June 16th is always ringed or highlighted on my calender every year, not even birthdays get that level of note, it was and still is the day I get most excited about fishing, once again on running water and the thought of pootling around the Fens in my boat, stalking R.Thames and R.Lea carp or in this instance getting straight down to business with the 40 Rivers Challenge where I am currently on 30 completed rivers and have been settled on that figure since mid-August 2025!.
There was to be no annual midnight pilgrimage though, with a job booked in for a friend in the morning I packed my rolling meat gear in the van and set eyes on opening my campaign later that afternoon and once I was done on the job I made the short journey over to the R.Bourne for a short roving session and see if I could find a Barbel, a river that has bare in mind been extraordinarily difficult for me with numerous trips in all manner of conditions undertaken without as much as a sneeze or fart from a Barbel, the frustrating thing is I know they are there, it appears I simply don't have the measure of them.
That was until Tuesday! First cast, first roll, first fish! But not just a fish, it was a very good Barbel for June and the fight was pretty good until it rolled over the line and the remainder of the fight was a tad unceremonious, but safely into the net it went. My suspicions were it probably wasn't a double and I would be right.
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| 9lb 4oz. |
That fish was only the second Barbel I've coaxed out of the Bourne, it has been hard going, this fish nearly did the business, alas I shall have to continue my efforts on there, I do feel like my efforts on here are surely going to be rewarded in the finest fashion.
That was indeed the only bite of that short trip and on the 17th I returned to cover more water and indeed try that spot again but I ended up with nada which is more in keeping with the Bourne' treatment of me.
On the 19th I headed to the Bristol Avon for my first fling on there this season to try and get that river over the line, 9lb 6oz is my current best off there but a double is coming off of that river for me this season either by hook or by crook, I feel once again, I've invested enough time and money into the B.Avon that is due to be kind to me soon, once again its by no means a reflection of my effort if I may say so myself.
No Barbel showed up for me, however the Chub sport was pretty epic as I managed twelve Chub to 5lb 2ozs, most of them were between 3.08 and 4.08 which was good summer sport but not my target, touch wood I don't have to make that journey too many more times...
