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reflections on past year

S

Steven Ballard

Senior Member
Hello all, I hope the past year has been good to you all, I was just interested to see how your past fishing year has gone? to plan or not?
Mines been a funny one, I told myself at the start of the season I wanted to catch a 12lb + barbel, and on the 14th july, caught a stonking 14.04oz barbel from the royalty... as you can imagine it made my year, my perchfishing has also gone to plan with me taking over 20 2lb+ers, from my local river, a good sign for the future.
But my chub fishing has been awful, not caught a single chub off the river soar all season, which considering past seasons, when I could of guarenteed that i would catch at least 2-3 decent chub during a session, is rather worrying!!!!
 
Unfortunately had to write this year off fishing wise. I was the victim of a drunk driver jumping a red traffic light, smashing into the side of my cab. Had a badly smashed leg. Thankfully, its almost back to normal. So i.m actually really looking forward to next year. ( fingers crossed ). :)
 
Well done on the 14lb'er, bet that was an excellent fish;) Did'nt really make any plans for this season apart from fish the river has much has I could:D Had a pb barbel of 11lb 4oz which I was well chuffed with. Im on 87 so far so would love to break the 100 this season. Hopefully with this mild weather at the moment I'll be out over xmas. Plenty of big chub coming out of the ribble this season;)

Unlucky on the accident Derek, hope you get a better 2012 mate. All the best.
 
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Like Derek, my fishing year was a non starter. However, I have no one to blame but myself, I just can't get my head together since retirement. I can only try and shake myself and get back into it in the new year. Perhaps Santa will bring me a super sized box full of enthusiasm :D

Have a good'n next year everyone :)

Cheers, Dave.
 
i've had a bad one due to other commitments, next will be better.
for the barbel anyhow, caught a few tench and carp this year so not all bad.
 
Derek Funcks said:
Unfortunately had to write this year off fishing wise. I was the victim of a drunk driver jumping a red traffic light, smashing into the side of my cab. Had a badly smashed leg. Thankfully, its almost back to normal. So i.m actually really looking forward to next year. ( fingers crossed ). :)
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That's tough Derek, think I read something about that when it happened, glad to hear your on the mend, rip 'em up mate:)
 
David Gauntlett said:
Like Derek, my fishing year was a non starter. However, I have no one to blame but myself, I just can't get my head together since retirement. I can only try and shake myself and get back into it in the new year. Perhaps Santa will bring me a super sized box full of enthusiasm :D

Have a good'n next year everyone :)

Cheers, Dave.
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Yep I guess you wait a lifetime making plans when 'I retire' and come the day what an anti climax? (Guessing here BTW, can't ever afford to retire) and when that day arrives your trapped like a rabbit in the head lights. :confused:
Dave don't waste another day, give yourself some goals fishing wise, you probably are a bit like me I actually feel GUILTY if I don't fish, especially when there is no excuse with the weather / conditions.
Just like work Dave, get a routine going.
 
March was kind to me sizewise and unlucky too. I banked a venue best barbel and landed (backwards!), my only ever foulhooked barbel on the last evening. That foulhooked fish alone would have made my season! :)

Lady luck glinted on me again in the summer when i caught, by accident, a splendid roach and the early winter deposited another accident in my lap in the form of a PB perch. And before anyone asks, yes, they do count!:p

Not done so much fishing this year as my little boy is just over a year old now and looking forward to owning a small section of river at the bottom of the garden.:)
 
I decided that from the 16th June 2011 I would trot for Barbel whenever conditions were right as my first choice tactic. As you get older the fire in the belly can dim and I found I was just doing the same old things with the same old results. I was in a rut and a change was called for.
And I can honestly say I enjoyed every fish caught on the float, in fact I had more fish (although smaller average size) than previous seasons, 71 to date. It's not only how many caught but the way in which you catch them that I have found satisfying.
I had my 40th Wye double and a P.B. Roach of 2lb-2oz (albeit on a 10mm Boilie!) This year has made up for 2009/10 for me when, on the few occasions I fished, I couldn't buy a Barbel!
Agree with Steve Ballard, set a realistic goal, but most of all enjoy what you are doing, it's only you that you have to please.
 
Neil Smart said:
Yep I guess you wait a lifetime making plans when 'I retire' and come the day what an anti climax? (Guessing here BTW, can't ever afford to retire) and when that day arrives your trapped like a rabbit in the head lights. :confused:
Dave don't waste another day, give yourself some goals fishing wise, you probably are a bit like me I actually feel GUILTY if I don't fish, especially when there is no excuse with the weather / conditions.
Just like work Dave, get a routine going.
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Hi Neil,

You are not far out mate. I always marvelled at peoples tales of depression taking hold when they retired. I couldn't believe that all that wonderful new freedom, being able to fish whenever the fancy took you...could possibly lead to anything but pure joy. Sadly, I discovered that the hardest people in the world to understand....are ourselves. I will get a grip, snap out of it and get back the passion of old for fishing....I got WAY too much pure pleasure for WAY too many years from the hobby I love for it not to come back with a bang eventually.

However, like you say Neil, I need to take steps to kick start the process, rather than sit back waiting for it to happen. Recently I have spent what for me is a fortune on various bits of new gear, only to realise that you can't buy enthusiasm, you have to work at it. Happily, I absolutely love the new tackle I bought....so now I just need to get out there and make it work. Simples :p

Cheers, Dave.
 
My year has been fantastic a double barbel of 10lb 4oz (hopefully more to come) and a staggering 104 barbel (to date), a few more highlights were the other pb's Iv had aswel, perch of 3lb 8oz a chub of 5lb 3oz a bream at 5lb 7oz have all been ones to remember, aswel as learning loads about barbel and buying the right tackle for the job I got has all made my year brilliant and made the riverside an even happier place to be
Happy Angling!!!!!
Wayne
 
Been a good year for big fish for me, last year i struggled all season, this year i have had 5 fish over my pb from 2 years ago. Not had a big number of fish but @ 50% have been doubles. Of the last 10 barbel, 7 doubles and 5 of them over 12, well happy:)
 
Paul Ashton said:
Agree with Steve Ballard, set a realistic goal, but most of all enjoy what you are doing, it's only you that you have to please.
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Paul - that's a fine sentiment, with which I wholeheartedly agree!

I've had a decent year so far. The end of last season was virtually written off (for barbel) because of the cold conditions running through to early March. I've had a good season with a few largish fish and, with the current mild spell, I hope to catch a few more before March 15th.
 
Good times

Had a wonderful year with some very good freinds,great fishing and most important superb laughs at no cost to us all.Hope next years the same and will keep trying different things as we can all learn something.
 
Mark Gaskell said:
Had a wonderful year with some very good freinds,great fishing and most important superb laughs at no cost to us all.Hope next years the same and will keep trying different things as we can all learn something.
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second that mark had some great laughs this season ,learned a few things to improve my fishing but everybody needs friends to keep them going through the high and lows of a season when we go past a pie shop thats shut:eek:
 
A nice 12 from the upper trent is about the only highlight, bit of a weird year, lots of lost fish which is still confusing me!
 
Hi All,
A good year so far!

I have increased my barbel PB to 13.07 & my chub PB to 6.09, both cracking fish! My barbel best had stood at 13.01 for about 9 years so it was a relief that I finally beat it. I had also a lovely 3.01 perch on cane & 'pin.

I would like to beat my zander best of 8.12 before the end of the season &, who knows, perhaps a bigger perch. I am fishing from a boat on Tuesday at a place where both goals are possible. Fingers crossed!

As I said, a good year so far!

Bob
 
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