Thames Barbel

[BoldBear]

I have a question about immature Barbel that someone may be able to answer for me:

 

On the rivers that my mates and I have fished (Lee, Gt. Ouse, Kennet, Stour) we very rarely catch any very small barbel (less than 12 oz) but we do occasionally catch the barbel once they reach around 12oz plus (although still very few). I think I remember reading an article once about how the very small Barbel ate the natural water insect life & snails eggs etc. and not the sort of baits that most of us normally use. but if this was true then why are they not often caught when using maggots for chub?

 

Has anyone got any information on this seemngly strange phenomena? or had similar experiences?

Edited November 30, 2007 by BoldBear

[dant]

Thats an interesting point you've raised there BB. I think the foodsources thing does go some lengths to explain why you never seem to catch small Barbel (due to the confines of Geography amongst many other things I never seem to catch large ones!). Maybe they feed solely on one foodsource such as Caddis fly larvae and view anything else as alien until they get to a certian size, when their omnivorous streak kicks. Just a guess.

 

It's very similar with Tench apart from those in highly stocked commercials. I can probably count the amount of wild Tench I've caught under 1lb on 1 hand. Similar with Perch they get to a certain size and then turn piscivorous. It could be hormonal. Another guess.

 

Back to the Thames Barbel, I saw another site that some lucky chap has just had a fish of 16lb 1oz from a Thames tributary. Thats some fish.

Edited November 30, 2007 by dant

[Steve Walker]

I wonder if it's a habitat issue. Maybe we just don't fish where small barbel live. Never mind catching them, has anyone watched them?

[BoldBear]

Dant,

Was that the 16lb 1oz Barbel caught by Korum sponsored Duncan Charman that was reported on another site?, it was caught on a thames tributary very early in the morning when most other anglers were still asleep.

Cracking fish.

 

Steve,

There are so few times that Ive even seen the very small barbel on the riverbed; probably because they are so hard to see over the gravel or perhaps they live right under the streamer weed or in other dense weed in side streams and don't venture out much, or maybe weve mistaken them for gudgeon on the riverbed?

Still thats what is so enjoyable about fishing, if we knew it all Im sure we wouldnt enjoy it as much .

 

Great news about the stocking on the Thames though.

[dant]

Yep thats the one, a lovely looking fish. Good to see people put in the effort and get their reward..

 

I agree with as well on the info tip, half the fun is in the finding it out for yourself!!

[ayjay]

I wonder if it's a habitat issue. Maybe we just don't fish where small barbel live. Never mind catching them, has anyone watched them?

 

I think that's the most likely explanation, although I do remember one swim at Kings Weir which used to produce quite a few Gudgeon sized barbel on a regular basis, but my experiences in general suggest that they tend to inhabit very shallow water.

 

I do regularly watch one spot on the Hants Avon which holds tiny barbel, (60 - 100mm in length) it's immediately above a weir, the barbel sit on the concrete apron almost looking at times as though their pecs are hooked over the lip of the concrete, I very much doubt that you or I could stand up in the flow there but the tiny barbs are quite happy.

[Guest tigger]

I have a question about immature Barbel that someone may be able to answer for me:

 

On the rivers that my mates and I have fished (Lee, Gt. Ouse, Kennet, Stour) we very rarely catch any very small barbel (less than 12 oz) but we do occasionally catch the barbel once they reach around 12oz plus (although still very few). I think I remember reading an article once about how the very small Barbel ate the natural water insect life & snails eggs etc. and not the sort of baits that most of us normally use. but if this was true then why are they not often caught when using maggots for chub?

 

Has anyone got any information on this seemngly strange phenomena? or had similar experiences?

 

 

I caugth a Barbel of only around 3 or 4 ounce many years ago in the Ribble. I caught it ledgering with maggot.

A really interesting question!

Edited November 30, 2007 by tigger