Hi Chaps
Being, sort of, responsible for this thread I thought I might as well add my two-penneth!
For me Barbel fishing has never really changed, the tackle has and the certainly the size of the fish, but I just carry on in the same old way!
Being a bit of a Dinosaur I caught my first Barbel under my Dad’s instruction on the river Kennet on Lady Benyons water, I was using a Hardy Richard Walker “Weasel†Carp rod (an Avon rod really, of about 1 1/4lb test curve) my, then, brand new Mitchell 309, loaded with 6lb Platil, a 3/8oz bomb and a Pegley Davis size 6 hook loaded with a humongous Lob Worm!
She weighed 6lb on the nose and she was simply THE most beautiful creature to waggle a fin on the planet.
Dad showed me how to “Burp†her and how I should take my time making sure she was happy and healthy before she swam back into the crystal clear water of the Kennet.
For me it was a simply magical day and the memory is “hard wired†into my soul until my dying day!
The following Summer Dad showed me how to “look through†the water to see the secret world in which fish live, he also stood with me among the streamer weeds of the Kennet while I trotted with his “Kennet Perfection†cane float rod, a Speedia centre pin and a home made bodied Crow quill Avon float, I fished, and Dad fed the swim with Maggots and Hemp for me.
He taught me the importance of feed, the “when to†and the “when not toâ€, the “how much†and “how oftenâ€, these were life lessons, vastly more important than the chemical symbols of Hydrogen and Helium that dear old Mr Phillips used to bang on about every Tuesday morning during double Chemistry.
That day I caught my first ever Barbel on the float, a feisty pound and a half fish that fought like the devil possessed, my heart raced as the fish slid over the waiting net!
Forty five years later much has changed, but a lot has not!
I still have the Hardy rod but the “Kennet Perfection†was stolen years ago. I still have the Mitchell and the Speedia, now worn out from over use, but it has been replaced by several “Rolls Royce†made for me, centre pins, various other pins of which the latest is an Okuma Sheffield (super trotting reel) and four more Speedia pins, which all work superbly well, are not worn out – yet, but I am working on it, two of which were used last week and will probably be used until they are divided among my friends after my demise!
A quick sort through my float trays will reveal a number of Crow quill Avon floats, made for me by various friends; they are there, not because I am a sentimental old fool (which I most certainly am) but because I shall continue to use them until I find a better replacement!
So the reels have not changed that much and the floats are the same, the life lessons are still there, improved a bit but just as important as the day I learned them, I still use Maggots, except I now don’t call them “Gentlesâ€, I even still fish the same rivers that my Dad took me to!
What have changed are the rods and the lines! In comparison to what was used when God’s Dog was a pup, what we have available now are simply superb.
I must admit that I tend to use rather older rods, I have not seen many of the brand new ones that light my fire, my purchases, such as they are, tend to be a few years old, mainly because I don’t like Fugi fittings on a float rod because a number of my pins won’t fit in them and also because the current “very good, expensive†rods do not seem to be as good as some of the older “very good expensive†rods!
Actually they don’t need to be expensive; anyone who wants to chuck out a good condition Drennan IM8 13ft float or a Drennan Stick float rod can chuck them my way (worth a try).
Lines are now superb too, gossamer thin for enormous strength, durable too!
Braid was something you did to Jenny’s hair (she lived two doors down) and………….
Ok! You don’t need to know about that, lets just say Braid has some important uses.
I tend not to use it as main line, just as a hook length when I do “proper Barbel fishingâ€, I also fish a lighter hook length than my main line, Dad taught me that and I think he was right.
He also taught me that I should measure my gear for the task at hand, if I am fishing near to snags I use gear that will ensure no fish will get tethered or end up with a hook in its mouth that it has no use for.
I am sure many will feel that I should not fish with such light lines, or indeed such light rods, I do so when I feel there is a need and I can get away with it and to be fair I would not usually use, for example a 3lb 6oz hook length when I know a very big fish would come along, the fact is you can never be sure of the size of the next fish or even if there will be a next fish but you do what you do, and measure what you do, against hope and expectation, this is where lots of experience is of enormous benefit.
This year I am taking my coaching badges, I feel that passing on that which I know is something I should do, there is such a lot of stuff that an experienced angler does automatically that should be passed on to those who wish to learn, I run a Stick Float clinic every year for my club, I do this so that other anglers have a chance to practice an alternative method, they may stick at it, they may not, but at least they will then have an option and they might just find it enjoyable.
I can and sometimes do fish at night with a pair of heavier rods, at one time I spent a lot of time watching beta lights, these days I prefer to actively fish for my fish, rather than sit and wait, I am not rubbishing the method, I just prefer to do it my way.
We all go fishing for enjoyment and we all fish in slightly different ways because we do what we like to do best, ok some of it can be described as a bit odd sometimes, but then again, a lot of what we do could not be described by a “normal†person as a rational act.
For me I enjoy fishing, it is not just about catching, but rather the actual act of fishing for it’s own sake, I fished today, did not get a bite but we had a great day.
Would I still have gone had I known I would blank? – Absolutely!!
It is called “Angling†and not “Catching†for a reason.
Part of that enjoyment comes from the use of “balanced†tackle, I have so many centre pins because I like to match the reel, line, rod and end tackle to the task in hand, I like to get maximum enjoyment from the use of my gear.
I have a pair of 3 ½ lb TC St.Croix Muskellunge rods that I use for Pike fishing in Holland, I could use those and a multiplier and a bite alarm to fish for Barbel and Chub, I suspect I could catch using them too, but where would the fun be in that?
I feel the same about some of the heavy gear available today, Carballing or whatever it’s called is not my thing, but others enjoy it, so great, more power to their elbow.
But I would suggest that having a look at some of the old fashioned (or is it just out of fashion) ways of doing things might offer an enjoyable alternative, making use of the best of the old and the best of the new can be a lot of fun and may just make fishing a little bit more enjoyable!
One thing that has not changed, for me at least, is when that fish slips over the lip of the waiting net, my heart is still racing!!
And that is one thing that I hope never changes!!
Tight Lines.