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Stinker of a season. Thank god its over

L

Lee Williams

Senior Member
First month a mixture of illness and bad rivers, led to one bite less session on the Upper Trent, the. Once the rivers settled and got lower and clearer, my days off and availabiliry to fish ended with me being on the rivers at times when I knew I wouldn't catch and didn't.

I decided to spend some time on the Trent, this coincided with the lowest clearest river I have ever seen. Blank after blank, I just couldnt get there at the right time. Eventually a PB slid over the net on the tidal, I didnt weigh it but pics and estimates from people put it 11 to 12lb, with it being my first double and prev PB of 8lb 5oz it made me happy, ten minutes later I was obliterated by a beast. Lost one about 5lb at the net at Collingham by conveyor belt, at this point I'd had the following sessions

Trent 16
Severn 2

For one fish, and 2 losses and a missed bite at Collingham.

The Trent was ditched, a few more sessions on a low clear Severn, and a flooded Avon, no bites.

Last day of the season went to Bewdley fished 4 hours without a rap starts packing up, last cast, hooked and lost one.

Total sessions

Trent 16
Warks Avon 2
Severn 6


Fish caught - 1
Fish lost - 3
Spoppers lost after 3 casts - 1
Miles covered.. millions
Pellets and hemp thrown in - gallons
Boilies put in - kilos
Money spent - loads
Grief of missus - loads
Near death experience driving tired- one

Plans for next year.. Ignore Severn and WA till Sept unless they have water on, hope the Ashfield ticket comes off, then have a few from Cromwell and Thrumpton.

I wish I was a legend like Johnny Care or Roger whom have had great seasons. Well done fellas.
 
Baring the near death experience (no fishing trip is worth driving tired for)
That’s just fishing for ya.
not a productive season granted but non the less not a disaster either.
New pb makes up for those blanks surely. Shame you don’t have a weight for her but it sounds like it was a cracker.
take the positives out of it. You got a decent amount of bank time and absolutely smashed your old pb.
 
Yes very poor really in and out of hospital, major operation, and of course the constant flooding I haven't wet line since October. That session I had a Barbel and a 15 the month before, so not a complete disaster, but just a handful of sessions.
I fear that my illness was a result of catching some bug when fishing the Severn after a huge flood, I remember a particular session when the bank was covered with God knows what, and after that I had severe abdominal pains , as a result I had a perforated bowel, and to be frank nearly died, still have complications but will get over it. The reason I am saying this is please be aware and take care, use hand wipes and up your hygiene don't take chances.
Already looking forward to next season, a clean slate, and so grateful that I have fishing in my life and that's enough to make me dream of that next bar of gold.
 
Neil Smart said:
Yes very poor really in and out of hospital, major operation, and of course the constant flooding I haven't wet line since October. That session I had a Barbel and a 15 the month before, so not a complete disaster, but just a handful of sessions.
I fear that my illness was a result of catching some bug when fishing the Severn after a huge flood, I remember a particular session when the bank was covered with God knows what, and after that I had severe abdominal pains , as a result I had a perforated bowel, and to be frank nearly died, still have complications but will get over it. The reason I am saying this is please be aware and take care, use hand wipes and up your hygiene don't take chances.
Already looking forward to next season, a clean slate, and so grateful that I have fishing in my life and that's enough to make me dream of that next bar of gold.
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Sorry to hear that Neil - sounds shocking
Good point and lesson for us all as I am tardy when it comes to bank side hygiene and a quick wipe on my oveetrousers prior to a buttie being the norm after handling fish, maggots, manky pellets,deadbaits etc
I’ve always been of the opinion that I must have a robust immune system due to amount of germs I’ve ingested over the years but it will catch me out and not getting any younger
Decent start to season but not had a barbel since September
Did get three 6lb chub early on and a 2-9 river roach the odd time I got on this year so got to be happy with that
 
Richard Isaacs said:
Baring the near death experience (no fishing trip is worth driving tired for)
That’s just fishing for ya.
not a productive season granted but non the less not a disaster either.
New pb makes up for those blanks surely. Shame you don’t have a weight for her but it sounds like it was a cracker.
take the positives out of it. You got a decent amount of bank time and absolutely smashed your old pb.
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From 30 years of being beholdant to the scalesman in match fishing, weights aren't really a thing I worry about now, and if I'd had scales that day I wouldn't of weighed her, just wanted her back safe and as quickly as possible in low clear conditions, safety foremost. I will be buying some for my lad as he is DESPERATE for a double he wants a ten pounder before his tenth birthday in Sept
 
