A session on the Ribble

[Vagabond]

Species Hunt 2007 No 52

Relatives in Lancashire were being reinforced by more relatives visiting from Australia, so it was “on parade” for a family gathering and a big feast at the “Traders Arms”

However, I did get a bit of time off to go fishing with No 3 son Brian, who knows his patch of the Ribble pretty well. He is also a bit of a weather forecaster. “We’re gonna get wet” he prophesied the night before our session. He was not wrong. Wall to wall black clouds and fairly hissing down.

There is an old Lancashire saying

“The Calder, the Hodder, the Ribble, the rain,
all come together in Mitton’s domain.”

However, I was not giving up after having come so far to fish, and at least it was not blowing so hard as on the Fens a fortnight ago. To make up for the lack of wind, plenty of rain came down.

The best stretches for barbel on the Ribble all seem to have well-wooded, steep and slippery banks. I was taken along a bankside path that sloped at 45 degrees towards the river, like walking along a pitched roof. The path was well studded with tree roots to trip the unwary and some parts of the path were missing - having dropped in the river long ago. “That’s Dead Man’s Swim” said Brian as we passed one particularly hazardous mudslide ending in a ten-foot drop into the water.

Aptly named – Brian had found a dead body in there last season – reported it to the police on his mobile and carried on fishing!

Eventually we came to a narrow ledge from which to make a short cast to a swim over which a huge oak tree spread its branches. “We should have a barbel out of here within ten minutes” said my guide.
Out went the bait, pellet dipped in Brian’s special brew and ten minutes went by – then another ten, then WALLOP! went the rod, and away downstream tore the barbel.

Not a monster though, so was soon stopped and in the net.



A quick photo in the pouring rain, and that’s the barbel points wrapped up. We were well soaked, so a retreat to civilisation and a feast of baked gammon with all the trimmings seemed a good move.

[fishypaul]

lovely fish there vagabond,i think that is the forum record as well

[Twiddler]

What a lovely barbs...well done Vagabond, I have a friend who lives 'oooop north' and always fishes the Ribble, a lovely river I heard.

Mike and I will be fishing the Severn next month, to see if we can tempt our first barbel.

[Norfolkboy]

Well done, Dave

[perch_king]

well done mate love the barble

[pingu]

nice one well done

dave

[toma]

Nice barb mate, hope you see it when its bigger