• 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...

Anybody stopped fishing?

I had my first trip of the season yesterday, having been unable to drive far since the end of May thanks to sciatica. Enjoyed myself on a light float rod from 16.00 to 19.00 catching a few dace, bleak and chublets. Then I put the barbel rods out and was rewarded with my first of the season at 19.20 and a second 55 minutes later, both were about 5.5lbs, fought very well and went back without harm after a minute or two resting in the landing net. River was low and clear, didn't take water temperature but air temp was 28C when I arrived and 22C when I left, according to my car thermometer.
 
Neil Smart said:
Very true Steve, hopefully a line has been drawn under this now....

With the extra water and cooler temps, I did venture out this evening, on the Avon, not the BA the WA.:rolleyes: I against my better judgement plonked myself down on a peg that hasn't produced for me in the last few seasons, but thought it saves a bit of a walk, an hour or so in a nice enthusiastic young chap came by and was obviously disappointed that I was in 'his' peg... I said to him try the lower pegs, I told him of the 'mug' Barbel I had out three time at 12'8 (ish) and all my mates have had her as well... so to speak. :eek:

He said he was new to barbel fishing and never had a double.

At dusk he came back and reported together with a picture of...you guessed it, she came out at 12.8. He was 'over the moon' I was genuinely made up for him, seeing that beaming smile on his face.

Priceless.
Click to expand...

Good to hear that fish is still around Neil, I've not been down that stretch for 12 months now, I fished it last year a few times but only got blanks. I'll have to revisit it at some point.
 
John Care said:
Good to hear that fish is still around Neil, I've not been down that stretch for 12 months now, I fished it last year a few times but only got blanks. I'll have to revisit it at some point.
Click to expand...
Couldn't be 100% sure it was her, the small red mark wasn't evident, but then the story wouldn't have been so good? The river was alive with life, the bailiff showed me a picture of a 1.15 lb roach he had the day before, I didnt realise they went that big there. Plenty of Barbel coming out upstream, but you know that:D Water level dropped back now, so have to consider options ...good summer for recruitment not all bad news.
 
I have only had one fish die on me [fortunately] and that was a barbel,I was on holiday some 20 years ago.I would take the wife out during the day and fish the river during the evening,lt happened on the final evening,the fishing had been great all through the holiday with a good number of barbel landed and released without problem,those that looked 8 lbs or over were weighed as that was a good fish in those days but as anyone who knows me knows I never carry a camera and therefore never bother to photo fish. I had landed and released two barbel when I hooked one that acted unlike any I had ever hooked,it ran all over the river at great speed Zig-zagging all the time and I was convinced it was a very small fish but when I netted it I was surprised to see it was probably close to 7 lbs.I unhooked it in the water and held it until it wriggled free and dived into the nearby lilies.I rebaited,cast out,and sat down and a minute or so later I heard it on the surface,it was right way up gasping,I knelt on the bank and held it's tail end with my left hand and used my right hand to sweep water towards it's mouth for several minutes and saw it gradually darken in colour starting from the tail end,start to stiffen and it's gills slowed down.At that moment the rod pulled off the rest and landed on the lilies and as I reached for it slid further out,I made a grab forgetting my left hand was holding the fish and went head over heels into the river breaking the rod as I landed on it.Of the fish I had been holding there was no sign but I have no doubt it was dying,I have never heard of a fish changing colour like that and have often wondered if all that effort caused it to have something similar to a heart attack.
 
I’ve not seen it in Barbel but colour change due to stressors is quite common in fish, some the colour change is dramatic. I recall someone thinking they’d been sold the wrong spiecies because when they got home the fish had changed in the bag!
 
Bob?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top