Other matters

Value the people who love, respect and trust you the most, and forget about the negative and toxic people who don’t deserve you.  Robert Tew

I'm sorry to say my family has been hit again by the dreaded cancer, my sister in law, the partner of my youngest brother Peter has 2nd degree cancer of the stomach lining. This follows an operation some months ago to remove all her "lady bits". 

They thought they had got it all..... but it's back!

I shall be back in Essex for a few days in the New Year, to see if and how I can assist.

The Lost Diary
Before I start I should say that I have every respect of Chris Yates and his writing.
His last books How to fish and Nightwalk actually made me think about reading more of his work..
I've picked up a couple more lately, Falling in again, River Dairies and The Deepening Pool.
I decided not to start reading River Diaries until I had read The Lost Diary,which I ordered back in April. Perhaps I should have got hold of Four Seasons and read that first? 
Because my view of this latest offering, from start to finish was....... I could do that!
I expected far more, instead all I read was a lightweight lift direct from a diary without embellishments.
So as soon as I made room for it on my bookshelf, I picked up River Dairies for a comparison.
I'm still reading it, but straight away it seemed a better read, there is substance in the writing which I can only put down to Mr Yates actually putting more life into his bank side jottings, rather than what I perceive to be, a straight lift from his lost diary. So there you go Monty, I agree with your view.
A personal view of course, which may upset a few of Mr Yates avid followers, but that's how I see his latest offering I'm afraid, just a bit of an half hearted effort!
It would be interesting, before I splash out, to hear how readers compare the style of writing of Four Seasons to River Dairies.

Down under

Stingray on, my second brother Ted beach fishing off Exmouth W.A, decides that a cut off is the better part of valour!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpkIosqB23E


Have a happy, healthy 2014.

Tidying up

Remembering an old friend

Tidying up my study isn't a chore I carry out often, if at all!

Having finished Chris Yates latest book The Lost Diary I started shuffling the bookshelf around to loosen the squeeze that was occurring, and found this newspaper cutting from December 2005 tucked in an old journal of my fishing experiences. I've reworked it as it's a full page and the layout wasn't condusive to the scanner reproduction.

Sadly John died on the 23rd March 2007, he had suffered the dreaded cancer for about nine years, so our too few trips were reliant on his health on the day.

 I have missed our trips out to the Witham, Idle and Trent, I learnt a great deal from him

14   December, 2005      The Angling Star (copyright)

Isn't it time some specimen hunters learned manners, asks  JOHN LEDGER

Ambushed by the brainless

barbel bashers

          NO NOT US:This is my good pal Fred Bonney with his "consolation" 9lb barbel on a foamy Trent 

I DECIDED to fish the Upper Witham the other week but on arrival found the river low with minimal flow, making good fishing out of the ques­tion on this little river. So in haste I headed back towards the Trent. The upper Trent was just a little bit far away so I dropped in at the middle section of the river just outside Newark with every intention of fishing for roach.

As usual I was first on the bank and set up in a nice-looking glide. First trot down produced a small roach and over the next 30 minutes or so a steady stream of roach came, with two or three around the 12oz mark. I was just about thinking to myself "this could be one of those days" when alas, it was all about to go horribly wrong. About an hour after starting a car pulled up below me and two anglers got out and; bearing in mind there was about half of mile of river to go at, I thought to myself they will not bother me ... wrong again.

One angler got out of the car and started to hammer a bank stick into the bank for his rod rest about 10 metres below me, while his mate parked himself in the swim above. The fellow below started to bait drop a load of bait upstream and proceeded to cast slightly upstream with his heavy feeder, at which point I asked if he wanted to fish in my swim because he had knocked it dead. The fellow came up and asked me what the prob­lem was and said he had no problem with my stick float passing through his swim, which just beggared belief.

Asking him why he was fishing vir­tually in my swim, he replied: "Because that's where the barbel are", to which I replied "Yes, and that's where the roach were until you came!" 

He then went on to tell me he was a member of the Barbel Society, which went down like a lead balloon because two weeks before this outing the same thing happened on the Dove when two members of the same Society took root in my swim after arriving five hours after me!

