New record Barbel announced

[silvers]

True Alan.

The Great Ouse is a small river really, in the stretches that we both know well.
The Ivel in comparison is a brook.
I have to say I'm still amazed with the size that some of the Ouse fish reached - given the size of that river. Just look at the Martin Bowler video (was it catching the Impossible?) - it's hardly moving and yet still a tiny river.
I remember old **** Morris catching a 13 pounder on the Ash tree peg back in the day on breadflake ... in the days when the record was about 15 pounds iirc.

I also couldn't blame anyone for not disclosing fish, or venues - given the number of people who seem happy to not bother doing their homework and the effects they can have.
My local stretch of the Warks Avon has been pretty popular for a decade - plenty of big singles and low doubles to be caught. It's a limited membership club - but some of the pegs still get fished pretty much every day and evening though the summer and autumn.

 

[108831]

Alex,when i started fishing for barbel on the Ivel it took me a season to do my 'apprenticeship',sussing the viable pegs and the baits and the best time of year to fish it,winter basically,to have people wombling along taking advantage of your efforts,which though not difficult,still had to be done,i had the same on the Hants Avon at Ellingham on the Somerley estate,because i was catching barbel regularly on a river fishing hard,had guys waiting for me in the tackle shop in Ringwood and then tail me along the river sussing pegs that i fished,unfortunate for them i realised what was going on and took them to a peg i'd pre-baited the day before,not one of my favored spots(of which there were several)so they were none the wiser...

 

[xenon]

Alex,when i started fishing for barbel on the Ivel it took me a season to do my 'apprenticeship',sussing the viable pegs and the baits and the best time of year to fish it,winter basically,to have people wombling along taking advantage of your efforts,which though not difficult,still had to be done,i had the same on the Hants Avon at Ellingham on the Somerley estate,because i was catching barbel regularly on a river fishing hard,had guys waiting for me in the tackle shop in Ringwood and then tail me along the river sussing pegs that i fished,unfortunate for them i realised what was going on and took them to a peg i'd pre-baited the day before,not one of my favored spots(of which there were several)so they were none the wiser...

I've never understood why some people do that? A large part of the satisfaction is that you have done your homework. Knowing that you have piggy backed on someone else's effort has to detract from your captures? Surely?

 

[bullet]

Ive always lamented the fact that around here there aren't any Barbel to speak of....reading of the shenanigans some of you guys have experienced, I'm now feeling relieved.

 

[108831]

You would'nt believe it mate,its even worse now because there are less barbel about,for whatever reasons,it has become like carping in the bad old days...

 

[steve2]

I think **** Walker had the right idea when he caught his record he moved to an aquarium.

 

[108831]

Yep i went to see clarissa countless times,amazing creature...

 

[davebhoy]

I think if it’s a record fish then I can’t see the problem with the publicity. It’s a special fish and a special achievement, not without luck but still noteworthy.

I can understand if you’re fishing a stretch that contains a record fish you’d be ****** off but unfortunately that’s the game. No matter how many hours you put in it’s not your river or your fish. A bit miserable not to want to share it with other anglers but that’s just my opinion

 

[no-one in particular]

It’s also a yardstick that we all measure by. And we also seem to value fish that are about half the record weights, 2lb roach, 10lb bream, 10lb barble, , 20lb carp (before the record got a bit irrelevant), 20lb Pike. Anything plus these weights are recognised as a special fish and an achievement of some sort; how would we do that without a record list? We would not have much of an understanding of a good fish if we had no knowledge of what a fish could achieve weight wise. Our hobby would be a lot poorer or less interesting at least without one.
I wouldn't like the publicity or the circus but it all dies down so something to put up with for a while but maintaining a relevant record list is more important I think. So, I agree with Daveboy;. it's not the end of the world and sharing and delighting in the fish with others that share your hobby and maintaining a relevant record list and adding to the biological/scientific knowlede of the country outweigh the bad side of it. However, I understand why not everyone would agree with that and everyone has a free hand in what they decide, that's fair.

 

[nottskev]

I'm going to look like a party-pooper here, but even though I'm as keen on my fishing as the next angler, I rarely think about record fish sizes, in fact I'm not really bothered, and I'd score precious few in a Mastermind round on the subject.

