Confidence Boost

[Darren C Smith]

Well after a very informative trip to Davis tackle today and careful negotiations with my girlfriend .. im off to the Royalty tomorrow ! It appears that not everyone else on the bank is catching 20 barbel a day (grrr damn the voices in my head )and im sure with some time , patience and commitment i will catch one day, and that first barbel will be all the more special for it !

 

[Mark Howley]

good luck darren,hope u catch tomorrow.

 

[Mark Anderson]

Hi men,

It's a nice stretch , but personally would spend the money on petrol and chip up to the middle Severn . Plenty of water to go at on day ticket . Lots of advice on the site for that area , and we have often kipped in the car for convenience . It's worth a thought for plan B .

Hatter

 

[Nigel Gray]

Well after a very informative trip to Davis tackle today and careful negotiations with my girlfriend .. im off to the Royalty tomorrow !

Thanks for that Darren, (and Tom earlier on this thread) your kind words are really appreciated - especially after the depressing reading that is the "Supporting Local Tackle Shops" thread.

Even better is the news that you had your first barbel. Congratulations from all of us at the shop.

 

[Simon Georgiou]

how did you get on at the royalty?
ive been fishing there for over 30 years and used to pull out some good numbers of barbel..seems those days are gone now though and its a good way to blow a couple of hundred quid on a weekend of pike and the odd chub

 

[David Gauntlett]

how did you get on at the royalty?
ive been fishing there for over 30 years and used to pull out some good numbers of barbel..seems those days are gone now though and its a good way to blow a couple of hundred quid on a weekend of pike and the odd chub

There are still a lot of fish there Simon, and some very big ones at that. The 'secret squirrel' regulars are still catching fairly reasonable numbers at times as well. Not the numbers of fish there used to be perhaps, but still the atmospheric stuff of dreams on the right day....certainly not a stretch to right off. I only wish I could fish it more often, that's for sure.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Jim Foxall]

Has anyone got any confidence inducing nuggets of wisdom they could possibly share with me ?i have been trying to catch my first barbel for sometime now ,but with so many techniques , baits etc i find myself constantly chopping and changing tactics ! Im not looking for a "quick fix" or giant fish , just some confidence in what im doing ! i have recently become a member of ringwood ac and any confidence boosting tips would be greatly appreciated ?

I would recommend a completely different approach to most and which I believe is the way to go. Set out expecting to catch nothing. Talk to as many anglers as possible on the bank asking their advice and in return make some suggestions on how they could improve their fishing. If you happen to see someone catching, find a swim close by so you can see what they are up to. Wander over every so often and have a general chat, for example, what you and your mates get up to, memorable holidays that you have had, your hobbies, what make of flask that they use etc. In between, glean what knowledge you can, ask if they would mind giving you a sample of their bait. You will find that most barbel anglers in this situation will be very helpful. If not, bring your fishing chair over and settle down for a decent chat. Most anglers respond favourably to this approach. Offer to help with any landing of fish. Don't be fooled by the suggestion that there is a red hot swim somewhere else on the river. Ultimately, they may be kind enough to pack up and vacate their swim for you. If you blank then you go home not being disappointed and if you do happen to catch, well, that's a bonus and in the process you've probably made a friend on that stretch of the river.

 

[David Gauntlett]

I would recommend a completely different approach to most and which I believe is the way to go. Set out expecting to catch nothing. Talk to as many anglers as possible on the bank asking their advice and in return make some suggestions on how they could improve their fishing. If you happen to see someone catching, find a swim close by so you can see what they are up to. Wander over every so often and have a general chat, for example, what you and your mates get up to, memorable holidays that you have had, your hobbies, what make of flask that they use etc. In between, glean what knowledge you can, ask if they would mind giving you a sample of their bait. You will find that most barbel anglers in this situation will be very helpful. If not, bring your fishing chair over and settle down for a decent chat. Most anglers respond favourably to this approach. Offer to help with any landing of fish. Don't be fooled by the suggestion that there is a red hot swim somewhere else on the river. Ultimately, they may be kind enough to pack up and vacate their swim for you. If you blank then you go home not being disappointed and if you do happen to catch, well, that's a bonus and in the process you've probably made a friend on that stretch of the river.

