Des Taylor’s weekly diary
A couple of trips with good mates and I bag a barbel personal best!
IT’S been a good week for me, but a hard one weatherwise! I caught a couple of nice fish, but the photos don’t tell the real truth about the wind, rain and mud over the course of the session! Here’s how it went…
WEDNESDAY
I’d arranged to meet up with Paul Bird, owner of Pikepro, for a session from his boat on the tidal Trent. He’d fish for pike and zander and I would be hunting for big barbel with boilies.
I’d fished with Paul once before on the river and caught five double-figure barbel to over 12lb, so to say I was excited was an understatement!
Unfortunately, although conditions looked sock on, the fish were not playing. After a few hours Paul had caught a small jack pike and I was blanking, but we were in a good spot so we decided to sit it out and see if the fish would turn on and feed.
Well, I’m glad we did because an hour later I had an 8lb 12oz barbel on one of my three rods. Three hours later I had another bite. As soon as I hit the fish I knew it was heavy, but was it a barbel?
The fish fought deep, and it was only when it hit the surface for the first time that I knew for sure that indeed it was.
In the weigh sling it was confirmed as 15lb 4oz, a personal best. There was not a hook mark on it – it was in superb condition and I was over the moon, to say the least. Paul caught pike to 17lb 2oz with another three doubles, but I never had another take all night. Was I bothered? No!
The night was horrendous, with wind and heavy rain but as I sat under the cuddy with warm clothes and a blanket around me, drinking a glass of red wine, there was nowhere I’d rather be. True anglers will know what I mean.
THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY
Paul and I had a heck of a game getting the boat on to the trailer in heavy rain with the river in full flood, and even my 4x4 was sliding down the slipway because of the mud on the surface.
Eventually we managed it, and
I was off to meet Ian Potts on the middle Trent for a couple of days’ barbel fishing on the way home.
On arrival it was pouring down with rain and the ground was a mud bath, but Ian and his dad Mick had already caught barbel to 10lb-plus so it was worth a go.
Indeed, within a couple of hours I caught an eight-pounder and a 10lb 3oz fish, but conditions became, really bad with rising water and leaves on our lines.
In the end I reeled in and went to bed, but Ian carried on and caught another five barbel to 11lb 10oz.
Ian is a guide on the Trent, and a very good one at that, and if anyone fancies a go on this river for a barbel look no further – Ian is your man.
The thing I like about him is that although he has caught hundreds of big barbel he still enjoys catching barbel of any size. That’s nice. You can contact Ian via Facebook.
After another night we all came away. It was becoming dangerous to carry on and it was not fun any more. I had enjoyed my time with Paul, Ian and Mick. We caught some lovely fish and met some lovely anglers, but now it was time to get home for a shower and a warm by the fire.