Local pit 1.11.2013

I was sat at home on the 1st November listening to the fireworks going off prematurely, I looked at the weather to see what it was doing for the night ahead which was wet and windy but the pressure was really low so my mind was made up. I decided to hit a local pit as I knew it was generally good for a bite and held some decent fish.
I rang my mate Matt to see if he fancied a night on the bank and hour or so later we arrived at the pit. The light was fading quick so it was a rush to get everything set up Matt took care of that while I went through the usual routine of setting up the rods.
The spots I would be fishing were spots I have fished before both across to the far margin as tight as you can possibly get it. As the weather had predicted it was raining and by the time we sat down we were both soaking wet through.
The kettle had just boiled when I had a drop back on the left hand rod, I rushed out picked up into it and instantly knew it was a little bream (gutted) the 1st cast to that spot was perfect and now I had to chuck back out in the pitch black with the wind and the rain in my face,at least I new my rigs were working as it nailed plum in the middle of its bottom lip,I unhooked it in the net and let back. Fortunately I always mark my spot with some tape on the line.
After walking my rods out to my marker I put a fresh rig on with a pva stick and cast it back out. I hit the clip and felt the lead down with a clunk I knew I was on a clear spot and the bait was presented correctly.
After getting back into the bivvy still wet through I stripped off and got into some dry clothes id brought with me unfortunately Matt wasn't so lucky and had a very uncomfortable night ahead of him. We made a brew and I went through a couple of rigs with Matt and should how and why they work and before we knew it it was 10pm and we decided to get out heads down as the weather wasn't looking any better just seemed to be getting worse.
I was awoke at 1am by a roaring take which wasn't alarming to me but Matt jumped out if his skin and ran around like a headless chicken not knowing where he was or what he was doing!!! By the time he had woke up properly the fish was ready for landing, which he proceeded to do quite well. I could tell it was a decent size of fish, so left it resting in the net whilst we ran around getting scales, camera etc (it's much safer and easier to leave the fish resting in the net for 5 mins whilst you sort yourself out,rather then leaving the fish flapping around on the mat).
After getting the fish out safely and placing it on the mat the hook just popped out of its mouth which so often happens. This beautiful long lump of muscle came in at 21lb 14. A new fish to me I had never seen this one before. This put a real smile on my face and excited Matt as he had never seen a fish this size and was just getting into carp fishing.

After slipping the fish back I went through my usual routine of walking the rods out to the mark, clipping up and putting on a fresh rig. I cast it out to the same spot, put a few more freebies over the top and got back into the bivvy to try and get warm as it was still raining and I had no more dry clothes!
The rest of the night passed without a take and come 8am both me and Matt were ready to go home as we were both soaked through.
Even though the conditions wernt brilliant and I was only there for 15 hours I managed to bag a really nice looking fish,a wise man once told me effort equals reward and this is the proof in the pudding.

The hunt for a barbel

After recently moving back to the town I grew up in I was invited to do some barbel fishing by a friend (lee) down on a stretch of river he had been bailiff,id never caught one of these magnificent fish before so naturally I jumped at the chance,lee had told me there were a few in the river and he'd had them out to just over 12lb so he was sure id have one and true to his word I did,I had a 9lb'er,everything id herd about these mystical creature was true,solid muscle and real hard fighting.after revisiting the river a few more time's with lee and have a few more barbel under my belt I thought it was time to go it alone.

 There is a little river at the back of my house,in places it's only a meter wide and an inch deep but there are a few deeper and wider pegs and thought that these would be a grate place to start,the peg its self is one a used to swim in as a boy before I got in to fishing,I got to the peg around 4pm and started to feed the swim using a bait dropper,the chosen bait would be a tried and tested boilie that I have grate confidence in on the hook and id be hooking on a bag of soar tackle's micro-pellets,again something I have grate confidence in and I would be re-casting every 20 min.an hour and half past with out a bite so I pulled the rods back in and jumped in to the next swim for an hour as I had to be home by half 6,again nothing happened for an hour so decided to call it a day and pull back the rods,after pulling one in and putting it away I turned to pick up the other one wen out off the corner of eye I saw a long lean golden shape move slowly out of the over hangs on the opposite bank,a shudder of excitement ran through my entire body,they are here I said to my friend who had joined me on the bank a bit earlier,but I had run out of time so didn't fish for it that night but I did
Put a few bait droppers full of the micro-pellets in before I left. The plan was to return the next evening.
I returned to to the spot the next night with my mate,he had come again for 1, to help me land anything hooked as the banks are high and steep and 2,he had never seen a barbel.the swim was tight so I left Matt up on the bank and a crept down in to position,I put to droppers tight to a over hanging willow on the far bank(I say far but it's only half a rod length) after I put my rig to the same spot,after seeing that fish yesterday I was confident of a bite,and I didn't have to wait long for the rod tip to rip round and I was in to my first barbel on the new river,I had to slide in to the river to play the fish as I didn't want to lose it.after a 10 minute battle she was in the net a 7lb 12oz solid lump of barbel I was over the moon and it wasn't till I slipped her back that I realized that my boots were full cold water and after crashing the swim up there was no chance of another fish I called it a night but before I left I went back to the first peg and put every bit of bait I had left in my bag in the swim ready for the next night.

I was wet,cold but grinning from ear to ear. The next evening me and Matt met down the river at the peg I started to get the stuff together while Matt made tea with-in 20 minutes the traps were set, and it didn't take long before I was in to the first of the night,a 3lb chub had took the bait.

 No sooner had I recast the rod the other one screamed of and I was in to the first barbel of the night,Matt grabbed the net and a sort time later it was on the bank, a beautiful 6lb 8 barbel.

 After slipping her back mat put the kettle on and I put a few more bait-droppers full of pellet in and re-cast the rods,we sat back and looked at the pics we had just taken and laughed about the fact that we used to swim in river,wen the right hand rod slowly took off, i new it was a greedy chub ad soon as I picked the rod up, not as big as the first but still a cracking fish.

About an hour later the left hand rod took off,this was no chub I could tell by the fight it was another barbel,not a big one but still a stunning 6lb fish.

An hour or so past with out a bite so we started to pack up,but I had a feeling there was one more bite to be had so I re-baited one rod while Matt continued to pack stuff up,I cast the rod to a bit of slack water at the back of the over hanging willow,before I had chance to put the rod on the rest it was nearly pulled out of my hand(this was no small fish) it went crazy I was playing the fish for a good 10-15 min before  it finally gave in.when we had the fish on the bank I was surprised to find out it was only 8lb.

Don't get me wrong for the size of the river this fish was big but the way it was fighting I was sure it was a double,after a quick photo I slipped her back,wot a few days it had been,more barbel on the bank than I could of hoped for from this tiny little river,needless to say but I will be back,in hunt of an Erewash double!