Beautiful day and such a nice spot, as a fisherman from Oregon, USA, I can't wait to try my hand at a barbel or two in the UK. I love the style of fishing and the quietness of the approach.
Just wanted to commend you Mark on your videos, very inspiring, prompting me to try river fishing up here in Derbyshire. The way you conduct yourself, take time to reply to comments in a friendly manner, and how you care so much for the environment you fish in and the wildlife you share the bank with is pure class.
Thanks Mike! I believe as anglers we should try and melt into our environment and be absorbed into it as one, the term "take only pictures and leave only footprints" springs to mind. Thank you for the kind words and best of luck with whatever species you do decide to target on your fishing trips. Kind regards Mark
Cheers Carl or was that Alex, She was a real joy to catch, bit of a heart stopper though as she powered off downstream like an olympic sprinter. When I did finally slip the net under her I certainly knew who was more composed by the end of this tussle and it was not me as I was pretty much a gibbering wreck.
I'm sure I posted on this thread a few years back Mark but that superb fish deserves another comment. Deffo in my top 3 favourite fishing channels on the tube I love your ponderings matched with real river skills 😊
A river not in flood,i don`t think I can remember that far back !!! The ise,slade,nene,ouse,welland and ivel, to name but a few,all rivers and brooks I pass regular in my job as a lorry driver and live close to are up and down like a bloody yoyo at the moment.Although ive had barbel from a heavily flooded gt.ouse,I really don`t fancy it at the moment. Everytime the rain stops and the waters fine down,i think great,i can finally get out and do some,then it starts to bloomin rain again and it`s game over !!! Great video as allways mark,i really do enjoy watching them,as I do all the you-tube fishing bloggers,i`ve subscribed to. Keep up the good work.
Likewise Nick, it has been a while hasn't it, I was beginning to think we have developed a monsoon season in the uk, very much the same locally, brooks have burst their banks and become inland seas as they flood into neighbouring fields, tributaries leaking across roads and flooding many houses, does make you wonder when it will stop. Whatever happened to a nice settled crisp winter time? Cheers mate glad you enjoyed the video and perhaps we could both pray to the rain gods to just give a little respite, although I won't be holding my breath for that to make any difference.
As you may know Mark, Charlie and I are currently in search of barbel. We have had a few trips now with a total of just one huge bite (no fish). I can genuinely say that video has made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Brilliant video. Also very moving to hear you talk about your formative years with your father. Keep at it fella, it's always a pleasure to watch. Good luck Shaun
Hello Shaun, Tom did mention to me that you chaps had joined another stretch of river for Barbel, sounds like you have a plan, there is some nice pockets of barbel in the river you are fishing and quality fish. When you do get that first barbel it is like nothing else and neither you or Charlie will forget the experience. They give their all in a scrap and live up to their status of river prince.Cheers for the kind comment mate.
For some reason youtube is not allowing me to reply directly to you Smit. Cheers mate and you are right fishing has everything and that one constant in that you don't need to have had a fish filled day to have had a great days fishing, the countryside,wildlife and just being able to zone out in peace and relax, that alone is as good as catching in my eyes. A lot of my memories of fishing as a youngster are filled with the the days fishing with dad, falling into beds of stinging nettles, sharing in each others captures and generally making a bit of a mess of his tackle bag.
Thanks mate, I was overjoyed at the time, very fond memories and you're are very welcome, thank you for also viewing the video and taking time to post a comment, you fish the Ribble don't you?
Mark Erdwin yes mate, I live just a 20 minute walk to the banks of the Ribble! I am blessed! It is a difficult river to fish in regards to bigger barbel, if you get a fish like you caught in the film, it is like winning the lottery! It has lots of roach and dace fishing to die for! It’s a pleasure watching your videos! They tempt me out onto the banks.
Fabulous fishing Mark. Love the way you keep it simple and the smile on your face! I’ve noticed you often don’t take a chair which I’m sure helps move about more stealthily.
Thanks John. Yes I don't always like to take a seat because it adds an extra 3/4 kilo of weight to carry, mind you that said it is a nice creature comfort to have sometimes.
Thanks Tom, it is a special little waterway, intimate and with many different moods, I am hoping you have your first barbel from it, so you can see why I fell in love with it as a youngster. Cheers mate.
Wow! two beautiful Barbel there Mark, very well done. I must say to my eyes, the second Boris looked bigger, but that might just be me, lol. As others have commented, you're a brave man for using 6lb BS line, but as they say, balanced tackle is everything. Thank you for such an enjoyable video.
Thank you John, it was certainly a trip to remember, the second fish was a nice shape but not the same density to it as its brethren, more hollow. 6lb mono generally breaks at around 8lb, that combined with a nice through action rod gave me a bit of a buffer zone thankfully.
Hi Mark, I'm slowly working through a load of your old fishing vids, thoroughly enjoying them I have to say and learning a lot in the process.. 🙂 Did you catch the 14 on that lobworm, a great bait for all occasions in my experience, although Ive never had a barbel on one myself? Would love to fish that particular river for barbel, chub and perch sometime. Are there club stretches I could join. Maybe we could pm each other? Tight lines and keep on producing some of the best fishing vids on UA-cam!
