Three in a Bed.

 After a fairly disappointing trip to the Hampshire Avon on Wednesday I planned a trip out to get a Barbel, today I was joined by Stu Woods for a days roving, the conditions were perfect and even had a few hours of sunshine, I packed very light and a half tin of meat, my cane rod and centrepin. A good day out was all set.

 It didn't take long either to get a fish, I set up just as Stu was reaching me and hadn't cast yet, my first couple of casts were really on the money and I kind of thought that something would materialize but nothing, the third cast didn't go where I planned it but I let it go down anyway stream as I bounced the bait along the bottom it stopped and got an ever-so-slight tap on the finger not a take of any description but I leant into it as I had a feeling it was a Barbel that had sucked in the bait and I wasn't wrong, the rod bent over double and I was into a very good fish, Stu looked surprised that I had one.

 6lb line on the centrepin it was all good fun mixed with the scare-factor of losing it, a few minutes later a good'en laid in the net reviving, another good Barbel and looked every bit a double, where's that dog turd??.

10lb 12ozs, a great start to the day.

 Well what a start, we left the fish to revive in the net for around 15 minutes after the photos whilst we had a nag then we upped sticks and moved upstream to have a roll through a few swims as that's what I set out my stall for, within half an hour I had another on the bank which went 7lb 14oz, another good strong fight in the extra water that had been dumped overnight as if we haven't had enough already, a solid fish but not very long and looked every bit 8lb so she was a little light but not far off, 2 Barbel - the session was going very well and to plan too, happy days.

 After the second Barbel we carried on fishing and popped into alot of likely looking spots but most of which weren't forthcoming with bites until dusk started to settle in a switched over from rolling to a 6SSG chubber float and a lump of meat, it did not take long before a fish took a liking to it, the float buried itself in 6ft of water and started to charge up river, was never a Chub, so a Barbel or a rogue Carp was the culprit although it was too powerful against the very pacey river for a Carp so a Barbel it was, 6-7 minutes of a brutal scrap between Stu and myself we managed to land it and Barbel like this one is what keeps me coming back for more and the half century old plus cane rod got put through it's biggest test yet, although I've had 2 double figure beard's on it, this one has been the strongest and for such a sustained period too, it's so surprising that Barbel can do that. Amazing and not to mention my arm ached for 20 minutes after too.

Enormous paddle attached to another 7lb 14oz Barbel.

 When this Barbel was heading towards the net it looked every bit 9lb but she was very short but well fed and decided to have a crap all over my leg whilst the photos were taken as a thank you, swine!!, a very good days fishing for sure, 3 Barbel - 10.12 and two 7.14's great fun, great pics too mate.

 But I packed in very good timing because as we headed downstream to speak to an angler we know very well, the weather turned real nasty in a matter of a minute, the birds stopped singing just before it started and then we were buffeted by winds of probably more than 50mph and vicious lightning and projectile rain and hail that stung my hands for hours after and penetrated my waterproof cagoule and within 10 minutes it was gone, later on when I got home I was to learn it was a tornado that touched down in Cobham in Surrey just a matter of 10 miles away, which explained alot, a very unsettling experience.

 So after a good days fishing, myself and the better half went out for a Curry down my local, mmmmmm.