I realised that I should not really feel depressed!
Here I was again, by the River Dove, in my favourite spot, on a day that had threatened thunder, but had turned out to be clear, warm and fine.
Two things had lifted my depression!
Firstly, this wondrous little creature abounds down here by the river.
It is a kind of Dragonfly/mayfly.
Perhaps our resident lepidopterist, Ian, will be able to name it?
It has, seemingly 2 wings each side (although this may be an illusion of flight)
The wings are purple and the body black.
When it flies, you get the impression of a small Tiger Moth Bi-Plane, or some insect Steve Redgrave equivalent, chasing another Gold, as the 4 blades of the Coxless 4s flash in unison from a rear view angle.
Drifting back to my images, I dreamed of happy childhood fishing, with a mind full of Biplane and Triplane stories, as Captain W.E.Johns described the conflict of Biggles in his Camel and The Red Baron in his Albatross.
All around me, the Pigeons of the woods, (Independent Birds, plump. Proud and sleek, so unlike your Town ferals!) Soared, dived and clapped their wings, in a tribute to contentment, that at last there was sunshine!
And the Wild Flowers!
Yes, it was a lovely day, but why therefore the depression?
Well, we had had two days of rain, thunder and the River where I sat was rising fast.
I had a severe neck ache, caused at Elvington, when I had slept for long periods and the weight of my head in this position had seized the muscles!
I could now barely look up to the tip of my new gifted rod from angler-Mark!
I had arrived at my swim, at 1.30pm; all plans made and immediately fired in 3/4s of my holding particles pints each of hemp/groats/American Buckwheat and a tin of sweetcorn!
Then, having set up my rod, baited with (believe me!) a convenient large black slug; I found that the rising river (over a metre up) meant that I just could not hold bottom! Over my now wasted groundbait!
AND I had been driven out, by the post that Grey-Catchpole had put up showing a beaming Dai, holding yet another fine fish1 I wished to emulate the obvious pleasure that lovely man was displaying!
And finally, the walk to the swim, carrying even the minimum of kit, (but bait and my full flask, never seem to get lighter) with my head staring at the ground due to my neck, had just about tired me out.
And so reeling in resignedly, I settled back in my chair, in the warm sun and slept until 4.30!
The pigeons called me back and combined with the dragonflies, I sat considering my options.
Give up, Go Home, persevere in these conditions, or take the opportunity to roam and search out a flood swim, somewhere deep and out of the main flow, which may not work today, but come into its own in winter?
I idly watched two of the flies mating,
Peculiarly, they put tail to tail and face away from each other, as though they have a kind of Victorian attitude to procreation and are somehow ashamed of the act!
I wondered if that was the case, why didnt they wait until dark? And then realised that if I went home, Id miss all these natural comings and goings, be trapped on the computer and learn nothing!
The River was up further and trees, tyres, debris of all description were tearing downstream.
Heres a huge raft of reeds that had been torn from the bank side and hastily in its newfound freedom, was hurrying down to the sea.
I pitied it as its longetivity was in severe question, but uncaringly it raced away. The Grass is always greener on the other side of the hill!
Rod, net, bait, scales and a minimum of hooks, disgorgers, etc. were pocketed and the rod rest plucked up last of all, as I set off in pursuit of my (growing in my mind now, so I almost saw it in capitals) FLOOD SWIM.
All of 50 yards did I take these burdens and there, just 1 peg up, I found a possible answer!
The river curved in to the bank and I could see that an eddy had been caused and the water actually flowed backwards for some 20 yards, before again meeting the maelstrom and being swept back downstream!
Quickly setting the rest, up on top of the bank now, I cast about 8 yds upstream and close in and slowly tightened to the bomb.
Yes, It held, but now I was trying upstream ledgering! More difficult for bite detection I had read and easy to misread the straightening of the quiver caused by weed knocks!
Staying with the slug was not an option even my newfound faith could contemplate for long!
Archie Braddock describes warm WINTER flood conditions as the best possible with coloured water for Barbel.
The water was chocolate and the temperature was 61 degs, so were summer conditions the same?
Large, smelly baits, he advocated, so on went my flavoured luncheon meat, size 8 hook and 10 lb bottom. to my 20lb Power pro mainline. (After previous experience, I had beefed everything up and this current would only help the fish!)
