Bobs new PB!

Good Day!!

The new Nuts about Carp Popstickles are born!

Hope your all enjoying this last fleeting glance of summer? I sure am....it's bloody great to be out side enjoying the suns rays late in September. It's about perfect now in my opinion. Not too hot or cold.

This week in particular has been really nice and I've enjoyed moments of freedom related to the return of the dearest wife from her working away for 10 days. Albeit she's returned with the lurgy from hell, which she's acquired from her brother! GIT! Another week of house work for me! lol

Well, with Natasha and Tom back at school I wanted to try and find a bit of time for some web works and product design etc but in all honesty it's been late getting sorted and it wasn't until today that I finally got around to doing some preparatory works. With a fairly full diary for the next few weeks I really need to start getting on with stuff or I'll find myself even further behind.

A possible option for using a couple of sticks together??

A product I have wanted to release now for some time has finally had the chance to see the light of day and for the first time this evening I aired its release on our FB Page. The all new Popstickle....Basically a pop up stick rolled in 16,18 or 20 mm and 100mm long. The product is steamed and then packaged in rolls of 5.

The idea being that it gives the angler the opportunity to cut off a section to the size they require for using on its own or combined with another colour/flavour or of course as a topper for a snowman etc. The combinations are many and we hope that it will be a good seller in the many guises and flavours we have in stock.

Sunday saw the opportunity for me to meet up with my good mate Bob Willcockson. He drives up from Newbury to meet me occasionally on the Wye at numerous different venues. Bob and I have been mates for many years on FB, but only really got the chance to actually meet each other in the flesh last year. I'm so pleased we did as he has become a true and loyal friend, who's company I cherish. This Sundays meeting was a little special though and one that I will remember for ever!

We met up in Hereford at 6am on Sunday morning, just as the sun was peering over the hills. The air was fairly warm and a gentle breeze ruffled the leaves in the trees around us. We unloaded the car and headed for our chosen swim for the day. After a bit of classic banter and a cup of Bob's finest coffee, we made our first casts of the day. Bob using the FSG and myself on the ever faithful River Monster .

Finally a fish for all our hard work! 9lb 4oz!

I expected us to get a few fish quite early on and it looked great for a bite despite the ridiculously low and clear water. Well, no bites came and by midday we were both feeling very down and rather dismayed at the lack of action from the ailing River Wye.....it just doesn't fish in the summer months with no water in it. You really have to get lucky to find a spot where you get a few in daylight hours.

We sat it out all afternoon, drinking coffee, taking the piss out of each other and the odd passing rowing club member that looked a tad incapable behind the oars! Finally at 7.15pm after hundreds of cups of coffee and total boredom my right hand upstream rod tore off signalling a barbel in tow! Thanks god we thought as it had been such a slow day up until then. The fish kited hard down stream and across in front of us and it wasn't long before we had to get the other rods out of its way!

At last a double..... A season best for me of 10lb 5oz and only my second of this season. Get in there!!!

After a few hairy minutes, Bob sunk the net under a prime Wye Barbel for me of 9lb 4oz. Well chuffed with that on such a hard day but it was Bob that I wanted to catch the most.....My next cast was greeted with much the same activity after about 10 minutes and it wasn't long before another big Wye Barbel was pulling my string! This one was hell bent on using the entire river as a pathway to trying to shake the hook out! Bob gracefully netted her for me after the epic battle and a quick look into the mesh told the whole story! It was a big old chunk of fish!

I prayed that Bob would catch one and what a fish it was... 11lbs of Wye magic and a new PB! Well done Bob!

On the scales she went 10lb 5oz. Well happy with that as only my second double of the season and my biggest for this year so far. The day was looking a lot less crap after these two beauties!
Bob and I sat talking about baits and then Bob clocked that his rods were not set up correctly!!!! I questioned his bizarre comment and he told me he had terrible superstitions about the rod alarm being on the right and how he only ever caught when they were set up in that manner! A quick change around and the obvious piss taking from my side saw him happy again! As we chatted his right hand rod then flew into action and Bob was happy to announce he was now happy as that had been the reason he'd not caught all day!!!  The bait runner reel screamed as the fish tore yards of line from the spool. YES!!!! Bob had one on at last albeit through his superstitions! !

Another nine pounder and my last bite of the day

The fight was brutal and from the word go the fish was really giving Bob a hard time....Up and down and right across the entire river she went. After a few torrid minutes Bob made some headway and I sunk the net under a very fat looking barbel. Bob and I were both relieved. The day was saved! I set the scales up and got the camera ready for the fish. Bob unhooked her and I lifted her into the weigh sling. The needle of the Reubens swung around and I hid the weight from Bob to start with. 'What weight would you like it to be Bob?' I asked him amusingly! 'A ten would be nice!' he replied. 'Well, it's bigger than that bro!' I hinted! In fact it was a new PB for Bob at exactly 11lbs on the nail! A proper chunk of a Barbel and only the second time I've seen one from the Wye breaking the 11lb barrier! The only other time being my PB from late last summer!

The smallest of the day at 7lb 4oz but who cares???

We were both ecstatic to say the least and even if the evening had ended there we would have been happy! But it didn't end there and we were due a few more chances yet! My right hand rod was away again shortly after Bob returned his beast. This one did the same as all the rest and tore off down stream and across the flow. Another break neck scrap ensued and after a few mental runs she was mine. Another 9lb specimen bagged and I was happy with my 3 quality fish for this session.

Bobs swim had other ideas and shortly after my kipper he was in yet again! Another lovely barbel quickly found the mesh and at 7lb 4oz a little less exciting than the previous few big fish but of course very welcome all the same! With two in the bag for Bob and 3 for myself it was a real game changer of an evening for us and as we started to think about packing away, Bobs rod was again away with yet another very powerful fish.

9lb 8oz cracker and no 3 for Bob

This was the Porsche of the fish world and Bob could only sit and watch as a bystander as the fish hightailed it across the river to the other side and cover of the over hanging trees! A good bit of arm pressure and a bit of solid rod applying saw him gain a bit back and then she came full flow across the river to the inside. She then made a few manic attempts to shed the hook in nearside vegetation and a localized weed bed sat just in front of us.

Eventually another big old 9lb 8oz barbel was being hoisted up for the waiting camera and a jubilant Bob smiled away happily for his 3rd awesome fish of the day. Finally after putting the fish back and packing most of the gear away, Bobs rod was away for one last time! Yet more continuous arm wrenching runs and about 8 minutes of heavy breathing and slippery footwork saw the pair of us ready to net our final one of the day. At 9lb 1oz a very very nice way to end an epic days fishing with some of the finest scenery in the country and the best company of two good mates!

Great work Bob no4 and 9lb 1oz! Bloody brilliant!

I'm out again Tuesday evening for a few hours all being well with Joel and I hope we can finally get him his first Wye Barbel! Not one for not trying I hope we get him some luck at last....

Next Monday sees me having a trip to the glorious River Severn to catch up with one of my field testers and another great fella Nick. Looking forward to banging out a few of the Rivers monster boris's!

Tight lines all xxxx
Keith