The Sessions - August 2026 — Julian Barnes Angling

Making Memories

I started my summer guide trips in July and didn’t get much time for my own fishing with a crazy month at work. August was looking even worse at work with the summer leave period kicking in but I did have a number of guide trips arranged and a session or too for my own fishing.

You’re not going to break many records in the UK summer (July & Aug), and I always think it’s more about getting out and enjoying what we love doing most….fishing!

1 August 2026 – Low Maynard, Walthamstow

I only had the Sat night free to be out fishing, and I fancied something different with a lot of Barbel fishing coming up in the month. I had bad memories of Walthamstow from last August when I got annihilated by 40+ Tufties, blanked and to cap a bad session off my barrow wheel exploded on route back to the van…so it could only get better this August.

I didn’t rush down for opening as it is never as busy once the whole complex opens in June, I’d had some work done on my van and drove down after picking it up arriving mid-afternoon. I loaded the barrow and walked down to find the swim I wanted free and very few people on. As we all know it has been a very hot summer with no rain and the first thing I noticed was a little blue-green algae in the water columns, so I hoped this wasn’t going to be a problem. It had cooled down but was still 26 degrees, clear and sunny with a light wind.

The Tufties were sat there waiting like a fleet of warships, but I’d already planned a different approach that I hoped would stop them being a problem. My plan was to bait up with ground bait only so there were no casters, pellets and particle to pick up. I mixed up a big bucket of ground bait and got the rods ready while it was settling and absorbing the water.

All three on 56g method ball feeders, 15lb Gardner Trickster hooklinks to size 10 Gardner Barbel hooks with different hook baits on all three. Two had 10mm boilies topped with maggot or caster and the third was on a bait I wanted to try that I thought the ducks would ignore. Once they were ready, I went big and spombed out 25 balls of ground bait and started fishing at 17:00.

The ducks came over once the spombing had stopped and did dive down but soon got bored as there was nothing substantial to pick up, once it got to dusk the Tufty torch did its job and kept them away, so I put out a few 10mm boilies over the top.

As it went into the night I’d only seen two Carp caught and another roll with no Bream showing at all.

I woke up to a take at 05:34 after a quiet night and up popped a lovely two-tone Bream at 13-02, which very pleasing as it came on the rod with the trial hookbait.

I swapped the other rods onto it and put two spombs of bait over the top but that was it and I packed up at 10:00.

7 August 2026 – River Trent, Collingham

The start of a busy period of guiding had arrived and I was really looking forward to it, I get almost as much satisfaction in helping others and watching them catch as I do catching myself 😊

I arrived late evening and got my van ready for three nights on the river, I’d purchased a fridge freezer which I have to say is a game changer and well worth the money, keeping my food and drinks cold and fresh, and primarily powered by the solar panel on my van roof 👌

I had around 30 mins before dark so set up the float rod, to re-cap I use a 15-foot power float rod, with a Shimano match reel loaded with Gardner 20lb floating braid, a 10g Bolo float with an 8g olivette, size 8 swivel with 12 inches of 16lb Mirage fluorocarbon to a size 8 Barbel hook, with meat as bait.

The only change this time was I’d run out of olivettes so I moulded plastercine around the swivel that joined the braid and fluro and it worked a treat.

I had just enough time before dark to have two singles and a float PB of 12-09.

8 August 2026

Richard and Jeff arrived at 06:30, both very experienced anglers but new to the Trent and the style of fishing needed on the weir.

The river was still very low at .75m and it was going to be hot at 27 degrees which feels worse when your sat out with no shade. We got started nice and early and sat chatting while we waited for the action to start. I’ve known Jeff for 20+ years and haven’t seen him for ages and Richard I’ve fished with before so as you’d expect the piss taking and laughs carried on all day between the fishing, we had a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Jeff is very adept at rolling meat and does it in a different style and set up to me but it was very effective, he had fish rolling meat, float fishing and on the leads with doubles to 11-06.

Richard was also good with rolling meat, and he had fish on rolling meat and on the leads with doubles to 10-13.

I had another go with the float when we’d finished and had another three with doubles at 10-07 and 11-09.

9 August 2026

Chris and Ryan with his son Louise arrived on time and we were fishing by 07:30, again both were experienced anglers, and I’d fished with Chris before which made it another easy fun day. It was great to see a young lad really interested in fishing, he is 7, he loved it, didn’t get bored all day and spent as much time in the water as out of it.

We had all the fish on the leads on this session with Chris catching plenty with doubles to 12-00, and Ryan who was pretty new to the Trent and Barbel fishing also having lots with doubles to a new PB at 12-00, he also had a surprise Ide. Over recent years I have been seeing more of them so I’m sure the Trent will produce a giant at some stage.

Chris with a 12+ and Ryan and Louise with a single 😊

It was slow during the day on the float, but I had two at last knockings again to 10-12.

10 August 2026

I had a good sleep after two days guiding and a good catch up with my pal Steve Ward, before driving over to Gunthorpe for a mornings rolling meat.

The fish were not there in numbers, but I had six Barbel to 10-02 before driving back for the night for a nice night at home with Julie.

