Medway barbel

[Andrew Boyd]

200 Small Barbel have recently been stocked in the Ashurst area by the EA to boost the population. These carry a small purple mark ( like a biro mark ) on their underbelly. Part of the stock went upstream of the large weir and part below. The population of decent sized Barbel in that area is larger than most people think.

The time to see them, and get an idea of numbers, is when they are spawning, often just as the season opens in June. On one small gravel bar two summers ago, I along with several Tunbridge Wells and BDAS members, watched several large fish drifting in and out of the shallows to spawn with smaller males. The greatest number, excluding smaller fish, in vision at one time was 13, several were low doubles. Spawning lasted all one day and into a second reducing into the afternoon.

The EA seem to increase their patrols in the area when these fish seem to lose their fear of man, their minds on other things.

 

[ 03. October 2005, 01:33 PM: Message edited by: Andrew Boyd ]

[Dunk Fairley]

To be honest, I don't think I'm all that bothered in going out and searching for big Barbel in the Medway. I have enough enjoyment searching out the Chub. However, should I again latch onto one, I'll be very careful and then overjoyed to land it.

 

I think the problem with the Medway is that so many clubs run bits of it. To really explore the river as much as I'd like, I'd have to join Maidstone Victory, Bromley, Tunbridge Wells and a lot of other clubs. I'm in two, who between them cover about 6 miles, but I'd really love to start at the top and work my way down to the sea, with an option to fish anywhere along it..

 

I wonder what would happen, if all the controlling clubs, were to offer a "Medway Only" ticket, at a much reduced rate to purchasers. Or an alternative could be, to offer their stretch to a cooperative, who'd sell tickets for the whole river, and pay a fee to the clubs.

[Steve Burke]

Dunk Fairley:

I wonder what would happen, if all the controlling clubs, were to offer a "Medway Only" ticket, at a much reduced rate to purchasers. Or an alternative could be, to offer their stretch to a cooperative, who'd sell tickets for the whole river, and pay a fee to the clubs.

Isn't the latter what is done on the Rother through the Rother Fisheries Association?

[Carl Douglas]

Back to the first post!

As I am the person who advised Jim of the rumour (given to me by the baliff of the Teston Picnic stretch) I feel I need to comment.

Barbel are now showing from certain pegs on the Lower Medway in numbers previously unheard of. I do not think they are the Ashurst stocked fish as the ones I have caught are not dye marked (blue spot on the belly if anyone is interested). They may have come from Monks Lake after flooding, but if this is the case why are they not showing in numbers on the Lower Beult or the Medway between Yalding and Teston (areas I also fish). It is possible that the resident fish had a successful breading year and this is the result. I hope this is the case as it promises well for the future, but do not believe so as I would have thought we would have caught smaller fish in previous years. I feel that stocking has taken place (whether legal or not) and we are now seeing the benefits.

I tend to agree with Dunk that the numbers are not yet sufficient to target specifically, and it is better to target the chub and look on them as a nice bonus (that's how I caught the first couple).

However, as I prefer quiet fishing in some seclusion please disregard everything I have just written.

 

THERE ARE NO BARBEL (OR CHUB, OR BREAM, OR CARP, OR ROACH, OR PERCH) IN THE LOWER MEDWAY, JUST BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF BLEAK and maybe the odd pike!

[nick_gilbert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Carl Douglas:

 

odd pike!

---

Is that odd looking Carl?

[Carl Douglas]

Nick

 

Are you suggesting that I am odd looking!

 

Tis true, when I was born the Doctor took one look at me and slapped my mother

 

[ 30. September 2005, 07:16 PM: Message edited by: Carl Douglas ]

[nick_gilbert]

I didn't word that right, I meant odd looking pike!!!!

[Carl Douglas]

Nick

 

Worry not, you were right on both counts. The Pike are not odd looking but seem to like Luncheon Meat and Bread! (and lures of course Leon).

[Dunk Fairley]

As far as the Beult goes, I'll never forget the opening day of the season a few years ago. I'd got down to the Hawkenbury bit, where the river flows over a small wier, at about 5 o'clock. I'd actually started the season at midnight, on one of MVAS's lakes, but moved on to the Beult, to catch a river fish, at the crack of dawn.

 

I caught a couple of Perch as the sun was coming up, and as I'd already had a carp from Spider Hall lake at about3 o'clock, was feeling pretty chuffed. I then moved to the Staplehurst section, and sat it out with a waggler and casters for a few hours, hoping for Roach. At roughly Midday, a bailiff came up and asked how I was doing (after asking for my permit). I replied that I'd not caught yet from the bit I was then fishing, and he said (his exact words)

"You're in the wrong place mate. That bloke up there has got two Golden Tench and a 1/2lb Goldfish in his net. He's doing well"

 

I packed up and went to the pub. Since then, I didn't fish that stretch exept with lures.

 

Luckily, most of the Goldfish have been eaten by Pike in the Medway.

[Dunk Fairley]

Going back to Steve's point, I've seen the RFA signs up on my daily commute, and will be taking advantage very soon. It'd be great to see the same on the Medway.