Where it all began...

14:09 Lewis Gaukrodger 1 Comments

The photographs below of my dad with Tidal Trent carp were the catalyst that encouraged me to persuade him to show me his old stomping grounds, which in turn introduced me to the barbel. What he described as an unknown venue back in 1980’s was something very different when we turned up in 2009 with anglers lining the banks up to the weir pool and evidence of angling activity lining the banks.


Landing my first barbel in 2009 (as seen below) at 7lb 6oz was a very memorable experience in more ways than one. Seeing my rod tip slam down and the reel being stripped of line I slid down the bank forgetting that the banks were lined with nettles! Even after this horrific, traumatic experience I had got the ‘barbel bug’.  By the end of my first season targeting barbel I had a PB of 9lb 3oz but this was only the beginning.



Throughout the closed season I research barbel fishing in terms of methods, set ups, rigs, baits, location, casting distance…etc. The following season I felt more prepared and felt I had an ever improving set up and approach. On 26/06/10 this was proved correct as I landed a new PB at 13lb 2oz on a single Teme Severn ellipse pellet. Using such high quality bait has increased my confidence in presentation and the rewards have started to show.  If I am not confident about any part of my set up I change it, ‘With confidence, you have won before you have started’.