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Your first barbel

Alex Green

Alex Green

Senior Member
Mine was only 4 years ago, a Nene fish of approx 6lbs from a well known weir near to the city centre on a 1.25 Avon rod.... :)

Where was yours from and does the memory remain with you?????
 
Mine was on the Thames at Marlow using a glass ledger rod and maggot feeder on free stretch. It was during the summer holiday's when about 15. Some 10 years ago ;). God I look old for my age.
Remember the bite, playing the barbel (it took an age to land). Landing it in my tiny landing net. Didn't weight it as I didn't have any scales, but I reckon it was a good 5lber (probably 3lb more like). Then I put it in my keepnet :eek: to look at it for an hour and then let it go. Did take a picture, which I still have.....somewhere :) Good thread Alex
 
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Mine was from the River wharfe at Boston Spa aged 15 while fishing maggot feeder with a 2lb hooklength and size 20 hook. I was with a couple of friends, all day we had been catching eels and I was helping a friend unhook one (somehow it had managed to climb into his welly :D) when my other mate pointed out that my rod had "fallen in." Lucky I was able to grab the butt before it was washed downstream, when I picked up the rod we noticed a big golden flash and my mate shouted "BARBEL" after a short fight (I don't think the fish actually realised it was hooked) we had a 8lber (probably a 5) in the net. It was 16 years before I caught my second barbel. :eek:
 
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After fishing the Great Ouse on and off for a couple of seasons with no joy, I decided to try my luck on a day when the river was in full flood (burst banks). At the time my only river rod was a somewhat under-gunned John Wilson Avon. To make matters worse I managed to break the avon tip early in the session and was forced to fish the rest of the day with a quiver tip in the end of what, in normal curcumstances even, is a very light rod. It was bent double all day; more so when I hooked, and subsequently landed, my first Ouse barbel at 10lb 6oz.

Steve Curtin, the former record holder, was just down stream and done the honours for me. I saw the picture again the other day, me with telescopic arms, giving it maximum exposure. I was mighty chuffed though: first fish, a long wait for which, in Difficult circumstances, home-made bait and a double to boot.
 
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Mine was the size of a gudgeon from the river Trent at Beeston caught in a little back water. I can remember having to ask my brother what it was as i'd never seen one before. I would of been around 14 i believe, some 24 years ago!!!

Trevor
 
I can still remember my first. In fact the details are much clearer than with many of my subsequent captures although the weight escapes me, something around 5lbs I think.

It was from the bridge swim at the top end of lower benyons on the kennet. The river was up and well coloured and I was trying out bread mash for the first time after reading about it in David hall's course fishing. I was about 13 and I still remember the bend in the glass fibre rod as the fish swept upstream, hell bent on trying to find sanctuary under the duck house by the far bank. I'm almost 38 now and I can still see it now.
 
Three years ago since my first barbel. It ripped the rod out of the rest even with the baitrunner on and the rod was by my side. One hell of a battle from stopping getting to a snag close to where I was fishing and I was literally shaking by the time I netted it. A glorious sensation I think we all find had to replicate this side of legal stimulants and that's what keeps us coming back for more. All hail the prince of the river.
 
My first was from Bredwardine on the Wye caught on a JW avon rod, it weighed about 7lb and I went on to catch 5 that day and went out and bought myself a dedicated Barbel rod the next day.
 
My first barbel was 22 yers ago on the river Cherwell at Somerton on an October night. I was chub fishing although I was sure some barbel were present and it weighed 2lb 1oz. I caught it again a week later.
 
9lb from the mole one hot and humid summer evening. Still have the awful self take pictures somewhere - I think Im wearing camo too - shocking...
 
Forty years ago from the Thames at Old Windsor. It weighed a pound and three quarters on my Samson Little Giant scales, so was probably almost a pound. Solid glass 6ft spinning reel, Intrepid Black Prince reel, probably 30lb line and luncheon meat on the hook. Rod laid on the deck because I couldn't find a forked stick to push in the gravel. Nearly pulled the rod in. Happy days. :)
 
My first was some 25+ years ago - an accidental capture (well, you wouldn't target them at this venue) the Gloucester 'n' Sharpness Canal. Just down from the Pilot and all of 3oz . :D
 
3/11/1972: 8lb9ozs Throop on a bunch of maggots last cast of the fishing holiday.
 
