GAMECHANGER “My opportunism pays off”
“The opportunist approach has certainly done me proud”
TERRY THEOBALD – 15lb 1oz BARBEL
“BEING a tamper driver for Network Rail means I’m sent all over the country. It’s given me the opportunity to fish many rivers and lakes and catch some exceptional fish in the process. Because I work mainly night shifts, just a few hours of an afternoon are all I get to fish, but an hour on the bank is always better than an hour spent sitting in a hotel. Grabbing these opportunities means you have to change how you think about when and where you fish and how you can be adaptable.
Over the years this opportunist approach has certainly done me proud. Work has recently taken me to Peterborough, so an opportunity to fish the River Nene was on the cards. When I’m working away from home, which is quite regularly, I often keep a rod and some tackle packed in the car. I’d already caught a 16lb 7oz barbel from the Nene three weeks ago, so when I was sent to Peterborough again my thoughts were firmly set on those River Nene barbel.
Arriving at the river, I quickly discovered it was up and coloured, so the plan was to find a nice slack piece of water and drop a big lump of luncheon meat into it.
As I’m limited on space in the car when I’m away, my fishing kit has to be simple so all I took with me was one rod, a net, a rest and a small amount of bait carried in an unhooking mat and a light chair. A small rucksack with a camera and bits in goes on my back and that’s it. Walking upstream with my kit, I came across a goodlooking swim with some slack water behind a snag and dropped my luncheon meat hookbait behind it. I only waited 10 minutes for a bite and what a bite it was as the rod proper hooped over!
Straight away this barbel fought hard and heavy and the lunges gave me an indication that it was another very large fish. On several occasions it tried to get into a downstream snag and as it got closer to the net, it took me under some upstream branches, but with constant pressure I managed to ease her away.
When the culprit went in the net I couldn’t quite believe it was another very large fish, and at 15lb 1oz it was a monster.
It just goes to show that wherever you are, you should grab the chance to get out and fish.”