Barbel Tales

On the hunt for Barbel in running water. Simple rigs and straightforward ideas, searching for the hardest fighting 'prince of the river'

[simonbarbel-blog]

19 degrees that felt more like 30!

As with most people home life and work dictate when I am able to fish.

We all read about how we must hit the river when everything is perfect but that's not always possible. To me I go when i can. Have to be in it to win it is very much my motto when chasing Barbel so even if the odds are against me then if i have the opportunity then i'll go.

Sunday 6th July 2014 (yesterday) was definitely one of those days. With very little rain in the previous week and temperatures staying at a minimum 19 degrees during the day but at times rising to the mid twenties through the week building up to the weekend then the possibility of a red letter day was fairly slim.

I got to the river around mid day. The sun was high in the sky with pretty much no cloud cover and although the official temp was 19 degrees it felt much warmer.

I decided to venture upstream from the car park whereas I normally head downstream purely based on the fact there is more river to be fished. The river is also a lot slower and wider the further upstream you go and although their will still be a good head of Barbel it is more suitable for the Pike and general silver fish anglers.

For the first 200 yards or so the upstream stretch is typical Teme, fast and shallow with the odd deeper stretch and deep bend gliding past under cut banks. The only issue, especially this time of year is how over grown the banks are. With only a few dedicated river anglers in my club then its not a case of the river being so heavily fished you can follow the well trodden path. For around 200 yards of bank, without a machete, hedge cutter and shovel then there is probably only two or three accessible pegs.

As expected the river was very low and clear and typical low water conditions for the mid summer. So i weighed up my options. The fish are either going to be sat somewhere quiet and inaccessible awaiting nightfall before they venture out to feed or will be sat in the faster more oxygenated water.

With me only fishing to late afternoon then it was a case of chancing my arm in the quicker water hoping I could tempt one. So with my usual pellet set up i dropped my rig downstream on the tail end of the flow and waited to see. 

Almost immediately the tip was showing me that something was showing interest with constant taps and slight pulls which threatened to develop into full blown bites but wasnt quite materialising.

After literally only ten - fifteen minutes of sitting on my hands the tip went round fully and I was into a fish. It was obvious immediately with the pull of the fish that it was a Barbel and it was also obvious due to its energetic bursts that it was more than likely a small fish but as usual with Barbel this size full of energy and not willing to give in without a good scrap. After a minute or two of it seeming to cover all of the water in front of me I managed to get its head up and bought it to the net without too much bother.

I have numerous aspects of Barbel fishing i really enjoy but two of my favourites are the initial bite and wrapping around of the rod and the first time the fish becomes visible. Regardless of size the white flash of its underside and the fully extended fins is a sight to behold especially when you are fishing a session in conditions you don't even really expect much to happen. Every single fish is a bonus but some definitely more than others!

So within about 20 minutes of casting in for the first time I had a small but perfectly formed Teme Tiger lying on my unhooking mat and the session had started with a bang.

Quick photo and back in the river. Too warm to keep it out of the water for long. Change the hookbait, fill the feeder lets go again.

After tweeting the above photo and having some interaction on Twitter regarding my session and fishing in general the tip slowly tapped then pulled around again but as soon as I lifted into it it was clear it was a Chub and with pretty much no effort the small Chublet was reeled in and the tiny fella probably weighing barely a pound came to the net and was soon unhooked and swimming free. 

With the indications on the rod slowing down and the heat becoming a bit tedious i decided to go for a stroll further upstream. On route you pass a weir which due to the power lines over head isn't fishable then there is a further two pegs immediately above the weir which I have had quite a few fish from previously (including my first ever double 11lb 2oz) but beyond that the river widens and deepens and although there are plenty of features like sunken trees etc the river in my opinion loses a bit of character in comparison to the quicker and more varied downstream stretches.

Although difficult to see thanks to my poor photography the grass snake above crossing the river was about exciting as my trip upstream got. After sitting behind a completely still and lifeless rod for a couple of casts for about an hour I decided enough was enough and called it a day. The heat and the walking had taken its toll and although i didn't break any records with the two fish caught they were both still very much a bonus. 

I'm sure a feeder full of maggots or a maggot or two trotted under a float may have produced more fish even if not necessarily a Barbel, it was still satisfying that by sticking to my usual method in difficult conditions had still tempted a Barbel to the bank.

[simonbarbel-blog]

The most basic of rigs!

My most used rig stinks of simplicity. It Isn't anything particularly original or groundbreaking, but its effective. 

The rig itself really couldnt be any simpler. There will be far more technically skilled and innovative anglers out there but as our goal is exactly the same, to catch Barbel then My rig is no more inferior in practice for all that it lacks in technicalities. Its basically the rig that works for me!

So I get a single 2oz feeder, a buffer bead, a size 8 swivel, a length of 10lb flouro hook length and a size 8 barbless hook with a straight hair (no loop required)

The feeders I use are a standard plastic maggot feeder with a flip up lid on the swivel end to put the maggots in. Although there are a countless types on the market but due to me being the slightest bit superstitious, due to previous catches on this feeder then i persist with it....Firstly I simply saw the bottom of the feeder off and gently sand the sawn edges down to make the feeder safe for any inquisitive feeding fish! Then I completely 'paint' the feeder in black ink from a waterproof marker pen (more commonly known as a permanent marker). As standard the feeders I use are available in either brown or a light green which although both are fairly discreet, in shallower water the clear plastic does reflect sunlight. By colouring it black it simply sits more discreetly on the river bed blending in with the various stones etc and is much less visible. 

