14th October Bristol Avon

I was going to fish a different area this afternoon to see what was about barbel wise.

The sky had turned bright blue, or perhaps the best definition is that the cloud had gone leaving the sky empty. Arriving at about 3pm I walked and looked at several swims and there were a couple that caught my eye.

First was a deeper pool with a good flow near the head of it and less where it tailed off. There was a delightful tree hanging over the nearside bank which just shouted barbel. Not often you hear a tree talk but one that shouts then that is something.

So I bait droppered some hemp in.

Having completed this I went for a walk and came across a couple of other anglers who were fishing for barbel. I will just say that the discussion was interesting…….one of them I think must have been called Richard Cranium such were his comments.

OMG I’ve just found him on Facebook as a friend.

Whilst I listened to this chap I fed a few chub under my near bank and had about 6 of them coming in and feeding. The silt bellowed and drifted down stream such was the ardent nature of the feeding.

I fished a couple of other swims and had my string tentatively pulled.

The swim below looked very inviting but failed to deliver a bite.

Late evening blast of sun

The temperature soon started to drop as the sun got lower. That red hue from a winter setting sun was quite apparent. Dew started to gather on the grass early tonight. First enquiry of the evening was from a small chub of about 2lbs that was quickly returned.

Clear sky and the temperature drops

Finally as the sun dropped and the light started to give way to darkness the rod arched around and I was into a barbel, alas though just for a few seconds. The hook pulled out!!!!!!

Out went a bag of pellets and another bait. It sat there for about 50 minutes when the same thing happened but this time the barbel hung on the end. It was a very spirited fight in the fast flow at the head of the pool. It didn’t feel that large and after a short while it was in the net.

6lbs on the nose!

Not the biggest fish at 6lbs but a very welcomed one from a new swim that I’ve never placed a line in before.

I have not night fished for barbel this year and I found it quite nice, although my fingers tingled with cold whilst I packed away.