2016 started off with a new regional organiser (me, Andy Degville). My first regional meeting was held on April 2nd, at the Doveridge Club. I gave an introduction talk regarding myself, providing a brief fishing history, with particular emphasis on my recent barbel exploits. Paul Floyd, who gave a great insight into his fishing roots, all the way from Australia, and his more recent successes regarding barbel fishing, provided the main talk. As always, we had a raffle with some great prizes, plus the Hook Bait company and Specimen Angling attended with a selection of their wares.

November 20th was the date of the second meeting for 2016, at the same venue, again with the Hook Bait Company and Specimen Angling in attendance. The format was slightly different; instead of two talks, we had one talk and a fishing discussion. Simon Asbury gave the talk, a really interesting and thought provoking presentation, with some excellent under water footage. I facilitated a fishing discussion, which involved some good audience participation, with some very experienced barbel anglers sharing some of their ‘ways of fishing’.

A couple of clubs worth a mention with plenty of good waters within the Staffordshire Region are the Burton Mutual Angling Association & the Stoke Angling Society. The BMAA have nine miles of rivers to fish, including the River Dove and the Upper Trent. Some very big fish have come out of the BMAA stretches on the Dove; including the current river record at 18lb 6oz. Barbel Society committee member Simon Asbury had a 15lb 1oz Barbel from the Dove in 2016.

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Though not as prolific as the lower Trent, there are still some very good fish in the BMAA Trent waters. I know of many good double figure fish coming out of the Upper Trent, including a recent 12lb 7oz capture of my own.

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Stoke AS have stretches of the River Dove, Blithe & Sow. A few small barbel have come out of the Sow with some larger specimens coming out of their stretches of the River Dove, fellow Barbel Society member Grazy Roberts has had over 40 barbel from the Dove above Tutbury since the start of the season 15 of which were double figure fish the best going 12lb 8oz.

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Regards, Andy

Andy Degville
Staffordshire Regional Organiser