After about 5 minutes, the tip suddenly straightened, but no further indication came.
The meat had disappeared on reeling in, but was that faulty hooking, or a missed bite?
Still, it was enough, I went and collected the rest of my gear, set up my chair, but found by laying on my jacket, I could look up more comfortably and finally settled down at 5.15 to attempt to fish!
15 minutes later, the tip sprung straight, I struck and was unmistakeably into a Barbel!
It shot straight into the main current, powered unstoppably down river and my reel handle sang as the fish pulled off the backwind!
AND then, the dreaded slack!
On reeling in, the hook, which I had prepared at home and was sure was as secure as possible, had come away, as the curled ends of the hook length indicated!
I was ready for this now!
In these coloured waters I reasoned, smell and not sight were paramount, so I increased to a size 6, with 14 lb bottom and re-baited, re-cast and re-prayed for an encore!
Sure enough, within 10 minutes, it all happened again!
This time however, despite an incredible run, I first slowed the fish, then turned it and after playing it for some 5 minutes, was relieved to see it roll a few feet away in the tearing current.
With the rise in the river level, the lower shelf of the swim was engulfed and the landing net could be used here, with no current tow and therefore it was much easier to guide the fish into this slack and net!
I was really pleased with this 5lb 9 oz fish, my first in such adverse conditions and a justification of perseverance and my reading.
I was also pleased that I was the only Angler (nutter!) on the river, I may just have discovered a method that will ensure me being able to catch, when others stay away!
I decided to feed all my remaining loose feed.
Loathe to do this, as Barbel usually need time to go back to a fed swim and may spook, I reasoned that they needed something to start them avidly feeding and besides, no way was I carrying that back!!!
Perhaps this is why I had to wait until 6.45 pm for the next take!
A good stamp of fish again and a high-powered run.
Seemingly, I had just allowed more backwind out and was slowing her, when the rod swung round, unstoppably. Almost pointing at the fish and the hook pulled!
I am still waiting for my Askari order, for replacement reels to those stolen!
Today I was using a Browning 720 and I do not believe that it is designed for such heavy work.
The on/off backwind is a slide button affair and during the run, it had locked!
I should have taken angler-Marks advice and relied on the clutch!
Too late, I ensured the clutch was set now, but reflected that if the 1st indication was a missed bite, I could now have a 4 fish bag instead of one!
At 7.05 itv was two!
Another take, another nerve wracking battle and I was later shocked to find this fish smaller at 5lb 4 ozs!
Pound for pound, these 5lb Barbel are incredible fighters
8.10 was the next action time!
Identical circumstances except this time the clutch did play a strong role.
Perhaps because the current had increased? The flow stronger as the Dove persisted in climbing up to meet me? I, unsure, but again, weighing 5lb 7 ozs, I was surprised this one had not been heavier than my first.
As is usual for me, I had caught a one-eyed fish!
You can see that this eye is Golden, I assume blind and quite unlike the other.
The sky darkened, but a warm pink sunset filled the west, promising tomorrow would share todays warmth.
I gathered my things carefully together, to ensure that I could squeeze as much time as possible from this day, but bearing in mind I had a match tomorrow.
Laying everything out neatly, I packed the unused Umbrella and left only the necessary items for dismantling the rod, put on my head torch and set a deadline of 10.00 pm.
I didnt meet it as at 9.50 PM, in the growing darkness, this 4lb 6 oz fish took the bait and by the time I had landed, weighed, photographed, retained in the pool at my feet until recovered, it was 10.20 as I set off on the walk across the meadow!
Must get this flash sorted!
The river had incredibly risen to lap the top of the bank when I left and yet the fish were still playing!
Heres a picture of my swim on July 15th, When I cannot see over the bank from where I am standing and yet the water is still below me!
What a rise in level!
Contentedly, I drove slowly home, thanking Dais picture for inspiring me to try today.
The weather, the fishing and the river had all come good and there was only one thing missing.
Now I needed that double!
Just one 10lb fish and I would have been completely content!
So, I resolved to offer the River Dove a bargain that in the current economic climate, I am sure it will be hard pressed to refuse.
So, How about it Dove? Next time, keep those 1st 3 fish and give me a 10
Three Fives for a Ten? Cant Be Bad!
Cheers
Trev
Ziptrev
Shouldn't happen to a DOG!
