The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Gents I might be able to blag next Monday off and head to the river Severn downstream of Bridgnorth. There is a mild spell of weather forecast from Friday - is the rise in temperature enough to get the barbel feeding? There is not much rain forecast between now and then so I wonder if this likely to be worthwhile, or would such a big river need an influx of warmer water too?

I think you might hit it just right Wagtail Sir. I was thinking about it today when I noticed a pile of rock salt in the road. Hopefully the fact that no rain has fallen and washed the salt into the rivers here in Wales may be a good omen.

I saw the forecast and am getting quite excited!

Its quite exciting, we are like little kids finally allowed out..... I much prefer the river, but if It was going to be high again I was going to fish a gravel pit this weekend, but now it looks like the river will my destination !

I dug some worms just before the heavy frosts hardened the ground, and am looking forward to giving them their first swimming lessons this weekend.

I'm free all weekend, subject to British gas engineer visit Saturday morning, I hope he makes my visit first!
Grayling, roach and chubs me thinks

I can't get Monday after all - but Tuesday is on the cards (to be confirmed tomorrow ). You guys have got me all excited at the prospect of a barbel bite

Fishing the Thames with LuckLuca on Monday at Tadpole Bridge near Abingdon new water to both of us so very excited by the forecast.
Cheese paste was made in the bait Kitchen today alone with the preparation of Crust and the Lobs are on to collect Sunday if nothing else there is a great Pub on the river bank to drown our sorrows at Lunchtine .
Bumble

Hi Bumble & LL, used to fish there a long,long time ago. An uncle of mine lost 2 HUGE barbel there.
Lovely looking stretch of river, good luck.
Went to the Trout Inn a couple of years ago, the food was delightful, and that's where I first encountered
Stowfold Press cider.Highly recommended.
Be nice to know how you fare.

ATB Macko

Well, my 'Tuesday off' was granted by work, so I drove the 90 miles to the Severn yesterday morning hoping that the weather wouldn't be as bad as forecast. The river was up, but nothing like the flooding of late, and in fact over the course of the day it dropped about 3 inches.

I settled in my first choice swim, and first cast a fish whacked the rod over Unfortunately after a few seconds it snagged me - there has never been a snag in the swim before so the floods must have brought something down - and I felt the fish come off

I gave it a while and then moved on to swim number two. First cast and I'm in again this one stayed on and at about 7lb proved to be the biggest of the day. Before you pull a face and say 'no unhooking mat' there had been one........ but it blew away ........... so a quick snap with the phone camera and the fish was returned before heading off to retrieve the mat.



Swim three I couldn't fish, because the large bush that used to be to the right is now laying over in the water, blocking the swim very effectively indeed. Presumably the floods did for it.

During the day I got to see a tree creeper feeding on the trunk of an oak I was sitting under, had a squirrel walk straight past on the high bank behind me, watched a flock of long-tailed tits flit past feeding in the bushes as they went and watched a pair of buzzards wheeling overhead. I also slipped and landed hard on my backside due to the horrible slippery conditions. In fact some of the swims that I would like to have tried were avoided because even if I had got down to them safely, I'm not sure I'd have got back up again

In the end I fished 'til just short of dark, as I really didn't want to risk the steep slippery banks in the proper darkness. My final tally was 6 hook-ups, with three barbel landed all between 6 and 7lb. So, all-in-all a great day out.... and WAAAY better than being at work