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Looking for an unknown barbel swim, I spotted a promising stretch of the river ijssel between Zwolle and the village of Wijhe
Saturday 01-09-07 when the water level is at a low level I decide to go to the swim and give it a try for a barbel.
I began at 18-00 pm and fished through to 20-30 pm.
For bait I took with me diced cheese, a tin of sweetcorn and a tin of hempseed which I found lying around in the garage, without the hempseed I usually use diced old cheese.
The ijssel had a strong current,not really surprising after having had a high water level.,but a 80grm feeder basket was sufficient.
Half an hour into the session and my first bite, unfortunately not a barbel but a 47cm Orfe.
Shortly after a serious clap on the extreme heavy feeder, after striking I felt straight away that this was a barbel.
A short play brought the fish to the side and the landing net. On the measuring board the fish measured 54 cm.
My confidence in this site was confirmed with this first barbel catch.
Shortly later another Orfe and this measured 52cm, a nice fish but when you are targeting barbel an unwanted catch.
An hour and a half later a couple of heavy ticks on the tip, I strike and the rod bends to the handgrip and what feels like a monster goes off like a rocket and makes a run for it, straight through the clutch and takes about 30 mtr of line with it. Have I got a carp on the hook?
Little by little I play towards the breakwater but just as I expected, short before the side it makes another incredible run and so this continues for a while.
Eventually after a play of about 15 minutes I see the fish for the first time.
It is indeed a very nice barbel. I was really concerned that my 0.28 mainline or the 15lbs supple braided leader would snag and break on the stones and rocks of the breakwarer, but eventually I got the fish in the landing net.
What a monster was my first thought when I laid it on the unhooking mat.
Quickly measured, weighd and a couple of photo’s for the records and then a quick release back into this beautiful river.
The barbel was 85cm and weighd 6340 grm!
The day after (Sunday) a morning session at the same swim, 07-00 am begin to 10-00 am.
This time I mixed the tin of hempseed with the diced cheese and sweetcorn.
Good results again, an unwanted Orfe and 4 barbel , 51cm, 67cm, 68cm and 73cm,the last three with a weight between 3.3 and 4kg.
This is a swim that calls for a revisit but there must be more of these swims as the ijssel flows through Gelderland and the 90cm barbel is out there somewhere in one of Netherlands beautiful rivers.