The Sessions - August 2017

Biggest of the season and the ABF Challenge

3 August 2017

What a funny or should I say normal English summer, we’d had another week of warm unsettled weather with lots of rain. It was cloudy and 21 degrees with strong wind and I had the chance of a quick overnighter on a tough little river that I’d like to keep to myself for now. I got there before dark at 19:30 hours, the level was up and carrying a bit of rubbish so I had to think about where to place my rigs. After a feel around with a bare lead I placed one rod in the left hand margin just over the drop off and the other in the right hand margin. By casting at an angle the drop off gives the line a little shelter from rubbish in the flow, they last a lot longer than casting straight out and having them dragged of the spots pretty quickly.

Once I was happy it was holding I put 10 Pandemic over each and set up the shelter for the night.

20:20 hours – I’d just got the camp up when the left hand rod wacked over, it took line and then stopped. I picked up fearing the worst but as I lifted into it a little more line was taken and it stopped again. It felt very odd and I thought it was a large branch catching the line in the flow and taking line from the baitrunner and then jammed up. I tried various angles and pulling, letting it go slack and waiting and in the end convinced myself it was a branch as I knew there were no snags there other than the drop off itself, so I prepared to pull to open the hook out. The way my rig is set up the hook is the weakest point if it is wedged on rocks / gravel.

I’ve commented on this before but will talk through it again, when pulling for a break or in this case to open the hook out I point the rod at the snag and slowly walk back to let the line build pressure while stretching, do it to quickly and it breaks the line, but by doing it slowly quite often the stretch will pull help move the snag or in this case the fish, as all of a sudden it just swam upstream and felt heavy!! I can only think it got itself behind a rock or the lead jammed in the drop off. Anyway after a strong fight a lovely big Barbel dropped into the net, my season best at 14-13.

I thought about packing up as two in a session on this little river is rare but I was set up so decided to stay. I re-baited and to be honest was buzzing with my success. I wound in at 06:30 for work and as expected didn’t get another take, the Eels had made short work of my bait and I think I was fishing with bare hairs most of the night.

4 August 2017 – River Derwent

After a short day at work I took the opportunity to fly up the M1 to my favourite river and arrived there in good time for an 18:30 start. It had been warm, windy with cloudy spells and 21 degrees, great conditions and I felt confident of more success. I put the rigs on the spots and put 20 Pandemic over each, put the kettle on and sat back and relaxed, I’ve said it before but I love the Derwent, there is just something about the place, quiet, lovely surroundings and I see a lot of wildlife, it’s my little piece of heaven.

20:05 hours – the margin rod smashed over and I was into an early bite for this section, it gave a great account of itself and was deceiving at only 10-00 on the nose.

23:05 hours – I had to wait a while before the same rod went again and what a take, it absolutely belted off and must have made 60 yards before I could get it under control. The section was still very weedy and I had to walk 70 yards downstream to get past the fish to ease it out of the streamer weed, but all went to plan and another big fish went in the net at 13-12.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m using the Ridgemonkey RM-Tec 15 pound line in brown, but I have to say it is brilliant, robust and very strong, I’ve landed some fish this year that I may have lost if it wasn’t for good main line. Well worth a look if you’re not happy with your current main line.

01:00 hours – the margin rod went again with the same result, another nice double posing for the camera at 11-00.

Surprisingly I didn’t get another take, but I wasn’t complaining with three doubles and drove home to Julie in the morning for a family BBQ.

10 August 2017 – River Derwent

I had the Friday off work so I took the opportunity to drive up after work on Thursday. It had been raining non-stop all week so I was expecting higher levels when I arrived, even if it was difficult I wasn’t too worried as the Derwent drops very quickly so I knew I’d be able to fish.

I arrived at 17:00 hours, it was cloudy and warm at 20 degrees and the level was up a good 18” and carrying colour. The extra water had ripped up a lot of weed so I had to start with 8oz leads to be able to hold bottom and stop them being dragged of the spots.

I followed my standard approach, pva bags and a few freebies on the spot by 17:40.

17:50 hours – the margin rod went straight away, it was a single at 6plus but a good start.

23:10 hours – the rod out into the middle wacked over and what a fight in the extra water, it fought like crazy and I really thought I may have the section biggie on but alas not, but I was happy with an 11-09.

02:25 hours – the margin rod flew off with the same result, another epic fight in the flow resulting in another double at 11-02. Despite a very cold night the Derwent continued to be consistently good to me and I wasn’t complaining that it was the last action of the night.

The A.B.F Challenge

I introduced Jerry Gleeson in my ramblings in 2015 so won’t labour the point again but the guy deserves recognition for the charity work he does, it takes a lot of planning and costs us all money and all we get is a good laugh and a few fish along the way but it’s a brilliant experience and gives us the chance to give something back to people who have sacrificed a lot for us, so a massive well done to my pal Jez.

