grimcon

THIS PICTURE SHOWS JUST HOW CLEAR THE RIVER WAS, THE TOP THIRD IS A STONEY RUN UNDER 12FT OF WATER AND I COULD SEE EVERY STONE. THE RIVER WAS THE SAME THE PREVIOUS SUNDAY, A MOONSTRIKE EXCELLENT DAY. 150LB OF CHUB WON THE MATCH, IT WAS EVEN LOWER WHEN WOODY WON THE WYE CHAMPS WITH 178LB OF CHUB. AGAIN AN EXCELLENT DAY.

THE NEXT DAY (27TH FQ-1) I STARTED AROUND 10.30. SNOW WAS ON THE BANKS, AND OVERNIGHT AIR TEMPS WERE -7 IN THE REGION. WATER TEMP JUST 0VER 3oC, DOWN ON YESTERDAY. THERE WAS A BITING N/E WIND. DESPITE THIS I EXPECTED A BARBEL! MOST LIKELY AROUND 15.00 ADVANCING THE PEAK OF YESTERDAYS DOUBLE. TWO FEEDER RODS WERE DEPLOYED WITH MAGGOTS. RECASTING WOULD ONLY OCCUR IF THE RODS WERE BROUGHT IN OUT OF THE WAY OF A "NUISANCE" CANOEIST, AND THEY ABOUND ON THE WYE EVEN IN THESE CONDITIONS, ANGLERS AINT THE ONLY NUTTERS OUT. THIS WAS THE TACTIC USED THE PREVIOUS DAY THAT CAUGHT THE DOUBLE (THE FEEDER HAD BEEN IN FOR 4HRS 20MINS).

ARRIVING AT THE RIVER AT 10.00 I TOOK THE WATER TEMPERATURE WHICH WAS A TAD UNDER 4oc AND FALLING. THE WATER WAS CRYSTAL CLEAR (PIC BELOW) AIR TEMP A BITING 3oc WITH A N/E WIND TO BOOT, CHRIST KNOWS WHAT THE TEMP WAS ACCOUNTING FOR WIND CHILL! THE PREVIOUS "GRIM" MOONSTRIKE DAY (25TH) I SAT FREEZING AND BITELESS FOR EIGHT HOURS!

DESPITE HORRENDOUS CONDITIONS I KNEW THERE WAS

A CHANCE OF BARBEL FEEDING, AS THE SNOW DROPPED FROM THE HEAVENS AT 14.24 MY ROD SLOWLY PULLED OVER AND THE PIN WENT. AS SOON AS I LIFTED THE ROD I KNEW IT WAS A GOOD FISH. AND DESPITE FREEZING WATER IT PUT UP A GOOD 8-10 MINUTE SCRAP IN THE SLUGGISH DEEP WATER.

AT LAST ONE OF MY AMBITIONS FOR A BARBEL IN THE SNOW REALISED.

SO MUCH AGAIN FOR THE BARBEL TEXTBOOK!

MY REASONING FOR ONE CAST IS THAT ANGLERS IN THIS SWIM OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS (EVEN ON PEAK DAYS IN GOOD CONDITIONS) CONSTANTLY CASTING HAD BLANKED ON BARBEL. INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS, SOMETHING DIFFERENT WAS NEEDED!

ANYWAY AT 15.01 THE RIGHT HAND ROD WENT OVER AND SPRANG BACK, ON REELING IN THE HOOKLINK WAS IN A RIGHT OLD TANGLE WITH THE HOOK AND MAGGOTS TIGHT TO THE FEEDER, NO WONDER THE FISH DIDN'T HOOK ITSELF. DAMMIT PEAK MISSED! I WOULD NOW SEE IN H.P AT 17.50. ANOTHER 3 HOURS ENDURANCE TO PROVE, YET AGAIN, THAT THE BARBEL TEXTBOOK IS A LOAD OF RUBBISH! THERE WOULD BE A PEAK PRIOR TO 17.50 BUT I HAD NOT WORKED THAT ONE OUT, ON THE ACTUAL QUARTER MOONS IT IS ABOUT 40 MINS BEFORE TRANSIT.

17.50 (H.P)THE LEFT HAND ROD WHICH HAD BEEN OUT FOR 3 HOURS WAS OFF! RESULT A PRISTINE 8LB BARBEL, THE BLOKE FROM THE CHUB STUDY GROUP IN THE NEXT PEG DOWN COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. INFACT NO ANGLERS ABOUT THAT COUPLE OF DAYS COULD GET THIER HEADS ROUND THE FACT THAT I WAS ACTUALLY TARGETTING BARBEL. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED I TACKLED DOWN. I RINSED MY LANDING NET IN THE RIVER, AND AS I SHOOK THE EXCESS WATER FROM IT THE MESK FROZE SOLID!

TO CAP IT ALL A BLOKE FISHING AT BREINTON WITH THE CHUB STUDY GROUP 3 MILES UPRIVER HAD A 9.9 BARBEL AT 17.50, I LEARNED THE NEXT DAY.

RIVER STILL LOW AND CLEAR AND SLIGHTLY UNDER 5oC. PELLET ROD PULLED AROUND AND SPRANG BACK AT 13.14. MAGGOT FEEDER ROD WENT AT 13.32, 2 MINS AFTER L.O RESULTING IN A 5LBER. 14.12, THE ROD WAS OFF AGAIN THIS TIME THE 10.2 WAS RESPONSIBLE. WHICH IS NOT THE SAME FISH AS ABOVE. THIS ONE HAS A SCAR BY THE ANAL FIN AND A DIFFERENT TAIL FIN SHAPE.

KEITH ARTHUR WAS FILMING ON THE BRISTOL AVON FOR HIS TIGHT LINES PROGRAM. THE RIVER WAS ALSO 5oC. HE STATED CONDITIONS WERE SO BAD HE WOULD EAT COW DUNG IF HE CAUGHT A BARBEL. HE HAD A BIG BARBEL AT 14.06! A FEW MINUTES PRIOR TO MINE. UNFORTUNATELY HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SCALES, BUT MARTIN BOWLER CONIFIRMED FROM PHOTOS THAT IT WAS A FISH HE HAD LAST WINTER AT 12LB 7OZ

SO MUCH AGAIN FOR PRIME CONDITIONS!