On both occasions I packed in fishing and moved, which leaves me wondering just what sort of angler is joining the Barbel Society and why they are so keen to lay the law down on handling fish, yet have anglers who have no manners on the bank side. They seem to have tunnel vision regarding barbel and no respect for their fellow anglers' different style of fishing. To them the only fish worth catching is the barbel; well, how sad is that!

My good pal Tom Riordan, who is a specialist angler from Derby, emailed telling virtually the same story with another group from the Barbel Society descending on the Derby Rail section of the River Dove without books, stating they belonged to the Barbel Society and could fish virtu­ally anywhere. 

Needless to say Tom moved them on rather rapidly.

Let's cut to the chase. I know some very fine anglers who belong to the Society, but after saying that it seems to have its fair share of idiots who think and believe they are a law unto themselves. I have spoken to Paul Owens of the Barbel Society, who sounds like a pretty decent sort fellow to me, but certainly something wants doing regarding respecting other anglers and other species of fish they fish for.

 I can honestly see the time coming when night fishing is banned due to the behaviour of some of the morons on our banks. You don’t go letting fireworks off in the middle of the night at Collingham if you want to carry on fishing and you don’t go leaving luncheon meat cans for cattle to walk on to. Caster bags and hempseed tins are not left by floodwater as some anglers suggest and it’s time to get our house in order…and fast. The past few years have seen hordes of them descending like the SAS, but are all camouflage and no brain.

In Tom’s email he also made a very valid point regarding internet websites for anglers, saying that although they can be helpful they can also cause problems - certain anglers handing out too much information on loca­tions, resulting in too many anglers descending on certain locations, for example. Tom is a man who can think for himself and is willing to do his own spadework on finding both location and swim. It's all too easy for some to be told the exact location, peg number etc. I have started to notice the number of young anglers who want instant success, usually with carp on the commercials, and who shun the rivers. 

Give me 10lb of river roach over l00lb of commercial carp any day.

Speaking of the Barbel Society, one fine member is my pal Fred Bonney, a Londoner who now lives at Market Rasen. Fred fancied a bit of roach fishing, so where better to take him than the Idle.

Fred is a big-fish man and he fished quite a lot on the Upper Ouse and has a string of big chub to his name including one of 6lb14oz. But he told me he would like to try the stick float, a method he had not fished for years. I set a few rigs up overnight for Fred and it was not long before he was catching roach like a good'un ... and I do know he wants to go back to this wonderful little river.

IDLE TREAT: Fred  Bonney enjoying a successful session after the roach on the idyllic River  Idle

The next outing was to a stretch Fred fishes on the middle Trent near Newark and, although the river level and temp was OK, there was too much foam on the surface for the float. So we settled down for some barbel fishing, resulting in a fine fish of over 9lb for Fred, while I managed a chub of around 3lb but no barbel. I would like to go back to this section and  for the roach in the not too distant future.

A telephone call from my old mate Mike Townsend, who has been setting the angling world alight with his recent catches of huge roach, bream, tench, barbel and crucians (yes, I'm getting jealous) was the trigger for a spot of chub fishing, Swale style. One fish Mike has not had is a big chub, so it was a pleasure for me to be there when he caught his personal best - a fish of 4lb 8oz, which is not big by Swale standards but it's a start as Mike has not fished for chub as much as me. We had eight fish in all but lost a few. I lost six and Mike five, with mine coming to the stick float, Mike's coming to the feeder.

• Once again at the time of writing the news has come through that our old mate Traveller, the barbel, has been caught again for the second time in a week at the syndicate water Adams Mill. Apparently members are arriving so early they are drawing lots for the favoured swim - what a sad indictment on our sport that is. Rumour has it the fish is so tame it's started to talk and wants to do a pantomime season in Blackpool.

I have said it once and will say it again: this fish wants removing and placing into a large river like the Severn, Trent or Thames for a bit of peace and quiet. If this cannot be done then let the fish come and stay with me for a couple of weeks as I will ask the wife to live with her sister for a while. One can only hope that angling papers pull the plug on the catching of Traveller because in my humble opinion (and I know it’s shared by many), these so-called anglers looking for 15 minutes of glory do not deserve our respect.
...................................................................................................................................................................

