UKCF Anglers.

[gav_sw20]

I was guessing around 40lb, very nice. Aye, we all used to be allrounders, fishing for a soecies in it's season but now the majority of anglers in the 🇬🇧 are either Carpers, Pikers or Matchmen.

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I’ve spent the last few years fishing commercials and ‘bagging up’ all day. Great fun, but even Stevie Wonder could catch there.

Since June 16th I’ve not been anywhere near one and have solely river-fished for Barbel. I’ve not had a single fish in three months but my time will come.

[Simon Bolivar]

I was guessing around 40lb, very nice. Aye, we all used to be allrounders, fishing for a soecies in it's season but now the majority of anglers in the 🇬🇧 are either Carpers, Pikers or Matchmen.

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[Good Stick]

Lovely, sounds like a good day had on an old water Simon.
I’ve not been poking since I was in my teens. It was always a thrill fishing fir them in the murky depths. They actually used to scare me a bit- it was always a real buzz waiting for a monster to snap up my deadbait!

The carp was 36.4, a pb.
I’m really thinking about a trip to France next year to try for a 40!


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[Simon Bolivar]

Impressive fish, what did it weigh?

Just rejoined a water I haven't fished for 15yrs. I stopped because the were killing the pike, even though it was actually illegal

. Change of management & was reassured they are returned now so paid e10 for a season (my first Senior discount) & I had a go. Took me 25mins to catch my first, a 5lb jack on a jerkbait.

Nice start. Then hooked my new 8'6'' JB rod & reel & cast it into the water e300!! Luckily it all stayed attached & it was all retreaved.

I moved on & another decent jack attacked my lure near the bank. A very athletic attempt but it missed the lure & wouldn' t take again.

Low & behold I launched my other rod again! Unbelievable. All retreaved again. Thinking this was still a good day, I then cast a good jerkbait into a visible partially sunk tree. US hooks unfortunately so too strong to bend out, even with 80lb line.

Annoying but still a good recce, I'll be back Monday.

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[Good Stick]

What a shame! I goes like that sometimes, I really need to get back bankside, it’s been too long. But I think work has finally started to sort itself out- so chances of that are slim.
Here’s a fresh fatty from a few years back- my dog was with me and when the fish jumped in the net on the bank- he shot off, all the way around the lake to hide behind another guys bivvy! Really made me chuckle poor sod, he’s happy to pick up birds when shooting etc but the sight of a fish scared the B-jesus out of him 🤣





Big baby!


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[gav_sw20]

Sweet spot, Success! As we say in Belgium. Hoping to be on the bank myself tomorrow, still rather warm & bright but might get lucky with a jack or two.

Cigar is back in the humi as I blanked

Worse was I took my piking gear and broke the handle on my real so couldn’t even do any spinning in between barbel casts !!!

[Simon Bolivar]

Come to the Severn today to catch the first Barbel of the season after 4-months of blanking on the Avon.

Got a HdeM Rio Seco just incase the rod wraps around 😀





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Sweet spot, Success! As we say in Belgium. Hoping to be on the bank myself tomorrow, still rather warm & bright but might get lucky with a jack or two.

[gav_sw20]

Come to the Severn today to catch the first Barbel of the season after 4-months of blanking on the Avon.

Got a HdeM Rio Seco just incase the rod wraps around 😀





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[Wid3y]

That is an absolute beast of a tench

[AlexD4]

When I fished, we used to go to Lincomb Weir on the Severn just near Stourport, an absolute haven for Barbel, well any fish really. At the lock there's a still water where overflow due to flooding from Larford Lakes gave you access to carp and cats.

I'm not sure if they still allow fishing there but it was a brilliant spot.

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[Simon Bolivar]

Angling is indeed the UK largest participation sport but historically we have very little political clout. The only useful body is the Angling Trust of which I am a life member (even though I rarely fish UK waters), but the animal welfare lobby are far more organised & powerful. Most of them have never seen an otter & don't care about fish or the livelihoods of commercial fishery owners or rich men chasing trout on the fly. Once they released them into the wild the writing was on the wall. You can't even shoot cormorants without a hard to get licence & they aren't endangered. Arguably they do far more damage, by eating everything up to 2-3lb pike!

[Good Stick]

Such a shame there is little or no help given by the government to aid this situation.
Obviously there are more important things happening now that need funding, but angling is Britain’s largest sport. Without support, fish like the UK record are going to continue being dispatched, surely they will have to do something!?


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[Simon Bolivar]

Henry Williamson, author of Tarka the Otter, was still alive when they made the film of the same name (actually died on the the day they filmed the death of Tarka), At time of filming in 1977, there was only one otter pack left in England, the Kendall Otter Pack & they were used in filming. HW said that if you want to continue to see otters (getting very rare by then in England), you need otter hounds.

His point being, the otter has no natural predators besides man & unregulated they will breed until they diminish their own food supply. In those days the only concern was about them eating 1-2lb trout, these days they are killing 20-40lb carp & 20lb+ pike. Both devastating to the owners/ clubs waters concerned & the only protection the Government suggest is building otter proof fences, very expensive & only practical for small waters.

This isn't an argument will win as Tarka & Ring of Bright water did for otters as Bambi did for hunting. The public will never allow otter packs to return, when they can't stomach fox hunting.

[gav_sw20]

I heard an otter ate the UK record quite recently?
I’ve wanted to catch a barbel for years, they are a stunning fish.


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A couple of years ago that was now. It was 20lb so god knows what it would have been now.

Otters are rife now in UK waters, last year one local where I fish (Warwickshire Avon) saw one with a 6lb+ barbel hanging out of its mouth.

Commercial fisheries are being hit harder as once news travels of otters being around anglers tend to stay clear which leads to a loss in revenue and large expensive carp being eaten.

[Good Stick]

They are a tough species to catch. I’ve only just started and struggling but I will get one soon. Mate of mine has done two seasons without catching one.

Needless to say I blanked but had a couple of great knocks around the witching-hour.

The Avon should be a great place to target them, patience and strong tackle are a must

I heard an otter ate the UK record quite recently?
I’ve wanted to catch a barbel for years, they are a stunning fish.


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