After endless poxy weather conditions over the winter that were about as near to right as I am to John o’ Groats, I really was beginning to give up on a ‘red letter day’ at the end of the season.
Conditions had been hard to say the least, but like a true hardened winter warrior, I carried on regardless . . . . . (maybe I should go to the pub more?) I had tried everything in my armoury . . pellets, paste, boilies, bread – long hooklinks, short hooklinks, fluorocarbon, suffix stealth skin, you name it I tried it.
I began to doubt my own abilities, like you do, even though the forums reported that actually, I was only having just as bad an end to the season as the rest of em’. So I figured no matter what I tried, it would be a lottery for me in just the same way as everyone else.
Time was running out, the season ended on the Tuesday and I’d forgot to book the time off, doh! Pete was adamant he was having the Monday off, and him being the ‘big cheese’ at Trafford, I opted for the Friday and Saturday off instead – figuring I’d go Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I fished the Wednesday with me being half day and all . . . . not good, not good at all, not one single solitary knock on the rod tip – I was to say the least, gutted. (especially as I’d hiked all the way up to the upstream pegs)
My enthusiasm on Friday wasn’t exactly at its highest! I turned up late in the afternoon, but with a good hour and a half to get set up and crack on . . . at the car park, there wasn’t a soul in sight, was it luck or did the locals know something I didn’t! With little time I wrestled with whether or not to fish the car park peg, figuring that a lot of em’ that fish there are just lazy and couldn’t be bothered putting in the walk . . . but then again I didn’t have enough time to do ‘the walk’, I looked at a peg upstream before getting the gear out of the car, and as I passed the car park peg again, I just thought – sod it – no time – fading light – the fish are probably expecting some food to be thrown in the peg so why not . . . .
In went two rod rests, rods out, snap decision to tie on short fluorocarbon hooklengths with korda maggot clips tied up ‘d’ ring style and that was my set up done. I’d decided the night before I was going to go ‘au naturelle’ bait-wise so it was maggots for today . . . . albeit totally battered in turmeric and chilli powder! Well, I figured that seeing as I like a good hot spicy curry, why shouldn’t the barbel?
Extra lead, a good two and a half ounces worth, went onto a drennan heavy oval feeder – as the river was a good foot up and rising. And I already knew I would still end up fishing under my rod tip . . . . I loaded the korda clip with about 9 maggots, having already trickled a few in while setting up, dropped in the right hand rod and loaded the other rod with maggots too for the left hand rod.
I sat back on my chair, fished around in my rucksack for my flask, poured a brew and thought I’d check the battery level on my digital camera . . . . . oops, no camera . . . . ah well it’s not really gonna matter is it . . . . .
So of course the tip pulls round . . . . . and keeps on going . . . . . picked up the rod, and knew instantly that this was something special.
The rod arched round looking like it was under full compression, I played it cool of course . . . until I saw the size of the head looking at me just as I slipped the net under the bronze beast that was coming my way . . .
The scales came out immediately, take the sack off and it leaves me with . . . . . 10lb 7oz of beautiful river ribble barbell ! but I need a picture . . . . . . so on the phone to my good pal Danny who’s a few miles upstream of me. Luckily, Dan being the good lad he is, only goes and jumps in his car after packing his gear away and comes down to photograph my double!
I fished the Sunday after that, and blanked, dan fished the Saturday and had a couple of fish out, but after Friday, I really didn’t care if I caught or not! It all came together in the end, and that’s what it’s all about. . . . . . . . . but you still wouldn’t be seeing this fish if it wasn’t for
him so cheers once again danny!
