More detail of how the Barbel Society's R&C Fund is used

Research into barbel growth on Kennet, Hants Avon and Teme

Next part of a continuing report on barbel growth by the Bournemouth University
From Barbel Fisher 33
http://severnriverstrust.com/2012/03/barbel-societ-research-groth-rates-in-barbel/

The barbel handling code

A dvd produced by Hugh Miles with Pete Reading on behalf of the Barbel Society.
Hard copies will be available at a nominal price, all proceeds going to the Research and Conservation Fund.

New B&B

Another trip to the big smoke

Living out here in the sticks miles from anywhere has it's advantages, but one of the major disadvantages is the pure fact that without an overnight stay over, I have no way of meeting my old International Drinking Society pals in the big smoke.
Fortunately my old mate Ivan lives in Woodford Green and has come to my rescue and replace my taken for granted overnighter at Mum's place, the old family home.
So I drove down yesterday morning at about 7:30 to get to his place by 11am,to ensure we got to the city meeting place by noon.
Our meeting place this time was set by me for my birthday celebration, I chose the Counting House in Cornhill, mainly because it does Fuller's beers, but, they also have good pies. 
Anyway, we arrived there at about 11:45 to be met by the eldest member of the ol'pals group Dave, he was well into his pint of London Pride,and had saved us a good sized table, so we followed suit.
I don't like sitting and drinking,but with a fine pie due later we needed to ensure our seating!
I have to say there were some peculiar looking fellas in modern City of London, there was a particularly large group of men, all of whom wore dark grey suits with short haircuts and all built like barraboys. Perhaps they are the "new breed" of City dealers, or maybe we were caught in a reunion of servicemen, they had the look of "security" types. One thing was noticeable they may have shaken hands and acknowledged each other,but never appeared to look into the eyes of the blokes they spoke to....shifty looking! Maybe coppers, or Mason's, or both!!
Anyway, we had a good few pints,and then thought it was about time to give ourselves some ballast for the afternoon. They are rather good pies.
We left I suppose, about 6 o'clock through the pub melee of City folk, said our farewells until June for Ivan's do, he's talking of Bruges, to Woodford Green for the rest of the evening on red wine, before collapsing into bed.

I awoke at 6 ish to the sound of the forest, Ivan's house backs onto a part of Epping Forest, I had a walk down his garden with a mug of tea and listened to the woodland bird-life, particularly the woodpeckers who are somewhat sparse up here on the lacking in woodland Wolds, before we headed of to the local cafe for a full English.

Fully replenished it was time for the off, and for my just over two and a half hour sober and quiet,drive back up the M11/A1 and rest until I start celebrating again tomorrow with The Boss!

Close

Final fling


Well, I've fished the middle for three days, and the tidal for three, plenty of bream to show for it and they were from the tidal at Sutton. On all of those trips and a couple before I was testing and only using  a bait marketed as a barbel attractor !

High tide

So yesterday I handed over the remainder of the  package for testing at Sutton between June 16th and mid August, in the hope that a review of the bait can be available for the autumn magazine.

Spent a couple of the days at Sutton trying to ID a flock 14 ducks with a whistle call in flight, I think they were teal wigeon

The "best" of the bunch

The middle down stream

The middle stretch is a noted spawning area, the EA strip off barbel here for future stocks.Yesterday was the first indication that the big girls were arriving, timed perfectly.....not for me alas!

So my river angling is over for 3 months, and I have to say that from a fishing view point I didn't give enough time to assess my skills, maybe a dozen trips this season mostly on the Trent.
Too many other things to deal with, so I'm looking forward to some pond fishing for tench and ago at some monster perch, and perhaps from next season a more varied approach to my angling in general.Certainly aim to get onto the bank more often.

..and then there were two!

I know I shall be somewhere around the Bristol Avon come opening week, not for fishing primarily, but the travel rods will be in the boot.
So watch out in the new season, I could be knocking at your door to come along and share the Experiences of your local river.

