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Is it Just me

Shaun Morris

Senior Member
Is it just me, or has this happened to anyone else out there.
I fished on the Sussex Ouse today. Hooked a really nice Barbel. Great fight from a very tight swim and eventually netted it. My landing net is a triangular carp type net. As I tried to lift the fish, one of the arms of the net broke close to the spreading block. The other arm slid out of the spreading block and I was left with a Barbel trapped in a net below my feet in the shallows. I tried to hook out the net with the spreading block, needed all of the 3 meter pole. Eventually fell in. Happy ending was a 9lb 1oz Barbel safetly returned to the river.
Soggy Shaun of the nettle rash.
 
Not with a triangular net but I did end up in a similar situation when the thread snapped off a 32" spoon net! :)
 
Not quite the same but I do recall one hot summer day stripping down to just my shreddies and wellingtons to wade into the Kennet in an attempt to free a fish I had hooked which had then snagged itself quite firmly. As I emerged victorious from the river, I was greeted by an elderly couple walking their dog. Awkward doesn't get close to describing that moment.
 
I have had one arm of a triangular net suddenly collapse when netting a barbel. Fortunately the other arm stayed put & I landed the fish without any further problem. I have two spoon type landing nets and both of those have had need of a spot of glue to fix arms back in the base.
 
You wouldn't be the first one that's happened to Andrew :(

Cheers, Dave.

Was attached to a 4m net handle at the time Dave, awkward swim, steep slope with a 4' drop into 3' of water. Knew it well so had no hesitation in jumping in after the fish which was retrieved and released. Could have been a lot worse - there are some swims on these north west spate rivers I really wouldn't want to jump in! :eek:
 
Was it one of those ABU triangular nets:(
 
Was it one of those ABU triangular nets:(

John, I've got one of those, which I'm about to ditch. Has collapsed too many times at the vital moment. Haven't lost a fish because of it yet, but I suspect it would be only a matter of time if I don't change. Due to get a Greys 28in spoon.
 
I bought the net from 'Bennetts of Sheffield' . It was advertised as a Barbel net combo, came with a very strong but short handle. I liked it because it folded up in such a way that I could put it in my rod holdall. Some years ago, someone gave my a large Korum spoon, and this will be my new net. Just off to currys to get a cheap digital camera to replace the one I drowned yesterday.
Quite scary yesterday for a while. I had no way of climbing out, due to the steep bank. Indebted to 2 gents on the other bank. They guided me upstream to a place where I could climb out using tree roots.
Regards
Shaun
 
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Steve i have had 2 of them both broke at the bottom of the arms!!!
 
Enjoy it while you can - one day you'll be too old and you'll fall in and just float away to the big river in the sky!
 
Fortunately I have never had any problems with my nets but have had the occasional ducking.

A year or so ago, when the river was low and the weather hot I caught a decent barbel and was concerned about its chances of discovery. The swim was only three feet deep so I just carried the barbel and slid down into the river and held the fish until she recovered.

I soon dried out and was much cooler after the event. Quite a good way of activating a swim as well.

Regards,

Hugo


 
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