As for bait well there's nothing ingenious or particularly original as my bait of choice is pellet. One important factor is I like to use the most bog standard trout pellet I can find. No fancy flavours, shapes or brands just the standard sinking pellet that can be bought in bulk at a reasonable price from most well stocked tackle shops. For the sake of my hookbait I don't like these pellets to break down too quickly but i'll come back to that. I add a small coating of again bog standard trout pellet oil just to add an extra degree of leakage but apart from that my only variation will be a mix of sizes of 2/4/6 & 8mm.

The pellets are plugged into the feeder by scolded pellets. Again no rocket science involved. Simply add boiling water to a small bait box of the same pellets so by the time I get to the river (approx 15 mins from home) they have soaked up all the water but left a soft and almost paste like version of my other pellets. 

The scolded pellets not only keep the loose pellets in the feeder they also give off a cloud of flavour and an attractant which especially on smaller rivers saves the time and effort of too much if any pre-baiting, either leading up to the session or on the day of the session.

For my hookbait then its always two 8mm pellets glued to the hair. This is the reason i like a pellet with a slow breakdown so I can get a number of casts from two pellets instead of constantly changing my hooklength/hookbait. I usually have a fairly long hooklength of between 30 - 60 cm in length. This I believe helps in the presentation once the rig reaches the river bed whereas shorter hook lengths may not sit how you want them too in relation to your feeder/bait.   

Location and a half decent bait is far more important to me than one of the countless over complicated rigs.  

[simonbarbel-blog]

Barbel Heaven - My  most likely haunts!

i) Warwickshire Avon - As with the Severn the Avon is very accessible with day tickets from clubs such as the BAA. 

Some of Angling's key river specialists have predicted this will one day be England's most productive river for double figure Barbel. Some very well known stretches around the Evesham area which are visited by anglers from all over the country consistently tempt Barbel of 12lb+ to the point they have almost become a fish no longer to consider the capture of a lifetime. 

As an angler who prefers less pressurised waters with unknown quarry and no real desperation to only catch double figure fish the ease of 24 hour+ tickets without any club membership and the potential of truly specimen Barbel still make it a very difficult water to want to avoid or ignore even though the chances of catching a virgin fish is extremely unlikely.

ii) River Severn - Britain's longest river and the original home of many of England's Barbel stocks.

The Middle Severn is another popular midlands stretch of river for visiting Anglers with miles of the great river available on day ticket. The Middle Severn is also known as 'Barbel Alley' which its name itself would surely be enough to have made most Barbel hunters to head in its direction at some point in their quest.

The picture shown is the upper/Middle stretch around Coalport where even though its maybe not known to be traditionally as populated as stretches further downstream like Quatford and Arley its still has a very decent head of Barbel and some very large fish lurking between its banks. 

iii) The Upper Severn - Around the Welshpool area the Severn is known more for its trout fishing than its coarse fish.

The Barbel are still present though and with shallow fast flowing waters the Angler is given a different type of Severn swim than those can be found further downstream as it heads towards its middle and lower reaches.

iv) The River Wye - Or Majestic river Wye as its known is another jewel in the crown of Barbel fishing.

Personally and probably for most the attraction of this river its its location and the scenery you get to fish amongst. The magic with the Wye is also how varied it is. From shallow reedy stretches to deep slow bends all within a couple of hundred yards of each other.

Those that only want larger fish then the Wye isn't necessarily the river to choose first, but for location, variations of swims and number of fish then its on a par with pretty much anywhere.

v) Foy Bridge - River Wye. This photo was taken in June 2011 on a visit to Wye and Usk waters near Ross on Wye. 

On this particular day Chub ruled the roost with six Chub finding the net and only two Barbel coming my way. Both Barbel probably only averaging 4/5lb but greatly appreciated regardless.

vi) River Teme - 'My river'. For its size, its width, its depth etc etc maybe the Teme shouldn't be as productive as it is, but just like the Ouse proves that you don't need a huge mass of water to house and flourish a Barbel population that is well known across the entire country in Barbel circles.

Barbel are strong fighting fish from any river but the term 'Teme Tiger' seems so relevant to the fish that habitat this particular water. The Teme has it all for the Barbel angler. Easily accessible stretches on day ticket, plenty of fish with plenty of doubles and swims that although you may need to be brave and agile to reach them the effort is usually rewarded.

Just like any other Barbel river some days it feels so easy you would catch without even casting in yet other days you feel you would blank even with dynamite (the explosive NOT the bait).

As my local water and the most regular river I visit then it can feel home from home. Its wild and untouched in places but the effort needed is more than justified for the reward.

vii) River Teme - Worcester. 

As I said 'home from home'

viii) River Teme - Bransford nr Worcester.

One of the most famous stretches of the Teme and also the home of the largest Barbel ever recorded from the Teme.

This very cold and wintry day in February 2010 wasnt ideal conditions but i had the opportunity to fish it so who am i to say no!

Again as expected in the conditions only Chub came out this particular day but still a stretch of river with known and proven potential.

ix) River Usk - Usk Wales. One of the most famous trout and game rivers in Britain but also home to an emerging head of Barbel.

The day i took this photo i was actually after the trout on fly fishing gear but i saw a number of Barbel and is a river i definitely want to revisit at some point with my Barbel gear.