I LIKE YOU BRO IVE BEEN WATCHING YOUR TINGS YOU HAVE THE BEAT WAY OF EXPLAINING THINGS AND THE WAY YOU CARRY YOURSELF I THINK YOU WOULD BE A GREAT MENTOR FOR YOUNG FISHERMAN KEEP IT UP BRUVVA 👊🏼👊🏼👌🏼👍🏼
spent the last 13/14 yrs pretty much exclusively on Thames Mark, last season the hardest by far...some big fish still but no consistency with captures. Felt 15lb+ barbel would have been on the cards in the winter..but what a blow out!! still always next year!!
I had heard similar from many of the chaps fishing the Thames for barbel, they had many blanks and said exactly the same as yourself, about being a very tough season on the olde river. Might have helped if the river had some flow during summer time perhaps.
Cheers Mac, she was pretty much perfect, immaculate condition, although I was beaten up and dry mouthed by the end of the scrap, which I wish that I had got on film.
Fantastic video - thank you for taking the time to capture, edit and upload. Had my first river session today, since last fishing the river Arrow at the age of 11 for grayling, at the ripe age of 58 on the river Severn in Shropshire for Barbel. I was lucky enough to catch two "Prince's of the river" at around 5lb each but boy what a spectacular fight they had in them. I struggle to imagine how you managed to play and land your 14 lb'er on 6lb line !! Keep up the good work and have subscribed so that I can keep up to date. Best Regards, Steve.
Hello there Steve, thank you kindly for your warm words and taking the time to subscribe to my channel. That is certainly a long break from fishing,I bet it felt great to be back wetting a line and I am not surprised about the those fish giving you a good fight they certainly scrap like demons and I certainly can't think of a better way to return to fishing than capturing a couple of those gold bars, it must have been a very enjoyable days fishing. Believe me the dry mouth and heart stopping moments I had landing this fish on 6lb line I was a very happy but a nervous wreck by the end of the tussle.
Fantastic session and both fish in fantastic condition, Mark. Lovely stretch of river too. That 14-4 is one hell of a catch on the light tackle you were using, particularly with snags both up and down stream. Great stuff!
Thanks Richard, I was very lucky to have landed the 14-4, the Shimano purist river feeder rod is a real cushioning rod and helped a lot during the scrap, sadly discontinued nowadays.
Yes, too many pokers in use now. For some reason a lot of anglers think they have to be able to cast to the far bank (of the Tidal Trent). I use a Hexagraph (similarly soft action, I would think, and a 'pin.
This has been my first season back from a long break from serious fishing and BOOM! It's rocketed by. Loving it though. Loving your vids too. Cheers Mark!
Sounds like you have been having a very enjoyable time since you have been back, it does fly by a bit fast though and it is a wonderful hobby to be able to partake in.Cheers mate!
Great vid mark amazing barbel! nice hearing you talk about your childhood fishing memories but it's great to know I will be able to look back and watch my memorable sessions when I am older it's a real privilege! (I wish I started filming them earlier) :) Charlie
Hello there Charlie, she was probably one of the best looking barbel I have captured from this particular river mate and I also wish that I had started filming our trips a lot sooner. There is something very special about being able to share that enjoyment and I have no doubt that you understand what I mean mate, as I see a lot of moments in your videos that remind me of the type of infectious excitement and passionate bond a father and son share when fishing.
And some Graham, especially as another member came down the path and told me to F something off when I shone my light on him, followed by then asking me if I had caught, needless to say I said I had nothing.
Lovely fish mate. 10/10/2015 tomorrow and going fish down the Thames. Going by the red kite and sound of the aircraft have some idea where to go. Thanks for the lovely tips and sharing your awesome catches. Cheers mate
+Tom Stannett Thanks Tom and best of luck for your trip tomorrow on the Thames, you're most welcome it's just a pleasure to have somewhere to share the odd fishing vlog and video of my trips.
I think you are a genuine. lovely person. and I love fishing too so am very happy to have found you. any tips? going after barbell very shallow watera and I can see them.
Thank you Lee, without knowing the river or population of barbel that you have it is a bit harder, but what I would do personally in clear conditions is spend time watching the fish and feed them, see how they react to free offerings of bait/food, make note of any changes in movement, attitude and confidence and then go from there. Normally in clear conditions I prefer to keep my mainline pinned down above the ledger weight, you can use a back lead for this or just some modelling plasticine squeezed around a soft rig stop on your main line about four feet above your ledger weight, this will aid in keeping the line behind the weight from lifting into the area the fish are patrolling and usually help stop them from spooking and shying off. I have found that just free lining or using a simple link ledger and allowing a bait to roll through in clear conditions can be deadly as it acts less static and more like a free offering with no strings attached so to speak. All the best to you and I hope you catch one mate.
Hello there Lee, thank you mate, I am guessing your local rivers are like mine and in a bit of a mess since the flooding, been a bit of a nightmare really.
