Trotting for Barbel - advice please

[Phone]

lutra,

 

Do I understand correctly? You are using a 9wt flyrod for freshwater fish under 40 lbs? That sure as 'ell couldn't be considered "undergunned". You could fish in America.

 

Phone

[Tigger]

What's all this nonsense about fly fishing for barbel ? OK people have been known to catch barbel on fly tackle but very, very few and far between. As far as I was aware this thread was about trotting with a float rod and float tackle for barbel so why the thread has been directed to a unrealistic method for barbel fishing beats me. Regarding barbel feeding off the top (I've had one on floating caster) I think 99% of the time they feed on or near the bottom and to actually target them on the surface is pretty much usless unless your tatrgetting a particular fish you can see topping regularly for food. As Brian said he's foul hooked some barb's when fly fishing but to lip hook one is unusual.

[arbocop]

What's all this nonsense about fly fishing for barbel ? OK people have been known to catch barbel on fly tackle but very, very few and far between. As far as I was aware this thread was about trotting with a float rod and float tackle for barbel so why the thread has been directed to a unrealistic method for barbel fishing beats me. Regarding barbel feeding off the top (I've had one on floating caster) I think 99% of the time they feed on or near the bottom and to actually target them on the surface is pretty much usless unless your tatrgetting a particular fish you can see topping regularly for food. As Brian said he's foul hooked some barb's when fly fishing but to lip hook one is unusual.

 

 

they are referring to the use of heavy nymphs whuch bounce along the bottom rather than top of the water flies. Caddis imitations, that sort of thing. There was an article in a fly fishing mag last year [can't recall which] about fly fishing for barbel in Germany - the Rhine I think.

 

As regards the original question, I've never lost a barbel due to hook pulls, only straightened or broken. Chub however - I've had loads of hook pulls when using small hooks. However, the bang, bang, gone sounds like a trout. On small hooks and maggots they quite often come repeatedly, even after being bumped and their bony mouths shed a hook really quickly. Living not very far from the originator this thread, I can imagine the river has trout in it too doesn't it? If it has barbel and dace, most rivers have trout too - and grayling.

 

Mike

[arbocop]

they are referring to the use of heavy nymphs whuch bounce along the bottom rather than top of the water flies. Caddis imitations, that sort of thing. There was an article in a fly fishing mag last year [can't recall which] about fly fishing for barbel in Germany - the Rhine I think.

 

As regards the original question, I've never lost a barbel due to hook pulls, only straightened or broken. Chub however - I've had loads of hook pulls when using small hooks. However, the bang, bang, gone sounds like a trout. On small hooks and maggots they quite often come repeatedly, even after being bumped and their bony mouths shed a hook really quickly. Living not very far from the originator this thread, I can imagine the river has trout in it too doesn't it? If it has barbel and dace, most rivers have trout too - and grayling.

 

Mike

 

 

Sorry, I just read the original thread again. Trout wouldn't slowly move off - it could be chub, but they don't bang their heads, the odd thump, but not headbangers. Maybe it is barbel then.

 

What hook was it?

 

Mike

[Tigger]

Sorry, I just read the original thread again. Trout wouldn't slowly move off - it could be chub, but they don't bang their heads, the odd thump, but not headbangers. Maybe it is barbel then.

 

What hook was it?

 

Mike

 

 

 

I see many many people on my local rivers fishing all manner of flies and in all honesty I can't remember the last one I spoke to who'd caugh a barbel on the fly (sinking or floating).

Regarding chub i've often felt them shake their heads when hooked as I have with most species of fish. Infact I had a large dace recently and reeled it into some clear slow water to look at it, I released the tension and it shook it's head hard and very fast and I watched it throw the hook !

[lutra]

lutra,

 

Do I understand correctly? You are using a 9wt flyrod for freshwater fish under 40 lbs? That sure as 'ell couldn't be considered "undergunned". You could fish in America.

 

Phone

Don't jump the "gun", I didn't say what i was fishing for.

[arbocop]

I see many many people on my local rivers fishing all manner of flies and in all honesty I can't remember the last one I spoke to who'd caugh a barbel on the fly (sinking or floating).

 

 

Fair comment, I haven't either, but I have heard of it and read an article about it, and to ber honest it makes sense.

 

Wasn't an old Thames record caught on fly by a Salmon angler? Or did I dream it?

 

Mike

[lutra]

Fair comment, I haven't either, but I have heard of it and read an article about it, and to ber honest it makes sense.

 

Wasn't an old Thames record caught on fly by a Salmon angler? Or did I dream it?

 

Mike

I seem to remember a story along them lines, but i thought it was on the Avon. Was never a record as it was foul hooked and out of season i think the story went.

[arbocop]

I seem to remember a story along them lines, but i thought it was on the Avon. Was never a record as it was foul hooked and out of season i think the story went.

 

 

You might be right. I think it was in Falkus and Bullers book. Now, where is it?

 

Anyway, bcak to the original question - it's a long thread - what was the hook being used in this barbel encounter?

[Phone]

lutra,

 

Sorry, I did jump to the wrong conclusion. You can still come fish in America.

 

Phone