Looking Back on 2023.

 

2023, where did it go? It seemed to fly by.

Looking back on it I think it was a successful year, plenty of blanking endured as a majority of my angling was focused on Barbel and trying to put a dent in the 40 Rivers Challenge.

January, I continued my year long run of blanks on the Loddon for a Barbel but the Kennet was a lot kinder to me with the 18th river chalked off my challenge in the shape of a hard fighting 11lb 12oz specimen at last knockings on my first ever visit to the river. Total of 3 trips across the month.

February heralded a new chapter in my angling when Drennan contacted me as to whether I'd like to join their specialist team, I of course said yes! Who wouldn't?. Fishing wise I blanked on the Ribble and grafted for a 7lb Tame Barbel over a 3 day period. Total of 2 trips across the month.

March is always an odd month with just a couple weeks left on the river, the Itchen was true to form and held out on me with nothing to show for my 194mile round trip, but the Grayling fishing on the Wylye was superb with my haul topped by a 2lb 11oz specimen. The Chub fishing was good too but nothing over 6lb was had. Total of 4 trips across the month.

In April I only fished once as work was super busy and I thought it was going to be a car crash as the Bream simply weren't in my area on a big reservoir, on my way home I swung by a canal with the stalking gear and tempted a beautiful 24lb 1oz mirror off the top.

Again, May was a very lean month fishing wise as I only headed out once with work touted as the excuse for not getting out but did have a return for reservoir Bream and this time was more successful, a brace of 12's was my reward for ringing in the changes.

June I started the season with Rudd as I always do and was a brilliant trip out with my mate Brian. With plenty fish caught it wasn't until I slipped the net under a 2lb 11oz river Rudd that I felt truly satisfied, it was wonderful to see and hold and my best off a river ever! But that wasn't the only good fish I had in June as I finally located and banked a river Loddon double, a thick set powerhouse which tipped the scales to 10lb 7oz which represented river number 19 being completed on my challenge, what a finish to the month. 3 trips out.

July saw me get out a bit more and a few after work trips to the ColnBrook which were mainly blanks did result in another Barbel albeit a long way short of my 10lb+ target. Another trip to the Fens was a success with a few good Rudd to just over 2lb. I did return to the Wye and upped my rivers PB to 8.4 but know there's some way to go. 6 trips out.

August is usually a good month for me and it was no different this year, 3 blank days on the Nene were followed up by a Blackwater 9.1 which was great to see, I am certainly in the right area. The last week of the month proved to be incredible. A family holiday to the Lake District gave me a great excuse to pack a bit of gear as the Ribble was only 40min down the M6, within in an hour on my second ever visit I landed a 10lb 13oz fish, river number 20 done! The following Sunday I was on the banks of the rock hard Sussex Rother, this time however I got it right and after an epic battle I clapped eyes on my Rother double! 12lb 10oz and river number 21 complete! That was a tough one. 6 trips out.

September turned out to be very busy with work so I didn't have much time out on the bank, but what time I did have out I took full advantage of as I finally chalked off the ColnBrook which had been a thorn in my side (3 seasons much like a few other rivers) a solid 11lb 5oz Barbel lay on the mat in its full glory! River 22, done! I revisited the Thames for a chat up with my mate Richard and managed 3 Barbel to 10.9 which was nice. 2 trips out.

October saw a total of 3 trips for Barbel and 3 blanks, but it was a PB Perch that was the highlight of the month, at 3lb 13oz it beat a long standing best of mine and a fish I've wanted to catch for years. A 4lber next on my radar!

November see me buzzing around the Severn and Wye as I looked to turn the screw on both, two rivers I know doubles are possible and nearly achieved it on the Wye (9lb 10oz) and did it on the Severn with a 10lb 7oz hard fighting lower Severn Barbel. River number 23 completed! It wasn't just Barbel I targeted, the Grayling also got a day of my attention and had numerous fish over 2lbs topped with a fish of 2lb 8oz. 7 trips out in total.

December has been a washout for the most part and two trips to the Itchen have resulted in blanks as has a trip to the Blackwater. I've certainly got around this season when I've had a chance to go fishing and to have caught double figure Barbel off of 23 different rivers so far is crazy to think, it has been tough but glad I have chosen such a challenge, I'm getting to see so much of the British Isles because of it and soon I'll be planning a trip to tackle the River Clyde as a Scottish double is also on my wanted list. 5 trips out in total.

Happy New Year to you all, I hope 2024 is a kind and prosperous year. 

Finding My Feet on the R.Itchen, R.ColnBrook & R.Bourne.

 

 As my quest takes me on to my 9th river the net is being cast just that little bit more as I learn the likes of the ColnBrook, Bourne whilst continuing my quest on the Itchen and Kentish Stour. Setting about fishing each of these rivers has their own little challenges, the ColnBrook remains to be a tough nut to crack, having now fished it three times I'm yet to catch a fish and on my first visit I spotted three Barbel, from that moment I thought a double maybe on the cards and catching a Barbel quite likely, that hasn't been the case and the aforementioned Barbel have vanished.

 My first trip to the Bourne was probably not in the best of conditions as it was chocolate brown and typically runs like tap water, the purpose of this visit was first of all to see how the stretch looked and whether it held the capabilities of A; producing Barbel and B; producing double figure Barbel, after all that is the benchmark for each river on my challenge. So I didn't get to see the river properly but have earmarked a revisit in better stalking conditions and hopefully give me the opportunity to see something worth targeting.

 As for the Itchen, it still continues to make me work very hard, with a single Bream to my name in 4 visits since October last year, yes its not a lot of trips, I still feel given the conditions I've fished in that I'd have had more than just one fish. At one point on Friday night I did have a very good bite that I thought would have resulted in a fish, instead it was a fresh air hit and that was the only action for me. I will be back down in a week or two once I get back from a family holibobs.

 Here are some images of the rivers I have begun to frequent, most not well know at all, the Itchen possibly alot better known amongst the Barbel angling fraternity. Achieving river number 9 I hope is just around the corner. Funny feeling it will be the ColnBrook but yet to find a fish even close to magic 10lb mark.

Typical areas on R.Bourne

Ditto

Ditto, hoping for a 3ft twitch.

Dusk settling in over Surrey.

A view experienced by many Barbel anglers.

Sunrise over the Itchen

Shallow runs with cover on the R.ColnBrook.

Lovely gravel runs but no Barbel.

Although there is alot of hiding places!

Some really pretty, but choked parts.