Barbel fishing on the River Kennet and other piscatorial findings

Although the summer has been quite a washout, with rain seeming to fall most days, I was lucky enough to be working near the River Kennet in Berkshire. With one of the land's best barbel rivers less than a stone's throw away, I needed no excuse to fish the river at every opportunity, with the main target being the its whiskered inhabitants. This fish, that was just shy of double figures, took a piece of rolled luncheon meat in a heavily pressured stretch of the river. The fight was memorable on six pound line and a light rod, with the snags on the far side being uncomfortably close for most of the tussle, but the soft actioned rod eventually got the better of this powerful barbel.

After many nights camping on the river banks, I finally landed a large, solid barbel. Fishing on a deep, slow flowing stretch, there seemed to be very few fish present, but I had a feeling that whatever was there would be large. After landing a  fairly small fish on the sixth night, I had to wait another week before a screaming run came at two in the morning. The fish took a double 18mm halibut pellet hookbait, which I used to avoid the bream, and undoubtedly put up the best scrap of summer. Of course a big smile spread across my face as I unfolded the landing net!

 

It wasn't just the barbel that took a liking to rolled meat and trundled loworms.  The Kennet's chub were usually ready to put a bend in the rod. 

A field of poppies at the height of summer on an unusually sunny day. What finer site to keep an angler company while he slowly covers the likely looking swims.



A good head of bream are present in the deeper sections of the Kennet and provide a welcome alternative when the barbel aren't on the chew.  For sure, they will never win any athletic competitions, but on the right tackle fun nonetheless.

These days I shy away from any commercial venues and so, throughout the past months, I sought out neglected and under-fished venues.  Not only are these spots more peaceful than the average lake or river, but the fish are usually unharrassed and pristine, having rarely encountered anglers.  This beautiful common carp, that resides in a slow-flowing section of the River Wey, couldn't resist hoovering up some floating dog biscuits from amongst the water lily leaves.

With lots of neglected rivers these days as a result of lazy fisherman and the fad for carp fishing, hours can be spent roaming pretty rivers, spinning for perch, pike, chub and the odd trout.  Some good fishing can be had on the River Wey, but, unfortunately, the lack of licensed anglers means fewer eyes on the river, so fish are increasingly being taken for the pot.  It's common knowledge what our eastern European friends are doing, but very little seems to have been done about it so far.

Back on the Kennet and another good looking Chub that intercepted a piece of luncheon meat rolled over a  gravel bar in just inches of water.  At the height of summer, a shoal of up to thirty of these fish gathered to sunbathe in this spot every day.

A hard-fighting barbel taken on meat in a Kennet weir pool.

Beautiful Scarlet Tiger moth - a specialist of Kennet water meadows.

Accidentally hooked while spinning, so maybe not a capture to boast about, but still a lovely fish.

Another neglected venue. This time a forgotten lake with a small head of carp and other species present.  This beautiful koi is hard to miss and took a few sorties to tempt, but was well worth it. Since then the fish seems to have vanished, possibly into someone's garden pond and hopefully not into an oven.  Unfortunately, its bright colours were its downfall as the few other carp seem to still be present.

A little river jack caught on pleasant day whilst roaming the over-grown river  bank.  Chub, perch and trout also  hit the small mepps spinners.

With a carefully placed bait, Dan awaits a bite on the a picturesque section of the River Wey.

High summer on the Wey Navigation

Rolling luncheon meat and lobworms is a very exciting and often instant way of getting some interest on  the river.  Read the water right and, usually, the fish shouldn't be far away.  My first experience was with a double figure barbel, quickly followed by a smaller fish of seven pounds.  When the double took the bait it seemed that I had hooked a snag;  the fish sat tight in the fast current for a few minutes, but the give-away was the gentle pulsing sensation as the large tail steadied the fish.  My six pound line and soft rod made little impression, but luck was on my side and, after a great fight, I managed to draw the fish to a slack.  Unfortunately I had no camera with me to record the fantastic looking golden torpedo.

Whilst working, I collected  a number of fat, white, beetle grubs that proved to be devastating on the chub.  It seemed nearly every cast produced a hard-fighting fish that wasn't interested in any of the modern baits, such as pellets. 

Another pristine grub-munching River Kennet chub.

Whilst sitting it out on a deeper section of the Kennet for carp and barbel, bream usually got to the bait first.

William waits for a bite on the river.

A barbel eye view.

The reason why barbel are so adept at rooting out tasty morsels on the  river bed.

Waiting for a barbel with a static bait in a Kennet weir pool.

Another long-forgotten lake that rarely sees an angler apart from kingfishers and great crested grebes.  The small head of carp obligingly take old fashioned baits, such as bread  - as Olly found out.

Olly waits for some large rubbery lips to slurp down his surface offering on a pretty  stretch of the river.  Surprisingly  good fishing for a number of species can be had here, if anglers are willing to put in the effort. 

After many nights trying to bag a carp on the River Kennet, I finally bagged one on a legered halibut pellet.  Not the monster that I hoped for, but nonetheless very welcome.  I had seen this fish a week before and then caught it again a few weeks later with a surface bait.  It seems it might be alone on the stretch.

On another forgotten lake, lovely looking mirrors kept Olly and me entertained throughout the day.  It's hard to imagine a more perfect way to spend a summer's day - beautiful surroundings and obliging fish.

A good-looking linear that scoffed a popped up cut down boilie cast tight to the far bank reeds.

Olly has good reason to smile; this golden carp had probably never seen a hook in its life - a fairly rare occurrence these days in England and a far cry from the commercial carp puddles.

James and I made a short trip to the Norfok Broads and managed to catch a few pike on lures, but sport was pretty patchy. Being the last sunny holiday weekend of the summer meant that the waterways were a hive of activity with pleasure boaters disturbing the fishing.  James managed his first pike on a surface lure, which made the trip well worthwhile. 

 A visit with Rhys to Bristol Water's Chew Valley to throw lures rewarded us with five pike, which for a first trip was a  great result.  The fish were all fat and hard fighting.  Most of the other boats on the day fished deadbaits and many anglers were rewarded with 20+ pound fish.  The largest we boated was 18 pounds, so we could hardly grumble.  Winning lures of the day were storm five inch storm shads and fox replicant curly tails.

Rhys and a chew valley pike that took his lure on the drop.

Rhys holds the biggest fish of the day on a late October session

On another forgotten lake on a very cold frosty night in late October, only one run was forthcoming and produced this lovely common for Olly.