Here I was again, by the River Dove, in my favourite spot, on a day that had threatened thunder, but had turned out to be clear, warm and fine.
Two things had lifted my depression!
Firstly, this wondrous little creature abounds down here by the river.
It is a kind of Dragonfly/mayfly.
Perhaps our resident lepidopterist, Ian, will be able to name it?
It has, seemingly 2 wings each side (although this may be an illusion of flight)
The wings are purple and the body black.
When it flies, you get the impression of a small Tiger Moth Bi-Plane, or some insect Steve Redgrave equivalent, chasing another Gold, as the 4 blades of the Coxless 4s flash in unison from a rear view angle.
Drifting back to my images, I dreamed of happy childhood fishing, with a mind full of Biplane and Triplane stories, as Captain W.E.Johns described the conflict of Biggles in his Camel and The Red Baron in his Albatross.
All around me, the Pigeons of the woods, (Independent Birds, plump. Proud and sleek, so unlike your Town ferals!) Soared, dived and clapped their wings, in a tribute to contentment, that at last there was sunshine!
And the Wild Flowers!
Yes, it was a lovely day, but why therefore the depression?
Well, we had had two days of rain, thunder and the River where I sat was rising fast.
I had a severe neck ache, caused at Elvington, when I had slept for long periods and the weight of my head in this position had seized the muscles!
I could now barely look up to the tip of my new gifted rod from angler-Mark!
I had arrived at my swim, at 1.30pm; all plans made and immediately fired in 3/4s of my holding particles pints each of hemp/groats/American Buckwheat and a tin of sweetcorn!
Then, having set up my rod, baited with (believe me!) a convenient large black slug; I found that the rising river (over a metre up) meant that I just could not hold bottom! Over my now wasted groundbait!
AND I had been driven out, by the post that Grey-Catchpole had put up showing a beaming Dai, holding yet another fine fish1 I wished to emulate the obvious pleasure that lovely man was displaying!
And finally, the walk to the swim, carrying even the minimum of kit, (but bait and my full flask, never seem to get lighter) with my head staring at the ground due to my neck, had just about tired me out.
And so reeling in resignedly, I settled back in my chair, in the warm sun and slept until 4.30!
The pigeons called me back and combined with the dragonflies, I sat considering my options.
Give up, Go Home, persevere in these conditions, or take the opportunity to roam and search out a flood swim, somewhere deep and out of the main flow, which may not work today, but come into its own in winter?
I idly watched two of the flies mating,
Peculiarly, they put tail to tail and face away from each other, as though they have a kind of Victorian attitude to procreation and are somehow ashamed of the act!
I wondered if that was the case, why didnt they wait until dark? And then realised that if I went home, Id miss all these natural comings and goings, be trapped on the computer and learn nothing!
The River was up further and trees, tyres, debris of all description were tearing downstream.
Heres a huge raft of reeds that had been torn from the bank side and hastily in its newfound freedom, was hurrying down to the sea.
I pitied it as its longetivity was in severe question, but uncaringly it raced away. The Grass is always greener on the other side of the hill!
Rod, net, bait, scales and a minimum of hooks, disgorgers, etc. were pocketed and the rod rest plucked up last of all, as I set off in pursuit of my (growing in my mind now, so I almost saw it in capitals) FLOOD SWIM.
All of 50 yards did I take these burdens and there, just 1 peg up, I found a possible answer!
The river curved in to the bank and I could see that an eddy had been caused and the water actually flowed backwards for some 20 yards, before again meeting the maelstrom and being swept back downstream!
Quickly setting the rest, up on top of the bank now, I cast about 8 yds upstream and close in and slowly tightened to the bomb.
Yes, It held, but now I was trying upstream ledgering! More difficult for bite detection I had read and easy to misread the straightening of the quiver caused by weed knocks!
Staying with the slug was not an option even my newfound faith could contemplate for long!
Archie Braddock describes warm WINTER flood conditions as the best possible with coloured water for Barbel.
The water was chocolate and the temperature was 61 degs, so were summer conditions the same?
Large, smelly baits, he advocated, so on went my flavoured luncheon meat, size 8 hook and 10 lb bottom. to my 20lb Power pro mainline. (After previous experience, I had beefed everything up and this current would only help the fish!)
