Throop 12lb 3oz barbel for Jim (Oct 2nd).

Jim’s wife had given him a day’s guiding with me for a Christmas present last year and with one thing and another we couldn’t fit in a session together until the beginning of October. We had talked earlier in the year and Jim wanted to fish for barbel and hopefully catch a double figure fish. Now this is a huge challenge for anyone and together with this he wanted to catch it from the Dorset Stour or the H.Avon. Both of these rivers have been very low with the lack of rain, however out of the two I fancied the Stour nearer the date as some good fish had been coming out.

We arranged to meet on the Weds on the Throop fishery beat two to see if we could fulfil his dreams. I travelled down the day before to purchase the day ticket organised and to have a look around the fishery and see if I could spot a few barbel. The previous week I had fished it with a friend Paul and sure enough we found 3 barbel feeding in some shallow water.

However this time the light was terrible it was cloudy with spots of rain in the air. The barbel though were not at home or at least I couldn’t see them.

It was late in the afternoon when Mark who lives a couple of miles from the river joined me to see how I baited a swim and understand the rigs that I was using. He could only stay for a short while but I bait dropped some hemp to about 6 chub on shallow water. Sure enough they scattered but within 10 minutes they could be seen tails up feeding earnestly on the hemp. I also put out a few boilies in the hemp so that when my baits arrived they knew it was food. Mark had to leave to collect the kids from school and I carried on fishing a deeper hole adjacent to the shallow one where the chub were feeding. The chub were not large although the previous week we had seen a few that might have gone 5lbs. That was it I need my string pulled to avoid a blank.

So I cast out the bolt rig with a couple of boilies hair rigged to a size 12 hook. Of course the chub vanished but were soon back feeding again, and it wasn’t long before I saw one of the chub dashing off pulling my rod tip over.

The little chub fought well on the 1.5lb t/c rod but too soon it was over and she lay there in the net. I was curious how large she was and was 1oz over 4lbs.

I fished on in the deep hole without success. Although I met a very interesting chap called Des as darkness approached. We talked for ages all things about fishing, well mainly about otters, but that’s another story. He was fishing tomorrow as was I, so we said good night and see you in the morning. At about 8pm the rain started to fall and as I needed to be off the fishery at 8.30pm it was time to call it a day.

There I was 6.45am the next day parking the car 1st in the parking spaces. Again it was overcast and the car thermometer was telling me it was 16c. Now that is very warm for first thing.

I wanted to try another part of the river where it’s quite deep and I hadn’t fished it for ages. My thinking behind this was that with the river so low and the weed receding then the barbel’s cover would be diminishing. So perhaps they might like the deeper water. So at 7.15am I was putting out about 2 pints of hemp and a good couple of droppers full of boilies. I then had a look around. I just can’t believe how under fished the river is!

I saw countless chub but no barbel.

Irish George turned up and asked if he could fish in the next swim, and how could I refuse. He is a lovely bloke fishing it most days. He arrives on his push bike with it fully loaded with tackle. He is really good entertainment and fun to fish with.

Next to turn up was Des he decided to fish where George had fished the day before. So at least there were 3 of us.

I had arranged to meet Jim at 11.15am as he needed to drive down from London way. So at about 10.30 I wandered off to meet him and before that to see what was about. There were plenty of chub and where I put the boilies they would soon turn up and start feeding.

I met Chris Allport the Fishery Manager he was changing the locks replacing the old ones. Now if you have not been to Throop recently you are in for a surprise. Most of the gates have been replaced the weed cut and I must say that Chris and his team have done a magnifcient job in ensuring Throop to be an excellent fishery. I for one Chris would like to thank you for all of the hard work that you have put into the fishery. Well done buddy.

Jim arrived and we were soon casting into the swim where I had hoped the barbel would be. Jim told me that he had now caught his double from the Kennet and that he had two with the largest being 12lbs 2oz.

For a couple of hours nothing much happened. So we decided to wander downstream baiting a swim on the way. It was in this swim last week I saw a large chub feeding on the boilies. However with the cloud cover spotting them was extremely difficult. Never mind we moved to another swim where a few chub were feeding but the only thing to pull the string there was a jack pike that grabbed the boilies as I retrieved the bait.

We wandered back up again to the swim where I had put the bait and sure enough after about 5 minutes I could just make out a dark shadow moving along the golden gravel. So we cast out and lay the rod on the grass just upstream. After a couple of strong pulls on the rod, off it went again this time the bait runner was giving line from the spool. Jim was soon onto the rod and landed a nice chub of 4.5lbs.

 

A little later Des looked to be into a barbel so I walked down to give him a hand landing it. It really was putting up a strong and spirited fight. Eventually we landed the thing and let it rest while all the bits and pieces were gathered for weighing and photos. 9lbs 13oz was the score. I kept on saying 9lbs 13oz and asking Irish George how big it was he kept saying 9lbs tirteen oz. I had him going on this for a few times before he knew the game. In the end Des had forgotten to take the weigh sling off so a weight of 9lbs 8oz was given.

The rain started to fall so we made our way back up to the deep swim. We fished a couple of rods and in no time we started to catch a few bream to about 3lbs. I don’t mind this as once fish move in over the bait then this encourages others along as well. I think we had about 4 by about 5pm at which time I said to Jim we would put in another lot of hemp. Out went about 10 droppers worth. I think we had one more bream before the rod nodded a couple of times. Jim was on it like a flash!

The curve of the rod and the fact that the fish was moving upstream indicated it not to be a bream. I first thought chub but then it headed for a clump of soft weed. Jim did a great job of keeping it high in the water and soon had it over the weed and with the tail whacking the surface it was apparent it was a barbel. Jim didn’t take long to get it under control and was urging me to net the thing. However you know that the barbel has a few last lunges but Jim kept it on a tight line and at the first opportunity it was in the net. Des, George and I guessed the weight between 8-10lbs while it rested in the landing net.

So again everything prepared the fish was lifted out and put on the mat. Now it looked much larger it was defiantly a double. The hook was down inside the mouth. I think about the furthest I had ever seen a barbel hooked.

On the scales it went 12lbs 3oz and a new pb for Jim.

The rain had stopped and all was fine in the world.

We packed up at about 7.15pm Jim being a very happy man. His was not the only barbel caught Alan had one of 13lbs plus from a little further upstream.

Can’t understand why more people are not fishing Throop.