I was hoping to be able to sign off my UK fishing season with a bang, after all the conditions on the rivers this past month have been right on at certain times but, as is often the case, I missed out and my last trip to the River Severn was more of a damp squib, although it certainly wasn’t for the want of effort.
Time is always at a premium around the Christmas period as there are always more pressing priorities, family time always takes precedence and couple that to the fact that I’ve been in a pretty rundown condition health-wise and you can see that my excuses are already in place.
But let’s go back to that visit I made to the Lower Severn, a journey full of expectation but with that nagging doubt we must all have at times that I’d missed the window of opportunity; the river had risen and peaked and was now fining down but I was still hoping that perhaps just one old barbel still had some room in its gut and would be prepared to take my offering and make my day!
There were also reports of some really nice fish coming out which only confirmed my view that the Severn was the right river to be on at this time, which kept my confidence on the high side.
Now I should point out that I’ve become a little lazy when fishing on the lower river, I’m lucky enough to own a static caravan close to the Teme confluence in Worcester which does mean I’m able to maintain my creature comforts while on a barbel fishing adventure, I’m thinking here of a nice warm bed and hot food. Couple that to an adjacent pub that serves good breakfasts, lunch and dinner and you can see why I’m not tempted to stray that far.
Plus there is the very important fact that I know there are good fish to be caught here because not only have I landed plenty myself but I’ve also witnessed lots more for other happy anglers, it’s my home turf – Pope’s Patch!
The stretch in question is about 150 yards long and I had made up my mind up to fish seven swims in rotation, spending about thirty minutes in each and putting a couple of droppers of hemp in on each visit. I fished two rods, the downstream one baited with meat, the upstream with two large Elips pellets glued back to back in conjunction with a feeder filled with a stiff ground bait / small pellet mix.
Apart from a quick visit to the pub in the late afternoon for a nice carvery dinner I fished hard for over twelve hours and the results from my efforts – zilch, nothing, not even the slightest touch! The witching hour around dusk came and went without any action and then day became night. The cloud cover started to break up and the stars peppered the night sky, Dr. Brian Cox would have been in his element, and there was I stargazing and biteless.
The wind blew louder and noticeably colder, it was time to call it a day and as I packed my gear away the thought crossed my mind that six months would pass before I cast a line seriously into the lower Severn again.
The texts told me that one or two fish had come out elsewhere and Spurs had beaten Everton so it wasn’t all bad. But I was disappointed it has to be said, I go fishing to catch fish and to me it really isn’t just about being there. If I want to smell the flowers and take in the scenery I stay at home and go up to the Kerry Ridgeway to take in the views.
I had a plan but the barbel had other ideas. They were probably sated; the increase in sewage (that was Lol Breakspear’s idea) had put them down or, perhaps, they just weren’t there…
Can you fish well and blank?
Is that a contradiction in terms, a rhetorical question?
Whatever, it was the problem I found myself pondering as I drove back home through the glorious Teme valley, it’s not the first time I’ve blanked and it won’t be the last! Which leads me nicely on to this – something completely different.
I’m a Celebrity (In the barbel world) … Get me Outta Here!
Ok then, this is inspired by a couple of recent threads on the FishingMagic Forum and also by the fact that I’m off to Oz for a couple of months and I’ll probably be there when you’re reading this.
Last year I wrote an article that saw the light of day in the Barbel Fisher magazine and is up in the articles section of my website, the title was ‘Legends’ and it detailed my views on those who have attained that status in the barbel world.
Over the next few months I propose to include in my monthly FishingMagic Diary the follow up piece which delves into the who, why and wherefores of the celebrities, personalities, household names and stars on the barbel scene.
I have many names on the list, up to fifty so far and that doesn’t include all the new kids on the block, so it will keep me in column inches until the season starts again!
Hopefully it will also stimulate some discussion because you’re sure to have your own ideas, this is just how I see things and is by no means a definitive statement, it can’t be, but it will strike a chord with many and unlock the old memory bank as well.
