New record barbel

[Olly]

In France or the UK?

Many rivers hold big barbel - but maybe not for much longer. The Kennet population has decreased dramatically where I fish. The Gt. Ouse was decimated according to many anglers. For the same reason - otters? As it was the Kennet that donated the barbel to the Hants Avon - will those fish eventually disappear?

The lack or perceived lack of small barbel in some rivers shows little successful spawning in some areas.

As to heavy gear look to the French/Continental anglers fishing stillwaters and rivers! 4 not two rods of 4lb t/c even 6lb t/c - big pit reels plus a boat to get the bait out! Apart from just 2 rods and bait boats in the UK - they are the same!

A 1lb t/c rod was suitable for barbel in the 60's when a fish of 6-8lb was a good fish and a double a huge fish. As the fish have got bigger the tackle used - more suitable. Fishing the Trent in flood (or the Loire) some are talking about 10oz leads! A bit difficult unless using a rod suitable to cast this sort of weight.

Additionally barbel were deemed to be, like carp, a summer species - now fished for all year round - in all conditions! Hence the long stayers to be found in a bivvy & buzzers along our river banks!

Many anglers however are pleased just to fish for whatever takes their bait!

[Trilob]

Apparently one chap found himself walking past a trail cam that he reckons was set-up by someone to monitor "rival" anglers on their way to certain swims.

I would settle for smaller fish in a less crowded area if i had to put up with these things....

[Mole-Patrol]

Unfortunately Olly the carp fever has reached the continent and scenes as you describe can be found on many lakes and rivers in La Belle France. Four rods set waist high on a tripod thingy with lines taught and straight out to heavy weights that have been dropped into place by means of a rubber dinghy. The pecheurs not only have conventional bivvys but at least one axillary tent, pergola and / or canopy along with the usual paraphernalia.

Thankfully the French have an unwritten rule that does not allow them to fish more than five paces from their vehicles unless fly-fishing or casting lures. That means a lot of free bank space for those of us who are able to walk to out swims. And, the local pecheurs have not yet embraced the barbeaux so rivers with any flow at all tend to be overlooked.

The down side is that barbel over around 8lbs are pretty hard to come by and this is exasperated by the sheer number of double figure carp that show up in swims more suited to barbel. So you have to choose your tackle carefully so as not to over power the run of the mill 4lb barbel and yet be able to deal with the 16lb carp that lurks in the same spot. You can forget the catfish on barbel tackle. That always ends in tears.

Where I used to fish in Sth Yorks we had a lovely small river that had in a quite small area produced several double figure barbel going up to over 16lb. This river would not warrant a second glance and was totally free for all but a mile of its length. And I had the Wharfe, Nidd and Ouse within travelling distance so was not short of good sized barbels.

Now I rove the local rivers trying to locate good swims for barbel, but sadly am still 13 ounces short of a UK double. However, I do catch a lot of nice barbel and carp, chub and catfish in beautiful areas that have never been fished so it isn't all doom and gloom. Once I managed to persuade Mr. D to post me a brace of doubles I will be able to stock my own length of river and have two named specimens in it that I can catch every week.

[Liphook]

6lb TC rods!!! Surely not?

[Mole-Patrol]

My Marco Silver Monarch is around that sort of puissance. It will lift 6lb 8oz dead weight off the ground

[Northern Eel]

As popular commercial carp fisheries have become overcrowded, lots of carp anglers are migrating towards the rivers bringing their carp tackle (and other paraphernalia) with them, carp rods with big pit reels & 15lb+ line are a common sight now on the stretch of the Trent where I usually fish.
I saw one person hammering a large metal pole into the ground, I was wondering what it was for until I saw him retrieving a TV aerial from the back of his van (the kind you see on the roof of a house!)
Needless to say, we didn’t see anything of him after he disappeared into his bivvy!

[Olly]

6lb t/c rods!- a bit light for 200lb+ catfish!! Esp if using a big bait - 200lb traces required and 5/0 hooks! You can now fish for them in the pike close season but must use 5/0 hooks or larger with a bunch of worms in the Dept I usually visit!

The French were already carping when I first went with Bob James in the early 80's! An adored Rod Hutchinson saw to that! Trying to fish a local lake surrounded by keen young carpists was a bit difficult - on later visits I found a huge lake and just tucked myself away!

A bit difficult to do that unwritten rule in places - no cars allowed along miles of bank in some Depts. Mind you 4 rods can easily cover 200m when fishing a canal or river- especially by the locals - fishing for the pot. Night fishing is relatively new in France and specific areas are designated on Public waters. What you do on private ones - well?

A couple of barbel anglers I know have tried several French rivers without success - but a couple of French friends have caught them on jellies or spinners! Parts of the Loire have them but a Franco-German friend in Alsace catches them trotting with maggots as we can, along with bream & chub.

[Santiago]

A friend of mine recently caught an 8lb barbel on a 4# fly rod by accident. Now that sounds like fun, unlike using high tc rods!

[Liphook]

I get that for catfish Olly but thought we were discussing barbel !

[Olly]

It would be strange to talk about French barbel - having not seen one yet alone caught one! As far as I know it appears very few fish for barbel judging by the posts on European Barbel fishing. Dutch, German, English, Welsh, Spanish, Italian, etc anglers --- but not France except the most northern area bordering Belgium.

MP was talking about the carp/barbel trend in UK and comparing it with carp/catfish/barbel in France especially with heavy rods or super heavy rods! You could be fishing with a boilie -- and have a 100lb fish in your swim. Besides in some Depts silure are kept for dinner. Barbel don't get eaten -- poisonous it is said - unlike pike, zander, carp, mullet, or "frites" (any small fish).

I have said before - it is, to me, a shame that many anglers are treating barbel fishing as they do their carping - in many different ways!

There is a very good video (format??) of an angler targeting barbel on the fly - caddis larva - either in Spain or France whilst fishing Category 1 trout river/stream waters.