Barbel Hunt - Creature Reacher Earns Its Keep.

I have just acquired a new club card for myself and Salford Pete. . . .

Wigan DAA

I have fancied this card for a while as it has good waters for my favourite species.

Barbel

Grayling

Crucian Carp

Tench

Its not a bad deal either. 

£30.00 for me

£16.00 for Salford Pete

Check it out via the link.

http://wigandistrictangling.co.uk/

Salford had a lot on his plate this week and therefore was unable to join me on this session

 ( which is a shame and something I will elaborate on at the end of the piece )

This was an out and out Barbel hunt ad I haven’t caught one for over two years which is far too long a wait. I took minimal tackle, kit bag, bait, net & 

”Creature Reacher “.

I really wanted to put a good bend in the C.R. Them 7 lb bream Pb river bream I caught on the Irwell was a lovely capture but hardly a big test for the C.R.

I arrived in good time and beat all the traffic.

The M60 at Whitefield can be  . . .
HORRENDOUS !!!!!!

The peg I had chosen is well known to the regular tip anglers but I wanted to fish the  float. I chose a large Irwell Stick initially taking around 12 no 4s. After two trots down I realised this just didn’t cut the mustard and had a rummage through my bag. I had a large balsa made for Bald Eagle. I had not gotten around to giving it to him........that would do nicely.....LOL.

The float took around 8AAA . . . . just the job...... 😆😆😆😆😆

I had introduced a couple of pints of hemp and pellet before I had even started to tackle up so the swim was ready for me to attack straight away.

I spent a lovely hour watching a heron on the far bank and hearing the odd salmon crashing but the session was bite less.........by the end of the second hour without so much as a nibble I felt like calling it a day..........I really thought I would catch on this run.......

BUGGER!!!!!!!

I did have a back up plan of course !!!!!!

 On the way to bite less run i had baited up a fall back run just in case. I never thought I would have to use it though . . . . .  LOL

As I arrived I put half a pint if hemp and pellet in and started to set up again with a favourite Irwell Stick.

If there were any barbel present I wanted them to get there heads down before I introduced my hook bait. Once tackled up I had a drink and text Salford Pete to let him know how poorly the session was going and that I was trying one last run for a barbel before I shot off home.

My initial trot down indicated how shallow the run was. I was quite surprised about this and adjusted my float accordingly. The run was about a foot deep !!!!!!! I was here now so I would have to persevere !!!!!! 

I had four or five false trots down to perfect my rig. I added an 8mm pellet to my size 12 hook, 6 lb line and had my first trot down. I made another few adjustments and was happy.

On the seventh or eighth trot down I started today day dream a little as the float meandered through the gaps in the streamer weed.
 I couldn’t return empty handed as I had told Andrew Boyne that I was going to catch a lump on the rod he had made me !!!!! My focus was brought back to the Irwell Stick as it plummeted under the surface.

 I hit the bite hard and all hell broke loose !!!!!

I just couldn’t stop it as it headed for the open river.

I was “  BUZZIN “ !!!!!!!

I had forgotten what this felt like.
Its like a drug.
Once you have tasted it you never forget it !!!!!

 The " Creature Reacher " was bent to the but eye under the pressure of the angry bolting fish. The line sang as the wind caught it and the pressure of the first run took its toll on my fingers. I had my thumb on the pin to increase the tension when needed and thought to myself . . . . .

“ I hope its a barbel........  pleeeeease " !!!!

The first run stopped with about 20 yards of line left on the pin........testament to how  hard this fish was fighting and I was sweating a bit to let me tell you.....lol
😲

Carefully, as not to spook her I started the retrieve. A slow pump and wind, pump and wind to try and grab some line back. I got her three quarters of the way home. The net was in the water and I was ready. I could clearly see her in the water below. . . . .

Two MASSIVE, pink pectoral fins stuck out like angry wings of a jet fighter in the  current . . . . . . 

It was then that . . . . .

SHE SAW ME . . . .

and I was taken for a ride once more, upstream this time like grease lightning.......... stripping line off the pin in sudden, furious, bursts heading for the bank side foliage .........

Just before the second run stopped I felt a strange bump ..............

I thought she shed the hook at first but I was still hooked up and in the game.

The fight changed somewhat then !!!!!!

 She went ballistic for about four or five minutes and headed down towards the overhanging willow tree........

“ Trouble here “ I thought.

 I made a split second decision. No more pussy footing around . . . .

I  grab the pin to brake it hard and stopped her in her tracks just before she made it to the sanctuary of the branches. She erupted on the surface and I saw the problem straight away. She had become entangled in the line  !!!!!!!!

I now had to pull a dead weight up twenty yards of river.!!!!!!!
Carefully I edged her up stream. She had nothing left by now and I was not surprised. I guided her over my 26 inch landing but struggled to get her in it !!!!!!

I started to get giddy as I just about squeezed her in the net.....

 “ Jesus she is a lump “ 

I whispered to my self.

As I unhooked her I noticed that she wasn't tangled in the line........I had foul hooked her, but, she was hooked cleanly when I first saw her !!!!!!!!
 That  " bump " must have been the hook pulling out and then foul hooking her in the pectoral fin.....
What could be the odds on that ?????

If Salford Pete were here he would have got it all on video......

I took her to my  scales which were ready and waiting . . . .she was 8lb 2 oz. 

A Ribble Pb by a mile for me and what a beauty.
A very lean fish to.

I took a few quick pictures for the blog and proceeded to nurse her back to full fitness in the margins such was the ferocity of the battle she gave me. It took s full fifteen minutes for her to recover and slink of in to the murky depths of the Ribble.

I sat there and chilled for a while, recovering myself thinking I have finally caught something worthy of the rod Andrew had made for me.
Not the float caught double I have set my sights on but it will happen this season . . . . trust me Boyneie. 

😉

Until the next time. 

😊

TTFN

Peanut

If you would like to look at my handcrafted floats just hit the link.

http://purplepeanut007.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/handcrafted-floats-2017.html?m=1

Join our club
Its free !!!!!!

http://salfordfriendlyanglers.co.uk/join/