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 Barbus Barbus.
A powerful name, it has something prehistoric. Calmly the fish is feeding between the stones, moving through rapid streams or blinking in deep pools of the river. Memories, certainly when he is moving through shallow water. With much pleasure I remember those days on the flats, wading in hot water. I really miss that beautiful silver beauty with that powerful body. Does Albula Vulpes sounds really feminine, or am I the only with this line of thought? Anyway, I have fallen in love with that silver beauty and her divine body. My family declares me for lunatic and perhaps, perhaps they are right.
But if you change the silver into gold, take a close look at that mouth with four beards and change the salt water into fresh water, you are definitely on the right way. The golden freshwater version of the lowlands?
It is tropical warm in the Eifel, when I am walking over the country road into the direction of the pasture in a deep valley somewhere at the Kyll. In the distance, I hear the streaming water. At this place the woods are going over into a green field. At the other side of the river, you can see a steep slope with trees and rocks. I am now walking through the pasture. it is a beautiful place. It looks like I am in the middle ages. Two bussards circle around over the tops of the trees. I am searching for feeding fish. At the left a small fish jumps and further down several chubs are swimming slowly. Below the branches at the other side of the river, a fish takes a fly. I think it is a brown trout. A big splash gets my attention. This is no normal splash, it seems to be a tail or something like that. At this place the water is not deeper than 30 centimeters. It is moving very slow. And then, finally I see the silhouette. Barb, it cannot be missed!
A deerhair goldhead nimph is being put at the other end of the line. I cast the fly at approximately three meters from the busy gentleman. The fly slowly is moving over the bottom. Everything can be followed and barbus barbus can take the fly any moment now. One meter, 30 centimeters, the tension rises. But the nimph is being ignored. A second and a third cast gets the same result, nothing. I change my fly into an imitation of a gammarus pulex. I can see everything and the fly is nearby the fish. The barb makes is a small movement to the left, a touch, yes finally! For a couple of seconds the fish seems to be thinking what to do. And then...there is the run, strong and fast as always. In one moment he is swimming fastly to the other side of the river. There where the current is stronger and a deep pool is located. What a powerful fishit is. My #5 is really curved. After a while the fish is coming closer and closer to me. The gold colors are shining in the fierce sun when I have the fish in my hands. A beautiful fish, with unprecedented power, the Barbus Barbus.
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