The Isurā Doesn't Just Contain Perch

Back to the Ure, again, hunting for it's elusive barbel. After a bit of wandering up and down trying to spot fish with out any success I opted for a swim that had a couple of deeper runs in it. One on near the far bank and one under the trees on the near bank. While I fed pellets into the two swims I dropped a worm somewhere in the middle. The lead had only just hit the water when the top wrapped round and came a perch. Casting upstream got a similar result. After half a dozen I abandoned worm and had both rods fishing pellet.

 








A little while later, and with no sign of action in the meantime, a gentleman stopped an asked how I was doing. 

"A few perch"
"Not surprised, it's thick with 'em"
"I've changed to pellet in the hope of a barbel"
"Not been many owt this season, but you've got your baits in the right place. Good luck"

As he left a family of swans started to feed upstream of the the far rod and the dislodged weed started to wrap round the line and shift the lead and bait into a very shallow area. I hauled the rod in and waited while I had spot of lunch. The swans were still feeding and been a nuisance. You'd think being friends of royalty and all they'd have better manners. Remembering I had a tin of Spam in the car I set one rod up for rolling meat and spent a while in the few swims trying that. Nothing showed any interest.

Back to the pellets. After an hour or so I started to get the odd rattle on both rods before the far rod rattled about a bit longer than usual. This resulted in something sold when i struck. A bit more heave and a little chub turned up with the lead covered in weed. At least it wasn't a little perch. Soon after the inside rod lurched over and this time I was into something a bit bigger. After a bit of a kerfuffle near the tree roots I ha a 2lb 13oz chub in the net. Still no barbel though. That proved to be the last bite of the session.

 











My challenge to myself was to catch a barbel from the "Big Five" Yorkshire rivers during summer and the meteorological ends on Saturday and I'm at work. Looking back I notice that I caught a barbel from the Derwent on the 21st June, the first day of the astronomical summer, followed by barbel from the Wharfe, Ouse and Swale. Therefore I have until the 23rd of September to catch one fromThe Ure. Especially as the meteorological starts on the 1st June, two weeks before the start of the coarse season which cuts it two weeks short. This does mean, however, that I've run out of old names for The Ure.