31/12 Trent

Ended the year with a couple of fish, makes a change from my recent results. Just a small jack and an angry looking bream but both very welcome.
Water temps up a bit at 5.5 degrees, just nice to be out fishing again after a week of flu...

14/12 Derwent

Just a quick update - blanked again. Fished for an hour and half then fortunately it started raining and without my brolly I had no choice but to go home.

11/12 Trent

Derwent was actually .5 of a degree warmer than the Trent but still not very warm. Ended up on the Trent but with deadbaits a bit too big and weed/ leaves not letting me present them how I wanted, never felt confident. Another blank.

05/12 Derwent

Dryer than Saturday but still cold (obviously). Finally made it back to one of my old haunts and found somewhere decent to park. Probably not the best day to try a new (well not fished for about 8yrs) stretch. Remembered to take the water temperatue - 2.5C, didnt exactly fill me with confidence.

Again no bites to maggot, worm or boilie. At least I gave it a go. Left early, feet cold, footy on tele, warmth...

04/12 Derwent

Fished the same swim as last Saturday, caught 1 less fish, don't think I even had a bite fishing deadbaits, worms and boilie. Started raining about as soon as I sat down. No brolly. A day to forget...

27/11 Derwent

First chance to play in the snow this season, the fish weren't in a playing mood though. Just the one small perch and a few bites on worm. Unsurprisingly nothing on the barbel rod. The elusive barbel in the snow photo will have to wait.

24/11 Derwent

Got home a little early so sneaked off to the river for the last hour or so of daylight.

A few good knocks on worm from the off but a bit too quick to be perch, or at least a decent one. 1st fish a 2lb chub on the boilie rod then wound in a foul hooked grayling on the worm rod. One more chub at the end about 2 1/2.

Much less leaves than last time, only caught 1 on the hook. A medium sized green one. Like what you get on trees.

At least I'm catching fish here, just got to find the decent ones now.

21/11 Trent

Not much to report...less leaves than last time but not even a bite. Tried maggots and worms, couldn't catch a livebait. Did spot a poacher on the other side of the river who did about as well as I did.

And its about to get a bit harder with the cold weather coming in. Good job I stocked up the freezer with gudgeon, roach and some minnows a few weeks back.

19/11 Local Commercial

1st attempt at those commercial fishery perch since the closed season. Didn't go too well, just one roach caught. Tried 2 types of prawns, a livebait (that was probably a bit too big) and deadbait but forgot my worms. Will try one of the other ponds next time, cant give up just yet.

16/11 Derwent

Just a quickie after work. 2 hours for one plastic bag. Did have a barn owl land on a tree stump directly opposite me though. That helped pass about 3 minutes of the evening.

14/11 Derwent

Bit of a trip down memory lane for me, although I don't think I ever used to fish this actual swim. Maggot feeder was quite productive for small grayling and dace. Struggled with leaves though and ended up swapping the worm for a livebait. A few bangs but no possitive takes and by the end it had lost a lot of scales...possibly a very small jack? 3 chub after dark, all to the sweet boilies. Another one to return to when the leaves have calmed down.

13/11 Derwent

River level surprisingly higher than expected and quite busy with a few people fishing. Hardly a bite between 2 of us fishing worms so we tried a livebait which was taken straight away, as was the next and so on. Caught 4 perch to around 2 1/2lbs between us (only 1 by me though) but missed/ lost quite a few more fish that just didn't hook up.

Stayed on and spent a couple of hours after dark barbelling but nothing happening.

11/11 Derwent

Maybe a day or two early, I think the rivers still suffering a bit from the sudden drop in temps. On a possitive note my new jacket was lovely and warm, should keep me out a bit longer in the winter. Whether thats a good or bad thing remains to be seen.

07/11 Trent

A change of rivers for my Sunday afternoon perch session. Looked good but failed to produce, just one small perch and one very small perch. Worth another go here though when all the leaves have gone.

