stef pointed out, the hemp was cheap as chips as he bought it in bulk sacks and prepared his own and 4 pints of casters would cost him a tenner. For someone who only typically fished once a week this was hardly a big dint in his bank balance. I think he sent a £10 note to the author of one particularly bitter letter advising him to treat himself 3 pints of casters and some fresh grapes with the change!

Personally, the bait and wait method using maggots has given me my 4 biggest barbel.
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It's difficult to grasp the mentality behind someone who complains in writing about the methods used by other anglers, basing their complaints entirely on time and cost. Pete Reading and Stef Horak are two very successsful anglers, both in normal jobs, although I think Pete Reading has retired.

I first started using bait and wait on the Cherwell nearly 30 years ago and used it successfully without always getting a visual confirmation of fish in the swim. But once you had a rough idea where the barbel were likely to be the hemp seemed to draw them in. Interestingly, this method was very successful after dark with the barbel having no trouble finding the bait. After dark was often fished as getting to the water after work often didn't leave much daylight, but the method was equally successful.
 
Just to be clear, I have nothing against the Bait and Wait and Wait approach and it is probably very effective in the right place. I would also think that sitting for 8 hours with no bait in the water in the daytime is better than sitting behind your beta lights in the dark for 8 hours with no bites. :) :) Maybe this is why I now find roving for chub more pleasurable as I am at least doing something.
 
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