                                                                        

Obituary by Ron Clay and Graham Marsden

I'll probably have to shuffle the bookshelf again now 
The Fool and His Eel by Mark Walsingham, turned up in today's post. It's a hefty tome! 

Thanks Coch-y-Bondddu for the great service..as usual.

.

.

Not long to go

Afternoon trip Thursday

Had another couple of hours down the Trent.
Rising slowly throughout my stay, loads of debris of the willow branch kind washing down stream.
There were some heavy squalls last night, so no doubt the trees took a pounding and cracked!!
A few disturbances didn't help with my concentration and the hopes of catching, so I left at about 3:30 fishless....again.

the kingfisher tree downstream

upstream

The swim I was in is very close to where the kingfishers nest and they were up and down all afternoon into the tree just down from where I set myself up.
In my tree, a host of longtail tits paid regular visits, and the biggest flock of rooks I've ever seen,were over what looked like Bleasby village on the opposite bank.

Christopher present for me!

Chris Yates new book The Lost Diary arrived on Tuesday, I've not started on it yet, but I'm quite looking forward to setting aside a few hours over the next day or so to immerse myself into his world...if only for another brief glimpse.

At the Barbel Society Research and Conservation auction I purchased a Chris Turnbull print, this turned up yesterday whilst I was out, and has now been framed and is in pride of place on my "study" wall.

The three rods I acquired at the same time will probably appear in the New Year, unless I'm lucky. 

So, for my trotting, to replace my old Shimano Hyperloop, I now have a "used once" Drennan Classic IM9 13′ 
To replace perhaps two or three of my existing"barbel"rods I will renew my acquaintance with the Fox Kevlar barbel Multi tip rod 1.25/1.75, and a surprise rod, as the second of the kevlar's to make a tackle tart pair,was listed incorrectly, and is replaced with a brand new Fox FX twin tip. This rod will get further consideration when I see how it compares to those I have already, or receive.

Lush!

We've just decanted and tasted our attempt at home-made plum vodka........corr!!!!
Vodka soaked plum crumble tomorrow.



Happy Christmas and a happy healthy and fish full 2014 to all my readers.

Hours in the day!

The start

Thursday, the day started like I could expect a bit of stress, it was foggy at 6:30am, enough to make me think about giving up my 3 hour drive down to Woodford Green for my overnighter with Ivan, and for the arranged Christmas gathering of The International Drinking Society.
I knew I couldn't back out of it,and I didn't want to, so I had myself some egg& bacon and set off just after 7am.
It read -.5c on the car thermometer, but the windows weren't frosted.
As I got down to the flatlands, the temperature dropped to -3c and there was a heavy frost covering as well as fog.
Anyway onwards and upwards, well downwards I started to feel the doom prophecies building up in my mind, I'm going to be late, it's going to take me hours, the traffic will be crap!!
As it turned out all roads were relatively clear,apart from the usual build up where the A14 meets the M11 and it took a little over 3 hours to get to my B&B, from there it just got better.
We all met at the White Hart in a back street opposite Waterloo Station and only Dave from Petersfield and John from Redhill were a little late.

We started with Sharps Doom Bar after deciding that the other ales on offer would not assist us in making the session last. At 4.0% whilst no being a session beer, it was the lowest available!
I daren't tell Mick in my local that Lundun pints are £3.80 and upwards.
We were advised that as there was a Christmas party for 30 odd office workers about to start, there were already some funny hats around, and that food wouldn't be available until 2.30.
We decided to stay and suffer the beers available and not go curry hunting.
I have to say we managed the long wait to order food, but some of us were on our sixth pint, and needed to take on ballast.
Job done we filled ourselves with bangers and mash and cod and chips. Very good they were too.
We abandoned the pub at around 6pm, after a top up of  few bottles of red and a glass of port and headed off towards Waterloo and our various journeys home.
Ivan and I back to Woodford Green for a night cap, or was it two?
At 7am next morning, just as the cricket was stopping for tea, we were in the local cafe, having the "works". I got home just after 11am.
Weather permitting the next function will be at my local to celebrate my 65th in March. I'm lining up B&B in the pub for those that make the journey up.