05/11 Derwent

Dark and raining when I arrived at the river...things took a turn for the better after 10 mins of fishing though with a 11lb 1oz barbel (18:40). Fishmeal boilie. Lost a fish as well that felt like a good one but then the ones that come off nearly always do.

04/11 Derwent

I think the mild spells coming to an end, got to make the most of it...
Some extra water as well today, river looked spot on. Barbel not as forthcoming as expected, did catch a couple though. 1st one a lean fish about 7lbs (18:20) and the 2nd one a bit better at 9lb 2oz (19:00). One to sweet, one to fishmeal boilie. A few camera issues (and thats just the reflection of my red headtorch on the mat, don't phone the barbel police just yet).

02/11 Trent

Slow here as usual, one fish and a few tappy bites. 7 - 8lb barbel at 18:25, fishmeal boilie.

31/10 Derwent

Phase 2 of the Derwent pike relocation project. Wednesday I fished 2 swims up from where I was today and released the 3 pike I caught into this swim. Today I caught 3 pike and released them into that swim. Only 1 decent perch of about 2lbs and that was on maggot when catching bait.

2 barbel later on both about 8lbs (17:15 and 18:30) and a 4lb chub. One barbel to each bait, sweet and savoury.

29/10 Derwent

Solved the mystery of my dissapearing landing net handles. It could well be Alzheimer's. I've been putting them in the wrong pocket of my holdall. The one pocket I didn't think of looking in. I now have 3 working landing net handles. Should last me a few weeks that lot.
Just the one small perch. Not fished that area for a few weeks. Time to give up on it for good I think, at least for this season, wasted too much time there.

27/10 Derwent

Same swim as Sunday to take advantage of the mild spell. Has been fished by someone else inbetween but gave it a go anyway.

Arrived to find no landing net in my holdall. Must be the early onset of Alzheimer's or something. I've now lost 2 landing net handles in a week. And broke about 3 more this season. And people say fishings cheap...

No perch but 3 pike, 2 to gudgeon and one to maggot trying to catch gudgeon. May have lost a perch but it was the only take that didnt hook up and didnt feel particularly big.

3 barbel at 18:45, 19:10 and 20:00, biggest 2 pictured but only about 6 and 8 1/2lbs. Did dabble with the sweet boilie (after meat lost 2-0 to fishmeal boilie) and it caught the 3rd and biggest fish.

24/10 Derwent

A little worse for wear due to too many beers the night before and a late start. Which was a shame as the fish were in the mood today. 5 perch in the 2 - 2 1/2lb range, 4 to gudgeon livebaits and just the one on a worm. 3 small pike, although I think pike 2 and pike 3 were the same fish. Also caught small perch and some gudgeon and 2 minnows. Lost a couple of fish that cam off including one at the end which could have been a big perch but I never saw it before it came off. Next time pike can go back in the next swim down.

22/10 Trent

One of my more prolific barbel stretches. Forgot landing net pole/ lost it last time out. Fortunately it wasn't required. Blanked.

21/10 Derwent

One of those 'spur of the moment' decisions to go fishing. Cast in about ten past 6, broke rod at quater to 7. Went home fishless at 9. Fortunately my Free Spirit Big River Barbel rod also comes with a quiver tip section. Shame I'l no longer have a matching pair. Might make my choice of Xmas present a bit easier though...

17/10 Derwent

Clear skies and sunshine did'nt fill me with confidence, turned out OK in the end. No trouble catching livebaits although the first 2 decent perch caught were on maggot when I was trying to catch livebaits...

The loudest man in the world then decided to set up the other side of the bush next to me. Just ridiculously noisy and casting an 87oz feeder every 6 seconds. So I moved.

One decent perch in the next swim, similar size to the biggest from the previous swim, about 2 1/2.

Lost a really good one and had a couple of good takes on gudgeon that never hooked up. Which was a shame. Only caught 1 pike though which was a bonus.

15/10 Trent

As has happened a few times this season, an early fish then nothing. Well apart from rain, weed and getting snagged. One barbel, about 7 or 8lbs at 18:35. Must make some spare hooklenths up to take with me next time. And try and fish for something else for a change.