All probably good advice Jim....except the bit about the flask. Judging from reactions on here, there are some who might throw you in for asking that

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Darren C Smith]

I would recommend a completely different approach to most and which I believe is the way to go. Set out expecting to catch nothing. Talk to as many anglers as possible on the bank asking their advice and in return make some suggestions on how they could improve their fishing. If you happen to see someone catching, find a swim close by so you can see what they are up to. Wander over every so often and have a general chat, for example, what you and your mates get up to, memorable holidays that you have had, your hobbies, what make of flask that they use etc. In between, glean what knowledge you can, ask if they would mind giving you a sample of their bait. You will find that most barbel anglers in this situation will be very helpful. If not, bring your fishing chair over and settle down for a decent chat. Most anglers respond favourably to this approach. Offer to help with any landing of fish. Don't be fooled by the suggestion that there is a red hot swim somewhere else on the river. Ultimately, they may be kind enough to pack up and vacate their swim for you. If you blank then you go home not being disappointed and if you do happen to catch, well, that's a bonus and in the process you've probably made a friend on that stretch of the river.

Well Jim that is certainly sound advice as its exactly how i approached my first trip to the Royalty ! All the fishermen i spoke to were very friendly and generous with advice ,resulting in a first Barbel on my second visit ! I have a week off now and was hoping to get to the royalty armed with some confidence and a new thermax flask (bought directly after reading the controversial "flask"thread )but i fear the weather may not be favourable !

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

I would recommend a completely different approach to most and which I believe is the way to go. Set out expecting to catch nothing. Talk to as many anglers as possible on the bank asking their advice and in return make some suggestions on how they could improve their fishing. If you happen to see someone catching, find a swim close by so you can see what they are up to. Wander over every so often and have a general chat, for example, what you and your mates get up to, memorable holidays that you have had, your hobbies, what make of flask that they use etc. In between, glean what knowledge you can, ask if they would mind giving you a sample of their bait. You will find that most barbel anglers in this situation will be very helpful. If not, bring your fishing chair over and settle down for a decent chat. Most anglers respond favourably to this approach. Offer to help with any landing of fish. Don't be fooled by the suggestion that there is a red hot swim somewhere else on the river. Ultimately, they may be kind enough to pack up and vacate their swim for you. If you blank then you go home not being disappointed and if you do happen to catch, well, that's a bonus and in the process you've probably made a friend on that stretch of the river.

'' Set out expecting to catch nothing '' Sorry Jim , but that is poor advice in my book . Go with a positive outlook Or are you just gently winding us up ?

 

[Jim Foxall]

'' Set out expecting to catch nothing '' Sorry Jim , but that is poor advice in my book . Go with a positive outlook Or are you just gently winding us up ?

Hi Mike, I was about to send you a pm of some special tips on boosting confidence including practising pilates and yoga before setting out. The resulting Karma has increased my catch rates considerably. If there is a lull in action on the bank then meditation can be a great help. Your mail box is stuffy so can't send the pm until you have some space.

 

[David Gauntlett]

Hi Mike, I was about to send you a pm of some special tips on boosting confidence including practising pilates and yoga before setting out. The resulting Karma has increased my catch rates considerably. If there is a lull in action on the bank then meditation can be a great help. Your mail box is stuffy so can't send the pm until you have some space.

I use something along the same lines Jim, the Karma Sutra....and with similar results. Having practised this at every opportunity, my confidence has increased no end, and my catch rate has definitely increased. I fact, I have caught all sorts of things I wasn't expecting. The clinics are very good now though.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Jim Foxall]

I use something along the same lines Jim, the Karma Sutra....and with similar results. Having practised this at every opportunity, my confidence has increased no end, and my catch rate has definitely increased. I fact, I have caught all sorts of things I wasn't expecting. The clinics are very good now though.

Cheers, Dave.

Cracking post, Dave, I really enjoyed that.

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

Hi Mike, I was about to send you a pm of some special tips on boosting confidence including practising pilates and yoga before setting out. The resulting Karma has increased my catch rates considerably. If there is a lull in action on the bank then meditation can be a great help. Your mail box is stuffy so can't send the pm until you have some space.

Now un stuffed Jim .