New PB

[Richard.]

I've been a keen river fisherman for 30 years and my real passion is barbel. If your not into fishing then this will probably bore you. If you are I smashed my old PB barbel this evening. My existing best was a shade over 13lb tonight I banked a whiskers at 15lb 11oz. Made up is an understatement. I have a pic on the camera which I'll try upload when near a PC at some point.

 

[eSCHEn]

Not a fisherman other than for grub but a nigh on 25% increase is pretty damn good

 

[daleyd]

Jeremy Wade has some competition!

As eschen said in percentage terms that's a decent improvement!

 

[Richard.]

It was a belta to say the least. Took a lump of spam the size of a match box. God they do pull back some. It was literally like dragging the cooker out the river

 

[Richard.]

I enjoy a bit of pike fishing in the winter. I've had a couple good ones. I find barbel the most exciting to catch. They simply won't feed unless they want to no matter what you chuck at them. When they do feed they don't give you a "bite" they rip the rod off the rest every time. They will break your line effortlessly if your not kitted up with tackle designed to hold back drag cars.

 

[Paulbarrett]

15lb barb, thats awesome! I havent been on the bank since i gave up match fishing as a junior, i was mad for it, big nationals everthing.

 

[Richard.]

I've never fished a match in my life. It's something I always wanted to have a go at. I've never really looked to filling up a net tbh. I've always been a travel light and Rome the banks type.

 

[Paulbarrett]

Used to do that too in the evenings a a had a small river at the back of the family house, didn't get home until midnight in the summer just roaming, trying to hook some elusive chub on lumps of bread

 

[Richard.]

 

[arthur]

I enjoy river fishing, much more interesting than the many small lakes around me, including my father's. I am a trout hunter

 

[Richard.]

River trout with a fly. Some serious skill and patience for that game. I've caught em trotting for chub before but on hand tied flys its a different league id imagine

 

[arthur]

I've had a go on the fly mate but the river banks are too tight round me for that so trotting is the way forward.

 

[Richard.]

Better photo. Don't think I'll be beating this in a while.

 

[Kent]

I have caught all sorts of big fish all over the world and used to be a water bailiff and an assistant keeper on a prime salmon beat on the Ribble and hodder. I have singulary failed to do well on barbell by design though had a big double on the URE after it chased down and hit a 6" Rapala! Also numerous ones on the deep Nymph flyfishing in winter after Grayling.
Its not like I haven't tried or had the access I have even fished for weeks away with some of the Names but mostly all I end up with is small ones and big chub.
Well done! Barbel have certainly grown in size in the last 20 years

 

[Richard.]

I've fished this river a lot in the last 2 seasons (50 times plus) and this is only my 3rd barbel so I agree it's by no means easy. My experience with them is you get a couple of 5 minute windows when they feed during the day and they are a lot more active at night but you cannot night fish this river so the 5 minute windows is all you've got. If you miss the bite or don't have it in the right place at the right time you've failed for the day. I was fishing a spot 2 weeks ago where there was 2 in the clear water swimming around my bait for hours not interested at all in its presence. I wound in to change rigs and the bait come off and he took it. Immediately!!! They ain't daft and this 2 second memory thing is utter tosh. They remember

 

[Kent]

Gosh I even had a few big fish taking corn free offerings from a bridge. Once I put one out with a hook (with rigging help from one of the best known Barbel guys right by my side) I couldn't buy a bite. To put your 50 visits for three fish into context I should expect at least three times (perhaps six or seven times better if I got to choose when) that ratio on Ribble salmon on the fly and they are not even feeding. To be fair they are nice fish and strong fighters when they put there head down into the current (the stalemate position LOL) but there are better things to fish for to my mind- move on.

 

[Richard.]

Move on??? No way. The challenge is what keeps me going. I've been searching for specimen barbel on rivers for years and banked lots of fish in that time but it's the fact that it's not easy that keeps me going. I rig up specifically for them so that chub cannot play a part in it (long hair rigs) other wise I'm sure I'd catch every time. I'm by no means an expert at catching them but I've put in a lot of time and I have a fair understanding of where they might be and what might work on the day. I have never had the pleasure of fishing with big names in the game so what I do know about it is through my own trial and erra. The animal I caught yesterday will make me more than happy to blank another 10-15 sessions knowing that it's in there somewhere with it's even bigger friends.