I know I'm probable teaching my granny to suck eggs but when you said about the smell of BlackBerrys. I thought of a method that got me second in the stainforth and keybey canal winter league! I blended black berries up with elda berries tares and bread feeder fished on far bank always picked me up a bonus Chubb or two! colors the water better than any korda goo and the Chubb go wild cos there's black Berrie on far bank and they see it as free food with no danger cos no one hardly users it so if you can smell the blackberry's its the perfect time for that bait don't know 100% that it will work for barbel but I can't see why not worth a try the berries are free so good method to show the young uns cos it saves them pocket money to spend on better bit tackle just thought I would mention it! Great blog by the way you just earned one subscribe! tight lines mate keep up the good work
Adam, that is very interesting, whilst I have used Elderberries for chub in the past, I have never thought about creating a liquidized/blended mixture of them and Blackberries, that sounds a very good idea, also very natural,not to mention economical, I would suspect that would create quite an attractive cloud/slick. Your suggestion really exemplifies how good it is to share ideas, I really appreciate it as well as the fact you also enjoyed the blog, so thank you very much my friend.
Mark Erdwin thank you! for your great blog teaching the young and not so young great methods like link ledgering and others that are something every angler should have in there arsenal, but are getting forgot because of commercial fishing.blogs like yours remind people that there is great fishing on our doorstep on our great British rivers and canals that won't cost the earth especially for kids who don't go as often as they might cos they can't afford day ticket pellets the going ground baits for the venue soft hookers or expanders and good quality bit tackle! and it can only help there fishing and the sport in general not to mention they need these skills you teach if they harbour dreams of international fishing which is usually held on rivers and canals keep up the fantastic blog I look forward with anticipation to you next one! your a good fella doing good work. So the fishing god minurver rewarded you with that fabulous brace barbel! Long my she stay by your side cos the sun always shines on the rightious ! And if I can help you even a little it Is a honour to do so thight lines mark see you soon
Yes Mark! The image keeps on replaying in my head. Im not sure if its a good idea though ? Is Barbel fishing even harder in murkier faster flowing water? Water levels are back to normal but colour is not :/
SnaggedOnFish Tom I usually find coloured conditions quite good, although I must admit that personally I much prefer the river with a nice dash of colour but not the colour of gravy. The forecast tomorrow is for 10c, which for January is very good. Well worth a go for them mate, let me know how you get on.
Thanks Wakey, I cannot reply directly to your comment, not sure why. A 9.14 from the Wear years ago was a good fish indeed, bet you was overjoyed with that.
I recently have got into barbel fishing and caught my first 1 weighing 11lb from the trent at muskam on Tuesday night I also lost a fish that destroyed my hook fair too say I am hooked now.
That's brilliant to hear, they fight like demons and don't give up too easily, an 11 is a good fish mate and no doubt the first of many more to follow.
drew on the ebro Many thanks Drew, As I recall I filmed this on a canon bridge camera the model was the SX50hs mate, has a nice useful flip round screen.
Thanks Shaun, it was great to finally surpass 1000 subscribers, but even more appreciated is the fact that people take the time to watch the videos and interact with me,it means a lot. Sir, No you could call me "waffle" though as I do tend to waffle on a bit at times on my videos mate haha.
I certainly am Ben and if you check my channel you will see my last upload was on the 9th of this month. I have around another 9 or ten more new videos yet to edit and also upload .
6lb line with 10lb+ fish,you are a braver man than me, unless i am going for stream fish like grayling dace roach small trout and minnows i always use 8lb in rivers but i do fish snaggy waters even that feels low to me haha but thats probably the lure angler in me talking.
With a balanced set up you'd be surprised what you can land, I generally find that 6lb mono (I currently use Technium invisitec) tied with a Palomar knot, breaks at over 8lb, that coupled with a forgiving rod such as the one I use for a lot of my light leger fishing (Shimano river purist) which has a very forgiving through action makes for a reliable and balanced pairing. I've had numerous river carp on this setup whilst fishing for chub and other species, it can be quite eye opening how well such a set up can work, not that I am fully advocating people switch to fishing 6lb line for barbel, certainly not I personally much prefer a minimum of 10lb when barbel fishing, But as I had it in mind to do a spot of perch fishing too I went for a bit of A mid level safety buffer with the 6lb. Please excuse the delayed reply, I was on vacation, I am slowly but surely making my way through everyones comments.
Cheers Russell, it was a thoroughly enjoyable Autumn days fishing, I don't know about you but I have rather had enough of all the rain and flooding right now mate.
nice video but I have to say that using such light line is asking for trouble,all credit to you for landing the fish but the line would very easily snap if it touched a rock or something sharp while under tension, then the fish would be left with not only a hook in its mouth but also possibly 10 or 20 feet of line trailing behind it,which could easily wrap around an underwater snag which would condemn the fish to a long slow lingering death as it be unable to swim away and would eventually suffocate. I personally never use less than 15lb line when targeting barbel which may sound unsporting but at least it gives you that extra bit of security when playing the fish..
