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Snow Barbel

Great stuff Keith, I didnt realise the Lea was that narrow not much wider than a ditch...... You must be quite a way up ..


Brian
 
Yea thanks for that, I was planning to fish for grayling tomorrow, now I'm going to have to try for a snowy barbel!!
Great write up, plenty of inspiration
 
Nicely done!
I shall be out trotting for chub while there is still a bit of the white stuff on the deck.
Love being out in the snow..
 
You've got far more commitment than me, well done for even going out in these conditions. I spent most of my weekend going through t'internet looking for early spring breaks somewhere warm and no more than 5 hours away. It looks like the Canaries again.
 
Adrian Williams said:
You've got far more commitment than me, well done for even going out in these conditions. I spent most of my weekend going through t'internet looking for early spring breaks somewhere warm and no more than 5 hours away. It looks like the Canaries again.
Click to expand...

Have you considered Madeira? And if you did find yourself with a bit of free time and then somehow on a boat, the fishing can be terrific.
 
I'll just paraphrase something from another thread.
"Barbel demand Keith be shot after again proving he can catch in any conditions"

Well done Keith!
 
question for Keith

Keith, what an amazing day out!

Can I ask if you just have the one breaking strain on your pin as mainline and then decide on the hooklenght BS on the day? and if so does it make any difference what the actual mainline BS is as long as you get the hooklenghth BS correct?

all the best
Russ
 
kk, graham, you right, keith has put time and effort in, knowning his river and his swims, and maybe putting in time feeding swims , when hes not fishing, nothing wrong with that,
think we called that, doing your home work, before fishing,
 
As I said in the original post, the water we fished is a VERY prolific fishery that is on the Verulam Angling Club ticket.
Paul and I know this water very well because we have put in an awful lot of time on the venue, not just when we fish but every year you will find one or both of us at all the work parties, most of the time up to our chests in the river clearing reed to allow the light to get at the water and making the swims fishable, or planting reed and flag beds to improve habitat.
It looks like a natural waterway but that is not the case, it is a manufactured fishery and making it look and feel natural takes a great deal of effort.
When it comes to knowing the river bed and all the special little features there is no substitute for getting in and getting mucky, it pays a dividend that opting out and paying a fee for NOT doing a work party never can, and to be fair, with the right crowd, a work party can be a lot of fun too.

This water has a special place in my heart, not only because it contains Roach to over 3lb, Chub to over 6lb, Dace to 1lb 3oz and Barbel to over 12lb, but because I have invested so much of my time into making it as good as it can be, Paul and I have been very successful on this fishery, but I do feel we deserve it, as in all things effort equals reward.

That said I can think of several fisheries where feeding lightly but regularly and fishing with light but balanced tackle will score in even the most demanding conditions, rivers like the Kennet, Great Ouse, Ivel, Lea and Hampshire Avon will all have swims where fish will congregate in extremely cold weather, finding those areas requires time, effort and watercraft, time and effort are easy to acquire, watercraft is more difficult, but is often a by product of time and effort.

What also helps is the ability to master other forms of angling, Paul and I have spent a lot of time fishing matches, the ability to get the best from a duff peg that you would never have chosen for yourself concentrates the mind wonderfully, on the other hand fishing for Carp or predators also helps because specialising in trying to catch other species, forces you to consider completely different methods and swim choice, which adds to your knowledge of watercraft.

In answer to Russ’s question, I have to say that because I do not just fish for one species I have gear ready and waiting to use for whatever species I decide to go for, my favourite species has always been the Roach, so I have rods and centre pins that I use for just that eventuality, obviously the fish do not always play ball, but I nearly always have a heavier set up available if the need arises, mostly we get it right, but on occasion I will arrive on the river intending to fish for Dace only to find that conditions set right for Barbel, hence the heavier option.

Fishing for different species also often gives me the ammunition to use an alternative method for my current species of choice and often that is a positive advantage in adapting to the condition of the river.

Tight lines.
 
Went to the upper lea today where Keith and his friend fished!
There was an old boy fishing the same peg as your friend keith and he had 7 Barbel to 10lb!
I didn't argue with him as he was a bailiff!
I fished the peg to his left and lost 3 barbel and landed 2. All in all a beautiful day that allowed me to see some of the most beautiful wildlife I've ever seen. Including a big, green woodpecker! It's funny how freezing conditions are made that little bit easier when you are trotting maggots down a river with a stick float!
Made my day!
 
Tongue In Cheek

I fished Keith's swim in -8 degrees, with a broken arm using a Woolies starter kit and caught 13 barbel topped by a fish of 14lb 3oz, and I wasn't even the bailiff at the time.

Nick C
 
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