Missing out on baby Berties!

A LOCAL angler told me the other day that over the past two summers he has had more small barbel than in the previous 30 years from the tidal Thames.

Barbel averaging 12oz were caught by just about everyone but me in the early 1970s then, in the mid-1980s, the odd fish of 2lb-4lb turned up in matches.

As I only ever match fished and caught a dace most casts, baby Berties always evaded me. Eventually my pal Tony Myatt took pity on my and helped me land my first, fishing from his punt.

After landing an 11-pounder I did the obvious thing and quit while I was ahead, but there are still lots of barbel a 10-minute walk from my front door… and they’re reproducing.