He is also a very keen angler, having come back to the sport in 1995 following a break of several years. In this regular column he will tell us about his progress as an angler – his thoughts about the sport, what he learns, the fishing trips he makes, the anguish, the humour, in fact everything he experiences as his angling career develops. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
GO-SLOW ON THE SEVERN, BUT DOUBLE TIME ON THE DOVE It is often said that one should never return to the scene of a victory, for obvious reasons. However, following the capture of my big Severn barbel I was out to purposely ignore that particular piece of advice. For one, it’s not as if I’m likely to get carried away. Having fished the lower Severn for a couple of years or so I have a very level-headed attitude regarding what to expect. And secondly, I intend to get good value for money from my subscription that allows me to fish the venue.
Hence, exactly a week later, I was back on the bank of the river that will feature prominently in my fishing this season. Whether chub from the upper reaches, or barbel from the lower, I will be spending many an hour on the side of Britain’s longest river in the weeks and months leading up to March 15 next year. Litter Louts On arriving at my peg I was confronted with an unpleasant sight. There was litter everywhere, and sad to say, anglers litter at that. With no one else on the peg I enquired of the fisherman on the far bank. There had been a match there earlier in the day, he informed me. As the controlling organisation lets out the water to clubs that want to book contests, everything dropped into place. While it was fresh in my mind I telephoned the Secretary to let him know of the litter and identify the peg. Whilst not just an angling problem there is no doubt the issue of litter is very detrimental to the cause of angling. If the landowner witnessed the trash that I did enough times I’m sure he’d simply get fed up of anglers on his land and end the lease. And on a very practical note, why should I lose my enjoyment of fishing the stretch because of the behaviour of someone, who if the truth is known, probably only fishes in the summertime anyway!
After baiting up I cast out, it was 7pm and I sat back. Twiddling the dial on the radio I came across a Northern Soul show, that apparently is on the same time every week. As it’s a local radio station it’s certainly an incentive to fish the stretch on a regular basis at the same time so that I can pick it up! As the sun set and night descended, the rods remained static. Apart from the odd eel that tapped away on my hard boilies it was most definitely a case of silence not being golden. I had come prepared to fish through the night and, as always, remained hopeful. At 6am it seemed as if my faith had been rewarded when the right hand rod indicated a fish had taken the bait. Striking into what was obviously a small chub I didn’t even have the satisfaction of landing it and breaking my duck, as it came off on the retrieve. Packing away just before 9am I had resigned myself to a blank. Then the right hand rod this time indicated a barbel had fancied the bait. With not much of a fight, within a minute I was slipping the net under a fish of 5-1-8. Well, at least I hadn’t blanked, and in some ways that’s an achievement in itself on the lower Severn. Time out to explore
The barbel were again playing hard to get on my next session on the Severn. Fishing through the night I didn’t have the luxury of a line bite to keep me alert and on the ball. It was just one of those times on the river when you know it’s going to be a struggle. However, I again avoided a blank, thanks to a chub that I caught a couple of hours into first light. So it was Back on the Dove With the Severn on a go-slow I decide to switch to the other side of the watershed and fish the River Dove for the first time this season. The watershed, by the way, runs right through Sedgley, where I live. Sedgley is built on a ridge and the brooks that rise in the area, sometimes within a few yards of each other, will end up either in the Trent or the Severn, depending on which side of the watershed they rise.
The river was low and clear and of course that would normally be the kiss of death for big barbel fishing, certainly while the sun was bright in the sky. But even though I could literally count the pebbles on the river bed I was not perturbed in any way. Experience has shown me that Dove barbel can come out at any time of the day, even when conditions are not ideal. So it was no surprise when at 5.40 pm, with the sun still shining fiercely, that I connected with my first Dove barbel of the season. At 9 lb 3 oz it was a good start. However, by the time the session ended it was with more a mood of frustration that I went home with. Three lost fish, and I was certain they were all bigger than the one landed. Barbel 3, Sedge 1 So it was back home to bed and back to the drawing board. (In the last year I’ve probably spent more time thinking through tactics for the Dove barbel than the rest of my fishing put together). I did catch a chub of almost three and a half pounds though before finally packing away. After much cogitation and pondering, I arrived on the Dove four days later armed with a 2.5 test curve rod and 12 lb line. You may think this is excessive, but after the experience of the lost fish that gave me no chance I was in no mood for compromise. By 3.45pm I was all set up and ready to do battle with the powerful fighting machine known as the Dove barbel. I didn’t have long to wait because just one hour later my rod was bent double as I was applying all the pressure I could to stop the fish from taking me into the snags. The term ‘hanging on for dear life’ springs to mind as a description of what the experience was like. But hang on I did, and a few moments after the bite I’m weighing my first Dove double of the season, all 10-13-8 of it. It’s one of those catches that even if you blank for the rest of the session you still go home totally satisfied. But, I’m very happy to say things actually got better!
No more bites until just into dark when a chub of 3-5-0 decided to sample my bait. On my usual 1.10 test curve rod and 10 lb line, they don’t put up much of a fight. But on 2.5 test curve and 12 lb mono, there’s as much resistance as you would get from me if Mike Tyson came looking for a fight! But I did have a fight on my hands half an hour later. A few taps on the rod top and I struck into what was obviously a good fish. Very grateful for my heavy gear it was still nevertheless pushed to its limits as the hooked fish did its absolute best to evade capture. As I slipped the net under the fish I could see that I had landed a very good barbel. This was confirmed when the scales showed that I was the proud captor of a fish that weighed 11-2-0. I fished right through the night, although no more fish followed, finally leaving at 4.45am the next morning. (I should have left at midnight with Graham and Dave!). So it was back to bed, but not back to the drawing board. My decision to step up tactics had worked. For the second time on the Dove I have had a ’10’ and an ’11’ in the same session. And that’s certainly an achievement. Lower Severn barbel results table Lower Severn Sessions: 8
River Dove barbel results table Dove Sessions: 2
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| Next week I’m continuing with my barbel sessions, so join me when I tell you my ‘Tales from the Severn, the Sow and the Dove’. Mind, I must confess right now that I managed only one barbel. However, there should be enough to keep your attention when I reveal all, so to speak, of how I ended up creeping round in the early hours of the morning in just my underwear. Intrigued? Well, there’s only one way to find out what I’m talking about. Check out FISHINGmagic next Thursday. See you then. The Reverend Stewart R Bloor Pilgrim’s Progress – read it every Thursday! |
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