11 August 2026

I was back at Collingham by early evening and set the van up for another three nights on the river, had some food and set the float rod up with an hour left of day light. I had five Barbel with doubles to 11-14 and went back to the van to chat to Julie.

I really wanted to try float fishing at night so dug an isotope out of my tackle box and taped it to the top of the float, it looked good but once I cast it out I couldn’t see it but I didn’t have to worry as I felt the pluck of a pickup on the loop of braid in my finger and struck into another Barbel. I carried on until 23:00 and stopped with the tide flying up, and had six Barbel with three doubles to 13-02, annoyingly I didn’t have the night lights set up for photos so slipped them all back without a photo, but a brilliant fun way of catching them.

12 August 2026

John and Rowan arrived early and we were fishing by 07:00. It was due to be very hot at 32 degrees but with big tides at 7.23m I hoped the fishing would still be good.

The fishing was actually better than the previous week with John doing very well with lots of fish and a new PB at 11-08. Rowan didn’t catch as many but did well with fish to a new PB at 11-14.

It was another good day in good company, I fished with John a number of times now and we have started planning for next season already.

To cap off a great day we had the eclipse at approx. 19:15 that evening, as you’re all aware you couldn’t look straight at it but I took some great photos. It went from sunny and hot to dull and warm and was another great day to out on the river.

I ran the float through again before dark and had another three to 10-06.

13 August 2026.

Justin and my good pal Theo arrived nice and early and we were fishing by 06:30. The tide was even bigger at 7.4m and it was surprising how much water came up the river, the day was very hot at 36 degrees and brollies were needed for shade or we would have been fried!! The fishing was tough due to the heat, but Justin had a good day catching loads with fish to 11-10.

Fishing with Theo is always good, we don’t see each other enough so always have plenty talk and laugh about, and its good exchanging ideas and tactics with like minded anglers. Theo’s side of the swim picked up in the afternoon and evening and he had fish to 10-15.

I had a few goes with the float but only had one at the end of the day at 10-00.

14 August 2026

I kept this day free for me and Theo to have a fish together and we got started early. I wanted to try a different bait so put both my rods on that mid-morning after having a few goes with the float and did have one at 11-03.

Theo had a great morning catching multiple doubles to 14-11. By 12:30 it started to warm up and was due to be 36 degrees again, we’d had a great session and Theo had enough for his Catch Cult piece and I had plenty for my blog, so we agreed to call it a day and packed up for home.

Our good friend Phil turned up for a chat and I finished the trip having a drive along the river with him looking at spots to fish later in the season. What a brilliant few days on the river 😊

21 August 2026 – River Trent, Gunthorpe

I drove up for an afternoon’s rolling meat before moving down to the tidal for the weekend. It had been a much cooler week at 20 degrees so I hoped it might trigger the fish to move up a feed. I fished for two hours catching three to 11-04, they weren’t there in numbers so I left band drove to Collingham.

River Trent, Collingham

I got the van set up, had some food and set the float rod up for the last hour before dark, again they were not there in numbers and I had one low double for retiring to the van.

22 August 2026

Jamie and Ian arrive for 06:30 and we were fishing by 07:00. It had been a very cool night at 8 degrees, and we were in hoodies and light coats which seems unbelievable after the hot weather we’ve had this summer. It did warm up to 20 degrees but was a tougher day, they both caught quite a few with Jamie catching fish to 12-08 and Ian having slightly more to 11-14. This was my second trip with Jamie and the first time I’ve met Ian and we had a great day in good company and have planned a return trip next season.

23 August 2026

Paul and Paul arrived early, both very experienced anglers in most species but new to the Trent and Barbel fishing with the tackle required for the weir. We were fishing by 08:00 after talking tactics, getting set up and baiting up.

It was due to be warmer, but one very noticeable thing was the colour of the foam on the water, up to now during August it had been mostly white, but on this occasion, it was mostly brown…and I didn’t like the look of it!

During the morning the fishing was very slow, and I was fearing the worst with the colour of the foam really bothering me. I made a tactical change trying a different bait that I have been messing around with for a while, both Pauls were happy to try it on one rod each and we put them out at 14:00.

They went straight away, and the fishing went crazy, we had to drop to one rod each to prevent rod cross overs and tangles, it was brilliant fishing and the fish were mostly a better stamp with lots of doubles with both of them catching barbel at 12+.

From looking like a bad day, it turned out to be one of my favourites this season and was a great afternoon, total Barbel mania 😊

24-26 August 2026 – River Trent, middle

I finished the months fishing with our annual anniversary fishing trip, Julie loves coming out and is very happy to stay in a bivvy and be outside. We set up on the section I have been targeting for the big fish I’ve been trying to catch for a while now and dropped down during the day on 25th to roll meat.

It was very hot again and the fishing was quite slow, we had a few rolling meat to 10-10, and the only bites to interrupt the nights were bream but we had a lovely time on the river. Pizzas were ordered and glasses of wine on our anniversary night made it very special and long may it continue.

Until next, tight lines and be lucky 😊

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The Sessions - August 2026