Um Pa Shake Hands

Just back in Holland after a 3 day trip to Germany acting as a guide for a group of Dutch barbel anglers on an organised trip to fish the Rhine in the small town of Kamp-Bornhofen in the Mosel region of Germany. The Rhine here flows between hills scattered with vinyards and its very wide flows hard with 180-240 gram leads and feeders needed to hold bottom.

Arriving on Friday after a four hour coach journey from Holland everyone was keen to fish and a few barbel were caught friday afternoon before we packed in for the evening at about 19.00. After a quick shower and brush up it was into the restaurant for our evening meal and a few beers, now please picture this a German Elvis look a like singing Um Pa songs and every now and then bursting into a chorus in english asking us all to shake hands very bizzare to say the least. the food wasn't too bad the beer was better the entertainment was crap but the locals were loving in!!!!.

Next morning for those that didn't over do the beer the night before it was an early breakfast and out on the bank before 8 and those that made the effort were rewarded with plenty of barbel all small fish up to around 4lb but good sport, the only bait that was working was maggot, the dutch love using cheese but that wasn't working and sweetcorn also wasn't producing. Keeping Gallons of maggots cool isn't easy but our coach driver Pete had no problem with us using the coach fridges to keep the bait cold and it worked very well.

The Dutch are very friendly people and I met some great people on the trip and from the kind comments that I got during our stay I am sure they were grateful of my help, what they lack in tackle and knowhow they make up for in effort. It would be hard to single anyone out but I would like to thank them all for a great weekend and hope our paths cross in the future.

The fishing got better as the weekend went on, the combination of the anglers getting better and plenty of bait going in saw plenty of barbel caught later on Saturday and during Sunday morning, the biggest going around 6lb.

I Only managed a few hours fishing myself but did manage 4 barbel in that time and was well pleased to add another river to my growing list and also to catch a barbel in such stunning surroundings.