I did a thing

Date fished 27/09/2025

10am until 1.15pm

The kids had plans and didn't need me, so I decided to go to Tilcon for a few hours. The minimal amount of kit. Rod, reel, chair, net, unhooking mat and some terminal tackle was all I took. 

Bait was simple.

Worms ( I have had since July 5th) for the hook and breadcrumb for loose feed.

Fishing about a rod length out behind a bush is idyllic float fishing. It took a while of feeding but eventually a bite. A small perch was landed, a little birdie tells me there are some big ones in here! 

I then got no more bites, even though I was sure fish were in the swim. I decided to change the shoting. The olivette that was six inches from the hook was taking the bait down quickly. I fixed this much higher up the line so the worm could sink down slowly. 

This seemed to work, as it was soon a bite a chuck. Constant action, it was fun and soon I had well over a dozen perch. I had lost just as many. The float sailed away and this time something pulled back. An ide proving much better sport.

I ran out of worms so had to pack up. It was a great few hours on the lake, amazing to catch a few and the highlight was, that I made a change that worked.  (I THINK)

 

Tees barbel (5)

Date fished 24/9/2025

3pm until 7.30pm

I wondered if an evening session would increase my chances. Ellis said "it would, 500%"

Unsure of his maths, we gave it a go. 

A different swim fished. I collected a bag full of rubbish from the previous users.

It looked perfect. The river was dropping and had a good pace going into over hanging willows. One rod with pellets and feeder was cast there and a sleeper rod in the nearside slack with meat for any cruising chub. Ellis joined me after work and had a ledger rod near mine on the far bank. 

After one of his casts, I asked where he was. He said 5 yards from the tree. I declared, OK, I will cast this three yards from it. I promptly deposited my rig exactly where his was!! We didn't get tangled and didn't catch any barbel. 

It was great to catch up, we hadn't fished together since June. He has been doing lots of fishing around the country and had barbel to over 8lb! 

His luck didn't rub off on me, and he was left cursing the blank saver when he wound in the last cast and there was actually a small fish on the end. It had registered a bite a while before but didnt do anything else. He didnt see it properly before it dropped off, but I hope it wasnt a small barbel. If it was, we would of carried on for something bigger!! 

We even managed to avoid the massive dog poo as we walked back to the cars in the dark. The quest continues....

Tees barbel (4)

Date fished 20/09/2025

6am until 9.30am 

Ellis did the right thing and decided not to come as the weather was forecast to be awful. I stubbornly went anyway. 

The river had risen and dropped more times than a (insert your level of humour here)

overnight. 

Arriving pre 6am it was still dark. I tackled up by torch light and cast my 12mm Robin red pellet in whilst my eyes were adjusting to the dim glow. Yes, the river was high but it was fishable. Maybe not with the weights and rod I had brought though. 

I cast again into the slack water, but only managed a snag. This was repeated a few times over the three and a half hours. When I didn't get snagged, I was sat hopeful of a fish. It was fairly mild, if not very wet!! 

The  (three) pictures above are the swim I have been fishing recently. Its about 2 metres below the bank I was now stood on and fishing from. Knowing this well, I avoided snags and fished a while in the nearside slack. No luck. 

I moved downstream and fished another big slack under a big tree. No luck. 

I fished two more spots and got snagged so badly that it was a complete loss of tackle twice. 

The second time  I had found a worm, so tackled a new rig to be able to fish this. First cast, snag, I took this as a sign and headed for a long walk back to the car. 

Walking in waders is not fun and my feet hurt from the few miles trudging along the pavement.

It was comfy laying under the 'golf' brolly

I am now home, showered, warm and dry. I will sit down and hopefully watch the reds beat the blues! If nothing else, I have some lovely poetry to read.

When the sun shines we fish together

Told you I'll be here forever

Said I'll always be your friend

But to fish today you must be a 🔔 end

Now that it's raining more than ever

There’s still a chance of a chub or a fella 🤞

You can sit under your umbrella

You can sit under your umbrella 'ella, 'ella, eh, eh, eh

Under your umbrella 'ella, 'ella, eh, eh, eh 🤣

E. HUTCHINSON 

2025

Tees barbel (3)

Date fished 7/9/2025

6am until 10am

I am enjoying the Tees barbel challenge. I chatted with an angler as I walked back to the car, he told me he caught a Tees barbel from the swim he was in a few weeks ago. It's an area, I have never even considered!!! 

I was back in the same swim as the previous trip. This time travelling even lighter as I was planning on wading mid river to present a moving bait in and below the faster water. 

I only had meat and spicy sausage for the hair. 

Third trundle down, the line went slack. I struck and the culprit pulled back. Head shaking and zig zagging around the current and I soon saw the lips! A while ago, I would of weighed this, but today it was just slipped back. 

I changed the line and pace of the rolling meat. I was using the korum touch ledger and at times (not always) I controlled the bait downstream. Parts were so fast, I had no control.

During one of the pacier trotting down, I noted the line was spooling really fast. I closed the bail arm and struck. I was correct, something had intercepted the rolling meat. 

A different fish from the first, however I think the same as last session. A noticeable scar on its flank, maybe from a heron or similar.  

The upstream wind was warm and strong, my rolling took a more static approach as I found dips and places the meat would sit. A few times it came back with corners missing. Something was having a nibble. Not the two pincers buggers, but some whiskered beauty, whom I am always pleased to catch.

I will take this as a sign that I am getting closer to the Tees barbel. 

