A Lump From The Tidal Trent...
Well it was a last minute decision to venture down to the
Tidal Trent on Saturday to see if i could tempt a big whisker or two, as I had been planning
to fish a reservoir for pike all week. With the river levels dropping slowly
and after speaking to Nick who had recorded the temperature rising on the
middle Trent at the back end of the week the decision was made.
Unfortunately I was unable to get down to the stretch I had
been targeting all summer as the field car park still had standing water
covering it. Plan B was to target a stretch I had previous success on at the
back end of last season. Arriving at a high Tidal Trent I chose a swim that
allowed cover on the down stream rod as the flow divers around a bank feature.
Setting up both rods on running feeders I balled in a mix
of blended hemp, bread crumb, mixed pellets, CSL and lots of other barbel
goodness! At the business end 2 x 10mm Minke Ambergris Baits boilies were
poised to tempt a big whisker.
After setting up around 4pm I recast hourly and balled in
3 grapefruit sized balls over the top of each feeder each cast, carefully not
over feeding but ensuring enough attraction to the swim. It wasn’t until 7pm
that I received 2 bleeps on the alarm and I picked up the rod and tightened
down into a fish that had clearly been quite wary and not made a clear run on
the free running rig. After a short fight she soon kited down stream into the
shallows and I was able to net her easily. On the scales she went 9-08 and a
very welcome first barbel of 2014.
Repeating the same procedure I balled in more feed and the
next run I received was around 10pm when the right hand rod slammed over and
line was stripped instantly, lifting into the fish I had the fish under control
fairly quickly as I had walked down stream allowing me to use the current to
bring the fish into the shallower water then allow her to drift into the net
whilst maintain tension. Netting her first time she was a short fish but her
depth and girth was a clear sign she had been feeding heavily in the floods.
Tipping the scales to 12-10 she was both fin and scale perfect and probably the
cleanest barbel I have caught from the Tidal. She like the previous fish had
fallen to the Minke boilie a combination of shrimp and spicy pepper that not
only works well through the summer months but is a clear favourite through the
colder ones too!
Settling back into the bivvy i was hoping for another run
shortly after in keeping with a feeding spell but this didn’t materialise and
the next fish I landed was a bream at 3am. From then on the wind picked up and
whipped up all the bank debris from the recent floods over the bivvy which
sounded horrific sat inside! Fighting with the wind to pack up at 8am I was
pleased with the outcome of the session and I am looking forward to the plans I
have in place for the end of the season.
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