The Sessions - Aug 2022
Crazy Barbel fishing
Last month’s fishing was a fantastic month with 89 Barbel, 36 of them being doubles with two 16’s, a month that I’ll probably never better….
The test bait from Madbaits, BBB, was continuing to be very successful and consistently catching a lot of fish and with sessions planned in August with the potential for big fish I hoped that would continue.
5 August 2022 – River Trent, Gunthorpe
My annual leave plans had changed due to work so I had two weeks off with no plans other than fishing.
It had been a very warm and humid week with daytime temps at 21-25 degrees every day and sticky nights, it was a little cooler when I arrived with a westerly wind and light showers, the river level was still low at .38m.
The fish I so dearly wanted to catch had finally turned up on the day I left after my last session; it was caught in the afternoon on meat by Ken Hunt at a massive 20-03, what a fish!!
Some of us were concerned it may have died as it hadn’t been seen since March so it was good to see she was still around although a little concerning she was carrying spawn in August. Fish that size are definitely older fish and will not be around forever so I really hope I can trip her up this season.
I got rigs in for 13:40, both on BBB and pva bags and I didn’t put any bait in at first. On busy fisheries it is better to act on the side of caution and see how things go for a while, it’s very easy to put bait in but you can’t take it out…..
It didn’t take long and a big 9plus got the session off to a good start within 30 minutes this was followed by another three singles to 9plus over the next few hours.
I decided to put a bit of bait in at 19:30 and put eight spoppers of hemp on the margin spot and 20 Asbo over each spot.
6 August 2022
The night got quite chilly and was very quiet with only 2 singles coming in the early hours but by 07:30 it was clear , sunny and warming up nicely.
There are two little swims up closer to the weir that only lend themselves to day fishing and I wanted to try one of them, so reeled in at 09:00 and took one rod, a net, unhooking mat, sling, scales and a few bits with me for the morning. I’d already found a small clear patch of gravel with no rocks so I lowered the rig onto it with a pva bag and rested the rod on the unhooking mat and sat down next to it watching the rod top. It was exciting fishing as the rod just slammed over and I had to be on it quick or I’d lose it so I had my hand round the reel seat most of the morning, I had two to 9-06 in the morning and had a break for lunch before sitting there for the afternoon catching another four with two being doubles at 10-02 and 10-05.
It had been a hot day and definitely the sun cream and a sun hat was required. I went back to my peg, had some food and put rigs out again for 19:15, with the swim being rested all day I felt confident of a better night so put a good spread of Asbo over the spots.
The first take came within an hour and was an “almost” at 9-14, this was followed by the biggest so far two hours later at 12-12.
7 August 2022
The bites came regularly through the night with two Chub and eight Barbel to 12-07 and I reeled in for some sleep at 05:00
I slept until 09:00 and was woken up by the hot sun hammering into the shelter, I didn’t start fishing straight away, wanting to rest the swim again so I went over to café for breakfast, had a wash, made some rigs and pva bags up and started again at 13:30. I put another six spoppers of hemp on the margin rod and some Asbo over each.
The bites started at 16:50 and I had a Chub and two high singles, this was followed by a lovely fish at 13-13 that put up an epic fight.
The bites were regular all evening and into the night with lots of fish to 10-03. The one thing of concern was a huge Crayfish, the biggest I have ever seen and it couldn’t have been the only one there so I just hope they don’t get into the Trent in numbers, the Crabs on the tidal are bad enough, we certainly don’t need lots of Crayfish too.
I reeled in at 02:30 and finished the session with 37 Barbel with 7 doubles, a lovely start to my holiday.
9 August 2022 – River Trent, Gunthorpe
I had a lovely night at home with Julie and got the opportunity due to a cancellation to get back into the same swim for another three nights, so I loaded the van and headed back up the A1 arriving at 14:00. It was very hot at 30 degrees, clear and sunny, not the best conditions but the fish were up in the weir pool in the oxygenated water so I felt confident of more fish.
