A Bit Less Balsam

With reports that the Nidd had cooled down a bit and contained extra water due to the recent thunderstorms I decided to pop down to see if I could catch a barbel on float. I don't often use a 15' rod on this little river, but with a gusty downstream wind I thought it may give more control. A 3.5g loafer was all that was needed in the shallow swim. A size 12 hook to 6.6lb hook length finished the rig off. After a few trots down to get the correct depth and see if there was any snags I flung out a goodly helping of hemp and a few red maggots, I left the swim alone for awhile and took the machete to a large stand of Himalayan Balsam. Some of it was over six foot tall, but it was very satisfying to see it crash to the ground.

After few trots down with a bait on it soon became apparent that there was a lot of small fish in the swim as I kept get chewed maggots. I dropped to a 18 on a 4.6lb hook length to see what they were. Straight away I was into gudgeon. Half a dozen later and I hit something bigger. At first it came towards me easily, which suggested it was a barbel. This was confirmed as it shot back down stream and the hook length gave. The hook length looked like it had been cut by scissors so it may have been a pike.

Back to the 6.6lb hook length and a size 14 hook. A couple more gudgeon came in before hitting something heavy. Again it came towards me fairly easily before shooting down stream. Again the hook length parted in virtually the same spot, and again it was a clean cut. I had a wander along the top of the bank with the polarising lenses, but because of the the coloured water could see anything. I carried on with the same rig and stated to pick up a few chublets. One or two had mouths full of maggots which I'd started to feed quite heavily as the barbel had moved in.

I put a lot more hemp and maggots in, but closer to me in the hope the barbel would move up and I'd have time to stop them getting to whatever was cutting the line. I partook of a cuppa and sarnie while the hemp did it's magic. First cast after the break and I was in. Whatever it was shot straight towards the "cut-off point". I just stuck my thumb behind the handle on the 'pin and hoped. Again I parted with the fish, but this time retrieved a couple of scales. Looks like I'd foul-hooked one. After a few more gudgeon and a couple of chublets I was again into something bigger. This time it made no rapid runs and stuck doggedly to the middle of the river. Apart from one half-hearted attempt at getting into the tree roots opposite it stubbornly came upstream. When it got opposite me I thought it had snagged as it went nowhere. Then suddenly it gave up and came to the net. A barbel around the 4-5lb mark. As the water was still not cold I left it in the water as much as I could and with the minimum of handling.

A few more chublets were caught before it started to spot with rain. With mission accomplished I packed up and headed home. I'd love to know what was cutting the line. I've never had that problem before in this swim. Normally it's the tree roots opposite you have to worry about. Which is why I tended to play the fish downstream in the hope they would be too tired to make a dash for the roots once I got them up to me.

 

I'm now half way to my target of catching a barbel on float from the Derwent, Nidd, Ouse,  Swale, Ure and Wharfe. I suspect the Ouse will be the hardest as I've never landed one on float from there. I've hooked them, but on roach gear and never really stood a chance.