13/10 Derwent

What with struggling a little on the Upper Trent a bit of late, thought I would have a change of plan. Alternate between catching fish on the 'Easy' Derwent and then next time out fishing the Trent and so on. Anyway, I blanked. Need another plan.

11/09 Trent

Nice to have a day off in the week, managed to play golf and go fishing. Slipped up a bit at the golf club though...bought a new putter.

Not sure if I can use the bad swim choice excuse again. 1 chublet and a small barbel (about 4lbs at 18:20). Probably should have fished a different swim though.

7/10 Trent

Saved from a blank by a late chub of about 3 1/2lbs. Surprised at how much the river had fallen, thats my excuse for ending up where I was anyway, was really expecting conditions to be much different.

04/10 Derwent

Shame it had to be on a Monday with everyone at work (me included) but well done Europe.

At least the wet weather has improved the fishing a little.

Started at 6 and lost something early although it didnt feel very big. 9lb 9oz barbel at 18:35, a slightly smaller one at 19:25 and 8 1/2lber at 21:00. A good time to call it a day.


In the 3 hours I was there the river must have fell about a foot. We need more rain.

02/10 Derwent

A rare thing this season - a bit of extra water in the rivers. Hooked a barbel after about 1/2 hour which I didn't land, reeling in to find a curly wurly bit at the end of the hooklength...oh the shame...bad knot, (k)not done that for a while.

Next bite (8pm) a small barbel, about 3-4lbs (pictured)which I was convinced would be about twice as big. Started raining about 9pm just as I caught my 2nd barbel, a 6lber.

Being an idiot I had took my brolly with me but left it in the car. After 1/2 hour of deliberating whether to make the walk back to the car and fetch it to continue fishing I was soaking wet so went home via the kebab shop.

28/09 Trent

All very quiet again, just a small bream. Still, could have been worse, could have caught 2 bream...

Probably time for a change of scenery but hopefully the change in the weather will shake things up a bit anyway.

23/09 Trent

A different swim, still a bit on the slow side. OK...very much on the slow side. 1 chublet and 1 barbel, 8lb 12oz @ 22:10.

Still a good average size for the few barbel I've had here though.

21/09 Trent

Fancied a change of scenery having fished the same swim on the Trent 5 times in a row. So I fished the swim directly opposite.

3 chub, 2 of them chublets and this one at 5lb 11oz. Again very quiet after dark. Might even try another different swim next time.

19/09 Derwent

A little bit dissapointing. 6 hours fishing with maggot, corn, worm, boilies for a couple of 'nibbles'. Should have tried something else, like playing golf perhaps? I thought this river carping was meant to be easy...

17/09 Trent

Despite a lot of surface activity and knocks early on only caught a couple of smallish perch and a skimmer. And it got quieter as the evening went on. At least Archie sneaked sneaked a couple of 'struggle fish' out.

15/09 Trent

A few more hours this time 5:30ish 'til 10. Had to wait 'til dark for any fish anyway...one 4 1/2lb chub then a lost barbel (97% sure it was a barbel) at 21:50 and a 10lb 11oz barbel at 21:59. All action on boilies but to be fair that was the only bait I was using for most of the evening. Maybe going home at 9 to 9:30 the last few times has been a bit early?

13/09 Trent

Just a few hours into dark, just a few knocks (mainly to meat) and no fish.

12/09 Trent

Just a few hours into dark and just the one skimmer. And put a few boilies in...

10/09 Trent

Back to where I tried to fish Wednesday. Did backlead but probably could have got away without, but it never did me any harm. 1st fish 1st cast, 11lb 2oz @ 18:20 nice to catch one that isn't 6lbs for a change...

Another barbel at 20:50 of about 7lb and a chublet at some point earlier. Might come back here again...

