Trotting for Barbel - advice please

[Ken L]

Two main reasons for using a loafer were both linked to the venues I used to trot - I haven't done it seriously in years and was hopping this was going to be the summer for it - then the rain started.

 

First was that the swims were generally fairly shallow and rough and I found the loafer more flexible if I needed to fish shallow.

Second was that there are lots of chub in the Severn which are quite happy to take meat on the drop. Having a float that sets almost instantly let me hit more bites.

 

BTW. We have a bridge over the river in town and if you trickle bait in, the barbel will come right up to shove the chub out of the way for the food - even if it's floating.

It certainly entertains the kids out shopping with mom on a Saturday

[Tigger]

It sounds like you where foul hooking the fish whatever species they where, they might not all have been barbel. Only thing is, if you could feel them shaking their heads then they can't have been foul hooked. I've found that fould hooked barbel tend to run alot further than a fish hooked correctly in the mouth as you can't turn them the same and you have very little control of them.

Another thing it could have been was a bent hook (also a squashed barb) rather than a blunt hook as a blunt hook would still hold it's place once embedded in the fishes mouth and especially for 20 or more seconds . Rather than change your bait just put eight to ten maggots on the hook, I put ten on a 14's animal and never have prob's with hook ups...just strike like a Panther !

[Nicepix]

Barbel have underslung mouths. If you watch how barbel intercept nymphs and hatching pupae as they drift down the current they often turn sideways or even upside down to take the flies. This can give away the presence of a feeding shoal as you see what Frank Skues described as The Wink In The Water or the flash of their flanks as they turn. They will take flies off the top too so my advice would be to set the float shallower to get the fish to rise up and snatch the bait. I

 

Try using float fished flies such as black buzzers, pheasant tail nymphs or caddis imitations instead of hook bait. That is what they feed on when not grubbing about on the bottom looking for caddis grubs or luncheon meat.

[Matthew Simmons]

Indeed it is a nice problem to have Redfin! I am trying to imagine how much caster I would need to feed off the Dace - I think you mistake me for someone really wealthy ;-)

 

M

[Matthew Simmons]

A little article I put together some time ago....

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/coarse-fishing...for-barbel.html

 

Not got much advice on why you weren't connecting - unless your hook was blunted - which can often happen when trotting over gravel....

 

C.

 

Hi Chris,

 

Thanks for the link - I did in fact find it I think a couple of years ago when I got the 'pin. It was really useful and given that I know we share some venues it gave me the confidence to keep persevering - it was only last autumn that I really started to click on the Kennet. I did replace the hook because I thought that it might have got damaged - as you say it often happens over gravel. Anyway I will give it another go on Wednesday evening with my head buzzing with ideas.

 

M

[Matthew Simmons]

Two main reasons for using a loafer were both linked to the venues I used to trot - I haven't done it seriously in years and was hopping this was going to be the summer for it - then the rain started.

 

First was that the swims were generally fairly shallow and rough and I found the loafer more flexible if I needed to fish shallow.

Second was that there are lots of chub in the Severn which are quite happy to take meat on the drop. Having a float that sets almost instantly let me hit more bites.

 

BTW. We have a bridge over the river in town and if you trickle bait in, the barbel will come right up to shove the chub out of the way for the food - even if it's floating.

It certainly entertains the kids out shopping with mom on a Saturday

 

Ken yes I can see how the loafer would work on that type of swim and I have found the chub on the Loddon very readily come up in the water even in the winter. Love the sight of barbel pushing the other fish out of the way - if you can find a spot like yours at a bridge its really instructive to see a feeding hierarchy in action - I am guessing that these fish are not within reach of a cast?

 

M

[Guest redfin2]

Indeed it is a nice problem to have Redfin! I am trying to imagine how much caster I would need to feed off the Dace - I think you mistake me for someone really wealthy ;-)

 

M

 

Hi Matthew, I do realise thr cost of casters is just too much for us non millionares, that's why I commented as such in my reply Perhaps then feeding off the dace wouldn't be possible with caster, so perhaps it has to be a bigger hook bait?

I have had some good results with soft hooker pellets, mainly the Sonubaits range and particulary the 'Hemp and Hallibut' works well in the warmer months.

Edited August 14, 2012 by redfin2

[Matthew Simmons]

Hi Matthew, I do realise thr cost of casters is just too much for us non millionares, that's why I commented as such in my reply Perhaps then feeding off the dace wouldn't be possible with caster, so perhaps it has to be a bigger hook bait?

I have had some good results with soft hooker pellets, mainly the Sonubaits range and particulary the 'Hemp and Hallibut' works well in the warmer months.

Actually Redfin - sad but I am quite happy catching dace to 10oz! So I'll go with the larger bait as a change every 10 or casts and meat is good value - and my local store has the garlic spam by the bucket load! Had very mixed results with Sonu baits though on the lakes - not totally convinced yet.

 

M

[Nicepix]

Interesting the links to dace. I have always thought that if you find dace the barbel won't be far away.

 

For bait selection you could try maize, the hard skinned stuff. That might deter the smaller dace, but would be acceptable and economical for loose feed when mixed with hemp seed.

[Matthew Simmons]

Interesting the links to dace. I have always thought that if you find dace the barbel won't be far away.

 

For bait selection you could try maize, the hard skinned stuff. That might deter the smaller dace, but would be acceptable and economical for loose feed when mixed with hemp seed.

 

Hi Nicepix - thanks for the replies - I think maize is a very underused bait - its really good for tench when its been cooked and then left for a couple of days and starts to ferment. But I never thought of it for barbel. It will also pick out the better dace I would think - and its dirt cheap!

 

I was also intrigued by your previous post which I meant to reply to last night but for some reason had a lousy internet connection. In this particular swim it would be impossible, but I read an article some time ago about fishing for barbel Czech nymph style - I think it was Bob James who wrote it. And I filed the idea away for another day, but you've got me thinking now about getting my long sea trout rod out and the chesties and giving it a go. It would need some baiting up the right swim first, and maybe I should leave the kit in the back of the car for a day such as saturday when they seemed to be really 'having it' - but I can think of a couple of swims on the Kennet where this would work with room for a cast and a good runthrough. The thought of a barbel on a 10' seven weight .....

 

Maybe I should concentrate on one thing at a time and get the trotting thing cracked :-)

 

M