Gunthorpe Lock is a nice place to visit and the meadow down river below the lock is very popular with the locals for swimming, boating, picnics and just being outside, the sunny weather brings people out and being holiday season the place was packed with well over a 100 people. It looks crazy with people jumping off the lock wall and upwards of 40 people swimming at one time but it doesn’t affect the fishing at all on the island, and it’s good to see people outside enjoying themselves again post covid.
The first bite came two hours into the session and a nice start at 11-06 and that was followed by three more singles up to midnight.
10-12 August 2022
The hot weather certainly had an impact and bites were much harder to come by, it was up to 33 degrees in the days and very warm at night. I fished up to 02:00 each night and reeled in for some sleep. The days all followed the same pattern with very slow mornings, the better fish all coming early afternoon with doubles at 10-10, 11-13 and 11-15, and then a number of singles steadily up to when I reeled in each night.
I finished the session with 18 Barbel with 4 doubles.
With so many smaller fish up in the weir and the bigger ones not showing at all I’m convinced they have spawned a second time in the hot weather, all the fish caught were down in weight and slim which added further weight to the thought they had spawned again. Collingham weir was showing similar results and it was there that my next session was planned.
14 August 2022 – River Trent, Collingham
I had a nice weekend at home with Julie out walking and relaxing at home and then loaded the van on the Sunday evening and headed back up the A1 to Collingham. Jerry had got another two day booking on the weir and was definitely coming this time, Gary Knowles was also coming so I was looking forward to seeing them both again. The plan was for me to set up in peg 6 and then I could look after the tackle at night when they went back to the B&B.
The day had been clear, sunny and hot at 33 degrees and I arrived just before dark to find both sides of the river empty so I decided to fish the first night in peg 6. The river was still very low but I knew from my last trip that I’d be able to land hooked fish without any problems in peg 6. I put both out on BBB and pva bags just on dark and put a good spread of BBB and OG through the swim and topped it up after each fish.
The fish reacted well to the hit of boilies and I had three singles and doubles at 10-07, 11-15 and 13-00 before midnight.
15 August 2022
I fished for another hour and wound in at 01:00 to grab a bit of sleep before the early start and had another two singles and a 10-13.
We had agreed to rotate the swims over the two days so I set up in peg 1a for 05:00, it was hot and sticky so I put both out on BBB, put a good spread of boilies on the spot and sat down and got the kettle on waiting for the others to turn up.
Gary turned up first so set up in peg 1, as he was getting his rods ready Jerry and his friend Shaun arrived, they were both happy to start in pegs 2 and 3 for the first day and got themselves sorted. I love fishing with Jerry, we always have good time and there is always a disaster around the corner, you just never know when.
The fishing was slow for the morning, I had lots of Bream, a few Chub, two singles and doubles at 10-00 and 10-09, Gary faired a little better with a few more Barbel.
Late morning it was my turn for a Jerry like disaster, I had a take and hooked a good fish that took off for the weir, I went through my normal routine on the weir of walking backwards and gaining control, it was clearly a good one and jammed the lead on a rock. I tried leaving it on the rest for a bit but it didn’t move so I walked up on the wall and got behind it and lifted it off the snag, it was just a case of walking it along the wall towards the steps and landing it, however the fish had other ideas and had one last lunge and jammed the lead again in about two feet of water. I could see it clearly and the lead was jammed in a crack in a large rock, I lay down on the wall and was poking the fish, that was a 14plus, with the rod tip but it would not move, I had no other option other than to put the rod in the rest again.
