The Barbel Society Conference
More than two hundred barbel anglers seated in the hall but you could have heard a pin drop.
Peter Wheat, having just been introduced to the gathered throng as president of the Barbel Society, had just called for a minute’s silence to remember his much loved and respected predecessor, Fred Crouch. It was a touching and solemn moment, and one that set a certain tone for the nineteenth annual Barbel Society conference.
Fred’s presence was palpable as so many of his friends and acquaintances took the opportunity during the day to exchange their own memories and anecdotes. As Peter left the lectern after giving his opening address Jon Berry took to the stage to introduce Paul Witcher, who proceeded to take us to his ‘Magical Waters’ via the superb film he has made and watching as John Searl captured a fourteen pound barbel evoked more recollections of those no longer with us.
Dr Mark Everard then gave an excellent presentation focusing on habitat and the reasons why small barbel are so important; he put the scientific case over in a very easy to understand way which kept the packed hall enthralled.
After a short break, and an opportunity for everyone to check out the myriad of tackle and bait stands in the adjoining hall, Terry Theobold was next on the bill and he put on a very entertaining show which proved beyond doubt that he is one of that special breed who can justifiably call themselves an angling entertainer, a very funny man indeed!
During the lunch break most retreated to the hall containing the tackle and bait stands where brisk trade was the order of the day. It was also a time to catch up with many old friends, blasts from the past and many new acquaintances as well. It’s why the format has worked so well for almost twenty years, barbel anglers all happy in a very welcoming and pleasant environment, what it’s all about.
John Bailey needs no introduction, simply the most prolific all round writer on the scene and now fronting the Crabtree TV series, he kept his audience spellbound with a brilliant talk covering a number of topical issues. No slides or pictures for John, just a very thoughtful and in depth forty minute lecture culminating in a Q and A session where John skilfully and tactfully answered the searching questions.
Bob Roberts was the final speaker and as always he did not disappoint. His well thought out presentation covered just about everything and when the shot of Kev Green went up near the end it was a fitting way to close the talks, a day when remembering absent friends was never far away from everyone’s mind. Bob’s message of ‘Make every second count’ was never so true.
Peter Wheat took to the stage once more to present the annual Gordon Scott Award and this year the recipient was Jerry Gleeson, a very well deserved winner in recognition of all the work Jerry has been involved in raising money and awareness for the Army Benevolent Fund – he was speechless! No matter, Jerry was a very popular choice confirming that it’s all about what you put back that impresses the great majority.
As always the raffle brought proceedings to a close on what had been a wonderful day. A touch of poignancy, many surprises, lots of laughs, great tips and presentations, wonderful people, mega stands – this year’s Barbel Society Show had it all.
Next year’s date has been set; make a note in your diary, 07 June at the Chesford Grange. It is the twentieth anniversary of the Barbel Society so we will be pulling out all the stops to make it rather special, I’ll keep you posted.
A few days before the Show there was a knock on my door and the delivery man proceeded to unload the boxes of magazines that I had been waiting for. The Fred Crouch Tribute magazine was now a reality and the finished product was superb.
For me it was something I had to do and I’m extremely proud of the end result. Barbel Society members have all received their copy and we have a few that are available to non-members, you can purchase a copy from the Barbel Society website. To give you a flavour of what’s inside you can read the feature I put together by visiting my website HERE
Time now to answer more of the questions posed by FishingMagic readers.
When fishing the Wye with groundbait and pellet feeder, what do think the ideal hooklength should be? I’ve always been inclined to go on the long side (between two and three feet) but I wonder if this actually makes a difference?
I don’t consider two to three feet to be on the long side, my standard approach on most venues is to start with a tail of 30 inches. I say tail because my actual hooklength depending on the material used will be about 12 inches, attached to the mainline by a micro swivel. Above that I incorporate an Enterprise Adjuster Stop which allows me to alter the tail length very easily.
With a short tail, especially when using a feeder, there is always the likelihood that you will get line bites – the barbel catching the line above the feeder with their body and fins. On pressured waters this can be the kiss of death, the barbel retreat to their cover and become very reluctant to venture out over the feed.
