When things go right ...

.. you can't be ar5ed going back for another session?

I took a trip down to the Wye with a mate last week. It was to be a 2 day/ 1 night trip for barbel, 300+ miles round trip. First morning we caught a few, nothing special, weput a bit of bait in, went back that evening/night and caught really well. My old mate had fish just short of doubles, I had 9 fish up to 8+.

The thing is, the next day, we could have gone back and probably done the same again, but we simply couldn't be bothered with more of the same, so went to the Severn on the way home.

Strange though, ifwe fish places like the Dove, Dane and Upper Severn and struggle, we're back there the next day like a shot, get it right somewhereand we'd had enough!

No wonder people think we're soft!

I find that just a couple of hours a good fish or two and I would be happy to go home job done,especially on holidays when time is pushed,I am finding that a few sessions fishing for one speciesandI am looking for other fish and different types of venue,Iam just glad I have a good card that allows me to do so.Worth its weight in gold to me itis .

what about when you have the biggie out after 20 mins but sit there blanking for another couple of days knowing you should of gone home

The Wye barbel can do that to you. I adore fishing the Wye for all sorts of reasons. But there have been times where I start to feel like a bagging machine/robot. Even in blazing bright miday conditions- if you know a swim where shoals of 60+ barbel 'Live' (and they really dobarely move locationthroughout the whole year) you can catch fish after fish after fish after fish- peas in a pod 6-8lb beauties that all fight in the same way and look the same- perfect. Except no not really. Dont get me wrong- I'm nottrying to make outexceptional angling skills but...Ido sortof prefer blanking on the Warks Avon in the hope of a 15lb monster (as long as some chav aint stealing my car).

I used to think nothing about doing a 13 hour night watch in the Met office at Northwood then traveling straight down to reading to fish for Barbel on the river Kennet; Or fish forseveral days and nightsfor Carp butnowerdays I'm happy to be an opportunist angler putting a couple of hours here and there, I seem to catch more fish now as well. /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

When things go right. The next session can be a disappointment, expectations too high especially if fishing the same venue and swim.

In fact Eddie - admit it- you wanted a monster did'nt you.

Barbel in the Wye bigger than 11 are as rare as hens dentures (the real big girls go nomadic and swim in much slower water hence no one ever fishes in the right place)

I think the joy is in the challenge Eddie.If the odds are clearly stacked too far in favour of the angler for any length of time or in any one situation then the challenge fades.

Of course I want a monsterDougal, but had that session been capped by a barbel pb I still would have felt the need to bail out.

Maybe Nigel, but one good session and we're off to pastures new?

We came, we saw, we conquered, we decided we like blanking better! Good title for an article that.

<blockquote class=quoteheader>EC wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>We came, we saw, we conquered, we decided we like blanking better!</blockquote>


/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

Not far off the truth that! At least in my book anyway.

On a more general theme I find that the more I go fishing the less I enjoy it sometimes. If I've got loads of time then I think I should be fishing but sometimes I get there and think "do I REALLY want to go fishing?". Of course when I'm working I'm desperate to get out there... /forum/smilies/i_dont_know_smiley.gif

I remember catching my first barbel quite soon after I'd decided to 'target' them. It was an immaculate 9lber that put up an awesome scrap. I was in awe of it. I couldn't believe the power of it and seemed HUGE on the bank. I nursed it back and was with it for a good 5 minutes until it powered off.

It wasn't a case of "i've got to catch another". I didn't think about fishig for 2 weeks!

I sat the other week for 8 hours without a bite, the first bite was a 4lb chub, the 2nd was a double barbel.

I thought,shall I stay and catch more, as they are just coming on the feed?

Nah nuff done,packed up went down the pub.