I am still working at catching myself a Hampshire Avon Barbel.
I have gone for the same area as before, for the simple reason that I can park quite close and there is a choice of 4 swims in this area. All have the good potential of producing a nice barbel. Unfortunately, I just can’t get here with enough time to try and spot any fish. So it going to be a bit hit and miss for this Winter. But it’s the only way of getting myself on the bank.
I have dropped four loads out there with a bait dropper of a mix of catalyst pellets and boilies all soaked in hemp & tuna oil. There is a nice big lump of hemp paste wrapped around a 15 mm Catalyst boilies, with 3 ft of semi stiff fin skin, a size 8 Sf wide Gape hook and a couple of blobs of tungsten put along the length of the hooklink. I will do some shots of the rig at home soon for you all.
Unfortunately, no joy. I think I will need to time my trips better with the river conditions as the water was crystal clear.
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
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