A Good Start to 2012

I left home at 4-30am on Sunday morning January 1st for the BBC Radio Lancashire studio, as I was driving to the studio, I thought how mild it was, it would be great to be on the river. Living within half a mile of the River Ribble I had a good look from the bridge where I could see three or four feet of extra water. All the time I was in the studio I kept thinking of those barbel that would be in a feeding mood. In fact I told my listeners they should be on the River Ribble today as conditions were excellent. Arriving home from studio just before noon, I said to Kate "I must get down the river I will have dinner later". Having made a sandwich I went off down to the river. It was as expected up about 3 feet with a w/t 47 degrees F the water colour was just right. I chose a big slack which I had fished on many occasions in similar conditions. After introducing a few pieces of sausage meat paste, I positioned the rod rests and chair then went back to the car for my rods which were already made up.

All I had to do was attach the weights choosing a medium size stonze on a sliding leger rig. Both rods were baited with sausage meat, I positioned one bait downstream of a large bush that stood in the water. The other bait was dropped on the crease line about thirty feet out from the bank. Within minutes the rod on the inside line pulled slowly over, thinking it was perhaps rubbish I lifted the rod then waited a few seconds then felt a pull on the rod tip. No rubbish this I thought as I set the hook. Soon a barbel about 5lbs was netted, quickly unhooked then released.

Rebaiting I cast to the same spot as I did so I noticed the line drop slack on the other rod, winding down I felt a lively resistance. Soon fish number 2 was in the net. After releasing the fish I put in a few more bait size pieces of sausage paste. Within ten minutes both rods were away, I set the hook on the first fish then switched to bait runner mode while I grabbed the other rod. I quickly had a barbel in the net about 4lbs. Picking up the first rod I had fish of similar size which was soon netted.


The best way to describe the afternoons event was to say it was the most satisfying session I have had for some time. I had 11 barbel between 4 and 6lbs nothing big, but great fun. About six o'clock the river started to rise, in fact it come up about 8 inches in thirty minutes. I had the river to myself. At 8 o'clock with no bites for about 2 hours, the w/t had dropped 2 degrees I called it a day. It was a good move. Thursday I'm off to the Kennet, Loddon, Test, Itchen and Wye back home on the following Thursday night, Its great being a pensioner