A good nine (my arris)

[Bob Watson]

...........underestimations

Once again, well done Sean! A good article and a handsome fish to boot.

A mate and myself are having a night at Cundall tonight where I'll be trying my heart out to "whip your ass" wish me luck!!

 

[Geoff Cowen]

Good luck Bob - there is defiantly a 12lb fish to be had and several other doubles at Cundell so you have a good chance. Two week into the season is about the time the fish start to come out, I wish I could join you maybe next time.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Good luck Bob. Fished the Swale yeasreday and blanked. Never saw a fish move.

 

[Bob Watson]

Cheers Geoff, it'd be nice to meet up some time.

Cheers Sean :-( you've filled me with confidence.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

Well Done Sean,

This is a seriously large barbel for the Swale.

My biggest ever from the Swale went 9 1/2 lbs after many years of fishing the river on and off.

You should enter it for the Drennan Cup.

It should walk it.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Thanks Ron. She was worth the wait. Not sure it would walk the Drennan. Whilst I'm sure its not deliberate, there will always be an element of biggest is best in any photo competition like that.

 

[Dicky (Angling Trust PAC)]

A captivating account Sean and a marvellous fish. Well done!

 

[Sean Meeghan]

How did you do at Cundal Bob?

 

[Graham Whatmore]

I often say, how can guess a fishes weight if you have never seen a fish of that size before, but isn't it nice when it turns out bigger than you thought! That is a lovely fish for any river let alone a Yorkshire one, congratulations Sean.

Had a similar experience on the Royalty on Friday when this Essex guy was telling me he was striving to catch his first barbel. A couple of hours later he had one. I said to him when he landed it that it was a double and he appeared sceptical, it weighed in at 11lb 10oz, hows that for a first barbel then eh?

Nigel Connor put it back in for him because he had chest waders on and he said to me later that it felt hollow, probably after spawning, and it was certainly a big framed fish.

 

[Bob Watson]

Just got back, absolute sh*te at Cundall, we started friday, mid afternoon, nothing doing during the day and no surprises really, it was pretty low and clear but I was confident for the night. I had 1 Chub that would have struggled to reach the 2lb mark, it fell to glow in the dark fake corn, which I fished in desperation I might add. My mate and everybody else along the length blanked except for a couple of lads Piking.

We upped sticks on saturday morning and went to a couple of pegs I know of nearby, it was a totally different story, we had Barbel, Chub and Bream steadily to 10mm halibut boilies fished over 4mm hali' pellet.

Just a bit of background; we'd ran out of hemp after piling it at Cundall so went to Borobridge tackle shop to buy more and the gaffer told us we shouldn't have bothered with Cundall above the weir, he reckons there's been nowt doing since open day and thinks a spate flood recently saw all the fish end up on the other side of the weir at cundall lodge/farm (never was sure which was called which) if this is true or not I don't know but it would explain the lack of action.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

I should have known Graham I've seen enough 9 pounders and a few doubles (haven't I Bob!). My excuse is that it was my first fish of the season!

Bob, I'd take what he says with a pinch of salt mate! I think the real reason you blanked is that Barbel only move into the slower deeper stretches of the Swale in early July most years. This year seems to be a later year so it may be a week or two yet before you get significant numbers of fish above the weir.

I love that story about fish getting washed downstream! Most of the Barbel above the weir come downstream from the Leckby Palace area anyway. If they couldn't hold against a big flood you'd just get fish from Sheephills and Asemby down there.

I'd get some Perch fishing in before the Barbel arrive - they're an absolute nuisance when you've scaled your tackle down in search of a big stripey!

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)]

Barbel and even other fish getting washed down in a flood.

You must be joking. It just doesn't happen. Not only are barbel a most powerful species designed to handle the strongest of currents, they are capable of finding quiet spots in the fastest of flows, as can other fish.

Some years ago I lived in Warwick where I witnessed one of the worst floods of the Avon in living memory. It was April 1998. Many local anglers thought that all the fish had been washed away.

Came June and the river was full of dace, roach and chub.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Exactly Ron. In fact Yorkshires only named Barbel (3 Whiskers) uses big floods to move up Boston Spa weir! Unles there's more than one double figure Barbel with 3 whiskers on the Wharfe of course!

 

[Bob Watson]

Cheers for the input lads, I didn't think they'd be "washed" down but after what he said I thought it was a possibility they could have moved of their own accord, he claims to be knowledgable about the river.

To be contrary, the stretch we moved to and caught from was Topcliffe, the two parish council pegs which are deeper and slower, funny eh!

So I won't write Cundall off just yet then, I'll be back a bit later in the year.

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Well done Sean.

I had a similar Swale Barbel journey finally getting a double after moving down south and dropping in for a one off evening session on my way home from Sunderland.

Would agree on the fish being in the streamier water early season before spreading out later on especaily at Cundall.

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Would also agree there were some good perch up there.

 

[Gary Knowles]

Nice fish and nice write up Sean..

ps - what are you doing popping up in Pike and Predator ?

Especially in a piece by that dodgy Edwards bloke ;o)

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Thanks Gary. Eric probably thought that my presence would add a bit of class and credibility to his article!

Only joking Eric!