• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

Time for a re-think

Kevin Earley

Kevin Earley

Senior Member
On my third blank in a row... :( granted one was on the upper Trent at Willington during daytime, one at East Stoke although not the banker Barbel pegs and before the Trent had the influx of rain it has recently, that would have made the peg a better bet. Last Wednesday though went on my first overnight session for about 30 years. All the pointers were there for a favourable night on a good stretch of the middle Trent and zilch to show, other than one bite that didn't feel like a Barbel for the short time it was on the hook.

Fishing a 15 mm Halibut pellet on one rod and same size Krill on the other. feeding a mixture of Robin Red / halibut / krill feed pellets with chilli hemp, using Korum Combi feeder and Spomb for the first time to load the swim up with 8 casts at twilight. Friend fishing half a peg away had two Barbel (one a PB of 14 Lb 5 Oz) and a bream.

Given how much I was looking forward to the overnight session it was disappointing to pack up with nothing to show. So is it time for a re-think the approach or should I just accept that's how it goes ?
 
Kevin, Id say if your not catching ring the changes, even on a prolific river like the Trent. Change the bait/bait size, hook length etc or move swims. The last time i fished the middle 3 weeks ago I could not buy a bite on double elipse pellet, switched to a single 8mm pellet and had 12 fish. It doesn't work all the time but id rather ring the changes than sit it out personally.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone, have realised I had stoked my expectations up for the overnight session higher than I should have, although the river did fine down overnight the weather conditions and the stretch of the river itself all pointed to a bonanza session, that will teach me ! 😁

@Cliff Turner I did try an single ellips and Frankfurther Spice, I need to look at rigs for double pellet. 👍 My friend had a spicy luncheon meat on one rod and a 12 mm halibut pellet on the other, all the fish caught were on the halibut pellet. 😕
 
What you up to next Saturday / Sunday Kev? I've had luck at Fiskerton in the daytime the last couple of times I've been, weather should still be mild next weekend 👍
 
Don't over do it in the day, keep casting and baiting to a minimum, slowly build up the peg. An early barrage can be disastrous. Pva bags of crushed boilies or pellets, 10mm punched spam on a stringer etc. Take your time and don't push it too hard.. boilies have been great this year, The Krill or DNAs SLK been a winner also single 8mm Robin red pellets.
Good luck, they will come and don't go too light either.
 
Kevin.

You could do:

1. Change your bait. Even changing the size of a successful bait can make a complete + difference.
2. Fish the much quieter stretches. Peace and quiet (less bank disturbance and fishing pressure) and there could be a few surprises waiting. Do the opposite of what the crowds are doing.
3. Fish a single rod instead of two.
4. Have confidence the negatives can drag you down.
5. Try different techniques.
 
Richard Dawson said:
What you up to next Saturday / Sunday Kev? I've had luck at Fiskerton in the daytime the last couple of times I've been, weather should still be mild next weekend
Click to expand...

Hi Richard as it happens I was planning a Saturday/Sunday bankside. Depending on the likely river level then Fiskerton could be good, but I know the banks can be treacherous if more rain soaks in between now and then depending on which pegs you are thinking of going on. I know the last time @Simon Archer you and I fished the pegs can be like a helter skelter sliding down the bank to river level.
 
Thank you everyone for the encouragement and tips, it's very much appreciated. 👍👍 I have taken myself out the back and and given my head a good boffing ! 🤣 I think I am over the disappointment of the overnight session now and raring to get out and try a few tweaks thanks to the support I received on here. 👍👍

Sometimes it helps to think back to when I played rugby and if we lost a game we should have won I would be disappointed for a few days, but then have more resolve to play better the next Saturday.
 
I've recently had my 5th blank on the ribble the worse thing you can do is start doubting what your doing when you have caught in previous seasons,when you doubt what your doing you start changing things like bait, rigs etc but in my experience I might have another couple of blanks but that one session were it will come good is round the corner,also don't sit it out in same swim if nothing is happening..
 
Ste Whybrow said:
I've recently had my 5th blank on the ribble the worse thing you can do is start doubting what your doing when you have caught in previous seasons,when you doubt what your doing you start changing things like bait, rigs etc but in my experience I might have another couple of blanks but that one session were it will come good is round the corner,also don't sit it out in same swim if nothing is happening..
Click to expand...
I was piking on Saturday - conditions were horrendous, no runs whatsoever between 2 of us ( 6 rods). It was brutal.
At 2.30 i wandered up to my mate and we looked at each other and shook our heads. He was ready to pack up and that is not like him. I suggested we give it to 3 ( although we'd never had a fish at that time of day on this water). We questioned everything -temperature, pressure, wind direction, location, baits, rigs. We concluded that we had got it wrong and everything was against us. Time for a warm seat on the sofa.
As I returned to my chair, he shouted and was into a fish, which I helped land and it was a pristine 20lber
Despite fishing together for 30+ years you could have struck us down with a feather. We were speechless. Never had we been more surprised to see a fish, never mind a belter. Suddenly everything changed, but nothing changed( conditions, baits, rigs) and we fished into dark , for no more fish but confidence was sky high.
We were still processing it later that evening and despite the battering we took and just one run were desperate to get out yesterday but family stuff pulled rank. This fishing lark is a most wondrous and perplexing pursuit and days like that , you never forget.
 
Kevin Earley said:
@Paul Richardson I guess if we could fathom fishing to an exact degree it would lose some of it's charm.
Click to expand...
100% - we do fathom out quite a lot but we’re dealing with Mother Nature and she doesn’t read the same books that we do.
But it’s something special if as a stressed out grandad the wrong side of 50 , you go to bed re- enacting the day with a big smile on your face with a wee sense of pride, not cos you’ve caught the biggest fish in the lake or had a bagful,simply that you turned up , didn’t give up and fished to the best of your ability.
Sometimes it pays off , sometimes you blank but you always learn. That’s enough for me👍
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top