Ken thank you for taking the time to comment, you make a very valid point and I agree with you. I had set out during this day in search of perch and barbel, so had taken with me both my quiver tip and lighter tackle for perch as well as my usual barbel setup. On this occasion the perch weren't in the most forthcoming moods and I picked up a couple of smaller ones to around 14ozs. Alas I had no control at the time over whether a barbel should pick up bait intended for those perch, which is indeed what happened and luckily the fairly balanced tackle did allow me to land this first fish with the minimum of fuss. However much like yourself I generally do not fish less than 10 to 15lb mono to braid hook link when targeting barbel,which is what I had thankfully switched to when I had the second fish in this video.
Cheers, she probably ranks as one of the nicest I have caught, for looks and the scrap on light tackle, which is something I dearly wished I had the camera rolling at the time to show you.
Sorry David you've completely managed to baffle me and probably many of my subscribers with such a comment.Please do tell me where am I hiding under the cloak of an advertising plug? I am always very transparent with any sponsorship or companies that might reach out to support my small channel and never hide anything regarding such things. What a ridiculous comment to make!
I use to love fishing the Loddon in the 80s with my Dad. Lovely river.
Extremely impressive angling. Congratulations
Well, that was simply superb. Well done Mark. Nothing like a fish tonic to lift the spirit.
Thanks Vinnie, I have to say I have really been enjoying the quality of the photography on your blog and it is a real joy to read.
Thanks Mark, means a lot. :)
Beautiful day and such a nice spot, as a fisherman from Oregon, USA, I can't wait to try my hand at a barbel or two in the UK. I love the style of fishing and the quietness of the approach.
Thank you Chad, glad you enjoyed it. You will enjoy fishing for barbel trust me, they give everything in the fight and are simply stunning creatures.
ill put you onto some modest barbell if you put me onto some smallies ;)
Fantastic video pal took me back to some good times on my local river . Please keep the videos coming 👍🏼
Glad you enjoyed it! Many thanks :)
What absolutely stunning barbel. First really is a fish of a lifetime or many lifetimes. Put a big smile on my face.Thanks for the upload Mark.
Thanks for the kind words AL F, it is a pleasure to be able to share the video with you too my friend.
Brilliantly presented Mark Erdwin. Hope you enjoy this new season upon us.
Thank you very much for the kind words Barry, glad you enjoyed it, best of luck to yourself this season too mate.
Just wanted to commend you Mark on your videos, very inspiring, prompting me to try river fishing up here in Derbyshire.
The way you conduct yourself, take time to reply to comments in a friendly manner, and how you care so much for the environment you fish in and the wildlife you share the bank with is pure class.
Thanks Mike!
I believe as anglers we should try and melt into our environment and be absorbed into it as one, the term "take only pictures and leave only footprints" springs to mind. Thank you for the kind words and best of luck with whatever species you do decide to target on your fishing trips.
Kind regards
Mark
lovely videos Mark. Refreshing to see an all rounder for a change. keep it up..
Thank you Martyn, it's always nice to hear some positive feedback, I'm glad you're enjoying them.
Cracking video! And wow what a beast of a Barbel 🍂🎣
Cheers it was a tough old scrap on the light tackle!
That barbel is incredible!!
Cheers Carl or was that Alex, She was a real joy to catch, bit of a heart stopper though as she powered off downstream like an olympic sprinter. When I did finally slip the net under her I certainly knew who was more composed by the end of this tussle and it was not me as I was pretty much a gibbering wreck.
Hahahaha, just as it should be mate!
Mark Erdwin that’s defo Carl
I'm sure I posted on this thread a few years back Mark but that superb fish deserves another comment. Deffo in my top 3 favourite fishing channels on the tube I love your ponderings matched with real river skills 😊
A river not in flood,i don`t think I can remember that far back !!! The ise,slade,nene,ouse,welland and ivel, to name but a few,all rivers and brooks I pass regular in my job as a lorry driver and live close to are up and down like a bloody yoyo at the moment.Although ive had barbel from a heavily flooded gt.ouse,I really don`t fancy it at the moment.
Everytime the rain stops and the waters fine down,i think great,i can finally get out and do some,then it starts to bloomin rain again and it`s game over !!!
Great video as allways mark,i really do enjoy watching them,as I do all the you-tube fishing bloggers,i`ve subscribed to.
Keep up the good work.
Likewise Nick, it has been a while hasn't it, I was beginning to think we have developed a monsoon season in the uk, very much the same locally, brooks have burst their banks and become inland seas as they flood into neighbouring fields, tributaries leaking across roads and flooding many houses, does make you wonder when it will stop. Whatever happened to a nice settled crisp winter time? Cheers mate glad you enjoyed the video and perhaps we could both pray to the rain gods to just give a little respite, although I won't be holding my breath for that to make any difference.
As you may know Mark, Charlie and I are currently in search of barbel. We have had a few trips now with a total of just one huge bite (no fish).
I can genuinely say that video has made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Brilliant video. Also very moving to hear you talk about your formative years with your father.
Keep at it fella, it's always a pleasure to watch.
