I can’t remember the last time I fished all night on a river, but this opening of the new season saw me and Dave on the Dove at around 10.30, giving us plenty of time to settle in before midnight tolled the opening of a new river season. The only reason we decided to fish all night was due to Dave’s dad being ill, meaning he could be away for the night and the following morning, but be in attendance from the afternoon onwards.
One other angler was there when we arrived. He came along for a chat and introduced himself and said he was a FISHINGmagic member. I hope he’ll forgive me when I confess I’ve forgotten his name. He kindly lent me and Dave his Rambo knife so that we could hack some of the undergrowth away in our neighbouring swims. Both Dave and me tackled up with a Harrison Chimera rod apiece and 12lb Krystonite main lines. Hooklengths were 10lb fluoro and hooks size 6. Bait was a single 14mm boilie and feed was soaked pellets in a swimfeeder.
We didn’t think we would catch much as the river was low and clear, with clumps of weed coming down occasionally; not enough to cause serious problems but annoying at times. It was good to have the feeling proved wrong when my rod lurched over and I was into my first Dove barbel of the season that weighed 7lb 9oz. A little hollow in the belly but in good nick otherwise. Later on our friend in the swim some 200yds away came down to tell us he’d just caught his personal best barbel at 10lb 2oz. We went along and heaped congratulations on and I took some pictures. That too was a nice fish that looked in good condition.
Apart from a chub of about 4lb on my rod it was a quiet night, with no more signs of fish. Than at about 6am Dave got the call he’d been dreading. We had to head off fast (we were in my car) as Dave was needed at his dad’s house. At almost the same instance as Dave’s phone rang my rod had bent over and I’d lifted into a fish that just went absolutely berserk, first heading for the willows on the far bank and then, when it realised it had lost that particular battle, steamed off downstream to another set of willow 30 yards away, only to thrash at the surface as I increased the pressure. What a mental fish, what a scrap! Who said early season barbel can’t fight? This one hadn’t read that particular statement.
I got it in and both me and Dave said it was well over 10lb, possibly 11lb. But no, it was a surprising 9lb 6oz, in perfect nick, with the frame of a decent double, but lacking substance in the belly. I was pleased though, I’d opened my new season’s barbel account with two nice fish and seen someone catch a personal best. Our new friend was asleep as we passed him on the way off and we didn’t want to wake him, so if you read this mate, we hope you caught a few more.
On the run-up to the new season…….. We gave the trout some stick, with some good sessions at Ellerdine Trout Fisheries, Pennine Trout Fisheries and at Walkerwood Reservoir, which is a lovely trout fishery ran by an old mate of mine, John Winterbottom. But more of that another time. |
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