My first Barbel

third outing of the year.

I had a trip out today with my two eldest lads, Jamie and Ben. Jamie fished two or three times last year, but Ben hasn't picked up a rod since we went to Ireland a few years ago.
I spent days wondering where to go and eventually decided upon the Brickyard at Bolton.

We got there about 8.15 and walked the banks looking for three swims together. There were about a dozen bivies set up, mostly zipped up with the three obligatory rods keeping guard of themselves. No sign of any non-speccy anglers .. which was my first concern. The water was gin clear .. no colour at all, and it looked decidedly un-fishy. So .. back in the car and off to Barnburgh.

The top lake was matched up with the normal Sunday open, and there was a six peg match on the bottom lake as well, alomng with some pleasure anglers all across the far bank. I ordered the bacon butties and we legged it to three pegs in the 40's.

Ben and Jamie set up with poles, and I put up a waggler.

This has to be the windiest venue in south yorkshire.

First hour and Ben's catching small silver fish on Pole, I had four carp around the pound mark and jamie was struggling to get a bite. At around 11, I swapped wih Jamie, and put up a small feeder which wasn't as productive, but produced a few small carp.

I fished the last 40 mins or so on Bens pole, and had loads of small fish at 6m on the maggot. a few small tench and ... my first ever BARBEL .. closely followed by my second ever!
Though I have to say .. they were babies... almost thought they were specimin sized gudgeon.

The lakes didn't fish that well today, the other pleasure anglers really really struggled, and the match boys were hardly pulling any trees up, but we had a great day. A combination of perseverance and chopping and changing yielded some fish in difficult conditions.

We all enjoyed it.

No photos though.