KICKLES.
MY FINEST YEAR

Page 1

1995 was a very good year for me as an angler. Why? For one thing I was on a fantastic fishery known as Adams farm. The Barbel were big and in fantastic condition and beginning to threaten the current British record, a Medway fish of around 16lbs.

I was not personally chasing a record but I did feel it was only a matter of time before the Great Ouse made history to become the new Barbel record venue.

I was fairly new to Barbel fishing and simply enjoying the pleasure that these fish give in their pursuit. The fish were majestic, in superb condition and full of vitality, the techniques employed in catching them were simple and involved a lot of sight fishing or stalking, whereby I more than often saw the great fish pick up the bait. This style of fishing requires nerves of steel to not shake uncontrollably and spook the fish when they are feeding all around the hook bait.

I was predominantly fishing on my Potters Bar angling club ticket which meant that I could fish the half mile of main river at Adams farm and the smaller backwater.

I had caught most of my Barbel up until now in the backwater, around fifty fish to 8lbs 4oz, over a few seasons. However numbers of fish in the backwater had started to decline and I started to look more towards the main river for my Barbel.

The previous season I had caught my first double from the main river at Adams a magnificent fish of 11.07. This fish was one of many that was to break the British record (Red Belly although it did not have that name at the time or indeed a red belly) However she was easily recognisable to by her dorsal fin and one or two other distinguishing marks.

During 1995 I caught a succession of doubles. All my fish that season came on sweet corn which was the bait that the fish really wanted at that time. Also corn is great stalking bait being bright yellow so it was easy to see even in 6ft of water provided the water was clear.

My tackle was light but well balanced, 11ft 1.5 test curve rod, six pound maxima line, size 8 hooks. On this light tackle the fish would hug bottom and fight like demons. It took great skill, nerve and patience to play them in. However I rarely lost a fish, but often waded into the river in my shoes (getting wet was an occupational hazard that I was happy to live with) to get the best angle of pull for the particular swim often looking to pull down stream.

1995 was a year that Adams farm was not getting any excessive pressure. You could generally get the swim you wanted with no problem.

At the end of the summer, around October, I had a particularly satisfying capture. I was working a bit of river near the downstream border of Adams. The location of this particular capture was to be very significant as previously I had not seen fish in this area. I managed to get a group of fish around five, looking around 8 or 9lbs to feed on corn in mid river. It was too far out for me to watch the hook bait therefore I had to rely on a convention pull bite, as I did not use a bolt rig in those days. I waited patiently for a couple of hours and started to think it just was not going to happen. Then the rod tip went around and my very keen strike met with resistance. Of course this is a great moment of triumph when you realize after spending a good half day in pursuit you finally are going to nail your prize. Almost as soon as she was hooked, the Barbel came to the top and swirled. I recollect seeing a fish I estimated at around 9lbs fighting hard for her freedom. The fish then sounded to the river bed and freely swam up and down the far bank for some ten minutes before starting to tire. The water looked about four feet deep my angle on the fish was good, I just had to be patient. The fish was now in mid river and I realized it was bigger than my original estimate and she was clearly a low double. A few more minutes and rushes to the far bank and the fish arrived in the margins. She now looked every bit of twelve pounds plus. Landing net to the ready and by now shaking a bit, the fish was drawn to within range of the landing net. Crash the mighty red tail went down in one last desperate try for freedom as I gave some more line and then tried to bring her over the net cord again. As she finally slid over the net, it was obvious the fish was colossal even bigger than a twelve plusser, and a new personal best. I allowed the fish a rest in the margins and with shaking hands and with racing thoughts, prepared the sling and scales. She went 14lbs 8oz. The biggest reported from the Ouse at that time was 14lbs 14oz. I was simply elated.

Due to the location of capture of my 14.08 I was prompted to walk further downstream onto Kickles fishery to investigate the possibility of there being Barbel in residence. It was October and a lovely sunny morning. I walked slowly down the bank looking for signs of fish. The water was of very slow pace around six foot deep with a generally weedy bottom. I did not think the environment was right for Barbel. How wrong I was.

I came to an area where the weed cleared on the bottom exposing some nice gravel patches and there they were, a sight I shall never forget. I counted 23 fish, most of them doubles with several real monsters amongst them. As you can imagine I was on cloud nine. I had stumbled onto something quite special. Many questions went racing through my mind the biggest of these being were these fish from Adams farm, or resident on Kickles or perhaps a mixture of both? It was obvious that a system of fish identification had to be in place, to answer some of my questions.