After about 5 minutes, the tip suddenly straightened, but no further indication came.
The meat had disappeared on reeling in, but was that faulty hooking, or a missed bite?
Still, it was enough, I went and collected the rest of my gear, set up my chair, but found by laying on my jacket, I could look up more comfortably and finally settled down at 5.15 to attempt to fish!
15 minutes later, the tip sprung straight, I struck and was unmistakeably into a Barbel!
It shot straight into the main current, powered unstoppably down river and my reel handle sang as the fish pulled off the backwind!
AND then, the dreaded slack!
On reeling in, the hook, which I had prepared at home and was sure was as secure as possible, had come away, as the curled ends of the hook length indicated!
I was ready for this now!
In these coloured waters I reasoned, smell and not sight were paramount, so I increased to a size 6, with 14 lb bottom and re-baited, re-cast and re-prayed for an encore!
Sure enough, within 10 minutes, it all happened again!
This time however, despite an incredible run, I first slowed the fish, then turned it and after playing it for some 5 minutes, was relieved to see it roll a few feet away in the tearing current.
With the rise in the river level, the lower shelf of the swim was engulfed and the landing net could be used here, with no current tow and therefore it was much easier to guide the fish into this slack and net!
I was really pleased with this 5lb 9 oz fish, my first in such adverse conditions and a justification of perseverance and my reading.
I was also pleased that I was the only Angler (nutter!) on the river, I may just have discovered a method that will ensure me being able to catch, when others stay away!
I decided to feed all my remaining loose feed.
Loathe to do this, as Barbel usually need time to go back to a fed swim and may spook, I reasoned that they needed something to start them avidly feeding and besides, no way was I carrying that back!!!
Perhaps this is why I had to wait until 6.45 pm for the next take!
A good stamp of fish again and a high-powered run.
Seemingly, I had just allowed more backwind out and was slowing her, when the rod swung round, unstoppably. Almost pointing at the fish and the hook pulled!
I am still waiting for my Askari order, for replacement reels to those stolen!
Today I was using a Browning 720 and I do not believe that it is designed for such heavy work.
The on/off backwind is a slide button affair and during the run, it had locked!
I should have taken angler-Marks advice and relied on the clutch!
Too late, I ensured the clutch was set now, but reflected that if the 1st indication was a missed bite, I could now have a 4 fish bag instead of one!
At 7.05 itv was two!
Another take, another nerve wracking battle and I was later shocked to find this fish smaller at 5lb 4 ozs!
Pound for pound, these 5lb Barbel are incredible fighters
8.10 was the next action time!
Identical circumstances except this time the clutch did play a strong role.
Perhaps because the current had increased? The flow stronger as the Dove persisted in climbing up to meet me? I, unsure, but again, weighing 5lb 7 ozs, I was surprised this one had not been heavier than my first.
As is usual for me, I had caught a one-eyed fish!
You can see that this eye is Golden, I assume blind and quite unlike the other.
The sky darkened, but a warm pink sunset filled the west, promising tomorrow would share todays warmth.
I gathered my things carefully together, to ensure that I could squeeze as much time as possible from this day, but bearing in mind I had a match tomorrow.
Laying everything out neatly, I packed the unused Umbrella and left only the necessary items for dismantling the rod, put on my head torch and set a deadline of 10.00 pm.
I didnt meet it as at 9.50 PM, in the growing darkness, this 4lb 6 oz fish took the bait and by the time I had landed, weighed, photographed, retained in the pool at my feet until recovered, it was 10.20 as I set off on the walk across the meadow!
Must get this flash sorted!
The river had incredibly risen to lap the top of the bank when I left and yet the fish were still playing!
Heres a picture of my swim on July 15th, When I cannot see over the bank from where I am standing and yet the water is still below me!
What a rise in level!
Contentedly, I drove slowly home, thanking Dais picture for inspiring me to try today.
The weather, the fishing and the river had all come good and there was only one thing missing.
Now I needed that double!
Just one 10lb fish and I would have been completely content!
So, I resolved to offer the River Dove a bargain that in the current economic climate, I am sure it will be hard pressed to refuse.
So, How about it Dove? Next time, keep those 1st 3 fish and give me a 10
Three Fives for a Ten? Cant Be Bad!
Cheers
Trev
Ziptrev
Shouldn't happen to a DOG!
