Stewart Bloor

Field Tester

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For many anglers here in the UK, autumn means a particular species starts to grab their attention. I'm talking about the barbel, or as it is often referred to, the Prince of the River. They are reasonably widespread across the country, not as much as many other fish, but nevertheless within a reasonable driving distance for most anglers. I'm more fortunate than most in that I'm fairly close to the River Severn, which is one of the prime waterways for them.

The Severn Valley Railway is an added attraction

 One of the positives about fishing the River Severn in certain areas is that the Severn Valley Railway runs alongside it. As you can see from the photograph above, it's a blast from the past, as it's a steam railway. For those of us of a certain age it's wonderful to fish in such an environment. It's like stepping back into a by-gone time. But of course, it's just a bonus, the reason I visit the Severn is to fish. So how did I get on in September?

First of all, my bait. As well as the appropriately named Barbel Stix, one of my favourite barbel baits has to be the M2 boilie. This was the first one I fished with some years ago when I first became acquainted with SBS Baits. It was an instant success on the canal where I targeted virgin carp and it's been reliable over and over again whenever I've used it. Don't be fooled into thinking boilies are just for carp. I use them for a variety of other species, including barbel.

M2 boilies - more than just a carp bait

I'm also a fan of dips, as you can see in the photograph below. However the term 'dip', which is in wide use of course in angling, could be considered misleading as it's more than just that. Perhaps they should be re-named 'soaks'. Only joking of course, but I'm sure you get my drift! I will soak my boilies overnight prior to the angling session and then dip them each time I cast out. And contrary to what cynics of bait products say, they do hold their added flavour. Well, SBS does anyway, that's all I can comment on.

Soaked and then dipped

The river hasn't been carrying any extra water, as barbel anglers like it to, during the month of September. Local rainfall has been very low and we've had long periods of dry spells. It means the conditions have been tough, but that's where things such as quality bait can make the difference. When the fish are on a feeding frenzy, you can catch on anything. When the going gets tough though, that's when good bait comes into its own.
I had a very good month, as you can see from the photographs in this blog entry - and remember they are just a small selection of fish that I caught. Yes, of course there are many factors involved in successful angling such as watercraft etc. We cannot neglect the value of quality bait though, and that's why I'm happy to fish with SBS.

A nice barbel on the bank

Like any venues, the more we know them the better we will fish. Rivers are not different to stillwaters in that respect. In fact when I first started to fish this particular stretch some years ago, it was a slow start. I caught, then I blanked, then I caught, then I blanked. As I've got to work it out though, very rarely do I have a fish-less session now.

SBS does the business again

Rivers are also similar to lakes and ponds in that the bottom varies, both in depth and content. As we learn and discover, we get to think like a fish, and when we do we're well on the way to gaining the edge. Although a venue may look 'level' on the surface - and of course it is - it's what's underneath that counts. I'm always surprised at the number of anglers who simply turn up and cast out without knowing what sort of bottom they're fishing to or even how deep.

 Particularly if we are fishing a venue on a regular basis, we need to get to know it more. That should come in time anyway as we fish it, but extra preparation spent in research does no harm at all. In fact, quite the opposite. The thinking angler will win out every time against the chuck-it-and-chance- fisherman. We spend vast amounts of time and money on our hobby, so it makes sense to be as productive as we can.

I never get bored of catching fish like this

If you've never caught a barbel before, you won't appreciate just how much they fight. In fact they give their all in the fight and it's important to make sure they are ready to go back before letting go of them. If they are released prematurely they will 'belly-up', float downstream and sadly die. Hold them in the margins, let the water get into their gills and oxygen levels build up properly and then they will be ready to swim off.

Barbel put up a great fight

So to summarise, I've had a great September with SBS and I'm now looking forward to the month of October. It's still very much autumn of course, and I'm spoilt for choice. My problem, as an all-round angler, is not what to fish for but what not to! Sometimes I wish there were more days in the week! Out and about yourself? Tight lines.

By: Stewart Bloor