Loadsamoney

Talking of my birthday,I just got confirmation of my state pension payable in arrears from next April.
550 notes every four weeks, can't be bad...more holidays!


Lamb chops

The evening came around quickly, and an unusual knock on the door, unusual in that we don't usually get knocks on the door in darkness. Anyway it stirred me from my nods, it was the lady with our lamb order.
She told me the Tup was already in the field when I said put us down for one next year.
We now have some really good meat to look forward to over the coming months

More celebrations

Today we had an enjoyable 60th wedding anniversary lunch celebration for our former next door neighbours, Ray and June.
Tomorrow we shall be celebrating the 80th birthday of Bob, one of the old boys I fished with when we had a pub club

Fishing rods and a sore looser

When I first got lured into barbel fishing one of the first especially labelled barbel fishing rods I bought was Fox kevlar barbel multi tip, I had it for a few years but then got an offer of two Nash barbel specials as a swop for a Shimano10000, so I sold it, from memory via BFW.

 Fox Kevlar barbel Multi tip rods 1.25/1.75 

It was a good rod and after a while I very much regretted selling it as it was a very versatile piece of kit
I have just bid and won two in the R&C auction at good prices. So will no doubt be offloading, one Nash, and one Fox barbel special, and a Fox 2.75 flood rod. I've also got myself a nice used Drennan IM9 float rod in the auction which should come in handy for my rediscovered trotting experiences.

Then and again, I may just take a hefty profit on the 3 rods won at auction just to keep the anonymous looser happy. I found this on my last blog comments this morning. 

 Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Chuffed": 

I will look out for all the rods you bought in the Auction on Ebay. As everyone is saying - you are a greedy selfish bastard.

Yes, I still get the snide comments, always anonymous though, from some poor weak minded soul who didn't bid enough. I was very tempted to buy a Twyford AC ticket that went cheap too!

By the way the auction is still running, if anybody wants me to  bid on anything, many lots are still available at bargain prices .

Chuffed

Mum

  Kathleen Ella Boney 
10 January 1923 - 11 December 2011




Scancell

I'm really chuffed about what these people are doing for a cancer cure and research into the disease, something that affects us all at some time.

"So the goal is to turn cancer into a chronic disease which can be managed. Older drugs couldn't do that. They could reduce the size of the tumour but, over time, it would grow again and people would die."

Layman's language Nottingham Press


First

I just checked through my writings and it confirmed I haven't been on the Trent this season!
So, yesterday was my first trip, I popped down the Lady Pitt Farm for about 3 hours, well 5 if you include the journey time.
Not a soul in site, so I had the choice of the Scunthorpe Pisces stretch, I had decided in my mind that chub would be the order of the day so loaded up with stilton, bread for flake and liquidised and some pastes.
There appears to have been some considerable bank erosion since my last visit, so undercut banks was a concern, getting down to some was almost impossible, in fact some areas are roped off from access
I chose a swim that I wouldn't have chosen if there had been rain, or if it was likely, quite difficult to get down to and out of if fully loaded, but I was carrying light, with one rod and a few bits for light ledgering.
It still was a bit of hard work, but relatively comfortable for landing any fish hooked.
As it turned out I didn't get a touch, but was happy to be there and watch the world go by. Rabbits and a gathering of grey partridge on the island opposite. Cormorants still appear to be on Hazelford Weir as they were flying up above almost all afternoon.
I was going down again today but decided, with the local fog, that I'll leave my trip until next week, perhaps a couple of visits to Lady Pitt with some zander/pike gear down the bottom end, and the upper Witham for roach and chub.
I may even remember to take my camera, it was still on my desk when I got home.
The urge is returning.

Tomorrow, back down to London for an overnighter and The International Drinking Society Christmas meeting. I've picked a pub near Waterloo station to assist some of the older commuting members from Petersfield, Dartford and Reigate!
Back for a 60th wedding anniversary celebration on Saturday lunchtime on the Lincolnshire flatlands.

