Could this have been my first Barbel?

[northern eye]

Took a trip down to Catterick lakes on Sunday. This is a long winded report but it was an eventful morning:)

Catterick is a well established complex, formally owned by Leeds DAA but now privately run. There are 4 lakes on-site of which 2 are specimin, one pleasure and one match and also a beautiful stretch of the river Swale running along the perimeter.
They had stocked the match lake with trout over winter and they have now been removed so I was itching to get back on there. Its a wonderful, circular canal style lake with huge bream, nice carp and tench and some big roach amongst all the usual suspects. My plan was to fish the match lake early morning and then pop along the river stretch as my quest for a Barbel continues. I pulled up alongside the river and catapulted 1/4 kilo of halibut pellets along the far bank, just before a willow dipped its branches into the slow flowing water. This would be my Barbel swim for later on.
Grabbed a nice swim on the matchlake and decided to begin with the feeder rig, hunting some of the hard fighting carp that swim around the island - and what a great start. I cast in the feeder tight to the island with hair rigged 8mm meat and loaded with Crazybait shrimp and hempseed which was dampened using the hemp juices. I was just setting up my pole rigs and the rod tip swung round and I was immediately into a nice carp, hard fighter on my 5.5lb line and weighing around 4 pounds. After this, the feeder rig went quiet but I had been baiting up 3 different pole swims in preperation. I used small balls of the same groundbait mix and 4mm natural pellets and on the hook I had Van Den Eynde Jellets. I was going to switch between Strawberry and Green Lipped Mussel. Starting on Strawberry I took 3 F1's on the trot before switching to Green. Immediately the float sailed away and this time it felt better - A Tench of around 3 pounds lay in the net. I was quiet excited as the Tench have not shown much for me this season, well I was in luck today. Dropping in each swim and switching pellets each time, I was awarded with small carp and a succession of lovely tench - these tinkers give a great little fight on the pole.
Kept dropping in the bait every half hour or so and after a quiet spell, my float sailed away again and the elastic stretched a good 3 metres before a huge bream turned over on the surface and surrenderd to the net, not a record breaker by a long shot but probably about 6lb and a lump on light pole tackle. The swims had all but dried up now so I went back onto the feeder whilst I baited up some new areas with maggots. No more luck on the feeder rig so I mounted 3 white grubs on the hook and dropped it into my first baited swim. It was a while and a few more cupfulls of grubs before my float went under, and it felt good. I caught the glint of silver as I lifted the fish, I was into a nice roach, probably a pound or so and more followed, mixed with a few tidlers but mostly they were silver ingots of over a pound. All in all, a fantastic mornings fishing - Carp, F1's, Bream, Tench and big Roach - oh, and a tiny Perch aswell. It was time to pack up the match gear, get my light tackle set up and head to the river.
Luckily, my swim was still free, I rarely see anyone fishing this stretch as most go for the stillwaters on-site. I have fished it once before, during winter and had Grayling in the very stretch I was fishing today. I often wondered if it would hold Barbel and I have read recently that they were being caught at nearby Brompton and being well travelled fish, there is no reason why they wouldnt be in my chosen swim too. The water here is deep and the bottom is mixed gravel and sand. The far bank holds some great features and the near bank also has some great looking spots for close range work.
I loaded my feeder with the same mix as before, only I added the rest of the hempseed and also a handfull of Halibut pellets. On the hook were 2 hair rigged Hali pellets. In we go, the feeder held bottom well and I set my baitrunner up so as not to be too loose but so tight it spooks my quarry. My quiver tipped avon rod was supple enough to take the initial bite when the fish bangs into the bait. I catapulted out a few more pellets, upstream of where my bait lay and sat back and waited. The tip gently pulsed back and forth to the tune of the rivers flow and soon I had made a mental picture of how it moved and this would enable me to distiguish between that or any gentle bites. Well I didn't need that picture as the first bite hit hard, the rod bounced and rattled but then nothing. Then again, bang!! Another knock and another - Then nothing. I struck at a couple of these but failed to connect. I assumed this would be chub - until the next cast! The bait had been cast in around 10 minutes when the rod tip bent round and instead of bouncing back it stayed round and started to strip the line from the reel. I struck and I was in and it felt big!! The fish was tearing away downstream and making a beline for the overhanging willow. I steared it away, and wound down, the fish was on bottom and it was hard getting any movement against the river flow. I held it firm, gradually getting it closer to the bank but at no time did it give me any rope and stayed deep - This did not feel like any chub I have ever faught!! My heart was in my mouth. Could this be the Barbel I have been waiting for? Slowly I teased it towards me, the rod taking in the bumps and thrashes the fish made in the depths!! It was close, I moved to the waters edge, keeping the rod high at all times and then I felt 2 dull thumps on the rod and the tip went straight!! It was gone...my empty feeder skipped along the rivers surface - I sat in my chair, knackered and trying to keep my cool. About three metres in front of me I caught an arched swirl as a big group of bubbles broke on the surface and then she/whatever it was - had gone!! Was this my Barbel? I will be back here next weekend and i might find out. What a brilliant mornings fishing - If anyone is up this way, give the venue a try. £6.00 per day or £20 for 24 hours.