Good luck
Shaun
Hello Shaun, Tom did mention to me that you chaps had joined another stretch of river for Barbel, sounds like you have a plan, there is some nice pockets of barbel in the river you are fishing and quality fish. When you do get that first barbel it is like nothing else and neither you or Charlie will forget the experience. They give their all in a scrap and live up to their status of river prince.Cheers for the kind comment mate.
For some reason youtube is not allowing me to reply directly to you Smit.
Cheers mate and you are right fishing has everything and that one constant in that you don't need to have had a fish filled day to have had a great days fishing, the countryside,wildlife and just being able to zone out in peace and relax, that alone is as good as catching in my eyes. A lot of my memories of fishing as a youngster are filled with the the days fishing with dad, falling into beds of stinging nettles, sharing in each others captures and generally making a bit of a mess of his tackle bag.
What a stunning barbel and great session! Lost for words.... thanks for sharing Mark
Thanks mate, I was overjoyed at the time, very fond memories and you're are very welcome, thank you for also viewing the video and taking time to post a comment, you fish the Ribble don't you?
Mark Erdwin yes mate, I live just a 20 minute walk to the banks of the Ribble! I am blessed! It is a difficult river to fish in regards to bigger barbel, if you get a fish like you caught in the film, it is like winning the lottery! It has lots of roach and dace fishing to die for! It’s a pleasure watching your videos! They tempt me out onto the banks.
Fabulous fishing Mark. Love the way you keep it simple and the smile on your face! I’ve noticed you often don’t take a chair which I’m sure helps move about more stealthily.
Thanks John. Yes I don't always like to take a seat because it adds an extra 3/4 kilo of weight to carry, mind you that said it is a nice creature comfort to have sometimes.
Just bought the Daiwa low chair......2.2 kilo......hardly anything.....it is a bit low but better than nothing.
Crazy how huge barbel can be in a small river. Very nice Mark.
Very true,there is some real specimen fish in a lot of small waterways and many of which are quite forgotten and often overlooked by anglers.
Another very Nice video mark.
That are very Nice barbels.
Fishing is the most beautiful thing in the world.
Thank you Andre, it was a very special fishing trip.
Absolutely fantastic video, pristine barbel, looks such an idyllic stretch, well done Mark,
Tom
Thanks Tom, it is a special little waterway, intimate and with many different moods, I am hoping you have your first barbel from it, so you can see why I fell in love with it as a youngster. Cheers mate.
Haha cheers mate, and I can already see why haha!
Tom
Wow! two beautiful Barbel there Mark, very well done. I must say to my eyes, the second Boris looked bigger, but that might just be me, lol. As others have commented, you're a brave man for using 6lb BS line, but as they say, balanced tackle is everything. Thank you for such an enjoyable video.
Thank you John, it was certainly a trip to remember, the second fish was a nice shape but not the same density to it as its brethren, more hollow. 6lb mono generally breaks at around 8lb, that combined with a nice through action rod gave me a bit of a buffer zone thankfully.
Well done Mark. Thought you were going to break into tears with that first Barbel - and I wouldn't have blamed you.
Hi Mark, I'm slowly working through a load of your old fishing vids, thoroughly enjoying them I have to say and learning a lot in the process.. 🙂 Did you catch the 14 on that lobworm, a great bait for all occasions in my experience, although Ive never had a barbel on one myself?
Would love to fish that particular river for barbel, chub and perch sometime. Are there club stretches I could join. Maybe we could pm each other?
Tight lines and keep on producing some of the best fishing vids on UA-cam!
I LIKE YOU BRO IVE BEEN WATCHING YOUR TINGS YOU HAVE THE BEAT WAY OF EXPLAINING THINGS AND THE WAY YOU CARRY YOURSELF I THINK YOU WOULD BE A GREAT MENTOR FOR YOUNG FISHERMAN KEEP IT UP BRUVVA 👊🏼👊🏼👌🏼👍🏼
Thanks Stewart, that is most kind of you to say chap.
very very nice Mark! will have to check your other vids. Always good to see thames specimens
Cheers Hollingworth,
glad that you are finding them enjoyable, this particular fish was from a tributary of the Thames.
spent the last 13/14 yrs pretty much exclusively on Thames Mark, last season the hardest by far...some big fish still but no consistency with captures. Felt 15lb+ barbel would have been on the cards in the winter..but what a blow out!! still always next year!!
I had heard similar from many of the chaps fishing the Thames for barbel, they had many blanks and said exactly the same as yourself, about being a very tough season on the olde river. Might have helped if the river had some flow during summer time perhaps.
Stunning fish mate,not fished for 4yrs,but getting back on the river this season!!!!!!
Cheers chap, that is a bit of a break you have had then, I bet you're really looking forward to this season.
Another cracking film mark,that first barbel was stunning.
Cheers Mac, she was pretty much perfect, immaculate condition, although I was beaten up and dry mouthed by the end of the scrap, which I wish that I had got on film.
great video what a lovely fish thanks for sharing it with us!!!!!
You are most welcome Marc.
Beautiful. 14.4, a dream back in the day.
Thank you and it is a fish that is still very special to me.