So let’s start off by trying to define just what I mean by ‘celebrity’ status.
We usually associate the term with people from the world of entertainment and with the rise of the celebrity culture we now have celebrity chefs, gardeners, interior designers and builders but anglers? I’m not so sure.
Celebrity and TV go together, they are intrinsically linked and we all know that angling struggles when it comes to mainstream television. I’m not too sure there are any true celebrities in angling let alone in one particular aspect of it; outside of a fishing scenario is there anyone who would be recognised by the general public, I somehow doubt it. One would need to be on prime time TV on a regular basis and perhaps Jeremy Wade is moving slowly towards true celebrity status; John Wilson may have been there when his programme was on Channel Four.
The words I would choose are personality and perhaps household name and I would confine them to the angling world, so that means instantly recognisable, well known and prominent on the angling scene and for my purposes the barbel scene.
It goes without saying that anyone accorded this title will be an extremely proficient angler, have caught a good number of fish and a few big ones as well; it would be one of my prerequisites.
Another is having no aversion to publicity because I’m well aware there are tremendous anglers out there who catch a lot more than others who are well known but if we don’t hear about it they can hardly become household names, but it is a choice some make.
What other criteria is there?
Well I’ve come up with my own list of bullet points and I’ll run through them in no particular order:
• Written a book or contributed to one.
• Known for outstanding success on a particular river.
• An association with a major organisation or club.
• A known specimen hunter.
• A known all-rounder.
• Associated with a particular method that has become synonymous with the individual.
• A name linked with causes, issues or projects.
• Caught a record fish, river record or won awards eg. Drennan Cup.
• Appeared in dvd’s, video’s etc.
• Appeared on TV.
• Written for Angling Times, Angler’s Mail etc.
• Written for the monthly magazines.
• Is a regular on the web.
• Is a speaker on the circuit.
• Owns a tackle business.
• Has rods or reels named after them.
• Is sponsored by a major tackle/bait company.
• Has been on the scene for twenty years or so.
• Has their own website.
• Writes a regular blog.
• Achieved something notable in the fishing world.
• Owns or runs a fishery.
• Runs a guiding service.
There are probably other factors but these are the ones that immediately spring to my mind.
The first group of names I’m going to put forward all have one thing in common apart from the obvious that they are all damn fine barbel anglers, they are all Founder Members of the Barbel Society and that seemed like a good way to start.
Lol Breakspear: His name is inextricably linked to the rivers Severn and Teme and the big meat method.
Fred Crouch: If you’re known as Mr. Barbel there is little more to say! I could say loads and next time I will!
Chris Holley: Caught hundreds of double figure barbel, a respected guide now based on the Avon and Stour.
Tony Miles: When I first met Tony he had caught just one double, now he has huge numbers to his name, a highly accomplished author and a massive name on the scene.
Stu Morgan: Record barbel and monster fish recorded on dvd, Stu’s name is well established.
Pete Reading: Just a top bloke, I love working alongside this man and his barbel catching record on the Hampshire Avon is second to none.
Guy Robb: Similar achievements to Stu with the added plus of the Thames record barbel to his name.
Phil Smith: A widely respected big fish man and his achievement of catching double figure barbel from sixteen rivers in one season has cemented his reputation forever.
Ray Walton: A record holder and acknowledged as the master of rolling meat he is also an avid campaigner on river conservation issues.
Trefor West: Larger than life character, I doubt there is anyone in barbel land who has not heard of Tref!
Lots more names next time, I doubt if there are many who would argue with my initial ten.
That’s it for this month, I’m busy now making final preparations for my sojourn down under.
Before I sign off I just want to mention a good friend and extremely well known and respected barbel man, Dave Mason.
Dave is recovering in hospital from a stroke and I want to pass on my own best wishes and those of everyone on the barbel scene for a speedy recovery, get well soon mate and I’ll see you on the River Teme in June.
