A repeat of last year spending 2 nights in a b&b in Ross-on-Wye - though the river was 2 feet lower than last year, so I didn't know what to expect, as I think barbel like a bit of rain.

On Sunday eve fished a peg in the town stretch. An angler packing up had had 2 barbel, so I took over his swim and was reasonably expectant. He advised me to cast out to the edge of the main flow. Lots of yanks, shakes and bangs, but few real bites. Had 2 chub, and lost a third. I fished an hour into dark.

On Monday morning met Rabbit and a friend at the Caradoc beat managed by Wye and Usk Foundation. Prolific last year - I managed 6, and Rabbit more. It's a beautiful venue, though there are a limited number of places where you can access the river with any comfort. When I arrived at 10.30am Rabbit had already been there 4 hours, and had 3 barbel. A good start. But then the sun came out and we had a hot bright day and the bites dried up. Rabbit picked up 4 more in a feeding spell late afternoon, when I was off having a quick kip for health reasons and cooking an early meal. Hearing this news I was fully expectant again, but no proper bites for a while. I must find some way of converting into bites those shakes and rattles and quick apparent bites that straighten out again before you can pick the rod up! I think I may not use a hair rig next time as one theory is they pick up the bait in their mouths but not the hook. Anyway, in the end the fish had mercy on me and I had a couple of hard-fighting barbel - 5lb and 7.5lbs - all the better for waiting! One possible learning point is that the fish came after I put on a heavier 3oz feeder (previously 1.5oz). The flow wasn't that great, but they were cutting weed upstream, and it's possible the weed coming down was pulling the bait into the weed.

On Tuesday morning (today) I decided to try something different - and easy (I thought!) I went to the Burley Fields fishery near Cheltenham, on the way home. The guy selling the tickets assured me there were plenty of good roach, which was what I was after - and most other species as well, including a 19 lb barbel! Hmmm... Kinda humbling to think that all my fishing dreams could be fulfilled in this pleasant but small lake! As it turned out the roach didn't really show for me or the two other anglers fishing for them, though I was assured they did yesterday - and fully believe it. I was fishing the worst part of the day, 12noon to 3pm. I did catch a half pound roach and a half pound rudd just before I left - on meat, having first tried maggot, sweetcorn, mini-boilies and soft carp pellets. I can well believe the better orach would have showed in the evening shift, but I was due at a friend's for tea!