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current news & articles
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1995-2000, Approaching the Millenium |
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1995-2005, The First Ten Years - The Beginning |
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2000-Present, The Millennium and Beyond |
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A Fish Called Mavis - Dave Johnson |
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A Floppy Hatter at Pewsham – Jon Berry |
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A GOOD INTERIOR DECORATOR |
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A Very Special Barbel |
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Anything two can do, one can do better - Fred Crouch |
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At the water's edge: 20th January 2011 |
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BARBEL BY THE ABBEY |
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Barbel Handling Code |
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Barbel School |
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Barbel School 2012 |
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Barbel Society statement; River predators |
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Barbel Society supports river improvement |
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Barbel Society, Research and Conservation projects |
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Barbel stocking, Barbel Society and EA reach agreement |
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Barbel stocking, Barbel Society and EA reach agreement |
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Barbel’s eye View - Martin Ford |
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Blueprint for Water |
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Centrepins and using them. |
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Christmas - Will Golightly |
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Close Season Petition |
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Cormorants – Biodiversity in Danger |
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Damaged Membership letter |
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Day on the Frome |
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Days Out With The Juniors |
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DRAGGED TO THE TRENT (KICKING and SCREAMING) - Paul Owens |
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EXCITEMENT, ANTICIPATION, HEARTACHE AND JOY |
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Friday The 13th - Adrian Kiddell |
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GOVERNMENT REJECTS CANOEISTS’ CALL FOR STATUTORY RIGHT OF ACCESS TO RIVERS AND STREAMS |
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Half year offer |
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Juniors - Tips of the month - JULY |
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Juniors - Tips of the month - JUNE |
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Juniors - Tips of the month - MARCH |
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Juniors - Tips of the month - MAY |
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Just Cause And Impediment |
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Membership Year 2009-2010 Special offer |
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My region does nothing for me! - Harry Green |
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NFA has adopted BS Handling Code |
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Pin Perfect - Gordon Scott |
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Press Release |
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Removing The Errors |
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Research and Conservation |
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Research and Conservation Auction |
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Research and Conservation projects |
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Research and Conservation Report |
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Research and Conservation Report - Feb 2009 |
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Research and Conservation Report - Update |
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Research and Conservation Report May 2008 |
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Research and Conservation Report, January 2008 |
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Research and Conservation Report, July 07 |
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Research and Conservation update, November 2008 |
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Rivercall Service from The Environment Agency |
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Rivers revealed: the best and worst in England and Wales |
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Spawning Survey |
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Stillwater Barbel Experienced - Don Caliendo |
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The Barbel Society and the Environment Agency |
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The BIG ‘C’ - Ralph Clark |
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The Right Result - Gareth Thomas |
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September 1st 2001 will always be a date etched in most people’s memories as the day the England football team beat Germany 5 –1. My memories, however, are of a result of a different nature….
I had decided to fish the Dove a bit more seriously this season. I’d caught plenty of barbel from the Derwent but to date my biggest scaled five and a half pounds. The reported fish of nine pounds plus had eluded me. A change of venues was required if I wanted a bigger one..
I’d fished the Dove a few years earlier and caught some chub, but the river had yet to yield a barbel. The Derwent is less than a mile from my house and if the truth were known, had always been the easy option, especially when most of my fishing is restricted to evening sessions after work.
My first two visits of this season had resulted in a couple of chub, but they hadn’t been good days for fishing, too hot and sunny for my liking. I had managed to spend plenty of time walking the banks and I’d identified a couple of likely looking areas that I thought might hold barbel. They included one swim with a mass of overhanging branches plus a floating raft of debris.
Normally, I’d spend the evening of an England match in front of the telly with a pack of beer, but this time the lure of the Dove was too much. I drove down the Derwent valley, carrying straight on where I would normally turn off. Half an hour later I was unpacking the car. I met a couple of lads making their way back to the car park. They were both from Sheffield; once again I thanked my circumstances that meant I lived within half an hours drive of the Derwent, Trent and Dove. One of the lads had fished the swim I fancied and blanked, he’d fished meat all day and not had a touch. I wasn’t deterred for some reason and settled into the same swim. I’d decided to revert to my Derwent tactics of a block end feeder with hemp and casters. I reasoned that on this particular day the swim would have been fed steadily by the previous angler, perhaps all that was needed was a change of bait?
First cast and the rod pulled round – I’d hooked a powerful fish that made one surge to the snag and the hook pulled out. Damn…. What was it? My heart said it was a chub, my head said it was a barbel and I’d ruined my chances.
Regardless I fished on for a couple of hours, plagued by minnows that plucked the caster off the hook as soon as the feeder hit bottom, frustrating. By now I was beginning to have second thoughts, perhaps I should have stayed at home after all. As kick off approached the cows made their way home, a bit earlier than normal, the farmer’s intentions were clear I thought. Out of the corner of my eye the tip jagged round, but it wasn’t the barbel I wanted but a chub of around 3 pounds. There was about an hour of daylight left and time was running out, as I hadn’t intended to fish into the dark. At least the minnows seem to have disappeared – was this because bigger fish like the chub had moved in? My concentration was heightened again. Four or five casts later and like a dream, the tip pulled steadily round. This was no chub, the fish possessed that solid power that I knew made it a barbel. A couple of minutes later and my hunch was confirmed as a triangular fin broke the surface. For me this was a good fish, certainly bigger than any fish I had caught from the Derwent.
It was in open water now and the most dangerous part of the fight was over. A couple of minutes later and after a few nervous aborted attempts with the net the fish was safely landed. The barbel weighed a touch over seven pounds; not my biggest fish but certainly a good way to open my Dove account. I had made the right decision to come fishing, how could I have doubted myself?
Satisfied, I fished on for bit longer without any further fish. I packed and retraced my way back home. In the car I kept the radio off. I did not want to hear the football result as I had taped the match and would watch the recording when I got home. It was clear looking at the mood of the people coming out of pubs that England had done well, however I did not need to know the score, I’d already had the right result. |
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Thrupp Tree Works |
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TROUBLED WATER AHEAD OVER RIGHT TO PADDLE |
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URGENT ACTION NEEDED Water White Paper – another chance to get our rivers recognised |
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Voluntary Access Agreements to Rivers |
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WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? |
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You Never Know - Damian Kimmins |
