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End of an era, for me

On a different note, I was almost fifty before I had the opportunity to fish for barbel. Think of the all the years I lost in comparison to your exploits, Paul.
That makes three of us! I was 52 when I first attempted barbel fishing. I'm an ex river and canal match angler and didn't know how to tie a hair rig. Realised that I shouldn't let the opportunity of living near the best barbel river in the country go. Now, barbel fishing has caught me!

I can fully understand your decision, Paul, as I also like short sessions into darkness, including throughout the winter. I hope you continue to occasionally visit my river, the mighty Trent.
 
End of an era :

With some sadness I have decided to give up fishing for barbel, not a decision made on the spur of the moment, it's been coming for a while.

Several factors influenced my decision : age and safety, that I liked fishing alone and in darkness it just doesn't seem sensible any more, even though my health is (lucky me) pretty good and my knee replacement I had last year went well but am a bit unsteady at times, not ideal on river banks, and can't walk far with gear; distance I need to travel; Covid and its restrictions, which has taken away such a long period from our lives, I've not fished a river since around October 2020; and lastly, but not the main reason, is that there are just not the numbers of barbel about these days, I never minded blanking as such but so many sessions of recent years seemed like I was flogging a dead horse.

I fished for barbel for nearly 50 years, have enjoyed the best times but I feel the peak has passed. I caught a fair few barbel, a fair few big barbel, and made lots of good friends, but alas I won't renew my club permits.

However, I will still have the odd session, probably up on the Trent, and will continue my pursuit of crucians and tench that I started again a couple of years back.

Will still be here on BFW though :)
Well Paul I haven’t given up yet and decided today would be a scouting mission for a few visits to the river when the season starts.
The criteria is thus…..it has to be safe ( well ‘ish’ as nowhere is 100% safe’.)
Access to parking has to be non four by four friendly ( I have a ‘normal saloon’)
less than hours drive.
Pegs must be relatively old person friendly.

Decided on the Middle Warwickshire Avon ( 30 minutes drive ).
The 1st venue was one where I had an ‘arrangement’ with the farmer. This used to be an ‘armchair ‘ swim with a reasonable walk. Parking was good and I set off down a narrow bridalway that got increasingly overgrown. Where I had to branch left to drop down to the river was now an impenetrable jungle of stingers and bramble. I decided that ‘inpenetrable’ had to be challenged. I managed about a foot, got ‘scared for life’ and turned back….bloody but still alive.
Venue 2 was nearby but I had forgotten the ‘ five bar gate’ ( locked , of course ). As my new knee is still’ a work in progress’ my brain finally started working and I simply leaned on it and reminisced of days gone by when I leapt over five bar gates and caught a few nice fish here. Still a possibility if my knee improves.
Third venue was another short drive away. Good parking, only one stile to gingerly manoeuvre myself over but with a longish walk but manageable. Frankly the river here is beautiful, five foot deep and pulling through, I haven’t fished here for donkeys years but it was always good for a fish or two. The pegs are a little steep and a bit slippy. Not ideal but by now I am already dreaming of monster Barbel so inch my way down the bank and come to no harm. Getting back up is more difficult but I manage it. Definitely not swims to be fished at night but I am smitten.
On a practical note I decide I will take my wife next week so that she knows where to find my body if I don’t return one day! I also stopped at the village pub which was how it should be, friendly and comfortable. I shall take ‘her indoors’ here as well in case she needs pursuading ( spending money on her always works).
If I don’t survive , look out for my obituary in theTelegraph….If will start…who?
Well Paul, maybe my enthusiasm will be contagious? Take it easy mate,
G.T.
 
I have got my strimmer and dog spike c/w rope at the ready. The middle Avon is indeed a beautiful setting ...perhaps will see you there Graham?
 
I have got my strimmer and dog spike c/w rope at the ready. The middle Avon is indeed a beautiful setting ...perhaps will see you there Graham?
Yes, the last swim looked amazing, absolutely screamed ’FISH ME’ 🎣. Would love to ‘hook up ‘ ( sorry’) but will just make sure that my knee’s are up to job first. Stay safe Neil and enjoy the river. I will let you know how I get on…..
G.T.
 
I have got my strimmer and dog spike c/w rope at the ready. The middle Avon is indeed a beautiful setting ...perhaps will see you there Graham?
Ive fished a few stretches of the baa avon neil but never had much luck to be honest, any tips mate👍
 
Ive fished a few stretches of the baa avon neil but never had much luck to be honest, any tips mate👍
Not easy compared to previous years, but there are still some big old females to be had, end of last season the river record was broken...so hopeful. All I can say is to do what I find difficult, just bait and wait keeping recasts down to a minimum. Lots of potential within a couple of miles of Bidford on Avon ..BAA offer some great fishing here.
 