MOT

Visited the Doctors surgery about a fortnight ago for the NHS offered over 55's MOT, knowing full well that I am very overweight but feeling generally fit.
Results yesterday leave me for the need for more tests, to assess my glucose tolerance.
With family members suffering with varying degreesof diabetes this was an obvious outcome, my cholesterol is ok but I apparently drink too much and am clinically obese and have a 1 in 20 chance of a stroke or heart attack in the next 10 years.
Not certain I accept the booze thing, although the liver count may tell me otherwise,  too much weight was a no brainer !
A stone lost since early January only 7 to go!!

Red meat


Whilst thinking of health I began to wonder about these scientific studies about what we can eat or drink, and thought to myself do these scientists ever consider that the longer we all live the more of a burden we will become on our loved ones and society as a whole. Not their real concern me thinks, I bet the red meat scientists were all veggies anyway..
I for one don't want a few years extra on my life, with the potential of suffering dementia,or some other high dependency illness. So sod the go without or else philosophy preached,  if I took any pills which I thankfully don't, I would certainly give consideration to saving some up for that day when I've had enough!

After thought


A certain blogger is getting boring now with his constant chunterings about the close season and otters etc etc, give it a rest Bob, the blog is reading just like the Daily Mail now, even with their touches of inaccurate reporting  thrown in.
It seems to me he's pushing for a sure fire method  to build his readers figures in this river Close Season.
He talks about people on "......internet forums with renewed vigour and drone on endlessly.........."      yep!  
My forum reply to which Bob refers, was that the Adams Mill fish were fat, old and probably close to dying, if not dead, when dragged up the banks to be eaten by who knows what, maybe fox's, carrion eating birds, or  possibly even otter. Nobody has produced facts only their  interpretation, which is what I did!
Take a hint from John Bailey's article in this weeksAngler's Mail , Bob  "..... there are endless reports of  fish between 14 and 17lbs coming from more than a handfull of rivers. Fish of these proportions and in these numbers would have been unheard of when most of us were kids" 
John even thinks a revival of the Wensum's big fish is not far away.

So Bob, what goes around comes around, but there will be no changes to the Close Season in our lifetime and fish will carry on existing....as long as we have water for them to swim in.
Talking of which there was a report in an Oxford paper, that the Cherwell and Kennet are now " relying on “man-made” water to stop them from drying up."   In otherwords "clean" water being pumped from  sewerage works !!
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/9569082.River_Cherwell_drying_up_in_drought/
That's where you should start your chunter!

Another go

Fishing

A trip on my own today to the middle Trent, a different section of Lady Pitt Farm stretch right at the bottom of the fishery.
I had just set up and felt a presence behind me, so looked up from the bottom of the bank and there on the skyline, what appeared to be a youngish fella (sun in my eyes)and his ladyfriend.
Usual conversation,
Me "only just set up so can't tell you how it's fishing"
Him "what bait you using"
Me "testing out some free bait, so I'm hoping"
Him "fish here often"
Me " no, third time on this stretch this last week or so, last two days further upstream and blanked twice.... You ?"
Him " just joined so not fished.

Thinking we had said it all I cast the first rod upstream, put the rod in the rest and had an immediate take, my first barbel of the year.
Too quick to be a test of the bait, I must have hit him on the head!
Impressed my skyliner though, he had a good guess at the weight at 6:8ish. I bet he'd thought he'd scared them off ;o)

5:13

 Fished on for a couple more hours, that's what you get for expecting a good day from a start like that, before the next fish, just a tad larger.

So sat birdwatching most of the time kingfishers are nesting already just 10 feet down from my seat, a pair back and forth all afternoon, my camera is not fast enough to get a close shot, so went for the distance.

not a lot better!

One of these as well ?? Thought it was a mallard with a bit of something else, until I put the photo on and saw the hook beak..goosander?

Fished on until dusk, no other fish but a couple of chub tugs.