Toms PB Barbel!

Millies fiirst Chub!

Hello my friends.

Not felt much like July this last week or so if i'm totally honest as it's been bloody chilly at times! The winds been almost October'ish in its feel and the rain has done little to boost my mood. Despite the crap weather I have been out on the bank a bit this last two weeks.

First up I have to say a massive thanks to my best buddy Stuey and his lovely family for putting me up overnight in their gorgeous home in Christchurch last week. Stu and I had a great day on the Compound Weir pool but in hindsight we may have had more action going to Throop or somewhere else as the fishing was....well....crap!

We managed little more than a small 2lb chub, a few missed opportunities from bream and small barbel and Stuart landing a 15lb 5oz pike whilst retrieving a minnow that had taken his maggot hookbait!

Not intended species but very welcome!

It was a wonderful day though otherwise....we both caught the sun during the midday heat and Stu's mum, dad, wife and 2 kids popped down to join in the fun for a few hours. This was great for me as I got to do some great bonding with little Millie (Stuarts beautiful little girl aged 3). She was a delight to sit and talk to and the pair of us hit it off very well. Apparently she thinks i'm pretty cool for an old bloke with no hair!!! lol Even Millie out-fished both her Dad and I with a nice chub and her first ever fish! Well done Tinks!

After the events of Hampshire and the severe lack of Barbel action on the Avon, I felt a quick trip up the Wye was required to restore my confidence on Sunday afternoon. I arrived to find about 6 guys fishing on the club stretch....most looked as if they were most likely not members but since i'm not a bailiff, what can you do?

I opted to drop into a peg I used to find productive until last season and set about a few exploratory casts. I noted a few likely areas where I could find clear gravel and set about placing a bait in two spots. It was quite a while before my first bit of action and that resulted in a nice fish of just over 6lbs.

My 30th Barbel of the season at 10lb 2oz!

I then had to wait until it was almost dark before my next bites which came in quick succession and resulted in a fish I've had 4 other times before but usually at higher weights. This particular fish has a yellow blemish on its right hand cheek.

A nice one of 7lb 12oz though. Finally just before calling it a day I had another nice double of 10lb 2oz. Not a fish that I recognized either....Great to see another new double turn up!

I did a quick evening session on the much tougher River Taff on  Tuesday with Ryan. We managed to get into one of the hotter pegs near Cardiff City Center and despite pretty much perfect conditions and a bit of extra water and colour in the river.....we blanked.

Great start to the evening for Tom at 8lb 3oz!

Next up was a session on Wednesday evening with my son Thomas on the Wye. As some of you will know Thomas isn't a huge fishing fan. He's a bit of an indoors lad really and doesn't pleasure in getting covered in mud, dirt or fish slime! Saying that though, he does occasionally come out with me for a session and invariably catches something worth talking about! This week was to be no exception to the rule! He's barbel fished once before and managed two nice fish of 6lb odd and 8lb 12oz.

Well first cast resulted in a stunning torpedo of 8lb 3oz and Tom couldn't believe how quickly we were into fish....not only that but I think he'd forgotten just how bloody hard they fight too! What was funny though was that a group of baby ducks he'd been feeding for a while were hanging around the front of the swim while he was playing the fish and one of the brethren decided it was a sensible idea to attack the fish as we were about to net it! Nutter!

BOOOOOOOMMMMM! Get in Tom! New PB of 10lb 2oz! Well done son xxxx

Nice!

Next up was a 6lb 12oz fish which took him all over the place! We took a few pics before rebaiting the rods and recasting. The water was well up by over a foot and carrying some serious flotsam and weed down with it yet again. Toms next chance of a fish came just as it was getting dark and the bite was nothing short of incredible!

He bent into what was clearly a much bigger animal than he'd hooked before. The fight lasted a while as the fish pulled his line all over the river before succumbing to fatigue. On the scales she went 10lb 2oz and we both cheered at his delight in breaking his pb of 8lb 12oz and of course landing his first ever double! Well done son!

He had another 2 small fish of around 6lb and 6lb 5oz to end the evening. What a great result. I think he wants to come out again sooner rather than later as he now says he see's what it is that I like so much about fishing. Not only for the fish but the scenery, wildlife and of course the infinite tranquility that it brings with it.

Well done Lucy Rowley on catching a new PB as well!

