Sean's Barbel series

Sean, this is an excellent series on barbel fishing and even though its about Yorkshire rivers in particular most of what you write applies to other rivers as well. I do so like the 'Diary' type writing it has more appeal for me than a lecture or 'How to' article.

I was interested to see that the Swale suffers from this 'tea stained water' as I have experienced this a few times on the Severn but in normal conditions not flood. As you say it puts an immediate and total block on fishing, on the Severn it does anyway, and you may as well pack up and go home when it occurs. Interestingly as well, no one knows what causes it on the Severn even though many have tried to explain it yet none are sure but you seem to put it down to peaty water, is this your interpretation or has this been proven to be the cause?

Graham....have you, in the past been unfortunate enough to fish the Severn during a sewage discharge?

It's not nice, line becomes akin to a ships flag line....with shredded toilet paper and all sorts adorning your line!

Anyway....my theory is that sewage disharge along the river causes some sort of bacterial bloom to cause the "stain"

Also...."they" who could prove it one way or the other don't want to!

Thanks Graham! I prefer to write a diary type article to the traditional 'how to'. With fishing there is so much uncertainty that I feel more comfortable relating a personal experience. As many of the threads on this site show, fish behaviour can vary radically from river to river and from day to day - all is fluid!

The tea stain in the Swale is thought to come from the 'stripping' that occurs in the upper reaches of the dale. The Ure also suffers from it, but the Wharfe, the Nidd and the 'industrial' rivers don't seem to suffer quite as much.