I am out for my Monday evening trip on the river. As ever I am hoping for my first Hampshire Avon Barbel, which is proving very hard. This is my fourth season, mind you, last year was a complete wash out with all the flooding. It’s a bit early for the barbel yet, but as I am still learning I feel it’s best to start now and hopefully get a feel for the river. As I am splitting my fishing this year between the river and lakes, I only get to fish Monday evenings from about 7pm.
This week I have gone for an area that I hope looks Barbely, with a nice snag and shallower water with weed running through the middle.
Let’s hope my luck is in tonight.
I had to wait until 21.30, before my frist fish was in the net. Chub as normal, at around the 3lb mark. I stayed until 22.30 with no other action, must be the hot weather
Till next time
Richard
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About richardhandel
I would like to give a brief snap shot of my life and introduce myself;
My name is Richard Handel and was born in 1965 in Suffolk. I have worked as a UK Operation & Intermodule Manager for a shipping company. I live in Hampshire now and am married with 2 young children, both girls so I am a bit outnumbered even the cat is a girl!
I have been fishing since I was about 7 years old. I started on small local rivers in Suffolk, then moved onto gravel pits and then carp fishing. My personal best is a 39.08 mirror, over recent years I have started river fishing again, on the Hampshire Avon, this is a nice break from the carp lakes.
My life has turned a big corner this year, the company I was working for relocated their Operation centre to Estonia. I was offered a job at the head office in London. This would have meant a 5 day commute and working in Stratford. As a family, we did not fancy this, as I would hardly spend any time with the children (and the Mrs). So after 22.5 years, I was given a nice redundancy package and with my wife is working full time. I became the house husband.
This has meant a complete turn around in my fishing, as I can pick and choose when I go. I have found a splendid new syndicate to fish this year, which includes 5 lakes and some 8 miles of river with only 150 members. It's an amazing change to the way I am able to fish.
I am now trying to start my own tackle business and make a bit of a name for myself in the world of fishing, as I have retired from real work.
Richard
UK Carp & Coarse Fishing 