Lee Williams said:
From 30 years of being beholdant to the scalesman in match fishing, weights aren't really a thing I worry about now, and if I'd had scales that day I wouldn't of weighed her, just wanted her back safe and as quickly as possible in low clear conditions, safety foremost. I will be buying some for my lad as he is DESPERATE for a double he wants a ten pounder before his tenth birthday in Sept
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Liking that sentiment Lee, the welfare is so more important than anything. That's why I just weigh in the net.
 
Paul Richardson said:
Sorry to hear that Neil - sounds shocking
Good point and lesson for us all as I am tardy when it comes to bank side hygiene and a quick wipe on my oveetrousers prior to a buttie being the norm after handling fish, maggots, manky pellets,deadbaits etc
I’ve always been of the opinion that I must have a robust immune system due to amount of germs I’ve ingested over the years but it will catch me out and not getting any younger
Decent start to season but not had a barbel since September
Did get three 6lb chub early on and a 2-9 river roach the odd time I got on this year so got to be happy with that
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It's what we do Paul, grubby lot, but with all the nasties in our rivers you can't be too careful I guess, great roach btw, every cloud. Take care.
 
Glad you're over the worst Neil :)

My season was a complete disaster. I didn't fish early season due to the hot weather (my choice), and the latter end of the season due to the wet. Coupled with grandkid duties, and the fact that i'd lost my mojo, I didn't fish much

2 sessions Loddon - no bites
8 sessions St.Pats - no bites
2 sessions Trent - just one lost to a hookpull

Total barbel ZERO - I've caught a few barbel over the years, but never managed that before.

True that I fish in a way to hopefully target the bigger fish, but maybe I'll have to re-think my tactics? or else not :)

I'll share my best of the season

paul-self-take.jpg
 
Hi men ,

One session , a winter's day on the Severn with Sue . Blanked when we should have caught , but only really went to try and get Sue back into it which failed . My syndicate stretch has only had a 3 hour visit in two years 🙄 , so unless something special happens I can't see us back on the rivers anytime soon. Spoke to a mate today who shared my ideas of going back to a couple of bits we fished donkeys years ago , so may get a day in the summer .

Hatter
 
Sorry to hear that neil, i went through the ringer myself in 2017, broke my neck on holiday, i went for scans and the missus had the talk from the doc about me being parallised, but they didn't count on the other bug i have, barbel, i'm sure you will get there, 1 day at a time, but youprobably won't get over the barbel bug,,,,,,, on the season side not done much, bungalow to renovate, however have had some nice fish when i got the chance to go, upped the pb, and finished of last monday with a 13-11, so not the worst season for me, hope the recovery goes well neil,
Regards
 
Hardly label myself a legend Lee. I was just lucky with leave from work at the right time etc. Spent a lot of time on the bank.

Roger certainly IS though, and as Terry S once stated, "he'd catch a barbel on a dog turd". And he would.
 
Thanks for all the nice comments, and hearing of all the tough times many have had, it really is a sobering thought that on many rivers the pursuit of Barbel is on a par with Burbot in results. So I don't know what the future is except that I do know that the lack of Barbel will obviously impact on our sport with many just not bothering, clubs will fold and revenue dive. With this last spate of floods goodness knows what this has done to remaining stocks, very sad.
 
Neil Smart said:
With this last spate of floods goodness knows what this has done to remaining stocks, very sad.
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There is almost certainly bound to be some casualties on those rivers most effected that’s for sure.
Hopefully if they can stay inside the banks for the next 3 months we will have a better idea next season of the actual impact.
the Nene has been over a few times and in the fields and that was fishing ok this month but it hasn’t suffered anything like the same effects as the Wye, Severn, Avon etc.

I Hope your health allows for some pleasurable sessions next season Neil.
 
