"A brace, three bites and some bad breaks"

By Chris Netto (Felix333)

back

I was getting a little frustrated. Here I was four weeks into the season and I hadn’t caught a single barbel. I had to do something about it and quick.

Thursday 14^th of July saw me on my fourth trip to the Thames in an effort to get my 2005 barbel season moving. So far a few chub had graced my net, along with an eel and a Mitten crab, but earlier barbel trips to the Stour, Thames and Teme, had seen me blank with a poor score of two fish hooked and lost. This time I was determined that I would leave nothing to chance and checked and double checked everything.

Thursday was typical of that week, with temperatures in the 30s during the day, and I was hoping the low, clear water and gentle flow would not effect the fishing too much, as my previous trips had indicated the fish definitely seemed a bit more spooky than in normal conditions, despite some reports of large catches.

I set up in my favourite spot at about 19:30. It has a steep, six foot bank on the outside of a small bend and consists of loose mud and stones covered here and there by roots and tall vegetation. I fish from the top of the bank through a small gap in the foliage, and because of the precarious footing, I don’t think the spot gets too much attention from other anglers.

My typical strategy is to feed the fish for about 20 minutes to encourage them upstream, and then place a hook bait in the area during one of the many gaps when fish are not on the bait. Although viewing is very limited, it is interesting watching the barbel and chub as they home in on the area within 30 seconds of the bait going in, the chub seem to spend more time in the locality, but the barbs swing in and swing out over the bait in that effortless, nonchalant manner which reminds me of a banking plane.

This evening the barbs were the first to put in an appearance and I saw about 5-7 in the shoal of varying weights which I guessed at from 2 to about 7lbs. It is not always easy to get a good idea of numbers as the shoal is not tightly packed and the fish seem to visit ad hoc and in twos and threes. For some reason this evening the chub seemed less in evidence, but still around.

I had decided to use casters and supplemented these with a few halips pellets of varying sizes. Last season I used a mix of casters, maggots and hemp, but this evening I wanted to get to the river with ample time to fish between 20:00 and 21:30 (my perceived golden hour) so just grabbed what was to hand.

Fishing at close quarters I decided not to use a back lead, which can cause a ‘bolas effect’ when lowering a bait at close quarters, so I simply placed a ledger stop behind the hook length which allowed me to vary the distance of the weight from the hook easily. A snag safe clip ran freely behind this. I had recently purchased a pack of Drennan Specimen Barbel hooks and was already impressed with them. A half ounce weight was locked about 18” from the hook and heart beating, I gently lowered the tackle in. Close quarters fishing like this is as exciting as floater fishing in my view!

A few small plucks from chub ensued, but I ignored these. I had used two large hair rigged halips pellets in an effort to avoid the chub experienced on my first three visits, and this now settled in about 30 inches of water. Sitting on my unhooking mat I waited with excitement.

Because of the angle of the sun, I could not see too much from my position, and rather than crane my neck and reveal my position to the fish, I tend to sit back and either touch ledger or watch the tip and it took minutes of fish quartering the area before one decided to take my bait. The rod tip went and with the recent losses uppermost in my mind, I leant into the fish, the rod bending over as the fish powered away. With snags present, I couldn’t afford to let the fish run too far but reassuringly, everything held and five minutes of countering lunges for snags saw me net my first barbel of the 2005 season.

5lb 8oz Barbel

After reading BFW threads on the extra concern about barbel in the current hot weather, I had made a plan before hand and with everything needed in my pockets, I made a 20 yard dash with the fish in the landing net to a water-level area of bank which would allow me to nurse the fish more easily. The fish had no problem in recovering, but I wished I wasn’t fishing alone as I desperately wanted a picture of my first 2005 fish. It was not to be as I decided it would be less stressful not to set up the camera for a self portrait, and settled for a shot in the net after unhooking. I had forgotten that shaking excitement which accompanies a fish capture, and I thanked the ‘powers that be’ for my good fortune of catching my quarry. I returned to my swim thinking I only ever get two bites when fishing the Thames and settled down to some more feeding.

Chub were more in evidence this time and my bait had drifted a little to my left with the flow so it seemed quite near the bank. I fed over the spot intermittently and after about 20 minutes the tip flew round and I was into my second barbel. As the fish ran I tightened the clutch to stop it, making the rod hoop round further. Ten seconds later the heart wrenching flick of the rod tip as the line parted was sickening!