@@francolinobasco Love your stuff Mark, even though I haven't fished barbel for 40 years.
Fantastic video - thank you for taking the time to capture, edit and upload.
Had my first river session today, since last fishing the river Arrow at the age of 11 for grayling, at the ripe age of 58 on the river Severn in Shropshire for Barbel.
I was lucky enough to catch two "Prince's of the river" at around 5lb each but boy what a spectacular fight they had in them. I struggle to imagine how you managed to play and land your 14 lb'er on 6lb line !!
Keep up the good work and have subscribed so that I can keep up to date.
Best Regards,
Steve.
Hello there Steve, thank you kindly for your warm words and taking the time to subscribe to my channel. That is certainly a long break from fishing,I bet it felt great to be back wetting a line and I am not surprised about the those fish giving you a good fight they certainly scrap like demons and I certainly can't think of a better way to return to fishing than capturing a couple of those gold bars, it must have been a very enjoyable days fishing. Believe me the dry mouth and heart stopping moments I had landing this fish on 6lb line I was a very happy but a nervous wreck by the end of the tussle.
I loved that. Fantastic it was and 2 very special fish.
Why thank you, they were a most memorable moment for me, cheers for taking the time to comment chap.
I have watched you around the last year buddy. Your stuff is fantastic to watch :-)
Well thank you for taking the time to watch my videos over such a duration, I really do appreciate that.
Fantastic session and both fish in fantastic condition, Mark. Lovely stretch of river too. That 14-4 is one hell of a catch on the light tackle you were using, particularly with snags both up and down stream. Great stuff!
Thanks Richard, I was very lucky to have landed the 14-4, the Shimano purist river feeder rod is a real cushioning rod and helped a lot during the scrap, sadly discontinued nowadays.
Yes, too many pokers in use now. For some reason a lot of anglers think they have to be able to cast to the far bank (of the Tidal Trent). I use a Hexagraph (similarly soft action, I would think, and a 'pin.
This has been my first season back from a long break from serious fishing and BOOM! It's rocketed by. Loving it though. Loving your vids too. Cheers Mark!
Sounds like you have been having a very enjoyable time since you have been back, it does fly by a bit fast though and it is a wonderful hobby to be able to partake in.Cheers mate!
Great vid mark amazing barbel! nice hearing you talk about your childhood fishing memories but it's great to know I will be able to look back and watch my memorable sessions when I am older it's a real privilege! (I wish I started filming them earlier) :)
Charlie
Hello there Charlie, she was probably one of the best looking barbel I have captured from this particular river mate and I also wish that I had started filming our trips a lot sooner. There is something very special about being able to share that enjoyment and I have no doubt that you understand what I mean mate, as I see a lot of moments in your videos that remind me of the type of infectious excitement and passionate bond a father and son share when fishing.
May have already commented on the video Mark but cracking 14lb barbel and second double. Bet you went home with a smile on your face 👍
And some Graham, especially as another member came down the path and told me to F something off when I shone my light on him, followed by then asking me if I had caught, needless to say I said I had nothing.
Lovely fish mate. 10/10/2015 tomorrow and going fish down the Thames. Going by the red kite and sound of the aircraft have some idea where to go. Thanks for the lovely tips and sharing your awesome catches. Cheers mate
+Tom Stannett
Thanks Tom and best of luck for your trip tomorrow on the Thames, you're most welcome it's just a pleasure to have somewhere to share the odd fishing vlog and video of my trips.
Great job Mark cracking Barbel
Cheers Merlin, it was a real pleasure to catch such a fish as well mate.
Nice fish m8 lovely condition, well done
Thanks Andrew.
Excellent fish! They only go up to 6 7 lb up north (r wear) i got one 9lb14 many years ago but was rare.
This video just cheered me up. Thank you :)
Thank you Mike, it was a good memory to be able to share across in video form.
Wow! What a huge Barbel
Cheers Curt, it made a nice days fishing that bit more special.
I think you are a genuine. lovely person. and I love fishing too so am very happy to have found you. any tips? going after barbell very shallow watera and I can see them.
Thank you Lee, without knowing the river or population of barbel that you have it is a bit harder, but what I would do personally in clear conditions is spend time watching the fish and feed them, see how they react to free offerings of bait/food, make note of any changes in movement, attitude and confidence and then go from there. Normally in clear conditions I prefer to keep my mainline pinned down above the ledger weight, you can use a back lead for this or just some modelling plasticine squeezed around a soft rig stop on your main line about four feet above your ledger weight, this will aid in keeping the line behind the weight from lifting into the area the fish are patrolling and usually help stop them from spooking and shying off. I have found that just free lining or using a simple link ledger and allowing a bait to roll through in clear conditions can be deadly as it acts less static and more like a free offering with no strings attached so to speak. All the best to you and I hope you catch one mate.
Awesome advice. Thanks bud. Keep making videos and I'll keep watching!
Thanks Lee I will try to keep making them mate.
What a lump mate ??? God bless mate. Had a few like that myself 👍🏻🇬🇧
Great fish mate
Thank you so much Harley.
