So the new season is underway at last and I hope the past month has brought you all a few Barbel! From my own experience and from browsing the various barbel forums I know it's been pretty hard going so far, with some rivers fishing much better than others.

I kicked off on the Avon this year, concentrating on the areas that I'd prebaited during the latter half of the close season. Now I wouldn't quite class my result in the opening week as a disaster but it wasn't far off. Seven long sessions turned up only four fish with the largest weighing in at 9lb 4oz, with a couple of 8's and a little scamp thrown in too. It was lovely to get amongst the fish again but really not the result I was hoping for! One thing I quickly realised was that all the effort I put into prebaiting may have been a waste of time. I was expecting to have a few nuisance chub and bream, but I was totally unprepared for the scale of the problem. There must be literally thousands of 8oz chub in the area, and they're always first to the bait. I’m not sure one single boilie that I put in passed a Barbel's lips! You live and learn though, and the upside is that the fish I did catch were in the area that I had been prebaiting looked strong and healthy, and seemed more than happy to take my Team Barbel hook bait. Although I think this had more to do with the baits instant appeal to be honest. I’m sure one of the fish I caught took my hook bait twice within an hour. I bumped off a fish after a finicky take, and an hour later landed an 8lb fish with my secure hook hold in the scissors of its mouth and a very fresh wound in the bottom lip. Fascinating to think a fish would take an identical bait on the same spot so shortly after being hooked. Again, discussion very welcome on the Bankside Barbel forum. Get posting Barbel fans as it’s been a bit quiet so
far!

So what's been occurring on our other local rivers? Well, the lower Severn's pretty much dead at the moment. I've braved a couple of sessions so far with nothing to show for my efforts, and the vast majority of people seem to be in the same boat. I haven’t heard of much being caught anywhere downstream of
Diglis Weir so far but there might be a bit of secret squirrel going on! A couple of good local anglers I know haven’t caught yet, and that's enough incentive for me to avoid the lower like the plague until things start to improve! Lots of theories have been put forward as to why it's been so poor, low water levels, fish still spawning, the effect of last years floods and low oxygen levels being the main ones. The interesting thing for me is that the fishing in general has been poor, not just Barbel. Match weights have been low, and you would usually expect a few chub and bream to pick up your bait when after Barbel. So far this hasn't been the case. In all honesty I think a combination of factors is to blame. Early season isn't usually a great time on the lower anyway, but if things haven’t improved drastically by September we'll know there's been a change on the Severn. I'm sure it'll be ok.
So with all this in mind, I've recently made a tactical switch (also known as giving up!) and started making a few trips to the River Wye. I've only had 3 sessions so far but they have produced ten fish to 8lb 5oz - a long, lean fish pictured here and a certain double later in the year! Already I've fallen for this river. The Barbel are absolutely stunning, beautifully coloured, and they fight so hard! I’m planning to explore more of the Wye over the next week or two, with the intention of spending the summer there until the weather turns and my favorite stretches of the Avon and Severn become less busy and river conditions improve. I’ve a feeling I might end up spending much of the season there though. The best laid plans always go to waste.

FISH CARE
This month I thought I'd write a bit about fish care. Barbel, without a doubt, are pound for pound one of the hardest fighting fish in our rivers, but at the same time one of the most delicate. They simply will not tolerate being out of the water for as long as some species, such as carp for instance, so you really need to plan ahead and get organized in order to return your quarry to the river unharmed. If you are unsure of the best way to look after your Barbel here are a few tips.

Good barbel care starts with the tackle you use. It’s important to avoid a long, drawn out fight which will cause undue stress and exhaustion. I would suggest line of 10lb bs minimum (GR60 being a good choice,) and a rod to match. Play your fish firmly without pulling its head off, and aim to net the fish at the earliest possible opportunity. A good size net is also essential, something like the Fox Specialist Landing Net which is wide and deep enough for a large barbel to be able to sit naturally in the water and breathe.
When you have netted your fish, resist the temptation to remove it from the water straight away. Rest the fish in the net for a few minutes, secure your net using banksticks, or get a friend to hold it for you. Use this time to wet your unhooking mat, and prepare your scales, sling and camera if necessary.
Place the fish on the unhooking mat, making sure its fins are folded back flat to its body to avoid any damage. Remove the hook with extreme care. Barbless hooks are regarded as being easier to remove, although there is a school of thought to suggest that they can slip during the fight which in itself can cause damage. The barbed/barbless debate has been going on for ages. I’m sitting on the fence on this one but I will say that the worst mouth damage I've seen has been on carp puddles with barbless rules, although this could just as easily be down to poor angling. Anyway, occasionally you may find you have a really awkward hook hold so in this situation be patient. Cutting the line and threading the hook out point first can be effective. It’s a good idea to treat any wounds you may find on the fish with Kryston Klinik or a similar antiseptic.If you wish to weigh and photograph your Barbel, return the fish to the water for a couple of minutes, making sure your mat is where you wish the photo to be taken (as close to the water as possible) and your scales are zeroed with your wet weigh sling before carefully transferring the fish from the net to the sling. When taking the photos keep the fish low to the ground and NEVER stand with the fish!
Return the fish to the water in the net, position it facing upstream and allow it to recover until it is upright, breathing strongly and kicking to go (you may need to hold it upright until it does so of its own accord and don't panic if this takes a little while.) At this point the Barbel is ready to be released, so drop the net, and you will see your Barbel swim strongly away. Job done!

Although this may seem a little complicated, it’s pretty straightforward once you get used to it. After a few fish you will develop your own routine of fish care and it becomes second nature. For me one of the best moments in Barbel fishing is watching your prize return to the river to fight another day.
Well that's it for this month, so get off the internet and get down that river!
Cheers