I left it 40 mins or so and made the decision to go in for it, now this is not something I would recommend at all in a large river like the Trent, especially in a weir pool but it was low and I was pretty confident I’d be ok. So off came my clothes and started to walk along the side of the wall, now Gary was watching and very amused, Jerry slept through it all and I don’t think Shaun even noticed. Twenty paces in and I was up to my chin with a rod in one hand and net in the other so I had to back up, walk out away from the wall and try again. This route wasn’t as deep and only up to just above my waist and as I got to the snag it shallowed up to knee level. I was stood next to the fish and it didn’t move so I took the line, picked up the lead and was about to lift the line out when the fish bolted and cut….me…off…… As you can imagine I was not amused.
I didn’t get a bite for four hours and as the evening drew in I had a few fish with two more doubles at 10-12 and 10-14. Gary had a few more in peg 1 and Jerry and Shaun had a few between them but the fish were not feeding in numbers and the bigger ones were not there. Additionally there was a Seal in the weir that we didn’t see until evening time that will have definitely had an impact. A total contrast to my session there in July.
I went back to peg 6 at dusk and fished for two hours until 23:30 catching two singles and doubles at 10-06 and 13-03.
16 August 2022
I slept until 06:00, the other three had come and set up for the day and were in pegs 1a, 1 and 2. I put the rods back out in peg 6 while I cooked breakfast and sorted my gear out, I didn’t feel there was a rush as it wasn’t fishing well.
By 11:00 I’d had nothing and the lads had only caught two so I made the decision to leave them enjoy it and move to Gunthorpe, I had the weir peg for two nights and took a cancellation for the 16th giving me three nights there to finish my holiday.
River Trent, Gunthorpe
I didn’t rush arriving at 14:30, it was very hot, humid and sticky with rain forecast. I put both out on BBB and put 20 OG over each spot and then set the camp up. The first bite came at 16:35 and justified my decision to move with a lovely fish at 13-00 that put up an epic fight.
I had plenty of updates from the lads and the fish did switch on later in that day, Jerry didn’t have a bite all morning but finished with 17 fish in the afternoon and evening, Gary fared better in peg 1 with consistent bites all day, Shaun enjoyed himself in peg 2 catching a few, but again no big fish and certainly not the numbers you would normally expect to catch there.
I had two more singles in the evening and reeled in for the night at 22:00, the rain was so heavy I didn’t fancy getting soaked so caught up on some sleep.
17-19 August 2022
I was up at 05:30, it was still raining but not as heavy and had cooled right down, the level had risen to .47m and it all looked great for some action. I got both rigs in place and put 20 OG over each.
The bites started straight away and came consistently throughout the session, the extra water and regular baiting with boilies after each fish really got them feeding, but again not many big fish. I fished the days up to midnight and reeled in for 6 hours sleep both nights and finished the session at 08:00 on the 19th catching 37 Barbel with only 5 being doubles, making me more convinced they had spawned again.
One of my season targets was to master rolling meat, it isn’t a method I’ve tried very much and having watched my pal Ian Potts do really well with it I wanted to get to grips with it. I’ve tried and failed a few times this season and had an afternoon and morning trying again on this session and I’m pleased to report I caught nine small Barbel which I was very happy about.
It takes a while to get the right bow in the line and the correct weight on the line so that the meat rolls at the right pace, you then have to recognise bites, line bites and the weight bouncing down but it is a very active and exciting way to fish and I plan to try it a lot more this season.
Work then took over my life again for the next two weeks but I’d had another brilliant months Barbel fishing with 117 fish / 26 doubles.
House update
The last update I gave on my house situation was in April and it would be lovely to say it was all completed and back to normal but that isn’t the case. My loss assessor Simon has been working hard behind the scenes and appointed a contractor after a number of bids were submitted and the work started on 29 Aug. So while they are busy taking the house apart I have the job of choosing windows, kitchen, bathroom, tiles, flooring, paint colours, etc, it seems never ending but really positive news it has all started. I just have the contents claim to settle now which is a little more time consuming…..
Thanks for all the support, phone calls and messages I have received it is really appreciated.
Until next month, tight lines and be lucky 😃
Big thanks to my sponsors for their continued support,