I have to get out more for sure.

After describing myself as a fair weather fisherman, and going through a truly awful winter and spring, the summer has arrived. Record breaking high temperatures, and too hot to go fishing, thems the breaks. Today the weather has cooled down and I spent a wonderful afternoon fishing on one of my clubs lakes. Fishing with luncheon meat and bread for baits, I was targeting carp. The session started slow, but mattered not a jot. The lakes had never looked better, the smell of wild flowers, water lilies in abundance, and dragon flies sunbathing on the end of my rod.

The first fish was a common carp, around 8 to 10lbs in stunning condition, not a mark or blemish I could see. Over the next few hours around half a dozen small carp. A good but nothing exceptional bag, but the day was very memorable. I phoned my wife to tell her my arrival time home, and made one last cast. Within seconds, line was running off the spool, clearly a strong and powerful fish. After a short but hard fight, a personnel best barbel went over the side of the landing net. Around five pounds, no leviathan but my best to-date and in stunning un-marked condition. I have to get out more for sure.

 

The Barbel    Barbus Barbus