We’ve received another entertaining tale from top Welsh specimen angler and author Terry ‘Theo’ Theobald – about how he introduced a young angler to Barbel fishing on the Wye recently:-

“For the past six months or so, Dave Packer, a fourteen year old local lad with a passion for Rugby, Banger racing and Angling had been reminding me of a promise made by myself to take him barbel fishing when I got a chance.  Well, that time finally arrived in mid August when I rang him to let him know I would be going to the Wye in a few days time and he was welcome to come along.  His tone of voice told me that he couldn’t wait and all that remained then was to fulfil my other promise and guarantee he caught his first whiskered beauty.

On the morning of the trip I collected the “popping cork” at 7am and in no time we were making our way towards Ross-on-Wye and beyond to a beautiful stretch of the river where I just knew he would catch a barbel or two; at least that’s what I hoped!  The journey was full of conversation about his captures of carp from a local pond but I just knew he wouldn’t have had a pull quite like a Wye barbel before, I couldn’t wait…

On arrival we walked down the dew laden grass and one glance at the river told me it was in fine fettle with a slight level above the summer norm and a tinge of colour, almost perfect.  Eagerly we made our way down stream, eventually settling into a swim with a nice glide towards the far bank, the place our baits would be cast to.  Explaining the intricacies of the rigs, and showing him how to tie a simple hair rig from ESP 15lb Two Tone with a size 8 Stiff Rigger hook, we were soon ready.  The first 4oz lead was punched out with a Dynamite Source boilie attached to the rig, Dave was then told to get near the rod and watch the tip.

The flow was quite powerful with debris coming through hitting the line, every time the tip bounced he was keen to ask if it was a bite, of course.  I told him not to worry because he will know it when the bite arrives!  The second rod was made up and cast further up stream roughly on the same flow line as the first.

The plan was to fish two Drennan 12ft 1¾ lb Barbel in mid river, and  2lb Specialist Tench & Bream rods to fish the far bank.  But before I could extract the third rod from the quiver the first rod cast out gave out a scream as the tip was pulled over in a violent arc!  Dave was on it in a flash and with a little coaching and coaxing his first ever barbel went in the net, fantastic.  Up the bank we went and on the scales it went, to reveal a weight of 5lb 12oz, a great result for Dave and a huge relief for me too.

After that he was twitching at any movement of the tips and no more than ten minutes later another strong fish was tugging at his nerves giving me a big grin as I watched him do battle.  Half way through his fight another rod hooped over, so, I did battle with that one (eventually loosing it to a hook pull at the net, a good fish as well).  Never mind, Dave had another personal best in the net at 7lb 6oz and his smile said it all.  Around 10am as the sun got up It went a bit quiet.  However, Dave had the last laugh with a third barbel of 5lb 14oz to round off our short half day session nicely. 

As we made for home he laughed and joked about the day and for me it was a complete pleasure to have been able to put a smile on his face.  To watch him do battle with his first barbel was equally as good as catching one myself, and it sometimes makes you realise that it is not always just about catching fish.  Well done Dave! “

–      Theo Thebald, August 2012

For details on the current Drennan range of Barbel rods click here:-