I've got Natasha away for a fortnight at present, so i'm really looking forward to having her home in the next week or so as we have the Dave Mason guided day to book up and I also have a great day in store for Monday with my good mate Bob!

Brilliant stuff Dan!

Finally there is a few quick words to say about a lovely lady who has just banked a new PB mirror carp on just her second outing with her other half Mathew, who is a field tester for my bait company. Lucy Rowley did a night with Mat and the pair both caught stunning fish. Mat managed a cracking 21lber and Lucy weighed in a brilliant fish of 17lb 4oz! Well done guys!

Also a big well done to Dan Jones who went on to do his weekend session on the Severn at Bewdley and managed a nice little barbel using the tactics I showed hi the week prior! Well done Dan!
I hope your all well and kicking and catching lots of fish.

Tight lines
Keith
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And still they come!

10lb and a very happy captor

Hi all!


Well, didn't think i'd have much more to write about this week if i'm honest but that's where I was left totally wrong yet again!

After the success of last week and then Monday nights fishing....and the fact that I had hardly had a wink of sleep in 3 nights through chronic insomnia.

I wasn't ready to hit the bank again until my planned guiding trip with Dan Jones on Wednesday evening! Albeit a quick offer of a trip up with Ryan on Tuesday night signaled another session at my club stretch of the Wye.

I've got to say now that I was very dubious to go as I had had so little sleep in the previous nights, that I thought it was either going to make me ill or just wasn't worth going as I thought I would probably fall asleep on the bank! I still went though!!! How can you not go fishing I thought???

I got around to Ryans and fortunately he was happy to drive, this left me with less to worry about being so tired. We got to the river as the boats were just pulling off and settled into the same swim I had fished the night prior. I was skeptical as to whether it would fish yet again but as there seemed to be plenty of fish present there what harm could it do?

Double no 4 for the season at 10lb 7oz......so pleased!

Ryan went up stream and I went down with one rod each. He started on Garlic Spam and I went straight on the River Monster. It wasn't long before the RM struck and a nice little 6lber graced my net. Then as quick as I put her back I had another of about 5lbs. Probably the two smallest i've had to date from my club stretch!

Ryan started to get some action too

My next cast resulted in another arm wrenching take and same result of a superb 7lb 7oz barbel. Ryan was reeling at the 3-0 so far and decided a change over to a pellet was in order to restore dignity! I then had another of just over 8lbs to rub salt in the wounds!!!

Of course, I gave him the usual ribbing you give mates when they're 4-0 down! The banter flew like fighting cockerels and things then slowed up a little for a short time. Ryan was then next up with a fish of about 4lbs....'Well, at least he hadn't blanked!' I told him! Then I landed a fifth! And to really add insult to injury it was my third double of the season at 10lb 7oz! A right old brute of a warrior as well. The usual line creaking and screaming run from the reel and then endless attempts to snag me up!

Dan Jones with his first ever Barbel!

After returning the big fish I thought that was more than likely it for the night and started to get packed away for the journey home. As I turned to fold up my chair, off went my rod yet again....this time it just screamed away with my line and me hanging on for grim death! Another big barbel fight ensued and as I was playing the fish Ryan spotted a few trembles on his rod tip...After deciding it wasn't my rod tip hitting his line, he struck into a fish himself.

Two fish on at once in a small swim was a giggle, I can tell you! But we managed to get both in safely and weigh, photograph and return both fish without a problem. Ryans fish going 8lb 13oz and mine being bang on 10lbs! Double no 4 for the season!

After the Tuesday night success I had to make plans for a guiding session with Dan Jones. I've known Dan through facebook for about 8 years but we had as such never met up on the bank. Dan has had a couple of trips up the Wye with other anglers and as such failed to put a barbel on the bank as yet. I was determined to help him change that and we met up late afternoon on Wednesday for the journey up to Herefordshire.

Nice PB Dan!!! 8lb 2oz barbel

We jumped into a swim I knew held a few good fish but it was a bit tight for the both of us. I managed to park both seats in tight and got about setting up two rods for Dan to use. The river had risen a good foot over night and there was some of the worst weed growth coming down that I have to date seen on the Wye! Some of it the size of small cars!

Presentation was near on impossible and the only way we could keep our leads in the water was to keep the tips as low as possible to the waters edge in front, similar to still water quivertip fishing techniques. This worked to an extent and we were able to keep the baits in the water long enough for Dan to get his first ever barbel on the bank! 6lbs on the nail! I think he was rather pleased as he did his video blog holding such a stunning prize up for the camera!

