Stillwater Barbel breeding?

[RUDD]

Now I know the subject has raged on and on about stillwater Barbel with more arguments against rather than for on this site.

 

One of the against arguments is that they cannot breed in stillwater.

I belive there is no evidence whatsoever if they can or cant as no agency or body has ever done a full scientific study.

 

The argument claims they cannot breed in stillwaters as they need running water and gravel to spawn.

 

RUBBISH

 

When our club was formed a few years back we split away from what I would call a rather large privatly run club/syndicate or whatever you would call it. One of their policies was the stocking of stillwater barbel.

 

Due to this we inherited stillwater barbel which have an average weight of 5lb but are still growing as when we took over the water about three years ago they weighed an average 3lb per fish.

 

The water in question is not very big, about 3 to 3 1/2 acres. It is spring feed and alot of water moves through per hour which is very noticable due to the outflow pipes.

It has a mixed bottom of gravel, clay, and silt.

 

It also has 3oz to 8oz barblets!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yes thats right they have breed in this water and over the last few weeks a few of the tiddlers have been caught.

 

We know they have breed as we havent stocked any at all and it is impossible that these were some of the inherited fish which now average 5lb.

 

I know there are going to be alot of replies to this post saying this is impossible BUT think about it.

 

We know the area at the top of the lake where the springs enter from the lake bed has alot of gravel areas.

We also know alot of water enters the lake per hour through these springs.

 

GRAVEL, MOVING WATER, BARBEL.

 

Now tell me if I am wrong but are these not the factors needed for barbel to spawn?

[awaaar]

Rudd - I'm all for it, but what happens if the stillwater isn't stream fed, doesnt' have the feature of gravel and running water as your water does?

[Paul_D]

Isn't the obvious reply that you're not looking at a stillwater then? Still suprising though.

[RUDD]

awaaar:

Rudd - I'm all for it, but what happens if the stillwater isn't stream fed, doesnt' have the feature of gravel and running water as your water does?

The water is not stream fed.

The springs come through the lake bed which may or may not be the critical factor!

 

Thats the thing awaaar, there is no evidence if barbel can or cant spawn in stillwaters.

 

Paul_D

Member # 2287 posted 06 May, 2004 10:50 AM

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Isn't the obvious reply that you're not looking at a stillwater then? Still suprising though.

 

Paul, there is no feeder stream, the springs are in the top lake, the run off of water goes through a pipe and out into the next lake which then again goes through a pipe into the third lake at the bottom of the valley.

It then runs down another pipe and starts a stream which runs through another private lake and down the valley to a saltwater river.

 

IT IS TECHNICALLY CLASSED AS A STILLWATER.

[Peter M]

this is the jurassic park message that life will find a way to perpetuate itself despite what man thinks. I have heard that even rainbow trout will sometimes spawn in lakes where they are stocked, I don't know if its true its just what i heard.

[Rob Ward]

I'm against the stocking of Barbel into carp puddles but a spring fed gin clear pit is another matter altogether.

 

[ 07. May 2004, 12:29 PM: Message edited by: Rob Ward ]

[Steve Burke]

Like barbel, chub aren't supposed to spawn in stillwaters. Yet I know of a farm reservoir where I've caught small chub when only big ones are supposed to have been stocked many years earlier. There's certainly no spring there and the bottom is clay-lined.

[trent.barbeler]

Dear All,

 

Swim Wild, Swim Free.

 

Getting foggy.

 

Regards,

 

Lee.

[Dick Dastardly]

If it is ok to stock chub for example into carp puddles then why is it not ok to stock Barbel?

 

Why is it ok to stock them in spring fed gin clear waters though?

 

Are there sound scientific reasons for this?

 

I dont understand the reasoning behind this issue both scientific or moral please enlighten me.

 

Also on the other hand why would we want to stock these fish in still waters regardless of their type?

 

[ 07. May 2004, 12:25 AM: Message edited by: BUDGIE ]

[Peter Sharpe]

Chub can spawn very successfully in still waters. Maxey No.4 Pit used to be full of chub fry every year (probably still is). There was only an occasional inlet through an overflow pipe.

 

[ 07. May 2004, 07:37 AM: Message edited by: Peter Sharpe ]