I reeled in my line and the end had a very clean break. Not totally sure what caused it but I made a mental note to re-spool some new line. I tackled up again and despite past experience indicating that I only get two bites a session from the Thames, I re-cast. This time I decided to dispel with the lead and used a lump of plasticine around the hook length swivel.

It was about 21:10 as I cast and I wondered if I would have another experience with a Mitten or an eel as the light started to fail. The fish were less in evidence now although I still caught a glimpse of a barbel or two. They were small, about a couple of pounds but with some fish activity still in evidence, I fished on. At that time I became aware of a cloud of midges and my arms and cheeks began to fill itchy. I fanned my face like a demented flamenco dancer for a few minutes to keep the army of blood suckers at bay, and unusually they disappeared for a while, allowing me time to adorn myself with some repellent. However, the lump on my left arm this morning is testament to my late application of protection. It was also at this time that one of the horses which lives in the field where I fish decide to come over to say hi. Fortunately, despite sitting on the ground, I am used to horses, having ridden fairly regularly, but I was concerned if it were to step on my landing net or rod, and was pleased when it moved off after a few minutes. The horse had strange markings making it look like it had dipped its head in a bucket of white paint up to its eyes.

As I watched the horse retreat much to my surprise and delight the rod tip hooped over and the resultant lift held a powerful run as the fish fought against me. Once again it took line and once again I tightened up muttering a prayer under my breath. Everything held and the fish made a couple of lunges towards a sunken tree and then moved towards me and my left, into the bank. It was out of sight now and inexplicably I heard the sound of gravel and splashing, and then everything went solid. I applied some more pressure and there was more splashing but still everything was solid. In an attempt to get the fish moving I slid down the bank and I relaxed the pressure a little to no avail. I then moved around to change the angle – still nothing. I exerted more pressure on the rod and to a strange metallic sound my rod suddenly broke!

Now this was a new situation. I was holding five feet of broken rod, I had six feet of expensive carbon back lead going down the line, and an unknown re a fish on the end!

Placing my rod on the bank which was now above me, I got hold of the line, assuming the fish had snagged me and was off, and gave a direct pull. More splashing and then for some reason the fish slid into view and lay there at the waters edge below me in amongst a tangle of roots and vegetation. I couldn’t net it so I slid into the water and got hold of it in my hands.

It was at this point pain returned to my consciousness and apart from the pound and a half of mud and gravel that had found its way into to my boots, I was also aware of a stinging sensation on my bare arms. I had not realised it but I was elbow deep in a bed of nettles.

I managed to place the fish in the net and saw the hook was still in place. I bit the line and scrambled up the bank, which because of the loose stones and mud was quite a hard task, especially when holding a landing net with a weighty fish above your head.

On reaching the bank top I pulled myself up and sprinted (as best able with half of mother earth in my boots) to the recovery swim. Once again the forethought was invaluable and, with all the accoutrements to hand, I let it recover, unhooked it and allowed the barbel to recover once again before weighing.

Like the first, it recovered very quickly, but I held on to it for a tad longer just to make sure (as it had had a very strange experience). I satisfied myself with a picture of it in the net only this time as I didn’t want to take it out of the water again, and released it. While holding the fish in the flow I had chance to have a good look, although limited to a top view. I noticed it seemed to be missing (or have a stubby) right front barbule and like the first, the bellies of both seemed a little hollow, but apart from that and looking quite thin, they were in fine fettle and had surprised me with the power of their fight. It may be of course the fact I have not caught one for so long.

5lb 10oz Barbel

With the fish safely returned from whence it came, I returned to survey the wreckage of my rod. It had broken about 12” below the spigot and I was a little disappointed. There I sat looking like a modern-day Aargorn (Lord of the Rings) holding the broken shards of Isildur’s sword.

I called it a day, pleased that I had got the season up and running, and sad because the rod was going to cost and it would not be cheap - unless a production fault was discovered on return to Harrison. However, that was not the end of my bad luck and to add insult to injury on the way back to the car the intact top section of the rod hit the ground, breaking the rather expensive ten year isotope. Needless to say I didn’t buy a lottery ticket that evening!

Chris Netto - July 2005

Post Script to “A brace, three bites and some bad breaks.

Following a conversation with Harrisons, they very kindly replaced the butt section free of charge. I have not heard if they found out the cause of the breakage, but needless to say I was very pleased with the service I received. Unfortunately, the section was not replaced in time for me to use the rod at the Teme fish-in, but I am pleased as No25 is whole again.

back