Time for a change

After 12 enjoyable years on the fabulous river Dove and Trent i have decided that it's time for a change. This is mainly down to a new young family and also the cost of fueling a 160 mile round trip to the venue. I was wondering if anybody was willing to help me identify a new venue by offering some advice / information on how join a club that holds some water/s where the beautiful Barbel resides. I am situated close to Chester and i'm willing to travel up to an 80 mile round trip, i don't mind a venue that offers a challenge and i'm not after detailed information on hot pegs as i know how valuable that can be. Any help would be brilliant. Cheers guys / gals

If you want to travel long distance but fuel prices hold you back, take a couple of mates and share the cost.
Just make sure you have the smallest car so yours stays clean!
dave

Chester.

What about the Dee? It's on your doorstep.

Both Warrington Anglers and PAAS have a number of stretches on the Dee among others.

The Severn and the Vernwy around Melverly are both untapped for the barbel potential and hold great stocks of chub. The Dee at Chester is improving for all species. How far away is the Ribble ?

The River Dane,Barbel up to double figures and good Chub fishing too.
Contact Dave's of Middlewich for info on controlling club's.

Titus said:

The Severn and the Vernwy around Melverly are both untapped for the barbel potential and hold great stocks of chub. The Dee at Chester is improving for all species. How far away is the Ribble ?

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Further than 40 miles (56 according to google maps), but agree with the Upper Severn and surrounds. The BAA have some stretches that hold barbel between Welshpool and Shrewsbury. Not sure there are barbel in the Dee; or enough numbers for targeting specifically.

Thanks for the responses guys. My dad took me to fish the Vernwy many years ago and from what i remember it was a beautiful stretch of river - four crosses i think it was called. The Dee is certainly improving but not sure on the numbers of Barbel that are resident. Think i'll persue some information on the Dane as the Ribble is approx 55 miles away. Cheers Mike.

Rich P

There are more barbel in the Dee than folks realise.

Worth trying around the Farndon area as a starting point, both above and below the bridge, as this has had a barbel history for many many years. Also have a look around the Worthenbury, Holt, Crew Green and Bangor areas as i've managed a few from here.

A bit of pioneering, although sometimes (a lot of the time) hard, is much more rewarding than fishing for known fish.

The Dane has a very good head of fish although mainly from Holmes Chapel downstream

The Weaver has fish in its upper lengths above Winsford.

The Dove has a fantastic head of not only barbel but some very big chub, grayling etc and is just outside Stoke on the A50 and is one of Englands most beautiful rivers.

Even the Gowy has a few, but it's best to search out the slightly deeper bends.