Stuff

Investments

I've not updated for quite a while on my investments in AiM, mainly because they are currently showing a paper loss of somewhere about 40%.

They all still show promise, but one in particular is very close to doing the job.

I've tended to invest in small biotech companies and the odd oil exploration company, so I knew along it would be long term, bottom drawer investing .

This is the one that is showing good hope and one that should be of particular interest to us outdoor types.

http://www.scancell.co.uk/

Sunday's Press    UPDATE 9/12

Not an investment recommendation by the way, you should always carry out your own investigations of companies before putting in your funds and be prepared to make possibly long term paper losses.

Mint sauce and looking WSW!

I've just been advised my lamb from the field next door will be delivered at the end of this week, just the Mum's left in the field now!

Especially for the Anonymous one!

An old article of mine: From Barbel Fisher 28 Winter 2009

An invitation from Martin James:

      Thank you Kate.                    know that some of it can be
         To cut a long story short        found in his autobiography
         we fished the evening session  "Up against it"(Crowood 1994) 
         in continuous rain and on       Martin is not an early
        a different stretch which,         
                              

The Avon Roach Project and the Barbel Society

AVON ROACH PROJECT - AVON FUNDRAISER PRESS RELEASE.

Match winner Kevin Dyer receives the well earned trophy from Trevor.

Saturday 5th October saw the running of the fifth annual Avon Fundraiser Event held jointly by The Avon Roach Project and the Barbel Society Research and Conservation department, between whom all the proceeds are split to help fund the ongoing needs and running costs of the Roach Project and much needed partnership run Avon based habitat restoration and enhancement projects; many of these in partnership with our great mates at the EA.
The day consisted of a friendly fishing match followed by a three course meal at a local country hotel. This was then followed by an auction of some sixty fabulous lots, from exclusive guided and guest fishing days, signed books and DVD’s, rods, reels, pictures and
an exclusive centrepin made and engraved especially for this event. There was also a special section of lots donated by avid Roach Project supporter and good friend Chris Yates which included signed books, a reel and a special float once owned and used by the legendary Bernard Venables.
The fishing match is won with the best specimen of any species caught on the day, and this year that fish was a 14lb 1oz barbel taken from a classic swim on a meatball by regular supporter Kevin Dyer.
Perhaps even more satisfying was the appearance of small roach on the catch return sheet for the first time in the five year history of the event.

The day was attended by seventy three people and raised a staggering six thousand pounds.
Trevor Harrop ‘Avon Roach Project’ said:-
The generosity shown at our annual fundraiser is almost beyond words; and while we are regularly reminded that we have countrywide support for our project, we are almost moved to tears at the open-handedness, kindness, support, and as importantly, belief we are shown at these events.
We have to pinch ourselves sometimes, when we remember that it all started with a tank and a couple of nutcases with a bonkers idea of reinstating roach into the Avon, then to be standing in front of a hall full of people, all showing such boundless support, with some having caught roach from the river for the first time in decades. 
So, maybe, just maybe, we are actually making a difference.

                   >>>>>>>>>> Video <<<<<<<<<<<<< 

Another blast from the past

Charity by the Thames

I fished a private weir pool on the Thames yesterday, (16/10/2012) by kind invitation and in the company of Nigel Connor. I should clarify now that, and say it was a Cakey charity day auction lot that I won on Fishing Magic forum some two years ago.

Our home, being what seems to be as far away from everywhere, the drive took me what the usual close on three and a half hours. Setting off just before 8 am gave me time to arrive at our meeting place adjacent to the Thames at noon; in fact I arrived at 11:15.

We had been made aware that the fire brigade were due to carry out an exercise in the weir pool in the afternoon, but decided beforehand to go ahead with the day anyway and fished a couple of swims downstream under the willows. The water was up and coloured, they must have had a bit of rain further upstream.

All in all a rather unproductive early afternoon, but switching from pellet to an apple corer cut, core of garlic spam on a size 8 bought me a sharp bite, which I missed and assumed it was perhaps a chub. 