The last ABF Challenge was summer 2015 as we had to cancel last years due to Jerry planning a wedding. This years was to be a little different and was a species challenge instead of our usual Barbel, it was to cover 14 days and included rivers in England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. All the usual suspects were doing a few sessions, Matt Marlow, Paul “Gadget” Floyd, Dave Chambers, Christophe Pelhate, along with some of our European friends who contributed hugely with the organising in Europe.

Due to my new job I could only do three nights in this country and planned to Barbel fish on all three as the Pandemic picks up other species as well, as ever it was eventful as fishing with Jerry always is……..

18 August 2017 – River Soar

I managed to get away from work at 15:00 so new I had to get a move on to make the Soar in time to have a look before fishing. So there I was manoeuvring the roundabouts in Milton Keynes when whack, I get hit up the a…. by some dipstick who wasn’t looking, obviously I wasn’t suitably pleased and when I got out the car the guy went very pale, instead of being angry I had to console the guy and make sure he was ok. Luckily the damage was all to his car as my tow bar took the hit.

I made it home packed the car and drove up the M1. Problem number two, the sat nav did not know the new road lay out and I went miles out my way before doubling back and finding Kegworth and the River Soar.

Eventually I found Jerry, it was a half mile walk, then a precarious river crossing over a lock gate and a walk through a nettle jungle, but what I found was a lovely little section of river. I didn’t have long to prep as I would like so had to go on visual and found a swim a good 200m downstream of Jerry. I got set up on dark and flicked out two rods on Pandemic and pva bags onto the gravel midstream.

We were stood chatting and problem number three arose, Jerry said the taxi driver had broken his trotting rod when picking him up from the Trent…..me “yeh ok mate of course he did”, Jerry is the master of disaster!!

The night was a busy one for me, 3 Chub, 6 Bream and a Carp, the Carp was a great capture for the challenge so we were both pleased. Jerry caught a small Barbel so it’s nice to know there are still some on the river in the area.

19 August 2017 – Warwickshire Avon

We packed up and headed into Kegworth for breakfast before driving across the midlands to the W-Avon. We arrived at lunchtime, it was warm and cloudy and after walking the section we chose our swims. Jerry planned a bit of float fishing with his repaired rod and I planned to jig lobworms for Perch and lure fish for Pike. Problem number four, I parked up and started to unload Jerry’s gear into his swim, he did no more than pick up my lure rod, comment on how nice it was and accidently snap the top section, he is unbelievable and has to be seen to be believed, so no lure fishing for Julian.

I set my swim up and then started walking the section with a two swan shot rig, jigging lobworms across the river, first cast I had a 3 pound Chub, two casts later I hooked a big Perch under my feet, it was big and looked under control before powering through the pipe reeds and breaking the hooklink, gutted doesn’t come into it!! After re-tackling I added a Pike to the species list.

Problem number five, Jerry hooked a Barbel, I went up to help him land and weight it, I was stood with the net when we had a big gust of wind, the idiot hadn’t pushed his brolly pole into the ground and it promptly went into the river before I could grab it, the W-Avon now has a new feature to cast to as it sank 200m downstream.

Phil Smith had joined us for the night and rang Merv Wilkinson to pop down, he brought Jerry a new brolly and Jerry also bought a lure rod and reel to do his own lure fishing.
Problem number six, Merv hadn’t been gone 30 mins when Jerry broke that rod setting it up, you couldn’t make it up!!
The night was a good one with Phil catching an 11plus, Jerry getting 3 singles and I added an 11-15.

20 August 2017 – River Ouse

We decided on a change to the planned route and headed to the Ouse, we called in at my house on route and Jerry then tried to add Koi to the species list much to my amusement.

After a big breakfast we headed to the river and found the levels well up after the rain, we tried an area I know well but it was soon evident we wouldn’t be able to fish there with so much rubbish coming down in the flow. I knew of an area downstream where you fish under your feet and went to look, it was completely overgrown and getting late but we had little choice. Out came the shears and I cut the swims out in quick time just before the rain came and it poured.

The night was quiet for Jerry and I added a Chub and a big Bream but as always it was great being out. That was my bit done and after calling into Madbaits HQ to say hello I dropped Jerry at the train station in the morning and he continued on with the challenge.

When the lads finished in Europe we had a total of 22 species and raised a heap of money for the ABF. It’s all for a great cause and you can still donate by contacting Jerry.
An auction took place as part of the event and Terry Theobold bought the guide day with me, I’m as excited as he is and can’t wait, I’m sure there will be a giggle or two on that trip and I’ll tell you all about here.

August 2017 a good month with not as many fish, limited fishing time, but still picking up a few good ones 8 Barbel / 7 doubles.

Until next month be lucky and tight lines.

Julian Barnes