Reserving swims?!

[Iain J McDonald]

3 good sizes lakes on the complex,,set right next to the river graham,,willows everywhere,,the wet and windy winters certainly leave a bit of a mess mate !!

 

[Graham Young]

3 good sizes lakes on the complex,,set right next to the river graham,,willows everywhere,,the wet and windy winters certainly leave a bit of a mess mate !!

I like mess, just ask my wife mind I think she's strange always vacuuming and cleaning when she could be making bait.

 

[John Walker]

you definately have a message waiting now Dan

 

[Mark P Smith]

why would anyone want to reserve a swim on a river ?, the way to get the best from a river is to keep on the move unless you are the sort who go " carbaling ". { not real barbel fishing in my book }
i see anglers who only fish the same couple of swims and never anywhere else, whats the point they may as well go to a commercial.

 

[Dan Whitelock]

Exactly Mark, this too is my style of fishing. I suppose as the club in question is a very carp orientated set up on the wide, slow moving stretch river that 99% of the membership have no interest in roving around as they'd need a small van to shift their gear each time.
What annoys me is the whole principle of it, and that that the carp chaps are seen to be some kind of special bunch in the eyes of the club. Luckily for me the stretch they run has a very small head of Barbel and I have the option to fish a much more wild, intimate and appealing stretch elsewhere. Despite the wonderful winter pike and chub fishing they have, along with a lovely little weir and backwater, they won't be getting a penny from me this year.

 

[Neil Smart]

why would anyone want to reserve a swim on a river ?, the way to get the best from a river is to keep on the move unless you are the sort who go " carbaling ". { not real barbel fishing in my book }
i see anglers who only fish the same couple of swims and never anywhere else, whats the point they may as well go to a commercial.

The rules are if you have reserved the swim you just cannot move

But seriously, hate that chap that got there before you on the small river, and has fished every goddam swim and killed it.

Nothing wrong with staying put on the bigger Rivers when you can coax them to feed, but would be interested in you expanding on what is not 'real' fishing as in 'Carbaling'.

On big rivers such as the Severn Thames Trent or Wye that is very much the method to catch Barbel, pointless moving every half hour or so, as long as you believe the peg can hold fish then stick with it.

 

[Russell Emms]

why would anyone want to reserve a swim on a river ?, the way to get the best from a river is to keep on the move unless you are the sort who go " carbaling ". { not real barbel fishing in my book }
i see anglers who only fish the same couple of swims and never anywhere else, whats the point they may as well go to a commercial.

Bet you've got centre pin and a cane rod.

Surely the river/river conditions dictate how you fish for them, you're tying yourself down to much fella

 

[John Walker]

Neil how true your big river thoughts are mate, but i have also fished the ouse well away from civilisation and got there by small cabin cruiser and some of it would put the avon and stour to shame for its crystal clear water and strong flow over a shallowish hardpacked gravel bed and not a soul in sight nor a footprint anywhere, a river like this screams to be roved by an angler

 

[Dave Taylor]

Bit late on this one but doesn't being allowed to reserve swims kind of create a club within a club?
Regardless of the extra work some may put in on work party's ( which has to be applauded ) it only seems to stoke up resentment from those who aren't the favoured few.
I can think of one or two guys in one of my clubs who without there dedication other members would be unable to access certain prime barbel fisheries, but they would be embarrassed if given the option of reserving swims.
All clubs, associations and syndicates should work off a level playing field and if work party attendance is a requirement introduce a levy. ( exempting elderly and disabled ).
If you pay the fee you should expect equal rights.

 

[Joe Fletcher]

Reserving Swims ? A bit like the Germans on holiday putting their towels on the sunbeds by the pool the night before
First come first served is my motto

 

[Mark P Smith]

Bet you've got centre pin and a cane rod.

Surely the river/river conditions dictate how you fish for them, you're tying yourself down to much fella

i dont as a matter of fact russell but neither do i own a bivvie, buzzers and a barrow.
if you like to camp in a swim that`s fine but its not my way of fishing, i`ve a day booked on the wye next season and will i camped in a swim ? will i b***er i want to make the most of it and that means roving to find the fish not filling a swim in until they find me.

 

[Neil Smart]

i dont as a matter of fact russell but neither do i own a bivvie, buzzers and a barrow.
if you like to camp in a swim that`s fine but its not my way of fishing, i`ve a day booked on the wye next season and will i camped in a swim ? will i b***er i want to make the most of it and that means roving to find the fish not filling a swim in until they find me.

I understand your sentiments about roving Mark, on small rivers especially, apart from that if you do hook into something then that kills the swim dead, so you have to move unless you are prepared to wait hours.

Like you I don't have buzzers or Bivvies, never had and too set in my ways to change. I have fished the Wye a few times, and the Barbel shoals come and go in the day, and there can be long interludes of nothing doing, and then they come on the feed, and then nothing.

Not as if they are not there, and simply trying to 'find them', seems to make no difference in what I understand, you just have to be prepared for the next feeding spell, so I would say if you like the look of your peg, there is no need to move, they will find you. I appreciate this might be at odds to your purist approach, but it's how I see it. You could well miss that feeding spell whilst walking the bank

A few years back I invited a friend to fish the Wye at Caradoc, it was his first Wye experience, he brought his own lunch and due to a condition he had to have a lie down in the afternoon so booked the Salmon types lodge to do so. By lunch-time we had just one barbel each, so he decided to have his lunch and nap, and as soon as he departed the scene my rod lurched over and I was in to a Barbel, and so it repeated nine times in a space of about 90 minutes, nine Barbel, as I was playing the ninth fish he came back and said ahh that's number two!!

He couldn't believe when I told him just how busy I had been. He quickly got back to his peg and managed a couple, and then it all went 'dead' again.

 

[Mark P Smith]

i can see what your saying neil but i cant be rooted to the same spot all day as i feel like i miss out on things and i like a variety. being a chub angler mostly in the winter i`m used to moving about a lot, normally its about every 20 mins but about an hour when barbel fishing.
on my normal section i fish on the nene which i admit is a small river i see so many anglers come from the big rivers over gunned with tackle and bait so cant do owt but camp in a swim which wont help them at all.
its what you get used to i suppose.

 

[Paul White]

Used to be a "head bailiff" at venue I currently bailiff used to tape of swims for his mates probably for a fee.needless to say he is no longer a bailiff, as a matter of fact he is banned.and the fishery is far better of without him.

 

[David Gauntlett]

Used to be a "head bailiff" at venue I currently bailiff used to tape of swims for his mates probably for a fee.needless to say he is no longer a bailiff, as a matter of fact he is banned.and the fishery is far better of without him.

You lost me there Paul...I am obviously not following the thread closely enough . WHO used to be "head bailiff" on your water?

Cheers, Dave