I take nothing away from the exploits of those dedicated to catching the biggest fish, but I have only a mild curiosity about it. I like to fish for a bag of fish rather than a big specimen, and where/how I fish a 1lb roach, a 6lb bream or a 4lb tench are lovely fish regardless of their relation in size to one that has grown freakishly large in some part of the country that provides special conditions, often only for a short period. My honest reaction to someone who tells me a 6lb chub came out of here or there is, can you tell me where I can catch 3 2lb'ers, as that's more fun and implies a healthier river, as I know a couple with some scarce, big old chub and none coming through behind them, the Derwent for instance.

I only bought a first set of scales this year, after a lifetime of fishing, as I was curious about some of the barbel I caught this summer. Before that - and I've still hardly used them - I had enough of a yardstick from seeing other people weigh the odd fish, having the odd fish weighed for me by someone else or having match catches weighed.

I share information about water and swims with friends, but I'd dismayed if the captor of the kind of fish likely to spark a goldrush drew the crowds to a water I fished, especially if it were a relatively small and quiet one. Even on my local river - a giant Motorway compared to one of the small southern A or B roads - you can see the effects of less scrupulous anglers aggressively stalking successful ones and chasing up media reports.

 

[steve2]

Like others I have no interest in fish records. In the past yes but now I couldn't even tell you what the records are. There is no extra skill in catching records just right place right time; I would also say the same about all my own PB's.
That Barbel most probably weighs less now than when it was caught so it was just caught from the right place at the right time. Would it now be a fish worth chasing after? Would it be a boost to someone’s ego to catch the same fish at 20lbs 15ozs?

 

[108831]

I'm going to look like a party-pooper here, but even though I'm as keen on my fishing as the next angler, I rarely think about record fish sizes, in fact I'm not really bothered, and I'd score precious few in a Mastermind round on the subject.

I take nothing away from the exploits of those dedicated to catching the biggest fish, but I have only a mild curiosity about it. I like to fish for a bag of fish rather than a big specimen, and where/how I fish a 1lb roach, a 6lb bream or a 4lb tench are lovely fish regardless of their relation in size to one that has grown freakishly large in some part of the country that provides special conditions, often only for a short period. My honest reaction to someone who tells me a 6lb chub came out of here or there is, can you tell me where I can catch 3 2lb'ers, as that's more fun and implies a healthier river, as I know a couple with some scarce, big old chub and none coming through behind them, the Derwent for instance.

I only bought a first set of scales this year, after a lifetime of fishing, as I was curious about some of the barbel I caught this summer. Before that - and I've still hardly used them - I had enough of a yardstick from seeing other people weigh the odd fish, having the odd fish weighed for me by someone else or having match catches weighed.

I share information about water and swims with friends, but I'd dismayed if the captor of the kind of fish likely to spark a goldrush drew the crowds to a water I fished, especially if it were a relatively small and quiet one. Even on my local river - a giant Motorway compared to one of the small southern A or B roads - you can see the effects of less scrupulous anglers aggressively stalking successful ones and chasing up media reports.

Everything above sums how i feel,apart from having a set of scales,i wouldnt knowingly fish without a set,just because these special fish come at the most strange times....

 

[108831]

Like others I have no interest in fish records. In the past yes but now I couldn't even tell you what the records are. There is no extra skill in catching records just right place right time; I would also say the same about all my own PB's.
That Barbel most probably weighs less now than when it was caught so it was just caught from the right place at the right time. Would it now be a fish worth chasing after? Would it be a boost to someone’s ego to catch the same fish at 20lbs 15ozs?

There is lot of skill/watercraft that goes into being a successful specimen hunter(and i certainly am not a specimen hunter,just like catching decent,net fish),and although there are the record sized fish chasers,the vast majority of anglers havent had barbel over 15lbs,probably less,so a venue containg a 20,normally equates to a larger than average size fish being available,if i had not caught my big barbel i wouldnt be running round trying to catch one,i think im blessed to have had the fortune to see such a magnificent creature,really blessed....

