The River Angler

My good mate Kevin has been going through some tough times lately.  He was at last rewarded with a fish that he more than deserved.  Dropping onto the Thames tributary that we have been targeting this season, produced a tremendous new PB barbel for him.

Amazingly the trip that produced this fish was due to be a roach session on a local lake.  However the weather seemed perfect for barbel and so Kevin and Geoff changed their minds on the day and instead decided to head to the Kennet.  The traffic was horrific on the M25 and the normal 90 minute trip dragged on into several hours.  Due to the severe loss in fishing time they felt it would be better to head to the Thames tributary instead, it was closer and could be fished later if necessary.  It seemed fate was playing her part in more ways than one.

On arrival Kevin and Geoff went for a scout around and eventually picked a couple of swims.  They hadn’t been fishing long when Kevin’s rod top slammed over and he was in.  Fortunately as Kevin was playing the fish, Geoff had decided to wander up to see Kevin.  After an amazing fight and one which entailed Geoff struggling to net Kevin’s prize, the fish was finally subdued.  They both looked at disbelief at this leviathan staring up at them from the folds of the landing net.  They weighed the fish and could hardly believe it, she went 15lb 2oz and smashed Kevin’s previous PB.

Kev’s 15lb 2oz Barbel

Kevin’s brother Steve has been suffering with a degenerative illness for the last year.  Over the last couple of years Steve has enjoyed numerous fishing trips with us.  Steve was a very keen angler in his youth but due to family commitments his fishing pretty much dried up.  Despite Steve’s condition he enjoys fishing with us when he can or at the very least getting constant running commentaries throughout our trips about what is being caught and by whom.

When Kevin went to see him in hospital and told him of his monster barbel, Steve was overjoyed at the news.  Steve loves to hear about what we catch and loves to read my blog (well someone was bound to at some point 🙂 ).  The fact that his brother had caught such an impressive fish really delighted Steve and rightly so.

It is with great sadness that I have to report that Steve finally succumbed to his illness a couple of weeks a go.  It happened far quicker than expected.  My thoughts are with Steve’s family.  I know Steve will be sat by that great barbel filled river in the sky, filling his boots.  Kevin has dedicated his barbel to Steve and justly so.  RIP Steve.

RIP Steve.