Barbara the Barbel - Broom handles and Bromatology

 After operating in stealth mode for a while the secret is out and I shared the information with the like-minded and to be honest, we need more rods on the ground. I really want to see how big this barbel is that I saw in the summer so to lower the probability after trying Soooo many times, it was inevitable really.

Many sessions are often short however choosing the right time to fish for example in to dusk or in to dark, or during floodwater conditions is the best I can muster up at the moment.

I'm sure it will slip up eventually and obviously I'd like to be the one to catch it but there are other encouraging signs of other barbel on this stretch, albeit none have appeared on the bank as yet. I've caught them downstream a stone and a catapult away so they are milling around, however this is the Warwickshire Avon in 2025, many stretches like this one it's a low stock, but usually big fish.

George Burton is one such angler who is also fishing it and he remember is accustomed to barbel and big ones too, and one of Warwickshire Avon's biggys can be seen in this video.

So when I pulled into the layby after finishing work it was nice to see George's can there because he like me wanted to make use of the better fishing conditions for Barbel. The Avon had rocketed up with the mild rain overnight where the temperature had gone from 8.8 degrees to 9.5 degrees so fingers crossed the barbel were up for a feed.

I had a curfew though which meant only a couple of hours fishing however the last hour was after dusk so at least I was there at the witching hour. 

The Avon was banging through with whole trees coming down from time to time, but at the top of the stretch there are a couple of swims where not only would a barbel feel comfortable but a chub too. Ok I was fishing with my broom handle Korum Big Water Barbel Rod but I've not caught anything decent for ages.

Anyway the ever reliable Dynamite Baits Hot Fish boilie with a matching paste wrap was the pungent bait I chose for this short session. 

George was fishing downstream and I was upstream, I did walk some of the stretch but no real smooth glides just a swirly river carrying some pace. I settled in to the first swim but after being wiped out twice by debris coming down which was a surprise because there was a rather large snag to the right, I moved upstream to the next swim, where some slackish water and a small back eddy was met with a large pacey crease. 

The light was starting to go now and with clear skies the stars started to shine brightly. After a rather nice bit of warming sun on the day as soon as it dropped behind the horizon the temperature dropped noticeably. 

With only 40 or so minutes left with no bites whatsoever out of the blue a three foot twitch happened where a fish must have hooked itself. For a split second I thought this must be a barbel but upon the first pull of the fish I knew it wa a chub.

Completely overgunned I felt a bit sorry for it as there was no real fight. I'm sure on the first bend of the rod he knew his game was up, that's why I like fishing lighter tackle for chub I enjoy the fight they give on balanced tackle.

A rather nice Warwickshire Avon chub though and deserved a weigh. A large frame but actually a bit hollow but it still went 5lb and 5 ounces on the scales, so not a bad one. I returned the fish to the next swim downstream and got the bait out quick sharpish to try and get the target fish.

Sadly it didn't happen this time with half an hour without a bite, and George after catching a 5lb Warwickshire Avon chub only 24 hours before didn't even have a bite this time sadly. I'm sure the swim I was fishing helped though, a lair where both species of fish would feel comfortable. I / We will be back !!!