The river season is nearly over, so why not get out there now and do battle with a fighting-fit barbel before the shutdown?
THE JOY OF FISHING
TIME to make the last cast of the river coarse fishing season, so let’s hope it’s a fruitful one. But what species should you choose?
Well, for my money, nothing beats a battle with a powerful barbel. It starts with the classically aggressive ‘three-foot twitch’ and doesn’t let up until the fish is safely in the net!
On a recent trip, that’s exactly what happened to me five times, on a river brimful to the bank and as powerful as the Ganges. Each time the rod crashed over I grabbed it and hung on, relying on the drag to exert some control over the situation. A torpedo in a raging river ensured there was no quick victory, which was fine by me, as it meant I could enjoy the fight that little bit longer!
Then, all of a sudden, each fish rolled to show its white belly in surrender and I had a chance to admire those bronze flanks and marvel at their sheer power. So yes, I think barbel would be my perfect choice for the last cast and, given the current state of our rivers and the forecast for more rain, I reckon I’ll have to contend with more floods!
High water is a great leveller, be it on the Avon, Thames or Trent, because suddenly tactics become similar and less refined.
I have written about the need for finesse in winter, but there comes a point when conditions are so extreme that subtlety has to go out of the window and tackle strength becomes paramount.
First, though, we need to find our barbel and, looking at the big picture, most fish will be moving upstream towards the weirs in readiness for spawning. Take that into account when selecting a general location.
Focusing in a little more, I prefer smooth water where the flow is in a linear direction and, if there’s cover available, so much the better. I’m not sure if the speed of the surface flow affects barbel much, because it’ll be much slower on the bottom and, to them, swimming through a flood is akin to us walking into a fresh wind!
For us, fishing is far easier in slacks and creases but be aware, if you can’t get a bite, that the fish may be out in the middle.
Once, I remember fishing close in on the Severn all morning during high water then, in sheer desperation, putting on an 8oz lead and casting further out. It would hold for only 15 minutes or so but I didn’t need that long, because it was a bite a chuck!
Another important element to success