Fantastic barbel great job mark!
Hello there Lee, thank you mate, I am guessing your local rivers are like mine and in a bit of a mess since the flooding, been a bit of a nightmare really.
Mark Erdwin Yep, but i like them like that makes it more interesting haha
New subscriber, awesome videos. What a barbel that was, nice fishing pal 🎣
Hey there Jim bob and thanks for taking the time to subscribe the channel. Thank you very much it was wonderful to land such a beautiful creature.
I know I'm probable teaching my granny to suck eggs but when you said about the smell of BlackBerrys. I thought of a method that got me second in the stainforth and keybey canal winter league! I blended black berries up with elda berries tares and bread feeder fished on far bank always picked me up a bonus Chubb or two! colors the water better than any korda goo and the Chubb go wild cos there's black Berrie on far bank and they see it as free food with no danger cos no one hardly users it so if you can smell the blackberry's its the perfect time for that bait don't know 100% that it will work for barbel but I can't see why not worth a try the berries are free so good method to show the young uns cos it saves them pocket money to spend on better bit tackle just thought I would mention it! Great blog by the way you just earned one subscribe! tight lines mate keep up the good work
Adam, that is very interesting, whilst I have used Elderberries for chub in the past, I have never thought about creating a liquidized/blended mixture of them and Blackberries, that sounds a very good idea, also very natural,not to mention economical, I would suspect that would create quite an attractive cloud/slick. Your suggestion really exemplifies how good it is to share ideas, I really appreciate it as well as the fact you also enjoyed the blog, so thank you very much my friend.
Mark Erdwin thank you! for your great blog teaching the young and not so young great methods like link ledgering and others that are something every angler should have in there arsenal, but are getting forgot because of commercial fishing.blogs like yours remind people that there is great fishing on our doorstep on our great British rivers and canals that won't cost the earth especially for kids who don't go as often as they might cos they can't afford day ticket pellets the going ground baits for the venue soft hookers or expanders and good quality bit tackle! and it can only help there fishing and the sport in general not to mention they need these skills you teach if they harbour dreams of international fishing which is usually held on rivers and canals keep up the fantastic blog I look forward with anticipation to you next one! your a good fella doing good work. So the fishing god minurver rewarded you with that fabulous brace barbel! Long my she stay by your side cos the sun always shines on the rightious ! And if I can help you even a little it Is a honour to do so thight lines mark see you soon
Hi mark, awesome fish and videos , I will be subscribing for sure, where are you fishing if you don't mind me asking? Looks like a gem
Hello there Pedro, thank you, glad you like my videos. I fish a few different venues, this being one of the rivers that feeds into the Thames.
Well done mark. SUPER FISH! As wilson would say.how you've got it in on 6lb line I don't know.them snags must be brittle!
Thank you Alex, it was some scrap I can tell you that, I was very relieved once she was in the net.
Two doubles and two rather impressive specimens. The location of the 2015 match??? ;)
Thanks Dan! It was an enjoyable result, not so sure about it being the location for the 2015 match unless I wish to be lynched haha.
Beautiful, Mark, and lovely Red Kite at 11:50
Thank you, you can't beat watching them flying effortlessly on the thermals either.
Amazing work Mark! Will be going for my first Barbus tomorrow!
Tom :D
Cheers Tom and the best of luck to you too. I presume you are going after the one that you lost?
Yes Mark! The image keeps on replaying in my head. Im not sure if its a good idea though ? Is Barbel fishing even harder in murkier faster flowing water? Water levels are back to normal but colour is not :/
SnaggedOnFish
Tom I usually find coloured conditions quite good, although I must admit that personally I much prefer the river with a nice dash of colour but not the colour of gravy. The forecast tomorrow is for 10c, which for January is very good. Well worth a go for them mate, let me know how you get on.
I had 3 chub, biggest 2lb 8oz :D Sadly no barbel though...
Still very nice Tom, I am sure you will get another chance at a barbel mate.
A good video, and what are you putting in a Sling shot, worms?
Thank you Misa, glad that you enjoyed the video. I was putting maggots in the catapult.
If you have free time, check out my video clips,greetings from Serbia :)
Of course no problem I will, I have just subscribed to you Misa.
Thanks Wakey, I cannot reply directly to your comment, not sure why. A 9.14 from the Wear years ago was a good fish indeed, bet you was overjoyed with that.
Beautiful thank you very much
You're welcome Zefram :)
I recently have got into barbel fishing and caught my first 1 weighing 11lb from the trent at muskam on Tuesday night I also lost a fish that destroyed my hook fair too say I am hooked now.
That's brilliant to hear, they fight like demons and don't give up too easily, an 11 is a good fish mate and no doubt the first of many more to follow.
Stunning creature
Thank you, she truly was.
Great video. Beautiful fish! Where is this?
amazing vid, mark, very profesional,and well angled.what camcorder were you using,
drew on the ebro
Many thanks Drew,
As I recall I filmed this on a canon bridge camera the model was the SX50hs mate, has a nice useful flip round screen.
why do you leave so much worm hanging off? is that just your preference?
have 2 ask just what is that thing u have near the tip of your rod
Not a problem Mick, that is a Drennan Isotope. basically a long life night light, so once it gets dark I can see the bites registering on the rod tip.
