A dedicated few of us have been going on a barbel fishing week in Sept. since 1978 and have a trophy for the biggest barbel of the week.
A few years ago we had spent the week on the Hamp. Avon and a good fishing buddy of mine was on a blank for barbel.
The pressure was on for the fella, so during the last afternoon of the trip I baited up a swim just downstream from me and very soon had a few average size barbel grubbing about.
I gave him a call and asked if he had caught,..the answer was in the negative, so I told him about the downstream swim. Despite being at the other end of the fishery he swallowed his pride and walked the half mile or so to join me.
Well, now the pressure was on me,..hoping that he was going to get a result!
We were due to pack up at 8 pm and at dusk my mate pointed to a Barn Owl patrolling the opposite meadow,..almost in slow motion.
Bang on 8 o clock his rod goes round and would you believe banks the best double of the week...and the trophy!...must say I was as happy as he was!
Now the spooky bit of the tale is that at the beggining of the year my mate had cut out and saved his Angling Times horoscope which he had kept in his wallet, which he produced to the rest of us in the pub that evening.
It read,..'A white bird will bring you luck' !!