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Penton Hook

Bought back some memories for me that, Ian, my Dad used to take me there as a kid. I remember one midwinter day when I experienced rod rings icing up for the first time, on my tank aerial rod, together with how cold feet can get in wellies, snow on the ground and breath steaming all day. It might well have been '63.
The most memorable occasion though was the visit we made one close season, armed with spinners only, to fish the weirs for Trout. Not surprisingly we caught no Trout but following the example of some local kids we found some small hooks on the concrete and using Swan vestas for floats had a brilliant day catching Dace and Roach one after the other on silkweed.
Went there a few years ago only to find it was pretty much inaccessible and pretty much impossible to park anywhere close. Tried off the bank downstream and a Swan emptied my bait box when my back was turned. I've not returned.
Happy days then.
 
+Good picture Hugo and a good idea. I may have to take a photo of where I caught my first barbel I think! Just above the road bridge at Somerton on the river Cherwell, October 1987. One of the very few barbel I didn't catch by design as I was actually chub fishing and Cherwell barbel have always been fairly elusive and localised. It weighed 2lb 2oz and is the third smallest barbel I've ever caught!
 
Good memories for me too. Used to stand by the run off, drag my hook through the silkweed, and use it to catch lovely roach below the white water.

Dave
 
I fished a there couple of times around 1971. My first barbel, and my second came a few miles upstream near the Bells of Ouzeley.
 
Nice find Hugo, memories indeed. I am ashamed to admit I don't recall exactly where I caught my first barbel, but chances are it was one of the Thames weirs.

I do remember catching my first canoe from Hambleden weir though :D At the time, my buddy and I were enjoying fishing silkweed for the roach, much like a couple of previous posters...and were being harassed by pike as we reeled them in. I decided to catch one, and set about knocking up a makeshift outfit out of what was to hand. Just as I started free lining a roach into the white water, a bunch of kayakers turned up and I very soon hooked one, my hook finding it's way into a small loop of cord hanging into the water from the pointy bit at the back of the boat. I was surprised but highly amused to find that I could turn the thing by bending into it, and it took the guy quite a while to work out what was going on :D

I remember too catching huge perch from Old Windsor weir. We had a traditional home made wine bottle minnow trap on a length of cord, and were legering lip-hooked minnows from that right up into the small gates at the side. Magic times. I had quite forgotten that until your thread reminded me Hugo.

Frequently, the hot spot for barbel in weir pools seemed to be the triangle of slacker water formed by the meeting of two currents, where the side flow met the main flow. The trouble was, lots of branches and other debris came to rest there too. Not a problem though, as they were invariably sworn to be record breaking barbel :D Happy days.

Cheers, Dave.
 
David,

Such fond memories of that reach of the Thames and even more so that around Marlow, where we lived for 22 years,


Marlow Weir - WHERE THAMES SMOOTH WATERS GLIDE


In those golden days one could wade out on the sills of Marlow weir, catching roach and chub on silkweed, bigger chub on float fished minnow, lots of pike and downstream splendid barbel.......

Great stuff!

Regards,

Hugo


 
Ian Hugo Arnott said:
David,

Such fond memories of that reach of the Thames and even more so that around Marlow, where we lived for 22 years,


Marlow Weir - WHERE THAMES SMOOTH WATERS GLIDE


In those golden days one could wade out on the sills of Marlow weir, catching roach and chub on silkweed, bigger chub on float fished minnow, lots of pike and downstream splendid barbel.......

Great stuff!

Regards,

Hugo
Click to expand...
Hugo,
As a kid I also used to catch Roach on the silkweed method, we used to walk along the sill of Keynsham weir on the Bristol Avon, if you put the weed on by hand it was useless, the trick was to run the hook through the silkweed and snag it that way.

God knows there was no health and safety concerns in those days were there? :)
 
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