Half the core was still on the hook so I immediately put it back on the same spot, a sudden take and what felt like quite good fish in the current, turned out to be, to me, a sizeable eel. 

Having no idea of the scale of length to weight of eels, after removing my barbless hook with some ease, I put it in a plastic bag.... with some difficulty, and weighed it just out of interest, it came in at 2lb12ozs.
Pauline asked me later, when I reported in, if I was bringing it home for the pot, my response was in the negative, but I did think about it for a short while, before the thought of rarity and having no smoker at home, jellied and stewed eels are not to my taste, won me over. So I watched it sliver off down the bank at some speed, kick and swim off strongly.

The fire brigade moved off just after 4pm so we decided to move up into the weir pool, in the meantime I brewed a fresh cuppa Rosie Lee for us both from my Kelly kettle. I had forgotten the strainer, so the just in case standby bags of Assam were used.

By the way if anybody wants to buy Nigel a present for Christmas, he’s putting the Kelly on his list
I had already booked an overnighter in the High Wycombe Travelodge, which as it turned out proved to be a good investment of £50. We fished until late; I don't think I would have enjoyed the journey home after a tiring day of fishing.

Anyway, duly ensconced in the weir pool I decided to fish two rods for a while.
By the way, I took my two Young's John Wilson barbel travel rods, it didn't appeal to me to have my other rods on show overnight in a public car park at High Wycombe! 

One rod down the inside with my Purist II, and the other with my 5010 out into the swirling maelstrom of the pool.
The inside line remained motionless, other than the constant tug of leaf debris. On the other rod, I decided to try out a new pellet to me, but a batch that had been in my garage for quite a while, Teme Severn Lamprey, rather than their usual for me, halips.

I had been expecting if I hooked into any a big fish, I understood from Nigel that smaller barbel were in short supply, but my fish at just before 6 o'clock surprised him, it came in at "only" 5lb 6ozs! 

These early mornings are doing my bags in!

I gave it a fair bit of wellie as Nigel had warned of a river bottom covered with zebra mussel, and was therefore surprised to see a barbel rather than what I thought by it’s fight was a chub.

Those travel rods do have some ooomph. 

In fact as far as I can recall this was my first barbel of the season, having not been in the right frame of mind to fish the rivers more than just a couple of times, but sticking to my pond “in the valley”.

Jeff Woodhouse turned up just after this for a fish, but mostly a chat, and he was standing with me when within the half an hour, the next big twitch occurred and I had my second. Again a "small" fish at about 7lb 6ozs. 

Just before darkness set in we had a break for a chilli, pre-cooked and reheated by mine host, along with a cold bottle of Adnams finest, Ghost Ship.

All very nice too, and a welcome change from my usual sandwich.

I did intend to make another pot of tea, but got so intent in adding to my haul that I forgot, sorry Nigel. 

Unfortunately, no more fish were caught by Nigel, Jeff or me, but I did learn that many a blank takes place on this stretch, so was quite chuffed to actually catch in forum company, a rare occurrence for me.
So saying our goodbyes it was off to Wycombe for a nights rest, and a surprisingly good sleep. This was even followed by something quite close to a good breakfast.

Then the drive home, arriving at about 11:30 to help Pauline shift our just delivered wine order from Laithwaites into a "safe" location, in the hope it lasts until Christmas...I very much doubt it will though. Then down the White Hart for a lunchtime, along the line four pinta followed by an afternoon kip!

Thanks very much to Nigel, I hope I get the opportunity to fish the stretch again, it was well worth the two year wait.

Did I ever show you this?

Dreams of Adams Mill

As the first ice appeared on my garden pond yesterday I thought it was about time this, the first ever article I wrote, back in 2002 got another airing. 
It was aimed in particular, and built around product placement in angling writing, something that was being actively discussed on a Fishing Magic thread (where it was published) at that time, and still is today to some extent in angling media.

My expeditions to Adams Mill, MKAA's stretch on the Upper Great Ouse started in late November 2000 . 