08/09 Derwent

Should probably read '08/09 Trent & Derwent'

Went to the trouble of battering my way through the basalm and nettles to make a swim on the Trent, it doesn't look like anyones fished this stretch all season. Anyway the river was rancid with weed even fishing right in the edge. After 1/2 hour or so of 'fishing' packed up and swapped rivers. Might even have had a knock.

Should have either stayed where I was or went home. 1 small fish that came off, probably a chublet. At least I'll have a new swim ready and waiting to fish on the Trent for next time.

03/09 Trent

My previous experiences of the Upper Trent have been fewer fish but overall a better average size than on the 'middle' river. As I only seem to be catching small ones this season it seemed a likely place to be. Evidently not...5 barbel but all between 4lbs and 8lbs and a 4lb 12oz chub. Forgot the times, roughly 19:45, 20:15, 20:45, 23:15 and 23:35.

01/09 Derwent

1st attempt on my new ticket. Only caught small perch on very large worms. Quiet on the carp front, no sight or sound of any although did get one bite later on that went beep-beep-beep-beep.

30/08 Dove

Not much to report...caught a few minnows to use as perch bait, didn't catch any perch and gave up and went to play golf instead, not in a fishing mood for some reason.

However, have now acquired a ticket for a much neglected and underfished part of the Derwent which is home to some large carp and bream and hopefully perch.

29/08 Trent

Following the good news that the upper river is 'fishable' again had my 1st 'Upper Trent' session of the season. Still weed coming down but fishable although I never did fish it when the weed was bad, just took everyone elses word for it.
Plenty of small stuff on the maggot feeder and 2 perch on livebaits although the biggest would have struggled to make 1 1/2lbs. One 5lb barbel later on @ 21:25.
Surely the law of averages would suggest I have to catch something decent soon...

27/08 Derwent

After a biteless couple of hours moved downstream. After another couple of hours without a bite started to pack a few things away and noticed my left hand rod tapping away. Fearing a small skimmer or such like had attached itself to the hook wound in to something more solid than expected. A 9lb barbel that must have been swimming towards me. 22:40. Stayed a little longer but nothing else, just that one bite all evening.

23/08 Derwent

Just a recce on a new part of the river, well OK I fished a bit. A couple of chub and what I think was a roach which if I had been bothered to use my net would have landed...
No idea if theres anything decent in this bit but if you dont give it a go...

20/08 Derwent

Same area again and a similar result. Caught small perch and a bream and lost 2 fish on deadbaits after dark but I don't think they were what I was after anyway...

As good as this place looks (to me at least) its never really produced, got somewhere else interesting me in mind now, well quite a few places

17/08 Derwent

Oh dear...just the one skimmer. Did lose something bigger when my main line inexplicably snapped. Its been on a while, new line ordered. On a possitive note the fish took my new boilie I was trying over the pellet on the other rod so there may be hope for the future.

15/08 Derwent

Same area as Friday just a change of species. 2 perch on deadbaits?! and 2 on livebaits including this one that was grabbed by a jack on the way in. Pike successfully caught with next livebait.

Also landed what I thought would be a small bream but turned out to be a decent roach. Unfortunately it managed to escape back into the river during the weighing process so I will never know...

13/08 Derwent

Change of tactics and stretches but the same old result, another 6-7lb barbel (21:00). One perch before and a shed load of skimmers after the barbel.

09/08 Atlantic Ocean

Just bream and a couple of weird looking small fish, might as well have been fishing the Trent.

Some guy caught a baby shark, don't know what type it was though...

Far too much time trawling lures (unsuccesfully) behind the boat and not enough time fishing. And the coach broke down taking us back to our hotels...

03/08 Trent

Back to where I fished Sunday for another frustrating session. Did catch a few bait fish but all too big, the only one I kept had to be cut into three pieces...

Snagged twice (the 1st time I must have been sat there for 2 hours in the snag...) before finally catching. And breaking another landing net handle - thats 2 in about 2 weeks now.

Nice fish though about 6-7lbs.

01/08 Trent

A bit of a struggle to catch suitable size livebaits, well anything at all for a while. No takes on livebait and a lost fish on a roach head late on although it wasn't on for long.

