As posted last night I went fishing this morning, and what a mix of luck.
Got there about 7.30 to find someone in the place I fished previously, so chose a spot a few pegs away. Set up my new barbel rod to freeline the margins,and a waggler rod, got snagged on the bottom plumbing the depth twice ffs!!!
Had used a hook to nylon on my freeline setup but hook length was only about 6 inches and a different colour to the main line, and looked a mess, so after a 30 mins without any luck I decided to alter to go straight through, so cast my waggler in instead and got snagged on the bottom again!!! at this point I decided to move to the next peg. By now the guy on my previous visits peg had started catching on the tip, then, no sooner had I got established in my new spot when the wind got up, blowing across my swim.This made presentation difficult on the waggler and all I could get was small stuff on the drop(mainly little perch that always seem to swallow the lot). In the meantime an old couple came and fished the peg I started on, I told him about the snag, but it didnt phase him as he feeder fished tight to the island. I went back on to my new rod and after missing a couple of bites close in touch ledgering,(probably small stuff) I desperately needed some inspiration, the guy on my previous visits peg was now bagging up with decent looking fish, making me look like a right idiot. I know, I will ledger against the island, no presentation issues there, as I altered my new rod setup yet again the old guy came over, he said,I found that snag you were on about, and produced a rod and reel that he had hooked and reeled in!!! I must have loosened it for him. I cast my ledger in baited with meat and started getting faint knocks that seemed impossible to hit, the white "tip" on this new rod is pretty stiff, not like my old shimano twin powers that could detect a minnow. Its now past midday so I got my bacon and cheese sarnie out, and as I was eating I actually managed to hit a bite, a decent feeling fish too which shed my hook after about 5 seconds. Fck this Im off now!!!(then thought about the tenner it had cost). Tried again on the float,but it was a lost cause thanks to the fcking wind(reminded me how much I always had hated fishing in windy conditions). I was having bites on my ledger though, so concentrated on that, swapped between spam and frankfurter and started getting better bites. I soon hit one and after a decent scrap(that means not losing it) I landed my first ever barbel, and on my new barbel rod too, well my whole outlook changed, and I had two carp and another barbel (this one in the margins with just a baited hook and no weights), this was the most pleasing as thats how I had wanted to fish in the first place. It was past 3oclock by then and I packed up. As you can tell by the above, I aint no mr crabtree, and more is needed after my time away from the sport,hard work. I had christened my new rod at the first attempt though,and caught my first ever barbel. That is easily enough to have me looking forward to next time, hopefully catching chub on the small river behind my house.
