Alan Andrews
Senior Member
1976 on the Bristol Avon 4lb 6oz at Haydens field Limpley stoke 1.25 stiff as a poker normark rod and abu 55 with 6lb line a real seventies angler flat cap wax jacket and I still had hair
Alan
Alan
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Your first barbel
- Thread starter Alex Green
- Start date
Lee Hooker
Active Member
I posted this a few years back, I will never forget this day and will possibly be the most memorable day of my past and future fishing. Thanks to BFW and my own determination.
"In February I decided to jack in my local gravel pits that I had been a member of for 15 years. I wanted to catch the last 3 freshwater fish that had eluded me throughout my 30 years of fishing, the Barbel, the Zander and the Grayling.
My first quarry was to be the Prince of the river the Barbel! I joined bfw to find the best places to have a look at, I asked a few questions and was given many snippets of advice. 2 sessions on the Wensum, 3 on the Trent and 2 on the Great Ouse I was still without catching the Barbel. Not easy is it?
Yesterday I decided to call in a short notice days leave and left Norfolk this morning at 4AM for the Trent once again! Determined to catch this fish. The water was up a couple of feet and it was overcast with a nice breeze.
Within the first hour of baiting up and casting my 5oz feeder filled with soaked mixed pellet in Hemp oil and filled with Hemp, an 18inch hook length tied to a size 7 ESP raptor and an 11mm halibut pellet on the hair. I witnessed my first wrap around and was soon fighting an angry Barbel, grinning from ear to ear my first ever barbel weighed in at 4lb 4oz!
As I sit now writing this whilst celebrating with a glass of Merlot I can still not believe how the rest of the day unfolded. I continued to get the Barbel feeding throughout the day, to finish with 10 wrap arounds and 10 Barbel caught and landed safely! Yes 10 barbel in a 12 hour session with the largest being 9lb 3oz! Only ever sampled that 1st wrap around in the same morning to not missing a single fish.
My arms ached, my back hurt but I was elated at having caught my quarry and to sample what everyone had told me about and that wonderful fight that only a Barbel can bring to you!
Of course my thanks goes out to everyone who has helped me in my 1st quest and to certain individuals who pointed me in the right direction. My sincere gratitude to you to what has probaly been my best ever 12 hour session in 30 years of fishing!"
PS I did go on to complete catching Grayling on a fly and several Zander too!
"In February I decided to jack in my local gravel pits that I had been a member of for 15 years. I wanted to catch the last 3 freshwater fish that had eluded me throughout my 30 years of fishing, the Barbel, the Zander and the Grayling.
My first quarry was to be the Prince of the river the Barbel! I joined bfw to find the best places to have a look at, I asked a few questions and was given many snippets of advice. 2 sessions on the Wensum, 3 on the Trent and 2 on the Great Ouse I was still without catching the Barbel. Not easy is it?
Yesterday I decided to call in a short notice days leave and left Norfolk this morning at 4AM for the Trent once again! Determined to catch this fish. The water was up a couple of feet and it was overcast with a nice breeze.
Within the first hour of baiting up and casting my 5oz feeder filled with soaked mixed pellet in Hemp oil and filled with Hemp, an 18inch hook length tied to a size 7 ESP raptor and an 11mm halibut pellet on the hair. I witnessed my first wrap around and was soon fighting an angry Barbel, grinning from ear to ear my first ever barbel weighed in at 4lb 4oz!
As I sit now writing this whilst celebrating with a glass of Merlot I can still not believe how the rest of the day unfolded. I continued to get the Barbel feeding throughout the day, to finish with 10 wrap arounds and 10 Barbel caught and landed safely! Yes 10 barbel in a 12 hour session with the largest being 9lb 3oz! Only ever sampled that 1st wrap around in the same morning to not missing a single fish.
My arms ached, my back hurt but I was elated at having caught my quarry and to sample what everyone had told me about and that wonderful fight that only a Barbel can bring to you!
Of course my thanks goes out to everyone who has helped me in my 1st quest and to certain individuals who pointed me in the right direction. My sincere gratitude to you to what has probaly been my best ever 12 hour session in 30 years of fishing!"
PS I did go on to complete catching Grayling on a fly and several Zander too!
Steve Reed
Senior Member
1974 - River Thames at Datchet. Chunk of sausage meat under Vicky Bridge. 4lb. I will never forget it.
Steve
Steve
David Hall
Senior Member
colne, day ticket bit September 1998 i think, fishing for chub, i must say, i got a nice surprise, a small but perfect 2lb er+, i went on to catch a few more from the same swim that day, all the more surprised as I've never heard or seen one coming from there before.
Tony Byrne
Senior Member & Supporter
my first barbel was on the river Dane about 20 years ago caught on meat it must of been about 4lb
Steve Roffey
Senior Member
Mine was 24th August 1963, about 4lbs, from the River Mole on a ledgered worm.
Still have my fishing diaries from those days but didn't record what rod I was using though I do remember catching a few on float the following year on a 10.5' rod that was 2 sections of whole cane with a solid glass tip section!