One last thing Mark, well done on the 1000 subs. Do I have to call you sir now? :)
Thanks Shaun, it was great to finally surpass 1000 subscribers, but even more appreciated is the fact that people take the time to watch the videos and interact with me,it means a lot. Sir, No you could call me "waffle" though as I do tend to waffle on a bit at times on my videos mate haha.
hi mark, nice vid and fish. What camera do you use for your photos?
Thanks Jethro, this video was filmed on a Canon sx50hs bridge camera, but I normally use a lumix gh3.
Mark Erdwin
great stuff thankyou
are you still doing videos Mark
I certainly am Ben and if you check my channel you will see my last upload was on the 9th of this month. I have around another 9 or ten more new videos yet to edit and also upload .
6lb line with 10lb+ fish,you are a braver man than me, unless i am going for stream fish like grayling dace roach small trout and minnows i always use 8lb in rivers but i do fish snaggy waters even that feels low to me haha but thats probably the lure angler in me talking.
With a balanced set up you'd be surprised what you can land, I generally find that 6lb mono (I currently use Technium invisitec) tied with a Palomar knot, breaks at over 8lb, that coupled with a forgiving rod such as the one I use for a lot of my light leger fishing (Shimano river purist) which has a very forgiving through action makes for a reliable and balanced pairing. I've had numerous river carp on this setup whilst fishing for chub and other species, it can be quite eye opening how well such a set up can work, not that I am fully advocating people switch to fishing 6lb line for barbel, certainly not I personally much prefer a minimum of 10lb when barbel fishing, But as I had it in mind to do a spot of perch fishing too I went for a bit of A mid level safety buffer with the 6lb.
Please excuse the delayed reply, I was on vacation, I am slowly but surely making my way through everyones comments.
Stonking barbel mate, well done
Cheers Russell, it was a thoroughly enjoyable Autumn days fishing, I don't know about you but I have rather had enough of all the rain and flooding right now mate.
nice video but I have to say that using such light line is asking for trouble,all credit to you for landing the fish but the line would very easily snap if it touched a rock or something sharp while under tension, then the fish would be left with not only a hook in its mouth but also possibly 10 or 20 feet of line trailing behind it,which could easily wrap around an underwater snag which would condemn the fish to a long slow lingering death as it be unable to swim away and would eventually suffocate.
I personally never use less than 15lb line when targeting barbel which may sound unsporting but at least it gives you that extra bit of security when playing the fish..
Ken thank you for taking the time to comment, you make a very valid point and I agree with you.
I had set out during this day in search of perch and barbel, so had taken with me both my quiver tip and lighter tackle for perch as well as my usual barbel setup. On this occasion the perch weren't in the most forthcoming moods and I picked up a couple of smaller ones to around 14ozs. Alas I had no control at the time over whether a barbel should pick up bait intended for those perch, which is indeed what happened and luckily the fairly balanced tackle did allow me to land this first fish with the minimum of fuss. However much like yourself I generally do not fish less than 10 to 15lb mono to braid hook link when targeting barbel,which is what I had thankfully switched to when I had the second fish in this video.
Hey man. You see the size of that big catfish!
What Catfish is that mate?
@@nicedog1 haha I get you now and I've no doubt it will happen too :D
Mark Erdwin lol I meant to say ‘someone’ from the US 🙂
Really nice barbel there were abouts is this spot
Cheers Jay, it was caught from a tributary of the Thames, I generally do not go into detail about the exact spots mate.
New sub mate good fishing
Thanks Mcshane and also thank you very much for subscribing.
very entertaining
Glad that you enjoyed it Phil, thankfully these days I can show the battle better than back then.
All ive managed to catch on worms are trout
Sei un mito!
Grazie per il tipo commento, esso è belloa a essere capace a dividere il passione su youtube con voi.
Mark Erdwin
Ciao Mark alla prossima!;-)
Magnifique!!! :)
Bonjour Rodolphe, Merci :)
wow that great my Dad also took me fishing as a boy and I'm not sure if I would be one today if he hadn't
Thanks Rafa and I owe my dad a heck of a lot for getting me into fishing.
👍👏👏👏💣
That 14lb er is a beauty
Cheers, she probably ranks as one of the nicest I have caught, for looks and the scrap on light tackle, which is something I dearly wished I had the camera rolling at the time to show you.
Why do these tactical films, hide under a cloak of an advertising plug
Sorry David you've completely managed to baffle me and probably many of my subscribers with such a comment.Please do tell me where am I hiding under the cloak of an advertising plug? I am always very transparent with any sponsorship or companies that might reach out to support my small channel and never hide anything regarding such things. What a ridiculous comment to make!
11mins wasted from my life...sucks
I am sorry to hear that your life sucks, perhaps change your outlook a little and it might help.
Uncalled for that comment.
Has ya life got any better Joe or are ya still a dick head?