Need to do better than this if I'm going to cure my growing barbel addiction.

30/07 Trent

Thought I'd go back to where I fished Monday for a bit longer and catch more and bigger barbel.

Didn't quite work out like that, had to wait 'til dark for small fish at 22:00 and 23:05, the biggest about 7lbs. 3 bream and a foul hooked 2lb pike.

Much less fish activity all round. Still, could have been worse, for some reason I thought the smaller barbel was going to be an eel when I was playing it.

26/07 Trent

Fancied a change of species but couldnt make it to a tackle shop in time and ended up barbelling again.

Early fish again, my customary 6lber at 19:10, a slightly smaller one at 19:55 and a better one at 20:55. Looked like it would be a double but fell just short at 9lb 13oz. Even caught one after dark...a 7lber at 22:10. Also one bream and a chublet.

Plenty of fish showing, big and small - maybe this is where I should be fishing.

23/07 Trent

Fished one of my favourite bits of river but it didn't quite live up to expectations. Started well enough with a 9lb 9oz barbel @ 19:40 but the rest of them failed to show up. A few knocks and taps and a bream later on was it for the day.

18/07 Derwent

After a busy weekend of golfing managed to sneak out for a couple of hours on the river. Had a barbel very early on (20:00hrs) which filled me with confidence for the evening...however that was it apart from a 3lb chub. About a month into the season and I'm stuck catching 6lb barbel. Need to get out more and find some bigger fish but struggling to find the time - or the fish!

16/07 Trent

First visit to this stretch this season, might wait a bit longer 'til my next one its probably better in autumn/ winter time...

2 bream for me and my accomplice was biteless. Gave up a bit early due to bad weather, maybe if we had stayed later things would have been different.

10/07 Dove

An uneventful evenings fishing with 1 minnow caught between 3 of us. At least I didn't blank...

08/07 Derwent

Just the one bite @ 22:15, gets me OTM for the Derwent though. Another one of about 6lbs.

The only other excitement of the evening was wrestling my unhooking mat back from a hungry cow. I can't imagine it would have tasted too good anyway. The mat that is, I'm sure the cow would have been delicious.

04/07 Dove

OTM for the Dove. Same area as last time, same swim actually...

Just a small one of about 6lbs caught at 21:05.

Bit of a rematch in the sweet vs savoury bait challenge, this time the savoury bait came out winner.

30/07 Dove

A new area to me and a complete blank, didn't catch anything at all apart from 2 grayling and a few minnows.

Some interesting looking swims though, definately an area to come back to

26/06 Dove & Trent

Started out on the Dove in a swim I'd liked the look of on a pre-season recce. One rod chucked out aimlessly with a pellet attached, the other paternostered small livebaits for perch. Bit of a supprise to find my minnow taken by a rainbow trout. Even more of a supprise to find a stone loach swim into and get trapped in my net as I nursed the trout back. A well voulenteered livebait. Not really, I didnt use it as a livebait. I ate it. Again...not really it went back.

Anyway, the local youth river swimming and shouting team then turned up - about 20 of them so I moved upstream. Unfortunately some of them were also in the jumping off bridges into the river team as well and I ended up back in the car and headed for the Trent.

Fished another new swim thats appeared near to where I fished the previous evening. 1st barbel @ 21:30 (again) of 9lb 3oz and a second fish of 8lb 12oz at 21:45. One smaller one at 22:30.
The photo is of the 1st one, thought I would practice taking photos that chop the top of my head off. Also caught 4 bream.

25/06 Trent

The swim I intended to fish was taken so dropped into a new swim that's appeared. Looked good for barbel on the right hand rod and perch on the left. As I couldn't catch a suitable livebait ended up fishing for barbel on both. OTM barbelwise for the season. 9lb 5oz at 21:30 and a 6lber @ 22:25. Both to the right hand rod.

Also caught a few silver things, a bream and a toad (although not on rod and line).