Barbel questions

[Babelfish]

I use 10lb flourocarbon for my hooklength on the snaggy river I fish.

[BoldBear]

I've just realised it the 15th of June - which means that after work tomorrow, it's barbel fishing time!

 

Last question for you all - when fishing a small, snaggy river, what BS hooklength would you use?

I usually fish wth my reel line straight through to the hook to reduce any weak spots amplified by any additional knots.

If I am fishing a very snaggy wier pool then I might use heavier mainline with an 8lb hooklength but on a small stream I normally use 7 or 8lb straight through to the hook.

Edited June 15, 2010 by BoldBear

[richjones]

I remember parts of the Dane being clear when the river was low in summer. Mind you, it's a while since I fished anywhere up there, the last (and only) time I fished the Bollin the only thing you could stalk were free range sanitary towels

 

 

 

About an hour's drive, I'd say, not really that far in my book - hell of a lot nearer to him than my Wiltshire river anyway!

 

the part of the Dane I fish is definately clear enough for stalking. more chub then barbel though!

 

as for the Bollin, first of all good luck getting to the river, its very overgrown, and secondly good luck seeing ANY fish. Very low stocks these days

 

anyway sorry to stray from the topic anderoo!

[Anthony78]

I've just realised it the 15th of June - which means that after work tomorrow, it's barbel fishing time!

 

Last question for you all - when fishing a small, snaggy river, what BS hooklength would you use?

 

8 - 10lb depending on how close your fishing to the snags. Good luck!

[Tigger]

I would love to target these fish with trotting tactics, but I just don't think there are enough of them to make it worthwhile. I've done an awful lot of trotting at these tributaries over the years and never hooked a barbel, despite catching lots of chub, trout, dace, perch, a few roach and my old nemesis the minnow. I've also done a lot of quivertipping for chub, and that hasn't produced any barbel either! But I have done very little quivertipping in summer after dark.

 

I think the few barbel that do still exist are very shy and also very nomadic. Fishing after dark with quivertip gear should be the most likely way to catch one. I think I'll be doing a lot of daytime baiting and watching, trying to spot one, then fishing that area when the sun dips.

 

I know it's theoretically possible to catch one, I just need to be confident in my tactics and ability to fish the right spots. I will just dive in straight away and get some momentum up, but I think taking up a few kind offers to fish other more productive small rivers in the company of more experienced anglers will help me get my eye in.

 

 

Anderoo I fish a small river with very few barbel (there arn't supposed to be any in it) but i've managed two whilst trotting for Chub/dace etc. They only came along after an hour or two's (or more) constant feeding of maggots between catching chub etc. I think it's just a case of target other fish and hope a barbel homes in on the action in waters where they're very scarce. I was using 6lb sensor straight through to a 16 'z or 14 z animal spade end hook.

[Anderoo]

Excellent, thanks everyone. I think I'm ready.

 

The plan is to toodle down to the river after work tomorrow and bait up 7 selected swims using a baitdropper with a mixture of 4mm mixed pellets, small torn pieces of luncheon meat and hemp. Bait will be bits of meat straight on the hook, and rig will be a running leger. This will mean that if the barbel doesn't show I should at least catch some chub. I know I should be trying to avoid chub, but I never catch more than 1 from a swim on this little river, so if I catch one I will rebait the swim and come back again later.

 

Although the likelihood of catching one this session - or in fact this season - is remote, this is all very exciting

[Neil G]

Barbel in my local stretch of river are TBH reasonably stupid, not sure what they're like in other areas though where rivers are perhaps shallower, clearer or even pressured.

 

Chub are a pain, can really ruin a swim but not much can be done about it but to just ignore the rattles and wait....

 

Good luck, I'm definately looking forward to barbel fishing this year more than anything

[BoldBear]

Finally, does anyone have a length to weight table for barbel?

I don't have a 'length to weight' chart but 'heres a length to age chart the NRA done for the Upper Lea a short time ago which gives an indication of growth rate and which might be of interest but it only goes up to 12 years.

 

Edited June 16, 2010 by BoldBear

[AddictedToScopex]

Most of it is too turbid for decent stalking I would have thought. Mind you, it may be my memory that's turbid, I haven't fished the Dane for over 20 years. The Bollin might be a potential prospect.

 

Neither are near Preston though!

 

Having just bought the wigan ticket I took a walk down the Elston stretch of the ribble which i've never seen before. Its stunning. Its like a whole different river. The water is very clear with streamer weed (could do with some rain) and the river goes from a silt and pebble bottom to a solid slate bottom with deep gullys. Its strange to see the solid rock forming the river bed. I had my polarised shades with me and for the first time in my life saw barbel swimming around from the bank. It was so good to see them, really made my day. I am fishing it tonight and cannot wait now that ive seen my quarry up close. We also saw a 5-6lb mirror carp leap out of the water 3 times plus loads of sea trout. I cant wait to go and wet a line there. And there was me thinking the ribble was just murky and boring. Far from it there.

[Dick Dastardly]

6-8lb hook link in mono for me most of the time but I only usually get to fish quite open stretchs on the bigger rivers.