Chalkstream Winter Barbel.

 

 Given the current colder temps and poor conditions my angling has been pretty limited, the times I have been out is just down the local to see if I could find a Barbel to feed in the frigid waters. My first short trip I met up with Ade Busby after work and we chatted whilst trying different swims in search of Barbel and to be fair whatever else fancied munching.

 Not too long into the session I got a very tentative tap on the rod tip and fishing meat in this conditions can often pick up a fish out of nowhere and it would prove to be the case, a few minutes later I got another gentle tap and this time I wasn't going to wait, I gently lifted the rod to which I was met with the force of a fish bearing downstream, surely it was a Barbel and as the fight played out any suspicion of a chub was quickly extinguished. Not long after a skinny winter barbel in post spawning condition was resting up in the net. 

 With dusk closing in on us we both made the decision to carrying on checking out pegs, prospecting for another fish. Third swim in we both got a bait out and settled down to give it twenty minutes and with me being impatient to get a bait out I rested my rod on an arm of some brambles whilst I got my bankstick into the stony ground and noticed out the corner of my eye the bramble arm move, either the rod slipped a bit down the arm or it was a bite! 

 Intrigued by that potential action I picked up the rod and felt the line, sure enough I could feel a slight tightening of the line on my finger, without needing a second invitation to the party I struck and once again was met with the force of a good fish making its way across the river into the faster flow, this fish certainly felt a bit better.

 Once safely in the net it was clear that it was a nice fish and at 7lb 10oz it was a worthy prize for any cold winters day. As the evening wore on and dusk had long gone Ade was soon into a nice fish himself which gave a great account of itself in the deeper water. I think it was fair to say it was a success.

 A couple days later after that trip out with Ade I popped out again. Once I had dropped off the kids to school I opted to get back down the river for a bit more action on the float and rolling meat, unfortunately for me the forecast wasn't pleasant and had to endure lots of rain, thankfully the river didn't respond too much to it and still caught, much the same as the previous trip I had some great sport with the Barbel catching another 3 all on the float and pin with a bread accounting for two of them. They weighed 7.02, 6.10 and the smaller one below which is the only one I could get a pic of as the rain was sideways for the other two, all in all a good couple of short trips, pretty much after I had that third Barbel it was time to pack up and head back to collect the children. Not bad use of little windows of opportunity.