Ideas for a good all-round bait for a new spot

[Tedster]

I have a ‘secret’ fishing spot. I say secret but it’s clearly not - it’s just I have never seen anyone else fish it. The only sign I have seen of other anglers are kids.

 

There is access to a weir pool and a 300 yard stretch of river downstream from the pool. At the end of the pool there is a deep section and a bend with an undercut bank. The river then has quite a uniform depth and flow for a short length. There is then a fast shallow gravel section, deep pools with more undercut banks and overhanging trees, then deeper and slower, more shallow gravel. At the end there is a sudden very deep slow section. There is not much in the way of weed due to the gravel and shade from overhanging trees.

 

I have caught chub to 5lb (my main quarry). I have only stalked fish where I have seen them so have not fished the deeper sections. Most of my success has been freelining a slug, bread or worm usually from an overhanging tree through one of the deep sections. I have also caught smaller chub off the top. There is also some good roach and perch.

 

Not yet fished the weir pool itself as I have been concentrating on the river where I can see the fish.

 

I know there to be barbel upstream from the weir in a stretch a couple of miles away so it is not impossible they are here. I have never seen any in ‘my stretch’ however, if I were a barbel wondering along this river I’m sure I would stay here.

 

This leads me on to some questions I was hoping you would help me with. Firstly, whilst stalking I have never seen a barbel in the river. Could they be there but just so shy and sneaky it’s possible I have never seen them? The river is not that wide but because of the shade you can never see all the way across, into the deeper sections or into the undercut opposite banks. (so could have answered my own question).

 

I don’t fancy the idea of spending hours fishing for barbel if there aren’t any. So to improve my chances I want to use a bait that would be as equally appealing to chub and barbel. Are there any such baits and what would work in the winter? I have seen carp in the river a couple of miles downstream so are there baits that barbel, chub and carp would take? I would put money on there being bream too.

 

What would you suggest for a multi-purpose bait whilst trying to find out what species there are in a weir pool and the deeper sections of the river? Chub will still feed in the winter but not being a barbel angler I don’t know about them. Is it worth trying for them in the winter or should I try again in the spring?

 

Any tips would be great.

 

Thanks

[Kappa]

I have a ‘secret’ fishing spot. I say secret but it’s clearly not - it’s just I have never seen anyone else fish it. The only sign I have seen of other anglers are kids.

 

There is access to a weir pool and a 300 yard stretch of river downstream from the pool. At the end of the pool there is a deep section and a bend with an undercut bank. The river then has quite a uniform depth and flow for a short length. There is then a fast shallow gravel section, deep pools with more undercut banks and overhanging trees, then deeper and slower, more shallow gravel. At the end there is a sudden very deep slow section. There is not much in the way of weed due to the gravel and shade from overhanging trees.

 

I have caught chub to 5lb (my main quarry). I have only stalked fish where I have seen them so have not fished the deeper sections. Most of my success has been freelining a slug, bread or worm usually from an overhanging tree through one of the deep sections. I have also caught smaller chub off the top. There is also some good roach and perch.

 

Not yet fished the weir pool itself as I have been concentrating on the river where I can see the fish.

 

I know there to be barbel upstream from the weir in a stretch a couple of miles away so it is not impossible they are here. I have never seen any in ‘my stretch’ however, if I were a barbel wondering along this river I’m sure I would stay here.

 

This leads me on to some questions I was hoping you would help me with. Firstly, whilst stalking I have never seen a barbel in the river. Could they be there but just so shy and sneaky it’s possible I have never seen them? The river is not that wide but because of the shade you can never see all the way across, into the deeper sections or into the undercut opposite banks. (so could have answered my own question).

 

I don’t fancy the idea of spending hours fishing for barbel if there aren’t any. So to improve my chances I want to use a bait that would be as equally appealing to chub and barbel. Are there any such baits and what would work in the winter? I have seen carp in the river a couple of miles downstream so are there baits that barbel, chub and carp would take? I would put money on there being bream too.

 

What would you suggest for a multi-purpose bait whilst trying to find out what species there are in a weir pool and the deeper sections of the river? Chub will still feed in the winter but not being a barbel angler I don’t know about them. Is it worth trying for them in the winter or should I try again in the spring?

 

Any tips would be great.

 

Thanks

 

I think many barbel anglers would tell you it would be harder to find a bait that barbel would take but chub wouldn't! If it were me I'd try luncheon meat, worms, and maybe trout pellets. In the depths of winter I might also try as really old and smelly bluecheese paste (you'll have make it now in order to let it er "mature" in time). Other people mmight suggest maggots (but i think they are too expensive) or boilies (but i don't like them).

 

Rich

[Steve Walker]

Have to say, I've recently been stalking barbel on here . I've found that barbel are harder to see than chub, are more shy of movement and tackle, spend more of their time hiding under cover and take longer to come out again after you've spooked them. Also, I have yet to find anything barbel will eat and chub won't. The chub love pellets and chow down on hemp as happily as the barbel. I've not had a single stalked barbel out yet. The chub are just too quick, and the barbel too shy. The barbel fade away if you drop a bait near to them and the chub grab it first if you don't. I have a plan for a Heath-Robinson affair of a rig which will allow me to anchor a bait on the bottom and pull it into a tube until a barbel comes snuffling around, when I will gently expose the bait. Unfortunately all this rain chilled and coloured the river before I could test my idea. I spent my last trip there legering a lobworm in the floodwater over a spot where I'd previously stalked barbel and pulling out a succession of... chub.

 

On the positive side, I've spent as much time observing the barbel as actually fishing for them, and learnt a thing or two I didn't know about their behaviour. I was surprised at how quickly they appeared from nowhere when a swim which had only chub in it was fed. I think that, if you want to spot them on this river, your best plan would be to take a walk along throwing hemp and / or mini pellets into several good stalking positions near to cover and then slowly walk back and observe.

[luckyjim]

I have a plan for a Heath-Robinson affair of a rig which will allow me to anchor a bait on the bottom and pull it into a tube until a barbel comes snuffling around, when I will gently expose the bait.

 

Genius!

 

Might it not spook the barbel though? Perhaps some sort of camoflage on the tube like they do with leads - glue a coat of gravel onto it or something.

 

Good luck with that though - perhaps you should patent it before the tackle manufacturers snaffle your inspiration!

[stuchef]

I personally would set up a open ended feeder with groundbait and plug it with chopped worm and castor and hemp and fish with either worm and corn or worm and maggot or any other cocktail this will surely attract anything that is there bream chub barble roach perch

[Steve Walker]

Good luck with that though

 

Cheers! Didn't need it in the end, though, as the river has coloured up. Got my barbel, not a big one, but I'm still chuffed:

 

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/index.p...p;showentry=133

[Tedster]

Wow, Steve that spot looks stunning.

Have been baiting swims with hemp and mini-pellets everytime I go. Sometimes I dont fish - just watch. Seen lots of chub but never barbel. Will have to get up early one morning and have a good look before the water colours too much.

I think I will use a feeder and fish through the roach, small chub to see what's around. Was loathed to use maggots because I would be plagued by small fish - but I guess that's going to happen on any general bait.

I will fish the weir pool and some deep spots with worms/maggotts, hemp and ground bait. Could get anything! Thats the beauty.