Conference wahoo::fishing

1278.0. " Got 'Im at last!" by SUBURB::GLOVERP (Tangled Mothballs) Mon Nov 20 1989 07:50

    
    AT LAST!!!!  :-))
    
    A litle story to wet your appetites this fine Monday 
    Morning.
    
    I have been fishing the Kennet and Avon canal here in the U.K.
    just outside of Reading for about two years,and during this period
    I have often seen a largeish fish rolling in an offshoot from the
    Main flow.
    
    The thing is it just cannot be reached to fish,well,until this weekend.
    
    To get to the fish you have to climb down the far side of a bridge
    and then hack your way through 5 ft high stingers.while hanging on
    to the underside of the bridge and holding your rod!(Sounds fun!)
    
    I managed to do all this,and armed with a no.8 bronze on 2lb line
    no sinker or trace,just line and a very big lobworm. The water where
    I think the fish is is about 5ft deep,going into a pool about 12ft
    deep. The water is very dark and weedy,no boats go here.
    
    I managed to get a glimpse of the fish from above the bridge,so
    my nerves are tingling just a bit ;-)
    
    The worm was cast about 9ft in front of the fish,under the bridge
    and allowed to sink ,hoping to the right depth! I still did not
    know what the fish was. Maybe a Chubb but a bit too big.Anyway,
    I had to repeat this 20-30 times until...KERPOW!
    
    This fish struck into the worm and just layed there. It was too
    heavy to try and shift with my tackle so I kept the line tight and
    Just hung on. He tried drifting down stream after about 10mins and
    then slowley upstream. This carried on for 45mins more. slowley
    but sureley he got closer to the shore so I reach for my net. You
    guessed it I'd left it in the car. So here we are,this big mother
    on the line,I still couldnt make out what it was,but I had seen
    the fish a few times coming up out of the grime,very impressive
    to watch. The only thing I could do was to leave the rod and climb
    back to the Car!! I took me 5 mins to get the net and return,heart
    beating like crazy all the time but it was still there, fish and
    all.  It was really tired and came to the net quite easily.
    
    It weighed in at 9.7lbs and was my 1st Barbel. They sure fight in
    one lazy way!!
    
    Put it straight back and hope to get it another day!
    
    Phil.
    ( Yes, UK anglers exist! :-)
    

    Phil, What's a Barbel equivlant to in the U.S. The only one's we have
    are lifted by strong men with little between the ears!!!!!!!

    Its like yor catfish,and grows to around 15 pounds I think.
    
    Big'ol boy!!

    I've seen pictures. Catfish-looking thing alright...
    
    Ed
    
    BTW, wasn't angling invented in good ol' England??
    

    .3�    BTW, wasn't angling invented in good ol' England??
    
    YEP!, good 'ole Isaak Walton, published "The Treatsyse of fishgye with
    a angle", (well something like that) in the 1600's (just about when you
    lot were getting started :-)
    
    Nice story about the barbel, I also fish the Kennet, but not the canal
    bit, though I've heard they grow bigger in the canal. Haven't had
    anything quite as big as that yet.. mine run to about 4lb, but they DO
    feel HEAVY. They seem to hug the bottom, possibly the best fighting
    fish (salmon excluded)... will be out there again next season.
    
    			Simon

 "The Compleat Angler" Izaak Walton

 The Doctah

    I hooked a barbel in the Kennet on 6lb line and a 10 hook.  It shot off
    like a train for about 70 yards, without stopping, and then dumped the
    hook in a far bank tree.  That was on the upper Benyons.
    
    Also, once I was fishing the quivertip with 5 casters for bait on the
    same tackle as stated above.  I always keep my hand 1inch from the rod
    when quivertipping, so as not to miss any bites.  Anyway, the tip shot
    rod and the rod launched itself into the river before I could move my
    hand.  The fish then towed the rod etc. 100 yards downstream and then
    stopped in the shalows.  The fish then moved upstream 20 yards!  I got
    someone to go in and fetch the rod (too cold for me).  The fish was
    still on when I got the rod back but soon the line broke.
    
    These Barbel weren't lazy!
    
    MattyB