 

[no-one in particular]

I fish mainly for pleasure and I relate fish to the size they are in the water I fish, A 4lb chub would be massive on some of the waters I fish but; if I caught a record fish by accident I would want to report it for reasons already given but it's unlikely simply because of all the rules you have to follow would be too much for me, it would be easier just to put it back. But I would say I had caught it on here for example or maybe the press but then no one would believe me and I could become the next gaymire.

 

[theartist]

I used to think like a lot of the posts on here however is it really that bad that some anglers would want to catch a record fish? We all have challenges and that keeps things fresh especially if you have been round the block a few times.

They have got every right to turn up and fish a venue with the correct permissions and dare I say it, is their publicity any different to us lot posting in the HYDGO thread every week for all to see?

 

[nottskev]

is their publicity any different to us lot posting in the HYDGO thread every week for all to see?

HDYGO does not, so far as I know, make national news and has, I've heard, fewer readers than Facebook, AT etc. . It's not afaIk used as a source by big fish chasers, unlike some media. Many posts are vague as to location; some are careful to avoid breaking club publicity rules. Many HDYGO posters are pursuing relative minority interests, like trad fishing on natural waters where we meet few others fishing, as posters quite often remark. Nobody, since I've been reading or posting on the thread has complained about posts attracting unwanted extra fishing pressure - but we know publicity in other media can trigger this. And so on. So yes, it can be different.

What you see around some of the more famous hotspots on rivers around here wouldn't really be called "keeping it fresh". It's more like people fighting to get at flat-screen tv's on Black Friday.

 

[theartist]

HDYGO does not, so far as I know, make national news and has, I've heard, fewer readers than Facebook, AT etc. . It's not afaIk used as a source by big fish chasers, unlike some media. Many posts are vague as to location; some are careful to avoid breaking club publicity rules. Many HDYGO posters are pursuing relative minority interests, like trad fishing on natural waters where we meet few others fishing, as posters quite often remark. Nobody, since I've been reading or posting on the thread has complained about posts attracting unwanted extra fishing pressure - but we know publicity in other media can trigger this. And so on. So yes, it can be different.

What you see around some of the more famous hotspots on rivers around here wouldn't really be called "keeping it fresh". It's more like people fighting to get at flat-screen tv's on Black Friday.

Thing is Kev there's hotspots around the country where the barbel barely scrape double figures, yet they see a lot of anglers. There's a hypocrisy how sometimes we lament in other threads that there's no anglers on the banks like the good ol' days when they were lined up like sardines but should they turn up now at ours we are in full on 'Not in my back yard' mode

We are in danger of judging them the way the general public judge us, they're just fishing and the bad apples shouldn't ruin the whole bunch

 

[steve2]

There is lot of skill/watercraft that goes into being a successful specimen hunter

Agree, but there is no extra skill in catching a record it's just down to luck.

 

[flightliner]

Many years ago on a Notts gravel pit I had a rather large Crucian carp on sweetcorn, it went a little over four lbs. the record at that time if I remember was a fish from a water near Kings Lynn that was five lbs ten ounces.
I did give the story to ATs where it was mentioned a week or two later.
The following year two things happened, one was the same fish was caught by a matchman (well done to him) and two- the record fish was thrown out as it was found to be a big brown goldfish and ATs asked that Crucians of four lbs and over would be accepted for consideration for a new record.
I never enquired if my fish would be considered retrospectively , I as just happy to know what I'd caught and after all it was also caught by the match angler some time later .
Would I have claimed it if the record then was, say 3-15 or 4-0 lb?
Hand on heart-- yes!

 

[108831]

Each to their own,but im sorry to say i know people who fish for big fish,of all species,a true specimen hunter,he tells nobody anything,methods baits,venues,tackle,he photo shops everything out of every picture he takes,sad,because one of the best pictures i have is of a 9lb 14ozs barbel,it was a fluke,but a mate took the picture and though not realising it,the trees branches on both banks angled down to my head with the river Avon glistening behind and alongside me,Rob would understand but it was a work of art and hangs on my wall blown up,the only thing wrong with it is the ugly guy holding it,i thought of photo shopping it but......