Well done Dan no3!

He then had another opportunity with a much better one of 8lb 2oz some 5 minutes later. This fish fought a lot harder and tested Dan out to the maximum! Finally after bagging his third of the evening at 7lb 6oz we had to call it a night due to the excessive weed. It really was intolerable! Next week I'm heading down south to see Stuey for a long day out on the Compound Great Weir at the Royalty Fishery, Hants Avon. Hopefully to grab a nice Avon fish or two!

Hope your all well and having a great season so far.

Keith X

More Wye wonders!

And we're off!

Hi guys,

Bit of a change in the weather conditions this week for some of us. Down here in Bridgend it's pretty wet and miserable with a sticky warm feel to it. Not great for sleeping! I had another quick evening trip up to Monmouth last night and to say the river is on its bones is an understatement!

It's quite frighteningly low throughout and the swim I have fished twice now is 3 feet down below it's lowest point I've ever seen it at! Not good...

When I left home at around 5pm the rain was pouring at home but by the time I reached the river it was clear skies and quite nice fishing conditions. The swims were all free and there wasn't a sole to be seen on the whole stretch. I decided i'd jump straight back into the same peg i'd fished middle of last week as I felt it had the best chance of another fish or two.

By 8.30pm I was starting to regret my decision as i'd just had a few trembles and that was it??? Couldn't believe the speed some of the motor boats that the Rowing club were using again either...

One fella went past so quick that the wash from the boat was almost 3 feet high! Totally irresponsible and dam right ignorant. No wonder the fishing is hard in day light hours with prats like that tearing about!

I had my first take around 8.50pm and the rod did it's usual fly over at a rate of knots before tearing line from the spool! I was pleased to finally bag one at 8lb 1oz on the usual low river tactics of a straight lead and small pva bag and River Monster boilie!

The next fish came quite rapidly after and a nice spritely 7lb 7oz torpedo found the spreader block. Almost straight away after I was in yet again with a stunning 9lb 3oz chunk which was determined to tear around the entire river basin before weeding me up! A little on and off pressure saw her free'd up and eventually into the waiting net.

I had to wait about quarter of an hour for the next fish and boy was it worth it! One hell of a scrap with what I thought for a while may have been a carp until I saw it! Another nice double of 10lb 12oz! What a result....I was really feeling the love for the river Wye again and with two doubles including a new PB in the bag for the new season, I was feeling pretty darn good about life!

I was just about to net the double when the other rod ripped off! I couldn't believe it, two on at once! I netted the big fish and rested it in front in the water before grabbing the other rod. This fish felt good as well and after a few minutes of battling against the weed beds, she was mine. All 9lb 1ozs of her....two in the net for 20lbs! Epic fishing!

Thinking that was probably my lot for the evening, I started to pack my kit away....A few minutes later I heard a clicking noise and upon looking up I noticed my left hand rod bent double and yet another good barbel hooked.

Yet again she went for the weed beds in front and down to my left hand side but some constant pressure saw me good for another nice 9lb 13oz lunker! 2 chub swiftly followed the barbel and then finally to end the evening another brute of 8lb 2oz to make it 7 barbel for the night.

Tight lines all

Keith
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Wye PB!

A great start to the short session! 9lb 7oz

Good day my friends!

This last week has been uber hectic in the office, so to speak! The bait rolling gear has been doing over time and orders flying out left, right and center! Finding a spare five minutes to wet a line has been tough to come by and had I not really pushed myself i'd have nothing new to tell you about this week.....But I did and I have!

Wednesday afternoon came around and despite the heavy work load and many other commitments I had lined up, the wife insisted I grab a few hours on the river bank. I wasn't really feeling it to be honest but I knew that once I was there i'd enjoy it as I always do.

It's funny how sometimes you can crave to be out there fishing and other times you could just take it or leave it. This was one of those evenings where I could have just left it and had an early night. I'm glad to say I didn't though and I think you'll agree by the end of my story, that it was a bloody good job I didn't leave it!

8lb 12oz and things were hotting up!

