Arrived in the rain about half 2, I carried a little more gear than normal - with my brolly and comfy chair I felt as though I was camping! Threw in some corn and a scattering of pellets and then set up a couple of rods - the ledger for later on and the match rod to run a stick through and try for some of the chub that always elude me. Been a long time since I trotted so was striking at the bottom until I calmed down a little. Double corn on a size 12, 6lb line straight through and then - wham - rod bent in half... I hope that's a chub I thought, nope it's a barbel, cracking fight on and just goes to show what the Daiwa Lightening Coil from 80s can help you land! After that - nothing, oh apart from some heavy rain. Still, I left smiling.
Dane Yesterday
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Ivan heaphurst
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Well done, you did well to get a Dane Barbel in on 6lb lines.
To be fair it was in a snag-free swim and the rod is essentially a stiff match one so I was more worried about that going. It's not what I normally use - the ledger has 10lb sensor on it with an 8lb bottom on a much more appropriate rod. I won't be using that set-up (the float) again as it was fairly hairy, and had there been a bit more water coming through I'm not sure I'd have landed it!
must be mad
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Depends if your targeting them. By that I mean the type of water you fish and conditions. If I was fishing low water, mid day, in a snag free glide I would not expect to hit a big Barbel and I still class a big Dane Barbel being over 7lb a lot around 3lb to 5lb I do know of doubles but they are not common. Most fast shallows will hold a few Grayling and Dace, it also keeps minnows down as much as possible while on maggot.
If it's that kind of water hook lengths "froghair" copolymer for me
3.7lb 21's fox carp hook more like a 16's/18's it's quite robust for the odd bonus fish knotless knot tied loop to loop to a small micro swivel.
If I'm in a slightly snaggy swim then it steps up 6.2lb froghair 16's fox super strong. The floats vary on depth and speed of water ans so does the spacing, 4 no4 to 8no4 wire stem shouldered. The rods a Normark Avenger had some good fish out on that and again the way you play them, stick your tip low into the bottom no good pulling a fish up through snags keep under them. Now still on float but fishing pellet, well its a hole new ball game and my own method. I step it up in every way but the float which goes down I even use 11.1lb 1.75 tc avon rod. Float goes smaller let you work it out[
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If it's that kind of water hook lengths "froghair" copolymer for me
3.7lb 21's fox carp hook more like a 16's/18's it's quite robust for the odd bonus fish knotless knot tied loop to loop to a small micro swivel.
If I'm in a slightly snaggy swim then it steps up 6.2lb froghair 16's fox super strong. The floats vary on depth and speed of water ans so does the spacing, 4 no4 to 8no4 wire stem shouldered. The rods a Normark Avenger had some good fish out on that and again the way you play them, stick your tip low into the bottom no good pulling a fish up through snags keep under them. Now still on float but fishing pellet, well its a hole new ball game and my own method. I step it up in every way but the float which goes down I even use 11.1lb 1.75 tc avon rod. Float goes smaller let you work it out[
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