Take a friend fishing

Date fished 21/08/2021

8am until 3pm 

Todays trip was quite different. I made use of the Angling Trust's offer and took an old friend fishing. We fished the Trent at Stoke Bardolph, a day ticket stretch. 

We arrived and parked right behind our swim (25), perfect as it was supposed to get wet later. As we set up, fish were already rolling. 

The swim was wide enough for us both to sit together and not too steep that the bank was slippery. I started with 15mm pellets on a ledger and Susan had 6mm pellets on the feeder filled with bread crumb. 

After a short while of no bites and a chat with the bailiff, I decided to change to worms. The likelihood of a Barbel in the day was slim to zero and with worms we could catch any variety of silvers, Perch or Bream. This proved a good choice, as soon as I had changed baits, the rods were bouncing with the usual knocks. 

I was casting the upstream rod to the same spot. Without the line clipped but out of all the casts in the day I can honestly say 99% were exactly on the spot! 

This accuracy surely helped and most of the constant taps were on this rod. But it was my rod that actually went first though, a small Roach pulling the bait runner as it fled the scene! 

Then the heavens opened. First a few spots, and then a bit more. The brolly was quickly set up and the swim was even more perfect.

The bites were still constant on Susan's rod and eventually she had her first fish. A greedy Perch her prize. 

As we fished on, we missed more bites. It was however no problem. We were out to have a catch up and chat, the fishing was just a bonus. The rain stopped and the sun came out, the brolly was now a parasol! The sun dried all the kit, so we decided to pack away before the next rain came. 

As I looked out on another river, I vowed I would be back. 

No words, just pics. Barbel

Trent Barbel

Date fished 14-16/09/2017








After my Stillwater Barbel success for Anglers Mail, I was really hoping to catch a river Barbel. I had tried before, kind of half heartedly on the Swale but thought I would go all out. This meant booking a pod on the Trent and fishing for 2 days solid. A few hours drive and the Trent lay in wait.



I had decided to fish at Maltkiln Lane , a great fishery on the Trent. The pods were very basic and sleeping bags, mats and general camping equipment was required.

I had bought a new reel, shimano Baitrunner 6000RB so this an opportunity to couple it with the Korum 2lb Barbel rod and see.


A visit to the local tackle shop Future Fishing  equipped me with heavy 5oz feeders and pellets galore, halibut and premonition!!! I was assured these were the business.

I had prepared hemp and curried meat at home so was ready to target the Barbel. The rods set up and I was fishing. There was something quite hypnotic about the traffic going over the bridge, the trains going along the track behind and the occasional swan or boat meandering along the river whilst I sat and watched the rod tips pointing high to the air.

The day passed twitch free. I had the wonder bait on at least one rod at all times, meat on the other, when I was not fishing double prem!



I decided to switch the right hand rod which had always had prem on it, too normal pellets, the time was 16.50. At about  5pm though, I joined the three foot twitch club!! My right hand rod, hooped over, the Bait runner screaming. I was in. I was attached to a most gracious and powerful creature.

The Barbel looked beautiful in the water. I played it for a while as its strength was something else I had never experienced. Safely landed by my gillie Lucy who had joined me on the trip, I stood to look at my prize. It looked immense. Perfectly bronze. I had no idea on weights as I had never seen a river Barbel, so this one was carefully put in the sling. 6lb 12oz. I was so happy.

I fished into dark with no more bites. The next day I was up before light to set up ready. Again fishing all day till well into dark, nothing. I really enjoyed chatting with the other anglers on the bank and being "out" not "out out" but having been on the bank with the wild surroundings, this was definitely proper fishing, and I loved it!!