A special fish - Tees Barbel in the bag

I've been after a tees barbel for a while now - even when others around me have been catching around me. It's a tough challenge, and one I've completely failed at so far. I got out on Tuesday, and decided that a change in tact was in order - that was I loaded the feed in to try create a competitive feeding situation with the chub.

The problem with the tees is that there are not many barbel, and tonnes of ravenous chub. Great in winter, not so in summer when i'm not targeting them. After a couple of hours of constant chub attention to the baits, and then bats, the rod went round more purposely and kept going - suicide chub I thought. I lifted into it, and very quickly realised this was no chub. The downstream run was constant and never ending. Eventually I slowed it to a stop, and pumped it back up towards me. The fish held solid near me, neither of us was winning at this point. It dedided to go upstream, and with the rod buckling round I held it from approaching a snag. Eventually I got it within netting range and fortunately got it on the first attempt.  

When you have targeted something for a while, and it finally comes good, the adrenaline is mental - I had to sit down and compose myself as she sat in the net regaining her strength. She'd given it all, and deserved some respect. The weight was 9lb 1oz, not really of significance as putting a number to it wasn't the point - it was a tees barbel, and i'd finally got that monkey off my back. Next target - a Tees Double

A couple of short trips to the Tees

Just a quick update from the last few days.

When I was out previously, bites became shy as the sun got high, and whilst I knew there was a chub in the last peg I was fishing, it wouldn't take properly. So I threw a few samples in, and vowed to come back after dark. The day after, after getting the kids to bed I had a spare hour or so, so quickly shot the gear in the car and went there. Bait was put on, flicked out, left to settle for a few mins and the light rod tip flew round, resulting in a pleasing 4lb 3oz chub that I had to hold hard to keep out of a snag. Quick photo, and I was en route back home as quickly as I had arrived.

 

Today I had a few hours spare in the afternoon - a quick check on the charts showed a surprising and sudden rise in levels. I figured the water would be warm, so decided I would go to the Tees and 'try' for a barbel. A fresh batch of paste was made up, and this was wrapped round krill boilies to provide an appetising stench for them....

I got to the river to find trees floating downstream, but after wandering I found a few inviting creases that I baited before going back to the start and trying for them. Each of the four swims got an hour. To cut a long story short, I blanked, but I did manage a few chub knocks that I ignored. The usual buzzard was witnessed as well. Still, a nice day to be out, and I don't get disappointed anymore when targeting Tees barbel and blanking.....