I grabbed a Macdonalds coffee and a cheap burger from the M4 services on route as it was just before tea time and headed off up towards Monmouth in the rush hour traffic. Not my greatest decision to date.....The traffic was okay until I reached the turn off for Usk at which it ground to a miraculous hault. 60MPH to nothing in a matter of yards. Oh deepest joy....I sat there for about half an hour before things started to move a little and I was starting to think I'd made a piss poor decision going out at that time of the day.

Eventually things started to move along slowly and finally I reached my destination about an hour later than it should have been. My first choice swim was taken and so was my second as well....I couldn't believe it. The river was literally on it's bare bones and running clear and very weedy in places too. I really didn't have many other options but to try a spot i'd only pike fished during the colder months.

Another nice 8lber!

This particular swim has a deeper hole present at 2 rod lengths out extending to around 4 lengths into the river. This then shallows up from around 10 feet to 5 feet in the middle area of the river bed. I decided I'd target the close in area to start with and work my way further out should bites not be forth coming. The sun beamed down and the canoeists for a change were reasonably bearable. The idiots in speed boats still acted like fools racing around but the canoes themselves were ok.

I made my first casts into the close in areas, covering the deeper spot out in front and down stream slightly to my left. I put on the usual River Monster boilie and just a very small PVA bag of spicy sausage pellets, about the size of a 50 pence piece. I had a few odd trembles on both rods but nothing that got me too excited. It was just after 8pm that the boats finally stopped for the night and I was then able to explore the swim slightly further out into the flow of the river.

The smallest of the evening at 7lb 6oz

This was met with an almost instant result and the right hand rod buckled down in to an alarming curve as a very angry Wye Barbel took the hook bait.I wasn't really ready for the take as I was sending a text message at the time....I nearly dropped my phone in the river as I jumped up to grab the butt of the rod which was flying up towards the sky! A great scrap ensued and a few minutes later after struggling to pull her back through the thick weeds, I had a stunning 9lb 7oz specimen laying in my net! Biggest of the year so far. The fish was in fine condition and despite the lack of flow and oxygen, she went off like a record after having her pictures taken.

It took about half an hour before my next chance and the left hand rod was next to leave the butt rests! Another stunner of 8lb 12oz which was shortly followed up by yet another 2 fish of 8lb 4oz and 7lb 6oz. Things then went decidedly quiet around 10pm and a bite was much harder to come by. I wasn't complaining though as i'd had a new season best and 4 lovely fish all over 7lbs in just 3 hours fishing!

I decided to give it another half hour but to no avail. I sat watching dormant rod tips before making the decision to call it a night at 10.20pm. I started to pack away all the non essential items and finally the last bits of gear before reeling in. I was just about to lift the rods off the rests to reel in for the night when the left hand rod flew into action! Flew was a bit of an understatement though to be honest as the butt made its way out of the rod cup holder and the reel hit the top front rest on its way skyward towards the river!

Finally something to really talk about! 12lb 7oz Wye PB! Bloody awesome!

I managed to just about grab the rod by the last 6 inches of cork handle and set the hook in. The fish then went on a heck of a run down stream before turning and doing the same thing back up river! Up and down it went about 5 or 6 times....Finally I started to gain a bit of line and then as the light from my head torch caught a glimpse of the fish as it broke the surface about 20 yards out....I realized i had something a little bit more exciting on the end of my line!

One fat girl!

She rolled into the net and I looked down at my prize, jesus it was chunky! The width alone was bigger than any barbel i'd caught in my angling career! It just had to be a double and I suspected it may well be close to a personal best fish, which currently stood at 11lb 4oz from the swim opposite where I was fishing that night!

I readied the scales, mate, sling and camera and lifted her clear of the river in the net! Jeez, it was chunky! I took a couple of photos and got so carried away looking at her that I neigh on nearly forgot to weigh her! I quickly slipped her into the weigh sling and had to rub my eyes as the needle flew around to just shy of thirteen pounds! 12lb 7oz to be precise! A new PB by a small mile! What a fish!

I knew there were a few slightly bigger ones in my club stretch but that fish is going to take some serious beating!

Tight lines all
Keith!

x

Tough work

Thank god one of us did okay!

Hello everyone.

Beautiful weather conditions we've had this last fortnight or so eh? Not so great for river fishing though....Personally it's been tough work and despite a few trips out the barbel have been tough to get into. Saying that last season was even tougher! I shouldn't complain I guess. River anglers eh? The only numpties that would sit and beg for rain in the middle of summer.

