Having only had one previous outing with a guide in my early barbel fishing days I took the opportunity at the Barbel Society’s Research and Conservation auction to buy a day out in the company of Steve Pope – oh what a difference!
My original guided day on the Kennet was a competition win on another website and I have to say as a novice, and with the benefit of hindsight, all I learned was a method of filling a feeder, but not a great deal more. I was left almost on my own all day to get on with it whilst the guide fished elsewhere, and with a mate.
At the time because I had caught my first double figure barbel the day before, and on a different river, I was elated. I knew no better, and wrote a piece for a few websites including FishingMagic.
So on to my recent guided day which, once again, was on the Kennet. I met Steve Pope at first light on a stretch of the river close to Thatcham, Berkshire after what was getting on for a four hour drive from home. The section of river was tree-lined, no more than 20 feet wide and had good flow, but was running clear.
Steve checked my rod was up to the requirements of holding a barbel at full stretch in the chosen swim, which indeed my Nash Barbel Specialist certainly was , and I made use of my Young’s Purist Mk ll centrepin.
Steve then showed me through his method of tackling up the business end. I used, and have for some time, 12lb Krystonite main line with a hooklength of 9lb Kryston Incognito fluorocarbon with a barbed size 10 ESP Raptor T6 hook.
Usually I make use of barbless hooks for my fishing but recently have been persuaded to change to barbed when fishing in particularly weedy swims. I can honestly say with barbless hooks the only fish I have lost is when the fish weed up and I release the pressure on them. Maintaining full pressure with barbless hooks only leads to losing a hook hold in my landing net!
Anyway the bait on this occasion was hempseed and casters as identified in Steve’s article. But, this is where the guiding comes in; Steve was at my side nearly all day, he didn’t fish at all.
He showed me the ideal spot to fish, and almost continuously dropper-fed the swim, at times even baiting my hair rig for me too! The result was a well-tutored new method of fishing for me, my first Kennet barbel, followed by 4 more with the biggest reaching 9lb 6oz.
All in all a very worthwhile experience and highly recommended whether you are experienced or a barbel fishing novice.
If you have not already done so you can read Steve Pope’s River Diary, as referred to by Fred, HERE