Being only four miles from my home, and with all the media reports and comment in the angling press, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go and have a look at this now legendary fishery. 
If the place was as crowded as reported, with people queuing to get in at the appointed hour, I could trundle down to another MKAA water at Ravenstone, another couple of miles or so into the Northamptonshire countryside. 
I've now made possibly 20 trips since that time, maybe more. 
Most of the time I was the only angler at the fishery but I didn't start a diary until this year, not a lot to enter in it, but on every visit the anticipation involved in fishing this water is unbelievable. 
I have never experienced anticipation to this degree before; you just do not know what may be lurking below your rod tip. 
On one of the days I visited, at the end of January, I spoke to a guy named Gary, who I think is a head bailiff with RMC. He travels the motorways for about an hour (on a good day) to get there. 
We had shared a couple of blanks and a passing chat on previous occasions. On the Thursday of the week before he had witnessed the photographing of an 18lb 13oz barbel, and was determined to get amongst them. 
Tackling up in a swim just above me and just below the weir, he was straight away into a 7lb barbel. On the next cast he lost one at the net of approximately 8lb. 
Then all went quiet for both of us. I blanked again. 
The next day was miserable, fine persistent rain, the kind that soaks you through. Only one other angler on the bank, who I later learned was Ray Walton. I witnessed him catch and assisted him with the photography of a 14lb 6oz specimen barbel. 
The fish and the sequence of the weighing was later to appear in his compliation DVD, Ouse..ing Barbel. 
I didn't stay much longer after witnessing the fish, leaving at about 2 o'clock. I'd got snagged and broke off a few times and had left my backup leads in the garage. It needed quite a bit of weight to hold bottom in those flood conditions, conditions I couldn't get used to at the time.
Witnessing Ray's catch, the most beautiful specimen of a fish I have ever seen, a very stocky fish compared to my previous sighting of a good barbel, my first, and therefore my personal best, a sleek 8lb 9oz Throop specimen, caught in November 1972. 

The image of his great fish made me even more determined to have as many hours as possible at the Mill, until at least the 14th March, the sell out day, in an attempt, to match or improve upon the size of Ray's fish. 
Having taken 'early retirement' last March following 35 years of commuting into London as a property manager for the C&A retail empire, perhaps I may even buy a syndicate ticket from MKAA, I should be able to get my money's worth. That is, if my face fits. 
(It didn’t!)

My catches to date are two chub, 6lb12ozs and 4lb 14ozs, a barbel of about a 1lb ( demonstrating that some smaller fish were coming through) and a few perch to ½ lb. 
What is also on my mind is that I want to catch, and get a picture, of at least a 6lb 12oz chub, a personal best, having forgotten my camera when I landed it, on the 18th December last.
I'll never forget my camera again as it is now a permanent fixture in my  Double T carryall, although I my renew it because I do like the look of the FUJI Finepix S8000 .

A later AM chub at 5:14 with the Escort in the background

Anyway after a restlessness, almost sleepless night, the day started as normal with breakfast. This morning Walls dry cured smoked back bacon layered on thick-sliced white Kingsmill, coated with a sliver of Flora (I am watching my weight) and splashed with HP brown sauce, washed down with a big mug of Assam, from Tesco's Finest range. 
Having chauffeured the wife to Milton Keynes and her offices at Parcel Force it meant my early duties were over and I had the day to myself until dark.
 I arrived at the entrance road to Adams Mill at 8.15 am and traversed the potholes in my totally unsuitable Ford Escort 1.8 cabriolet. 
I shall have to get  a Skoda Estate, it must be more suitable for this type of terrain.
As experienced on previous occasions I was the only angler there. The river was just below its banks following overnight rain, but was still lower than when I arrived for the previous day's session, it was the colour of a milky Nescafe instant coffee. 
It was a beautiful morning though, the sun was shining quite brightly, so I reached for my Optilab's prescription polarising glasses. I was not sure that the Sundridge Nimbus two-piece I was wearing would be needed.  
Settling myself down in a swim on the bend just above the bridge,  where I caught my best chub, I was just in time to get my first glimpse of the kingfisher,I removed the Fox Barbel Specialist 1.5 rod from my Double-T quiver and fitted my trusty Shimano 5010 baitrunner, filled to the brim with 10lb Maxima Chameleon, to which I attached an ounce running Dinsmore's Arlesey bomb and a size 4 Drennan barbel specialist barbless  hook.
I decided to not  feed the swim with my usual mixture of Dynamite Baits hempseed and Green Giant sweetcorn, but to try a couple of casts without any groundbaiting.
My first bait of choice was a chunk of Spam, about a quarter of a big tin. 
I would probably follow up with a couple of lobworms supplied by Willy Worms if needed.  

