The 2024/25 season was certainly one of the quickest, I can not believe its over already but it was pretty good!
My Spring angling was not easy but topped my Bream campaign with a 15lb 10oz specimen PB, I had a fair few doubles too in the aftermath but the 15lb barrier was always my target.
The summer seemed to come and go very quickly but the capture of my first 3lb river Rudd was most certainly the cherry on top, there was a couple of cracking back-ups too but barring that it wasn't until early September that things on the Barbel front kicked off.
That trip up to the Nene in early September bought an end to a 6 trip drought when a 12lb 8oz torpedo slipped up as darkness fell amongst large swathes of cabbages where I found a gravel run which no doubt is used by the fish as a highway between areas, but the Barbel I had the following evening off the Soar was certainly not expected but sometimes thats how angling goes!
To be cradling a 12lb 9oz Soar Barbel was much more than I could have dreamt but as I said the angling universe works in strange ways. Rivers number 25 and 26 had been completed inside 24hrs!
Next up was the Wye, a river that certainly gives up its fish, just not big ones, early October that all changed, when that rod went over around 10/11pm I knew it was a big fish, yes it only just made the cut but they all count! 10lb 1oz and river number 27 had been completed.
For the majority of the autumn and winter I was on the tools and only fished a couple times, some nice Grayling were caught and Chub, it wasn't until recently on the Dorset Stour that I finally had another proper result when a day spent hunkered down in foul weather was rewarded, not only was it river number 28 completed but weighing 15lb 6ozs it was the 4th river I have had a 15lb+ Barbel off of, a figure I want to increase over the duration of this challenge as a sub-plot.
And the STATS are in....
Sessions - 20
Blanks - 12
Barbel Caught - 18
Doubles - 4
Mileage - 4120
Only 20 sessions for Barbel in 9 months, now that is poultry! Next season I shall have to do more! and the majority of that was the Kentish Stour.
Not a great deal of fishing - but as always a string of fantastic fish. Nice one!
ReplyDeleteI think the thought process is achieving quality over quantity, I was just glad to catch some super fish!
DeleteHopefully the same happens next season if not even more!
Wot Brian said.
ReplyDeleteThoroughly enjoyed what time I did get.
DeleteI'd be happy with that!
ReplyDeletePleased as punch, I certainly did make good use of my time, work was extraordinarily busy last year, I don't suppose that is going to change if the last 16 weeks are anything to go by but will try to make even better use of that fishing time than I did last season.
DeleteLove the sub plot idea!! Dreamland for many, just a normal day for you!! Great fishing, albeit a few trips.
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes the sub-plot is purely an accident but seeing as I'm already in 4 deep I may aswell give it a shot, and not even had 15's off of rivers where its deemed attainable!
DeleteSussesx Ouse, Dorset Stour, Itchen and Don are hardly the rivers you would seek to achieve that feat on.
Rivers where its possible are...
Trent, Lea, Kennet, Thames, Severn, Great Ouse and Arun.
Yes there are a couple of others where it could be possible but probably on par with the rivers I have already done it on.
So who knows!! Anything is possible this day and age.