Tees Barbel (8)

Date fished 25/07/2026

6:45am until 2:45pm

persistence

/pəˈsɪst(ə)n(t)s/

Persistence is the quality of continuing to do something even when it is hard, and it means keeping going, lasting a long time, or saving computer data.

Not sure about the "saving computer data" stuff, but I am certainly saving a few blogs! 

I arrived and walked to the area I wanted to fish. There was another angler in a nearby peg so I asked him if it was OK if I fished upstream of him. He said yes, so I started. 

Link ledger meat for an hour produced nothing. Not wanting to roll meat out of my swim and disrupt the other angler, I moved off down stream. 

I played around in a few new areas, not really settling and only got snagged lots and got a wet foot! I had the waders but was carrying them by now. 

A warm wind soon turned into dark skies and water started falling, I think its called rain. Its been a while!

Still feeling discombobulated   I went back to where I started. The angler was just leaving and he offered me the swim. I said thanks and we chatted as he packed up. 

Not wanting to wade anymore  I decided to sit on the bank and ledger paste wrapped pellet in the flow on the far side. It's where the barbel live!!

I ended with six of these, I think dace.

The second one was big and I would of weighed it had it not jumped off my hand when I unhooked it. They would be amazing to catch on the float trotting, but on the barbel rod they were just reeled in. 

I was glad of the blank savers and the kindness of the other angler. I enjoyed my day, but the quest goes on!! 

Clickbait

Date fished 22/07/2026

13.30 until 16.30

Flexi in the bank, I decided to take some and go to the bank. 

I drove to Tilcon as it's less than 10 mins from the office. Quickly chatted to another member, then set up the feeder and cast in, soft robin red hooker on the hair. Fourth cast and the tip spun around. An ide.

Plenty of taps and knocks, but I was getting bored of the feeder. I switched to float fishing sweetcorn and feeding my corn and hemp mix.

It worked and was a wonder bait. For the next two hours it was great fishing. The lake really is fishing well at the moment. 

I caught at least 15 ide, maybe 20. I wish I had my clicker as I lost count. A tench, a bream and several good roach.

A double figure mirror carp with a distinctive scale pattern swam right in front of me. I hoped he didn't show an interest in my sweetcorn. 

I was fishing fairly close in, one rod, sweetcorn. It could not be simpler. It really was a great few hours. 

Eventually the promise of fish and chips for tea was too much and I headed home. 

Always time for one more ide though.

I really was glad my bait mixture worked, but I was annoyed I forgot my clicker. 

A picture paints a thousand words (2)

Date fished 19/07/2026

7am until 10am

Hot weather, no school and a son that has joined the workforce. All great reasons to spend a few hours together at the lake. 

 

well, something like that. 

We drove up to the lake, armed not only with tackle but more importantly homemade sausage and cheese muffins and pain au chocolates (not home made.)

Tackle

Two float rods, 1 ledger rod. Sweetcorn, hemp, Robin reds and breadcrumb. Hot juice, choco breaks and munchy bars.

Sometimes words just don't do it justice. I will leave you to write your own. 

Dad 4 tench

Martha 1 rudd

Rupe 2 tench, 1 roach, 1 rudd

My first tench aka Gary

Tees barbel (7)

Date fished 12/7/2026

4.40am until 8am

Yes, I watched the football. Yes, all of it. 

2.5 hours sleep and a 3.15am alarm. I must love my fishing!? 

It was always going to be an early start. In this heat, I wanted my discomfort to be more than that of the fish.  

After some minutes sleeping, not that much more than the match itself, I dragged my arse out of bed and headed towards the river Tees. No beers for the match helped, but it wasn't until I put the Argentina V Switzerland game on 5 Live and started to drink my cup of tea, that I felt ready. 

I picked a fast flowing swim and rolled some meat. People make it look easier than it is. A few runs through and I was not convinced. 

I cast the same weight to the slack water and put the rod down. Instantly it pulled round. Not the barbel I craved but a nice chub of about two and a half pounds. Released without even leaving the water! 

I decided to change to paste wrapped pellet next, it served me well on the Nidd. Constant taps, pulls. The lot. I just couldn't connect. I assumed crayfish, however when I finally connected, it was dace. I managed two.

I had seen a kingfisher, heron, eel and otter and it was not even breakfast time for many. 

After a few more biteless rolls, I walked around an island and saw a big chub lethargically heading towards a tree for shade. It's back out the water, I could of just netted him. 

I took this as a sign that I should go find my own shade, it is likely going to be snory and sofa induced. 

Does anyone know if mobile speed cameras always get you??

Asking for a friend. Ffs 🤬

Mr Whippy

Date fished 5/7/2026

5.45am until 8.30am 

The house was quiet, people in the street were snoring softly. I crept out with Mr Whippy and the float rod and headed the short distance to Wydon. 

For those of you that dont know, Mr Whippy was my dads favourite rod. At a little over 5ft, he is diminutive in stature, but he is strong. My dad had caught carp to double figures on him a mere few inches from the bank. He is a perfect stalking opportunist rod, and seeing as most of my Wydon fishing is a few feet from the bank, I paired him with a hybrid feeder to do some close in ledgering for tench. Mr Whippy last featured on the blog in 2020 here. 

I arrived at 5.45am. I feed some hemp at 5.50am, cast ( well dropped in) at 5.51am. At 5.55am the float sailed away, two minutes in the fight and at 5.57am a tench lay in the net.

A roach on the float followed and soon the whole swim was alive with fish. I wanted to catch on Mr Whippy, so I dropped the feeder in the spot. It was 6.57am and Whippy pulled around. A short fight and a bream lay in the net! 

Wanting to get back to the float fishing, I swapped back. Two more tench, another roach and six rudd topped off a great few hours.

Long but skinny

The smallest, but equally welcome

The rain started and as I left a man and boy were just arriving. I told them the swim and where I was feeding, so I hope they could carry on where I left off. 

Getting home at 8.59am, I was annoyed it wasn't 8.57. The daughter was still sat on the sofa in her pyjamas. She said "morning dad, morning Mr Whippy'.

That made me happy!