I struggled for 4 years without so much as knowing what a 3ft twitch looked like - all on the W Avon.

I stumbled over this site when looking for help and joined - somewhat "carefully" i started to add my own views (although what did i know i had never caught a barbel before) - and then began asking for help on where and how to start. I was doing the usual big donkey choker pellets - casting to far bank - waiting for 4 hours w/o re casting - never moving swims etc :eek:

Mark Anderson (Hatter) sent me a PM and suggested i approached a guide - he recommended Dave Mason. I rang Dave who had a stretch on the Teme. When he took the call he was less than 1 mile away from my office - at Tesco - despite living some 100 miles or so from the Teme - both of us Northern Monkees (as Hatter would say)!

So arrnaged a day for a mate and I. We turned up with every bit of tackle/bait we could find - knackered before we even got down the hill. Dave had a guy called Ian helping him so after the initial stripping of bait/tackle we set off to the bottom of Dave's swim. I couldn't believe travelling so light with a small bag of pellets would capture the fish that had eluded me for many years and specifically for 4 years concentrating on them.....

Dave suggested we placed our bait 9 inches from our bank - my mate and i were about 20 feet apart. superglued pellet/small pva bag - this is never going to workj i thought.......12 minutes in and both rods were ripped off the rests at the same time, both fought for about the same time (and like absolute tigers) we both landed with help of Dave and Ian - fish that were around 5lb. So within 15 minutes of placing in next to the bank we had identical fish and photos to prove.

Really havn't looked back since - don't get out anywhere as much as i should due to business and young family but i am already, after 4 years and prob 40 visits to the river over all of that time - of the opinion - if i blank so what it's great to be out!!!

My PB 9lb 14oz (has been on the front page of the old BFW site) came the year after on Dave's stretch - again very memorable).

I don't chase the big fish - i am over the moon with fish of 5/6/7lb - just catching them is what i need to develop river craft etc.

All in all my first barbel is down to BFW/Hatter and Dave Mason. Very much appreciated guys!

Chris
 
Next door neighbour kindly took me on the Severn when I was about 12.
"How will I know if I've got a bite" says I.
"You'll know, don't worry" says he.
Half an hour later I found out. :)
A fish of about 5lbs if I remember rightly.
 
july 1976 , bridgnorth , river severn , a few yards downstream of the town bridge whilst on holiday at the 'severn arms hotel ' ,a fish of at least 10 ounces on a bit of plumrose trotted down underneath a waggler :eek:

i cant seen to catch them like that on the river lea :D
 
22 years ago on the Ribble at Balderstone,a fish of about 3lb's.Feeder with a gallon of bronze maggots fishing for the Chub.
Funny how things have changed as we used to use 4lb mainline down to a 2lb bottom and 18's hook,also couldnt afford a gallon of maggots each trip these days:(
 
First one i hooked i was about 9/10 and it was on sweet corn but my Grandad didn't think i'd catch anything so i never took a landing net !!! So i got it to the margins and had to let the line go slack so it could ditch my hook :( That was in the peg i had my first two doubles and broke my PB 3 times in this season :D
First one i landed was about 6lb and on a rubbish £10 telescopic rod i'd given my little sister and taken her fishing with. I could hear the rod creeking, i'm surprised it didn't snap to be honest !!
 
My first barbel was caught at Atcham on the Severn 20 years ago, it weighed about 4lb , caught on the maggot feeder, JW rod and 6lb line,I have beefed up my gear a fare bit since those days, now I use 1.75 - 2lb test curve rods and 12lb - 15lb line. Still happy to catch barbel big or small though.

Steve.
 
Great Thread
My first ever Barbel came from the Royalty along the Trammels back in 1970
It was 2lbs 12 ozs - will never forget as it started a life long addiction to these fantastic creatures
Dave
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