DES TAYLOR
‘You’re never to old to be shocked by a fish’
BEING in this game as long as I have, very few things shock me. In most instances, as they say, I’ve been there, done it and bought the T-shirt.
But what happened on opening day this year took even this battle-hardened old angler aback – let me explain. Midnight saw Wayne Langston and me casting our boilies into the Warwickshire Avon in hope of a big barbel. The swims we were fishing had produced two 15-pounders for Wayne and a 14 for me in the past, so we were feeling confident of a pull, to say the least.
But typical of early-season barbel fishing, after months of eating natural food items the fish would not take the baits we were offering and despite eight hours of trying we both blanked.
No worries… we had already thought this might happen, so we had a Plan B, which was to fish through the day from the boat in search of zander and perch, hoping to catch them on live bleak and lures.
Wayne had brought along a 10ft float rod and maggots while I had my predator gear with me, and with hardly any sleep we were off again for the second instalment of opening day.
And a memorable day it was, as Wayne caught small livebaits from the start and I received takes from zander, perch and pike. We roved all over the river and it reminded me of a session in the school holidays when I was a kid with my bottle of pop and my sandwiches wrapped in greaseproof paper!
Early that afternoon we moored on the edge of the main flow and I resumed my trotting for perch. After taking two of about a pound apiece on the bounce, the float shot under and something tore across the main flow of the river at some speed.
“This is a pike,” I said to Wayne, and when I pulled into the fish I added “and a decent
one at that.”
Well, after a minute or so the pike surfaced and immediately changed into a barbel of about 6lb. Yes, I’d taken a barbel on a livebait on a treble and wire trace, fished up in the water at half-depth.
Now, I’d heard of barbel being taken on deadbaits in the past, but never a livebait fished the way I was doing it, have you?
The fish was in perfect condition and fought well, and was no worse for its brush with the pike tackle as I rested it up and then let it go.
It was the first time either of us had seen or heard of such a thing, although I believe barbel are known to take salmon lures such as Devon minnows or Toby spoons which are, after all, imitating live fish.
I suppose this catch of mine shows a side of angling that we all love. It’s the uncertainty of it, not knowing for sure what the next cast may bring, and it sums up why we all go fishing.
I’d have bet a lot of money on my opening day trip that when the float went under a pike, perch or zander was responsible. Never were barbel in my thoughts… but so what?
I just love my fishing and these tales of the unexpected. Long may they continue!