"Tam prope, quantum longe"

Tees barbel (2)

Date fished 29/8/2025

10am until 3.15pm

Two weeks in Florida with the family was very much welcomed. We had planned to go bass fishing but timings etc just didn't work out. We saw loads of fish whilst on an airboat ride, incidentally they are an awesome bit of kit, would love to have one for fishing. We also saw fish whilst looking for manatee, they are awesome too, we swam with them in their natural environment. 

Anyway, the barbel quest continued. Armed with the right bait, I tried again. Same peg BTW, the perks of fishing during the week maybe. 

First cast was met with a strong pull. I knew it was not a barbel though, on another day I would be happy with the 2.5 to 3lb chub.

One rain shower got me drenched, but 10 minutes later it was 20 degrees again and I was dry.

A few other anglers passed by, they were fly fishing for barbel - Good luck there! 

Knocks happened throughout the session. I was sure some were fish in the area, but nothing else graced net. 

I think Ronnie and Reggie approve of the new bait. 

Until next time, I am going to make like a snowbird. 

• Snowbird: A Northerner who visits Florida for the winter months. 

Tees barbel (1)

Date fished 3/8/2025

6.55am until 12.25pm

I have not posted in a while, but have been fishing. I have not given up blogging but am writing a sequence of blogs to document Rupe trying to catch his first chub. I will publish, when he does. Hopefully soon. 

Today, conditions looked good for an early morning barbel. Rain, warm, overcast. I headed to the Tees. 

I found a swim with fast water upstream that flowed into a deeper section on the far bank before shallowing up again and creating another set of rapids. Below these rapids would of been good too, but other anglers were in there. 

My groundbait of breadcrumb, crushed tortilla chips and sweetcorn looked and smelt appetising! 

I cast a few feeders quite quickly to get some bait down, meat was on the hook. 

The rod was constantly tapping, fish were certainly in the area. I changed the hookbait to corn, worms, pellets and back to meat. All got interest, none ripped off as I wanted! 

A strange bite got me striking. I felt no fish on  but the hooklink had snapped. Not sure what happened, but I remained on the blank. 

As I watched two kingfisher, an angler or walker appeared on the far bank. "Good swim this" he announced. 

I smiled and told him I was blanking. He had never seen a kingfisher, so I informed him these two were putting on a show. 

Getting back to the fishing, I was on meat again. The rod pulled round and the baitrunner sung. Not much resistance, but it was a fish. Shame to catch such a nice dace on the barbel rod and 12lb line, but I gave a little smile. 

The sun came out and I thought it was no longer good barbel conditions. I headed upstream and trotted maggots for a little while. A nice grayling, a small dace and a zillion minnows all coming in this short time. I walked some more of the stretch, which apart from the litter looked great. I picked up what I could, paying attention to get glass bottles and beer cans and headed to the bin. 

I was going to write my barbel blog just like I am writing Rupe's chub story, but if that was the case you would think I had disappeared. I will keep the number going so we can see how many times I genuinely try, although I will often bring old faithful float rod.

No perch here, mate!

Date fished 5/7/2025

7am until 1pm 

A solo trip today to the Tees. I would like to catch a barbel from this river, so am going to try and target one. Likely, I will get bored and try for everything else, but let's see. 

I did my usual and was outside the back door of the tackle shop about 6.20am. They were actually taking delivery of the days fresh maggots. I was let in and bought some bits. 

4 pints mixed maggots

Small tub worms

8mm Robin reds

Sonubaits groundbait

2 packets hooks to nylon

Total £30

Yes, I only needed maggots but when you have a good, reliable tackle shop, I missed out local, it's worth spending some extra quid! 

I parked up just as another angler was unpacking. He was off to find a swim before I could enquire into his welfare! 

I had some spots to try down stream, but couldn't not have a trot with the float in the faster water first. Second trot through a good sized trout. I put him back and fished on. A bite a chuck and quickly I had half a dozen chublets of a similar size.

A few grayling and I was smiling. The float went under and I struck into something bigger. It didn't feel like a loony trout. I saw it was a good sized chub. It slipped into the net from the fast flow. 

I saw it seemed to have a piercing, so I removed that. Not quite sure how the size of that was snapped off, but it's out now. 

I fished on catching chublets and grayling on the float. An angler came and spoke to me, he was after salmon and sea trout, we chatted and he asked about catching perch here. I dont think Ellis and I have ever had a perch up this way, so I told him quite confidently "no perch up here mate!"

Eventually I headed off to search for barbel. I was expecting to sit behind the ledger rod, so was glad to have had an active start. 

The wind was warm and strong. I sat on a beach, which was prime dog swimming territory. Most owners, seeing me called their dogs and carried on splashing down stream of me. One running dog owner didn't seem to care and the dog carried straight through me and actually went under my rod! I moved on.

Finding a recommended spot, I sat with my meat in a hole (Jason's words, not mine). 

I was putting the bait and stop on the hair, not as easy nowadays without my glasses, which were at home. I reeled in the slack and noticed that I had cut the main line and now the rig was not attached!! 

I set the rod back up, but this time decided to hair rig three worms instead. I put the rod down and it instantly swung around. I was hopeful of a barbel, a chub even but I feared it would be a trout. I saw the very red fins of a perch as it came to the surface! 

1lb 5oz 

I fished on as the wind buffeted me. It was becoming unclear if they were bites or the start of my rod being blown away. I decided to walk back. 

A few hundred metres away, it was sheltered and warm. But that was not the right place for the fish. 

I decided I had been rewarded with the perch and nice chub, so will keep the barbel hunt for another time.