Yes, the last swim looked amazing, absolutely screamed ’FISH ME’ 🎣. Would love to ‘hook up ‘ ( sorry’) but will just make sure that my knee’s are up to job first. Stay safe Neil and enjoy the river. I will let you know how I get on…..
G.T.
You take care. I value good health being the wrong end of things the last two years, so have to feel up to it to venture out..there is somewhere I have found that has a stretch of the Arrow and a meadow on the Avon that rarely gets fished, I was unable to fish much last season, but hopefully will this season. This meadow has a distinct gravel bar, and big Chub and barbel can be seen suspended over the gravel, never seen that before on the Avon.
Silly fuel prices will see me a bit more local say within 10 miles but that still gives me a lot to go at.
atb
 
I was beginning to despair myself, as I'd no idea whereabouts (on the Middle Severn) I fancied fishing in the early months of the season. My requirements for a few swims are different to some mentioned above, them being : at least 0.75mile / 1km from a car park, preferably heavily overgrown, no possibility of anyone fishing the opposite bank PLUS steady 3-4mph flow, 3-6ft deep, with some streamer weed if possible. And I found 3 within a 200m stretch!! I managed to get down to the river in all 3, did a bit of tidying, then just dug toe-holds on the way back up the steep bank, ensuring minimal disturbance of foliage up the top end. I doubt anyone else will find them without a load of luck (I'd not spotted them and I'd walked that stretch, looking, at least 10 times previously. Just hope my calf strains have recovered by the 16th :oops:
Up.jpg

Hill House E.jpg

A thing of beauty ....I'll be happy to blank there.
 
I was beginning to despair myself, as I'd no idea whereabouts (on the Middle Severn) I fancied fishing in the early months of the season. My requirements for a few swims are different to some mentioned above, them being : at least 0.75mile / 1km from a car park, preferably heavily overgrown, no possibility of anyone fishing the opposite bank PLUS steady 3-4mph flow, 3-6ft deep, with some streamer weed if possible. And I found 3 within a 200m stretch!! I managed to get down to the river in all 3, did a bit of tidying, then just dug toe-holds on the way back up the steep bank, ensuring minimal disturbance of foliage up the top end. I doubt anyone else will find them without a load of luck (I'd not spotted them and I'd walked that stretch, looking, at least 10 times previously. Just hope my calf strains have recovered by the 16th :oops:
View attachment 19656
View attachment 19658
A thing of beauty ....I'll be happy to blank there.
I know that swim😉
 
Well Paul I haven’t given up yet and decided today would be a scouting mission for a few visits to the river when the season starts.
The criteria is thus…..it has to be safe ( well ‘ish’ as nowhere is 100% safe’.)
Access to parking has to be non four by four friendly ( I have a ‘normal saloon’)
less than hours drive.
Pegs must be relatively old person friendly.

Decided on the Middle Warwickshire Avon ( 30 minutes drive ).
The 1st venue was one where I had an ‘arrangement’ with the farmer. This used to be an ‘armchair ‘ swim with a reasonable walk. Parking was good and I set off down a narrow bridalway that got increasingly overgrown. Where I had to branch left to drop down to the river was now an impenetrable jungle of stingers and bramble. I decided that ‘inpenetrable’ had to be challenged. I managed about a foot, got ‘scared for life’ and turned back….bloody but still alive.
Venue 2 was nearby but I had forgotten the ‘ five bar gate’ ( locked , of course ). As my new knee is still’ a work in progress’ my brain finally started working and I simply leaned on it and reminisced of days gone by when I leapt over five bar gates and caught a few nice fish here. Still a possibility if my knee improves.
Third venue was another short drive away. Good parking, only one stile to gingerly manoeuvre myself over but with a longish walk but manageable. Frankly the river here is beautiful, five foot deep and pulling through, I haven’t fished here for donkeys years but it was always good for a fish or two. The pegs are a little steep and a bit slippy. Not ideal but by now I am already dreaming of monster Barbel so inch my way down the bank and come to no harm. Getting back up is more difficult but I manage it. Definitely not swims to be fished at night but I am smitten.
On a practical note I decide I will take my wife next week so that she knows where to find my body if I don’t return one day! I also stopped at the village pub which was how it should be, friendly and comfortable. I shall take ‘her indoors’ here as well in case she needs pursuading ( spending money on her always works).
If I don’t survive , look out for my obituary in theTelegraph….If will start…who?
Well Paul, maybe my enthusiasm will be contagious? Take it easy mate,
G.T.
Certainly big changes for me Graham :oops:

No 1.75lb barbel rods, no c'pins (well not quite), no braid, no made-up rods, no isotopes, no 36" landing net

1. 14ft float rod, pointy red things, plummety doo-dahs, c'pin reels (thank god), 15" round pan net, 'ooks smaller than no.6s

2. 2 x feeder rods, 2 x small Shimano bait-runners (shhhhhh!), 2 x bite alarms (equally shhhhhh!)

No desire to visit my old barbel rivers, and especially as some over-zealous strimmer-mad do-gooders have changed intimate banksides into canalised snag-free blah blah blah - but best don't go there :rolleyes:
 
Good luck Paul, fully understand your decision.
I am lucky in that my legs haven't given up yet but age is catching up, now choose swims near to where I park. Has anybody else noticed that the best swims are always the furthest ones. I don't go fishing anywhere near as many times as I used to do but still enjoy it whether I catch or not, as soon as that changes I will stop, hopefully never happens.
 
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