Barbeling on a Rising River

Due to appointments and things Friday's fishing was to be confined to match hours. 10-4. For no good reason I decided on a spot of barbeling on the Ouse as it had settled to a reasonable level, but was slowly rising. Very slowly rising, it came up nearly three inches while I was there. Since flooding on Tuesday it had dropped 3m, this meant the banks were a bit treacherous, but a reasonable swim was found. The colour was dropping out of the water and pin fry could be seen in the shallows. Sliver tourists were also  about with several leaping clear of the water.

Swimfeeder tactics with 22mm halibut pellets as bait and 4,6, & 8mm pellets as feed. The downstream feeder was dropped under the overhanging tree and the upstream one in a crease about a third of the way across. Several cast were made to each post to build up some feed. It was a rather grim looking windy day with occasional bits of drizzle that never came to much. Like the previous day there was very little bird life about. A flock of noisy sheep broke the silence, along with the occasional military jet. The cackling corvids could be heard but not seen. A heron sailed over at one point, but apart from the odd mallard with duckings and the odd LBJ that was it. Just before lunch a few olives  were blown about and a couple were taken on the surface.

It wasn't until lunch time that I got my first bite. Sandwich in one hand and pouring boiling water into the mug, the tip whacked over then spring back on the upstream rod. At first I thought I'd missed it, but after a couple of turns of the reel I as in contact with something small. It wasn't until the feeder came to the surface that it decided to show it's true colours. Suddenly waking up it dived for the roots to my right turned and headed towards the roots on the left. Another minutes or so of diving about and I had a barbel in the net. A rather chubby thing that weighed more than it looked. I'd have given it 5lb at best, but it hit 6lb on the scales.

Later in the afternoon while watching small fish scatter trying to avoid a large pike the downstream rod started to jag about. A chub around the pound mark was quickly at the surface before been grabbed by the aforementioned pike. After a brief battle it was ripped from the hook and the pike got it's meal. That was it for the day's action.

Just as I started to pack up it started to rain. Thankfully it didn't get heavy until I got to the car. As I loaded things into the boot I realised the landing net head was missing. Donning a waterproof jacket I trailed back to the swim, but couldn't see it. Retracing my steps back to the car I spotted it a couple of yards from the car, hiding in the brambles. I think an orange sleeve may well be better than a foliage green one.