Jump to content

Barbel, what time of year?


Guest Jon Shoreman

Recommended Posts

Guest Jon Shoreman

Carp are traditionally a summer fish, although can be fished for during the winter.

 

Pike are traditionally a winter fish, although can be fished for during the summer.

 

What time of year are barbel traditionally fished for? And how is the fishing in each of the four seasons?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Gordon Scott

Well, John, you certainly can catch barbel throughout the season, if conditions are favourable, so let's go through the seasons.

 

OK, we can forget spring, effectively the close season covers that period (at the moment? who knows?) so let's start in the summer.

 

You can catch barbel throughout the summer months, although the early part of the season is sometimes a bit of a struggle IMO. Whether this is because the barbel is probably the last river fish to spawn or simply because they've become unused to anglers' baits during the lay-off I really don't know. Perhaps a bit of both? I normally find night fishing more profitable at this time, trouble is there's so little of it!

 

Late summer/early autumn is traditionally the high spot of the barbel fishing year, actually, I don't think I've ever caught a barbel before September on the Thames, not that I've tried terribly often. One of the nicest things about this time of the year is that you can fish a few hours into dark and still get home at a reasonable hour.

 

Late autumn/winter, barbel are still a very viable prospect given a reasonable water temperature. The widely accepted temperature when barbel switch off is around 42/43F. (don't know what that is in the new money!) I know barbel have been caught at lower temperatures than this, esp. when it's rising, but I'd rather go piking!

Generally you will be much more successful when the temperature's on the rise or holding steady. When it's falling, regardless of what the thermometer says it can be a struggle. If it's on the rise, accompanied by high water, even flooding, that's the time to fill yer boots! (not literally, although it's easily done!)

 

Going into late winter/early spring all the above criteria apply, the barbel are at their greatest weight, and the best day is normally March 14th! Sod's Law...

I hope that's been a help,

Gordon biggrin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We and our partners use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences, repeat visits and to show you personalised advertisements. By clicking “I Agree”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.