After the fantastic start to the season I guessed things would be a little tougher on my next outing. Well, it certainly bloody was! I went on a brief evening session with Taffy to our club stretch at Monmouth and we did a late evenings fishing. We set up in the pontoon swim and from the word go, the rowing club were horrific!

Not just their usual ignorant selves but that evening there was a total disregard for other river users. The supposed safety boats were racing up and down at silly speeds causing a huge wake in their midst, which washed up all over our kit and soaked our legs!

My tenth barbel of 2015...nothing to write home about really

Then we had endless rowers coming in so close that you could pretty much climb into the boats from the shoreline. One group of 4 elder gents came in so close that they actually hit my rod tips that were
pointed down at the waters edge and with the downstream flow. They carried on regardless wiping out both my rods and Taffs as well.

Despite our attempts to keep them at bay and shouting out that we were there, they continued to keep coming in close as an almost deliberate act of malice! Their argument being that we hadn't been there for over 3 months and that they weren't expecting us to be there??? Someone really needs to have a stern chat with the club but as is always the way, our own fishing club has little or no interest in us river fisherman and ladies.

Mathews fish was a little bit better size

Despite the aggro Taff and I stuck it out until into darkness and managed a 5lb chub each for our efforts. But no barbel....My next chance out was with Mathew back up to Herefordshire. We got our day tickets in the morning from the tackle shop in Hereford and headed to try and find a few new spots.

Things didn't really go to plan and 3 hours later we were only just wetting a line. Our first swim choice was free after taking a mile walk to check it for anglers. On our way back to grab our gear we were passed by two chaps well loaded up with kit. That scuppered that idea.

My only other bite of the day!

We decided after trying a few other areas that we'd drop in on the first section we had visited and fish by the bridge. Mat went above and decided to do some trotting on the stick float. I went straight onto the lead and single rod approach.

Well, I sat there for 2 hours without a sniff. Mat had a couple of dace, chub and some trout but no barbel. The heat was searing yet again and after 3 hours of blanking i'd had a titful. We decided to move to the section we had fished on opening day. I dropped into the same swim as before and Mat was keen to try the beach swim just up stream of me.

chub, dace, trout and perch by the ton!

We sat it out for the day and Mat caught plenty of small chub and dace on the float. I however had just a few odd nibbles until finally getting a barbel  at about 4pm. The fish was lethargic and at 6lb 12oz just another average fish for that section. That was it for the swim and despite fishing it until nearly 9pm, I received no other action.

I moved in next to Mat on the beach and he started to catch a few nice chub on the lead just below me. I still struggled though and only managed 1 chub of 5lbs for my efforts. Mat finally sneaked a crafty barbel out of 8lb odd and about 6 or 7 chub to 5lbs as well. Great effort and reward for his hard work.

My next session was a late decision trip out to try a new little section of the River Ely in Pontyclun. I'd done a bit of research and found out that the river is now pretty much free fishing throughout due to the local clubs being disbanded in recent years.

I ventured down late afternoon with a bit of float kit and a lightweight rod and center pin set up. To say the fishing was ballistic would be an understatement! I caught fish after fish! In fact I caught so many trout on the float that I actually got bored in the end! I also managed some cracking dace, surprise perch and even a few small chub too.

It seemed that the fish were a real sucker for a single white maggot. The river was on its bones though and with just a majority of 2 feet or less running over its rocky bottom, swims were hard to fish bar just one or two areas. I'm going back down tomorrow with Mathew and Natasha for another little dabble at it.

Finally.....I took Natasha out last night up the valley to one of our many rugby pitches and we took a rod and reel, hoola hoop and a few leads. The sole purpose being for me to give her a bit of tuition on how to cast properly. She's done a little with a float and obviously under arm swinging for the majority but I wanted her to learn the basics of putting a lead out and compressing the rod.

She had it all spot on! Good girl!

We spent a good 45 minutes talking about her stance holding the rod, her feet and hand positions and then we had a little cast or two. Well, it started promisingly and after 3 or 4 attempts she was getting her release time spot on.
I then upped the anti and got her pulling and pushing properly with both her arms. Things went from good to excellent in no time at all and after just an hour she was already hitting 65 yards with just a 9ft rod and an ounce and a half lead.

Pretty impressive for an 8 year old girl! Well done sweetheart, proud daddy moment yet again!

Tight lines guys
K
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