The other side of the coin is that there are times, in a new swim for instance, when you want to know if barbel are actually about and line bites then act in a positive fashion although you might still have to put up with waiting for the barbel to drop their guard after being spooked.
Sticking with the question then, the length of tail most definitely makes a difference but it’s up to you to understand why in any given situation. The question of incorporating a back lead also comes into play but on rivers like the Wye and Severn I don’t use them because of the nature of the bed, preferring the longer tail option.
There are times when a six feet tail is an advantage; a good tip from the old days is to press your hook firmly into the end of the open feeder thus halving the length on the cast, it works a treat!
Years ago I had a theory that the line from the lead or feeder to the rod top actually gave off some kind of ‘noise’ that the fish picked up on, much in the way it can ‘sing’ in the wind! Not sure it has any substance but thinking about everything we do rather than just doing it parrot fashion is what makes all the difference.
What are the key features you look for when fishing a new river for the first time?
Now that is a big question!
My preference is always to fish close in, I use centrepin reels ninety nine percent of the time and don’t really enjoy fishing too far out, this applies to wide rivers like the Severn and Wye as well.
So bearing that in mind my eyes are always alerted to what’s happening on ‘my’ side whilst taking note of the other side in case there is an opportunity to draw fish across.
I’m always looking for depth, cover and flow adjacent to the nearside bank, which for me is as good as it gets.
The depth is established by using my dedicated dropper rod in its secondary role as depth finder. Just incorporate a float into the setup, change the dropper to a lead and away you go.
Cover may be obvious in the way of overhanging bushes and trees or the not so obvious underwater drop offs, undercut banks, rocks, snags and weedbeds. Flow is easily determined, not too fast – which is unlikely if you have the depth of four feet or more, not too slow to make it ‘dead water’. We are looking for something nice and steady.
On the Wye the water below bridge columns is always worth fishing, shoals of barbel tend to congregate there, they like the snaggy domain so you have to be careful. On the lower Severn all features are below the surface and you have to work at it. Years ago I went out on a boat to map the bottom of a stretch I was fishing and it was quite amazing how much the bed changed over a relatively short length, something that would be impossible to know without putting in the effort. The drop offs, the tree trunks, the depressions all became very clear on the little screen.
I will add this because it is true; if you are making just a one off visit then networking does make life easier. It’s always best to do things yourself but I doubt if there is one single angler who has not benefitted from someone else’s knowledge. I don’t mean that someone gives you a precise spot to put your bait but being pointed in the general right direction can save many biteless hours and that would put most off!
Is the pellet the most important revolution in barbel fishing in recent years?
Well if important means ‘having great significance or value’ then I suppose it has. Whether it is the most important I’m not so sure. I think the fact that barbel appear to be so much more widespread than they were when I started out is a more important factor but back to the pellet.
I don’t believe there is any argument against the fact that the arrival of the pellet has levelled the playing field and made the catching of barbel that much easier for many. It is so convenient for a start, readily available and not too expensive and barbel love ’em – what could be better?
My rule of thumb for using them is quite simple; fewer are best on a small river but plenty more on a bigger river if the fish population warrants it.
I am also firmly of the view that anything that helps those in the fishing business to make a few bob is a good thing and the advent of pellets has seen many companies spring up to service our needs, which is good news for us all.
Of course the fact that the bait is now so popular means that its initial effectiveness is wearing off a bit now and that’s why on the Kennet especially, I prefer to use casters.
I’ll never forget the first time I fished with pellets on the river Severn – way before they became readily available in the tackle shops. I watched a young lad catch a couple of barbel on a blazing summer’s afternoon and he showed me the bait he was using, a pellet obtained from the farm shop.
I’m pretty quick on the uptake and so at the first opportunity I bought some myself and the first three short sessions using this bait each produced a double figure barbel, I was a convert. But that was then and this is now; I use them on the Severn and Wye and catch my share, so I suppose along with many others I say vive la revolution!
There are still five more excellent questions to answer and I’ll be working my way through them next time out. Plus, as the river season has started once again, on my birthday as always, I’ll be running through all the key items of tackle and bait that I use and the reasons why. Plus, the venues I’ll be visiting and the plans, hopes and expectations that always fill my head at this time of the year.
It all kicks off again today, so good luck to all of you river fishers out there.