Still have my fishing diaries from those days but didn't record what rod I was using though I do remember catching a few on float the following year on a 10.5' rod that was 2 sections of whole cane with a solid glass tip section!
Dean Mc Murray
Member
Just registered and saw this thread and thought an intro was in order.
As an angler for nearly 40 years I caught my first barbel a few weeks ago on the Royalty -at dusk on a big lump of meat in the edge. To say I was pleased was an understatment. Boy don't they pull back.
Managed to lose two more on a different strech the following night.
Hopefully theres a pic attached of the one I netted. Didn't wiegh it but my guess is 124lb give or take a dram
Think I've got the bug now!
Great Forum -Been reading- loadsa useful info so far.
As an angler for nearly 40 years I caught my first barbel a few weeks ago on the Royalty -at dusk on a big lump of meat in the edge. To say I was pleased was an understatment. Boy don't they pull back.
Managed to lose two more on a different strech the following night.
Hopefully theres a pic attached of the one I netted. Didn't wiegh it but my guess is 124lb give or take a dram
Think I've got the bug now!
Great Forum -Been reading- loadsa useful info so far.
Attachments
Neil Smart
Senior Member
My first was at Langley Burrell, Bristol Avon, about 7lbs, and closely followed by another, bait was frankfurter sausage. circa 1995.
Neil Smart
Senior Member
Just registered and saw this thread and thought an intro was in order.
As an angler for nearly 40 years I caught my first barbel a few weeks ago on the Royalty -at dusk on a big lump of meat in the edge. To say I was pleased was an understatment. Boy don't they pull back.
Managed to lose two more on a different strech the following night.
Hopefully theres a pic attached of the one I netted. Didn't wiegh it but my guess is 124lb give or take a dram
Think I've got the bug now!
Great Forum -Been reading- loadsa useful info so far.
Welcome Dean
Thats some fish
But it's true there is nothing like it, had a good barbel at 11.6 last week, and after 15 years of catching the occasional fish, I am still in awe of this wonderful creature. That wrap round that has you grabbing the rod is for me pure magic.
Darryl Davis
Senior Member
Having fished since a kid, it was a long tme before I fished a river that I knew contained Barbel. Moving off the Lincolnshire drains/rivers for Perch, Tench, Roach and Pike to the Cheshire Dane was a bit of culture shock. Not stopped since!
Ah remember it well.16th July 1974,river Derwent Kirkham abbey.
3lbs 8 oz caught on an Ernest Stamford match rod and a strike right center pin,3lb sylcast line, PDQ caster hook and a 3bb balsa.
Trotting next to a vast bed of streamer weed I thought I had caught the weed bed and after endless pulling and tugging a rather tired barbel came to the top,panic ensued then into the net.A fantastic fish and one of those special fishing memories.I still have the rod,the angling times 'kingfisher guild' certificate and all the badges.
Golden days,but dont miss the 4 am starts to bike for two hours to get there.
Still fish that same swim and occasionally catch Barbel there,one of the many great days the Derwent has given me over the years,and hopefully after a poor season so far this year this afternoon will be another special moment.
Ken
3lbs 8 oz caught on an Ernest Stamford match rod and a strike right center pin,3lb sylcast line, PDQ caster hook and a 3bb balsa.
Trotting next to a vast bed of streamer weed I thought I had caught the weed bed and after endless pulling and tugging a rather tired barbel came to the top,panic ensued then into the net.A fantastic fish and one of those special fishing memories.I still have the rod,the angling times 'kingfisher guild' certificate and all the badges.
Golden days,but dont miss the 4 am starts to bike for two hours to get there.
Still fish that same swim and occasionally catch Barbel there,one of the many great days the Derwent has given me over the years,and hopefully after a poor season so far this year this afternoon will be another special moment.
Ken
Wayne Laws
Senior Member
River Loddon on a club match for Raynes park angling club, now not in existence. First barbel snapped my rod but managed to land it, caught two more on legered meat, biggest was about 6lbs won the match with about 16lbs of barbel and chub and a nice 3lb perch, about 16yrs ago. Still remember the shakes when trying to put the meat on the hook after the first one lol!! And about £100 better off!!
Mark de Lancey
Senior Member
Bristol Avon, Lacock, 5 years ago - 9lb 12oz
Adam Ditchburn
Senior Member
My first was yesterday 18/09/10 on the Wye about 3lb
Graham Tremble
Senior Member
Hi Guys,
Caught my first Barbel at Eardiston on the 'middle Severn' back in the Seventies. I was fishing my first club match there and won the contest with 5 Barbel for 20lb ( ish ). I'll never forget that first fish ( about 5lb ) I actually thought I had hooked the bottom until the 'bottom' took off upstream, magic.
Tight lines,
G.T.
Caught my first Barbel at Eardiston on the 'middle Severn' back in the Seventies. I was fishing my first club match there and won the contest with 5 Barbel for 20lb ( ish ). I'll never forget that first fish ( about 5lb ) I actually thought I had hooked the bottom until the 'bottom' took off upstream, magic.
Tight lines,
G.T.