Definitely my worst season ever, just 6 Barbel from a flooded river Wye during summer floods and not one from my local rivers ( Dorset Stour, Hants Avon) just a few Chub on local rivers but even they were in short supply:(
 
I have fished the Loddon for many years and this season, for the first time, I have had no barbel. The chub fishing has been hard but occasionally worth the effort, but the total lack of barbel is heartbreaking. Unfortunately, this is the logical end point of many years of decline. I have already changed what I fish for and where I fish for it. Chasing grayling, perch, chub etc has been fun but in my heart I am a barbel angler and the demise of my favourite species on the Thames tributaries is hard to accept.
 
Very very sad Steve.

As you know the river of my youth through to my 60'.

Heartbreaking. Such a beautiful river. Days spent watching them come in to feed on the nearside.

The bridge at Hurst where they powered up the shallows at the sound of feed.

The river alongside the road to TDFC where every overhang held a hidden fish or two.

And if you were quiet enough, you could creep along the bank and find a hidden Granty.

I wonder now the value of the stretch I was instrumental in buying for the club? Then barbel heaven.

Sad days. Pleased I left before the final curtain. At least the special memories of sharing the rivers bounty with so many good pals.
One can only hope that the future brings a revival of sorts.
 
John Care said:
Hardly label myself a legend Lee. I was just lucky with leave from work at the right time etc. Spent a lot of time on the bank.

Roger certainly IS though, and as Terry S once stated, "he'd catch a barbel on a dog turd". And he would.
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John.. Youve had a great year, if our times on the bank had been reversed minute for minute, I'd have caught more than I did this season but not as many as you did, and I'd have backed you to have winkled a few more out on my sessions. Roger is just operating at different levels ain't he..
 
You may recall a couple of years ago we had that seal in the Swale for a number of months in the close season and we thought that was the end of it.
I contacted Martin Bowler for advice on the political/ PR side and he said pretty much the same, it's finished move on. So when someone like MB tells you that, it is pretty depressing. Then you get a better understanding of just how ineffective the EA and AT are when faced with a credible threat to a fishery, and of course the Packham brigade have a field day painting all anglers as bloodthirsty morons and guilty until proven innocent.
Of course this is in addition to all the other predation and poaching like all other rivers around the UK.
And being a spate river we get plenty of floods from September onwards, and early season it was lower than a snakes belly. And both extremes are unquestionably getting worse.
So I understand why we think - why bother, I've been there.
But...and god knows how, some fish appear to have made it through, and whilst no monsters all my mates had good catches of 7s,8s & 9s while the river was fishable in 2019, and up here that's good going.
If I have learnt anything it's that you have to be able to adaptable and treat every season as a brand new challenge. I heard some lads complaining that the fishing was cr*p, seals & otters had eaten everything. And doubtless they have had an impact. But a lad who was new to the river fished a bit differently to the rest of us and took it apart with some incredible catches. Was he using a wonder bait or rig? No, but he did fish neglected swims, he asked lots of questions and listened carefully to seasoned anglers,but he wasn't scared to try some bird-seed in his feeder mix, or use sweetcorn when everyone told him it was a blown bait and most importantly he put in the rod hours.
Looking back I fished with naturals a lot more than normal, but really did OK on the barbel, and also enjoyed plenty of nice chub that you can enjoy on a tip rod.
So god knows what the 16th will throw up but hope always springs eternal.
On my last trip I fished hard for a small chub, when I had my sight set on a big 6 or even a 7.
But I saw my first wild Goshawk. A pair of Peregrines mating, buzzards, a sparrowhawk and a kestrel all in the same session so it was worth a 90 mile round trip for that alone.
As Mike Tyson once said in his prime " I refuse to go down!" - and I'm going to continue to adopt that mindset, regardless of how hard it gets.

And now the planning starts. Less than 3 months to go 👍
 
I fished the ribble for a full season,really struggling started seeing otters at the start of the season blank after blank happened so my obvious thought was to blame them,1 Friday went on as it was thining down from heavy flood 3 fish caught ,2 barbel up to 7lb and 1 eel.Changed tactics a bit using 1 rod fishing after dark and when rivers thining down or trying too and caught my PB at 10.9 plus other fish up to 9 on other trips and still seeing otters but then the weather went tits up for weeks and that was that,was pleased with my PB but for the effort I put in not at all good really,going to rejoin normanton stretch on the Trent and see how that goes but driving from Oldham I won’t be doing that very often 👍
 
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