With the weather still perfect for a carp or two, I headed back down the lake early Sunday afternoon. This was despite the heavy wind and rain and a very wet set up. I also headed back into the same swim I fished on Friday night and baited up as before.
The rain continued until early evening and I was very confident that I would get a fish or two.
As night fell, I got my head down and hoped a take would happen overnight. All of this did happened but it was an aborted take at around 2am.
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
Hey Richard, I see you are on the Hants avon as well. What’s your take on the avon barbel situation these days? How are you catching them and in what sort of number/size are you getting them to? I’d also like to know what sort of rigs and bait you are on for them. I fish the Severn regularly but am down south for a fortnights r&r soon.
Tight lines old fruit
Gregor
Hi Gregor unfortunately I have not managed one fish from my time on the Avon in the Sydicate I am a member. Which is purely down to the complete lack of time and effort I put in, simply because I can’t drag myself away from the carp fish. Shame on me and I so wish u could. My best advise is to look up Andy Little how is also part of the same Sydicate and my comment of this post if you are luck, as he if by far the best Barbel angler on the Avon and I so which I could drag myself away from the carp like he had managed. Kind regards Richard
UK Carp & Coarse Fishing 
Hey Richard, I see you are on the Hants avon as well. What’s your take on the avon barbel situation these days? How are you catching them and in what sort of number/size are you getting them to? I’d also like to know what sort of rigs and bait you are on for them. I fish the Severn regularly but am down south for a fortnights r&r soon.
Tight lines old fruit
Gregor
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Hi Gregor unfortunately I have not managed one fish from my time on the Avon in the Sydicate I am a member. Which is purely down to the complete lack of time and effort I put in, simply because I can’t drag myself away from the carp fish. Shame on me and I so wish u could. My best advise is to look up Andy Little how is also part of the same Sydicate and my comment of this post if you are luck, as he if by far the best Barbel angler on the Avon and I so which I could drag myself away from the carp like he had managed. Kind regards Richard
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