Barbel fishing

[Guest tigger]

Just curious what peoples favourite method for Barbel fishing is. Having only ever caught a Barbel of 6inch long which was purely by accident while fishing for Chub I've decided to have a go at catching some this season on the River.

It seems nearly everone I speak to prefers a fixed bolt rig with a hair rig and boilies or some other carpy type bait.

I know there's different styles of fishing at different venues but am curious as to the average line strength, hook size, Bait etc people would use.

I am determined to get some Barbel this season so all tips will be appreciated.

[FishyFraser]

Just curious what peoples favourite method for Barbel fishing is. Having only ever caught a Barbel of 6inch long which was purely by accident while fishing for Chub I've decided to have a go at catching some this season on the River.

It seems nearly everone I speak to prefers a fixed bolt rig with a hair rig and boilies or some other carpy type bait.

I know there's different styles of fishing at different venues but am curious as to the average line strength, hook size, Bait etc people would use.

I am determined to get some Barbel this season so all tips will be appreciated.

 

Funnily enough I was only chatting to someone about this a few weeks ago in my local tackle shop. This chap waxed lyrical about hair rigged cat meat! You know, tinned cat food! I was well surprised but he reckons barbel go wild over it. It got me thinking of a pellet, fishmeal and cat meat groundbait. You never know but this guy reckoned it worked a treat.

[zedhead]

tigger, depends what size of barbel you expect to catch and ghow snaggy your barbel swims are:

As a general guide, I use 12lb braid mainline, 8lb mono or 12lb braid hooklength.

I have used the bolt rig, but I personally prefer a free running ledger as i like the fish to move off without feeling the hook , just because they are wising up the boltrig and pellet tactic used by everyone.

 

Bait wise, a few years back I would have said halibut pellet, 14 -22 mm but again theyve seen it all before, they still catch a lot of barbel but I switched onto naturals now, sweetcorn, worms, big bunches of maggots and cockles.

 

Groundbait wise, a mix of whatever im using on the hookbait with a mix of 50% john baker frost and flood, with 50% dynamite baits betaine ground bait.

 

However, Im no barbel expert, this just works for me........on occassion

[ayjay]

Hemp and caster in a feeder takes a lot of beating in the summer time.

 

Trotting with maggot or caster is a very enjoyable and efficient method if there are a few fish around rather than sitting it out for a biggie.

 

In coloured water a big lump of luncheon meat still catches plenty, even on hard fished waters.

 

I've never found any real need to go over 8lb with mono, snaggy swims will need more though, hooks do need to be strong, Drennan Super Specialist are as good as any, I rarely find a need to go smaller than a 14 for maggot or caster, anything up to a 2 for meat.

[hpint]

Just curious what peoples favourite method for Barbel fishing is. Having only ever caught a Barbel of 6inch long which was purely by accident while fishing for Chub I've decided to have a go at catching some this season on the River.

It seems nearly everone I speak to prefers a fixed bolt rig with a hair rig and boilies or some other carpy type bait.

I know there's different styles of fishing at different venues but am curious as to the average line strength, hook size, Bait etc people would use.

I am determined to get some Barbel this season so all tips will be appreciated.

 

 

 

Hey Tigger

 

Try by fishing a weighted cage feeder and take halibut pellets and crush them into a powder. Use the crushed (powdered) halibut pellets as groundbait and fish either a lump of luncheon meat or even better a large halibut pellet on the hook

 

Good luck

[Chris Plumb]

My favourite method - in the right swim, is trotting for barbel - you may not get the stamp of fish that you do ledgering but will often get multiple catches and can be more fun in my book. The 'secret' in trotting for them is in building up the swim - keep trickling in the maggot - it may take a couple of hours to get them going but once you do sport can be frenetic. My barbel trotting gear would consist of 8lb mainline (Fireline Crystal this year) 6lb bottom to size 14 hook. Float a heavy loafer (at least 2.5 ssg maybe heavier if the swim is especially fast).

 

I did a much fuller article on trotting for barbel for BFW a while back - you can read it here...

 

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/usnabbotts/fish_cpin_addit_2.htm

 

When I'm ledgering my gear will consist of a 1.75T/C rod with 10/12lb Fireline and 8lb braided hooklink (something like silkworm is great). I tend to use a simple running ledger and halibut pellet on a hair rig - with the hook disguised with an Enterprise Hook-skin. I don't feed too much - my local Kennet sees quite enough bait going in and I'm quite sure there are times when other anglers over-feed their swims. Sometimes I'll lob in a (small) handful of freebies many time I won't even do this. I'm fortunate in living very close to the river so most of my ledgering sessions are short evening affairs - typically 8pm to Midnight often the best time to be on the river...

 

 

C.

Edited May 12, 2007 by Chris Plumb

[lutra]

Hemp and caster in a feeder takes a lot of beating in the summer time.

 

Trotting with maggot or caster is a very enjoyable and efficient method if there are a few fish around rather than sitting it out for a biggie.

 

In coloured water a big lump of luncheon meat still catches plenty, even on hard fished waters.

 

I've never found any real need to go over 8lb with mono, snaggy swims will need more though, hooks do need to be strong, Drennan Super Specialist are as good as any, I rarely find a need to go smaller than a 14 for maggot or caster, anything up to a 2 for meat.

 

Spot on for me.

[Guest Rabbit]

Much depends on the type of water you are fishing. What I would say is that a fixed bolt rig is a big no no, the potential of the fish breaking you and the usual consequences of dragging lead is very real. Besides there is no need to, a running lead is more effective and te barbel bite is often unmissable. Any of the previous methods are fine, also try dampened pellet moulded around a gripper lead!! quick and easy. I will attach a hair rigged boilie or pellet to 10 mono. the main line is 12lb.

 

But there is not one method that will work all the time, I am sure you will know that anyway, sometimes a small bomb, with just a few scattered offerings will work better, especially when roving. Or rolled meat, on a weighted hook (fuse wire) will be the method, its up to you... the adrenelin is pumping now, and it's still another 5 weeks away THANKS!!

[Guest tigger]

Thank's Chaps for your opinions so far . Look forward to some more opinions, hook preference and size for different baits would be interesting also.

[Guest Rabbit]

Thank's Chaps for your opinions so far . Look forward to some more opinions, hook preference and size for different baits would be interesting also.

Ian ,I use Drennan Super Specialist , size 10 or 8 on a hair rig, when using 14 mm pellet. The donkey chokers 21 mm will be fine with a size 8 I assume you can tie a knotless knot, if not worth checking out. I also band pellets, and in some ways its just as effective, also much quicker too when changing baits.

I think hallibut pellets are still the best, and I use elipse from Bankside, Tewkesbury they do have a mail order thingy. Check out their other baits as well on their Website. For loose feed I use 8mm halli or betane. I use these soaked also around the lead or in with a feeder with crumb etc..

BTW what river will you be fishing?