I threaded my offering of Spam onto the hook and gently cast out, letting the bait settle just off the current.  and placed the rod in the rest which was set up high enough to keep the line out of the torrent, the baitrunner facility I left off, and then settled down into my Fox Adjuster level chair. 
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the distinctive Ray Walton arrive, we gave each other the acknowledging wave. (He seems like a nice bloke). Good I thought, at least I would have a witness this time - you know that inner feeling you get sometimes? 
For a few minutes I sat there with my first John Player Special of the day contemplating life and my retirement, when I noticed a good twitch of the rod tip. 
Rather than wait as usual, I reached for the rod, hands poised ready, at the same time the top pulled around. I was sure there was no need to strike, although I did so automatically, and my quarry was on. 
The fish headed into the current. 
I was unable to judge its size, but I thought it was a chub. It then moved to my left towards the overhanging bush. With plenty of side strain, I had control, it didn't feel a bad size fish, but the current was deceiving. 
After a short battle, without any scares, I netted the fish, it was, as expected, a chub. 
From the weight I felt when lifting the net it was heavier than my usual 4lb/5lb fish of the Ouse and appeared to be about the same size as my personal best.

A brace, each just under 4lb

I pulled out my Double-T weighing sling attached my Reuben Heaton Waymaster scales and set them at zero. 
The fish was in great condition and weighed in at 6lb 12ozs. 
Is it the same fish, I wondered? 
Some time passed ,another JPS was smoked, and I watched the world go by. 
That kingfisher was busy ....and was catching from the fast receding flooded dip to my left. 
Then it happened, as usual, just as I opened my Thermos flask for a warming cup of Heinz tomato soup, the rests rattled and I lurched forward to grab my rod as it leapt towards the murky depths with a three foot twitch! 
Thankfully, I'd remembered to ensure my rear drag was adjusted and had a bit of give, because, as I leaned into the fish I knew this was bigger than anything I had hooked on this river before. 
I'd got trouble, the fish was heading off downstream towards an overhanging willow and potential disaster. I'd put all my weight behind the Fox Specialist, struggled for a while until the fish was held. 
I now knew I could trust the rod, previously thinking it may be too light for big fish. 
The  quarry then started coming back towards me at a fair rate of knots, but the 5010 kicked in and was equal to the fight, keeping me in touch with this unseen leviathan. 
Ray was now at my shoulder, and was giving me good advice. 
Just to my right was a reed bed, below the current water level and unseen, it was good job I'd fished this water in most winter conditions and was aware of the potential snags. 
All was going well. 
I was beginning to feel I had the upper hand and we then got our first sight of the fish. 
It was definitely a barbel, and it was big, I wondered  if it could be the 20-pounder that everybody was suggesting would come out of The Mill this winter? 
Excitedly, with heart thumping, I reached for my Ray Walton Whitlock folding landing net, slipped and slid on the bank, that only the day before was underwater. 
My Country Concept 4X4 Fellsman boots gripped firmly (another good buy) but the slight slip had done the damage, it felt like my long suffering sciatic nerve had become trapped. 
I was in agony. 
"Oy you!" 
"I'm trying to get some sleep, will you stop fidgeting”. 
My wife's voice? What was she doing on the Ouse? 
The dream faded, as I rubbed my back, I realised she had given me a good kick. I told her to push off, or words to that effect.

I lay there, for sometime, my heart pumping, feeling sorry for myself and waited for Sarah Kennedy's dulcet tones on the radio alarm, so that I could start the day……and dreading the anticlimax that is almost certain to happen. 

"Do you want  boiled eggs or  Special K ?"